Chennai celebrates 376th birthday and more than 3 centuries of a great culture

This is a city so proud of its history that its leading citizens observe 22nd August of each year as “Madras Day.” The British discovered natural harbours in Madras, Bombay and Calcutta in the era of shipping routes and they developed these places as major cities. As a modern city Chennai is 50 years older to Kolkata and 35 years older than Mumbai.

A travel through history shows, that it was on 22nd August, 1639 that two British administrators, Francis Day and Andrew Cogan, struck a deal with local chieftains of the erstwhile Vijayanagar Empire, to acquire land for a fortified factory called Fort St. George; the very first fort the British built on Indian soil.

It was only in 2004,that this day began to be observed as “Madras Day”. This is the initiative of journalists Shashi Nair and Vincent D’Souza who met the celebrated city historian S. Muthiah. The trio felt that city needs to be celebrated each year. “The primary motive was to focus on the city, its past and its present” as they described the significance of the “Madras Day.”

The idea initially started with heritage walks, lectures, poetry, quizzes, photo exhibitions and now, a decade later, straddle the entire spectrum from T-shirts to multimedia presentations, making documentaries, reading sessions, radio shows, film songs, street plays and more. In the earlier years, only 22nd August was observed and now the entire week is crammed with events to mark “Madras Day.”

“Madras Day” is also an occasion for citizens to demand better amenities from the government. Every Chennaiite would love to see the twin rivers of the city, the Adyar and the Cooum restored. Now, synonyms with filth and sewage, it would be a spectacle to see them clean and free-flowing.

The celebration of Madras Day has caught the imagination of corporates, institutes and the media. This year British Council observed the occasion from 14-24th August to create awareness on the city’s rich culture and heritage. Prizes were offered on the best “Madras to me means …..” tweets, besides organizing a treasure hunt and quiz.

Budding journalists were given a chance to interview the cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkant and also had a street play. The Murugappa Group too organized a quiz and a lot of prize money for the winners.

There is something about the city that grows on people and makes it part of their DNA. Says Vijay Amritraj, Chennai’s proud son, “”I have great memories of Madras where I grew up. The Marina Beach is better than the Miami Beach or any other beach at Hawaii or Rio. I have great memories of running on the beach.”

This is also the city that celebrates one month of music season every December. There’s a lot to be proud of  in this city.

Also read:

When Madras became Chennai

This is what Chennai’s Ranganathan Street, the world’s busiest lane, looks like