The Karl Schmidt Memorial is an architectural landmark commemorating a Dutch sailor who drowned in 1930 trying to save the life of a girl. It is located at Elliot's Beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
According to historians, the Dutch sailor, who had gone to the beach, saw an English girl getting into the water. She soon started struggling. In a successful attempt to save her life, he lost his own. The girl attended a ball the very next evening as though nothing had happened. The then governor, angered by her callousness, built the memorial to mark Schmidt's gallant act.
During midday the beach around the memorial becomes home from home for unmarried couples who brave the heat to have some time and space for themselves. India’s conservative views on gender interaction discourage courting; marriages traditionally are arranged by parents.