Revenue officials said the renovated building is ready for public use and residents can pay a nominal fee to use the facility. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The British-era Lakshmanaswami Town Hall, opposite the 16th-century fort complex on Infantry Road in Vellore, has been restored to its original splendor as a full-fledged community hall for public use, especially for the poor.
The Government Hall once housed the North Arcot District Museum when it was established in 1985 by the Education Department.
Later, in 1999, due to space constraints in the hall, the museum was moved to the grounds of the fortress. “The town hall was an interim measure for setting up a district museum in Vellore, which was the sixth such facility after Chennai, Trichy, Pudukottai, Madurai and Salem. A token fee was paid for the use of the town hall premises,” K. Saravanan, curator of the Vellore Museum, told The Hindu.
Since then, the town hall has been an ideal meeting place for witnesses of social and cultural events. Local historians said that the building was constructed in 1906 and named after the famous Arcot doctor Lakshmanaswami (AL).
Lakshmanaswami and his brother Arcot Ramaswami (AR), who are twins, were born in a Tamil-speaking Tuluva Vellalar family before moving to the then Madras for education. After independence, Lakshmanaswami donated the building to the government for public use.
The dilapidated building has been badly damaged over the years with cracks in the walls and roof. The painting also faded. Part of Mangalore’s tiled roof was damaged. The sewer line was completely broken.
Collector VR Subbulaxmi, along with PWD officials, inspected the demolished structure as part of the restoration of the building, which was taken into the Collector’s general funds. Subsequently, thick vegetation on the roof and walls was removed. The broken tiles in the hall were replaced with new ones.
A new pipeline was installed to ensure a continuous supply of water to the facility. LED lighting was also provided for holding public events, especially in the evening. Revenue officials said the renovated building is ready for public use and residents can pay a nominal fee to use the facility.
Published – 10 May 2026 23:48 IST
