gave her first harikatha performance in 1909, becoming the first woman to do so. The school was visited by Mahatma Gandhi in 1896. The present-day street The street is known for its authentic Rajasthani cuisine, which Marwaris believe is only available in this area. The memorial house of savant Ramalinga Swamigal is located near the northern end of the street, in Veerasami Street, a lane off Barracks Street. The street houses two historic schools, namely the Tondaimandalam Tuluva Vellalar (TTV) School, founded in 1854, and the Hindu Theological School, founded in 1889. The TTV School was home to one of the earliest music sabhas—the Tondaimandalam Sabha. It was at a meeting of this Sabha at the school in 1905 that the decision to celebrate the Aradhana of Tyagaraja in a grand manner at Thiruvaiyaru was taken by a large group of musicians. Mint Street housed several bhajan centres (bhajanai mandirams), to nurture the bhajan tradition of Carnatic music, of which at least two still survive. One of these centres has transformed into a temple. Known as the 'Sumai tangi' (load-bearing) Rama temple, it has two exquisite Thanjavur paintings of Rama and Narasimha, which were the original objects of worship before the erection of stone idols. In a talk that Tiger Varadachariar gave over the All India Radio, composers and music publishers Tachur Singaracharlu Brothers organised bhajan sessions at this temple in the 1890s. Mint Street has several temples dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Kandaswami Temple, dedicated to Lord Murugan, is located on Rasappa Chetty Street, off Mint Street. The street is also home to the Ekambareswarar Temple. See also Parry's Corner George Town History of Chennai References Bibliography Roads in Chennai Streets of George Town, Chennai Central business districts in India Odonyms referring to a building