A century ago, theosophist Annie Besant appeared before the Madras High Court to argue two famous cases — one related to the custody of two children and the other to the freedom of the press. Now, the international headquarters of the Theosophical Society at Adyar in Chennai has been fighting a legal battle before the same court in connection with 256 acres of serene land in the heart of the city. According to the Theosophical Society, it got incorporated in 1905 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Its objective was to nurture universal brotherhood, encourage comparative study of all religions, and explore unexplained laws of nature as well as powers latent in man. The Society has branches in 70 countries and its international headquarters is at Adyar in Chennai.
Sold to Prince of Arcot
Of the total extent of 256 acres in its possession, 81.25 acres originally belonged to a woman named Mary Anne Longhurst, who sold it to Ghulam Mohamed Ali Khan Bahadur, the Prince of Arcot, in 1906. According to the Society, two of its members B. Subbiah Chetty and B. Ranga Reddy, who resided on the Society campus, purchased the land from the prince in 1908 for ₹40,000.
