Victoria Albert Hall - madurai tourism

Sourashtrians – a community of weavers came to Madurai from Gujarat in search of their fortunes. They continued to live in Madurai, thankful to the stable rule of the Nayak dynasty. They lived in harmony & adapted to the Tamilian culture quickly. Known as pattu-nool-karer (silk thread people) they bought the art of weaving to Madurai.

Much of their raw material was obtained from Madura Mills & they were good terms with the officials of the Mill & they wished to express their gratitude. In 1910’s a town hall (Victoria Albert Hall) was constructed. This was a blend of Gothic, Victorian & Portuguese style of architecture. It was originally meant to show plays, English movies etc. The first film screened here was Victoria the Great. Soon the officials realized that even if the British, Americans & Anglo-Indians enjoyed films here, it was not economically viable.

Hence the Sourashtrians took the land on lease. They still screened films – but skipped the matinee shows. In the afternoon, the Hall was used as a library. Regal Talkies as it was now called had stood the test of time. It has now come a long way from the time that that a movie only cost a quarter of a rupee. Its new avatar is a low-brow movie house for the local population.