CHENNAI erstwhile Madras….. a beautiful city with the endless shores of Marina beach, rich culture, eye-catching colours of Kancheepuram sarees, mouth watering taste of Chettinad cuisine, is a wonderful place well known as the gateway to South India. Chennai, better known as Madras, is a hub of trade owing to one of the biggest artificial sea ports in India and the centre of arts and culture. Madras was a very important place even during the British rule.
Chennai is not just home to beaches and temples, but also to one of the most divine art forms, Bharatanatyam. It also hosts the largest school for this artform, Kalakshetra. Margazhi, the exclusive season of music, dance and drama, starts early December every year extending all the way to early February. It is a platform for many aspiring young budding talent as well as renowned performing artists. Eager tourists come from across the world to watch the scintillating performances of various dance dramas and listen to the melodious rendition by musicians. Margazhi is not just famous for its arts and culture but also for its wide ranging, appetizing cuisine that is served in various sabhas. The range includes Madras’s own famous idly sambar and dosas quickly adapting to the global art enthusiasts' taste bringing in an innovative variety like paneer masala dosa and cheesy Szechuan dosa, extended the cusines to include spicy flavours from places like Chettinad and the heavy spread of a South Indian Thali.
How can we miss the most well known and celebrated Kollywood!!! 100 year old Tamil cinema industry, has its roots and heart in Kodambakkam, Chennai, from where it gets its name, Kollywood. Most of the renowned directors and actors of Tamil cinema come from Chennai. Kodambakkam or K-Town, developed as settlements centred around cinema and expanded to become as colourful as Kollywood.
The history of Chennai is as beautiful as its scenery….. deep and interesting, filled with exciting stories and bursting with culture. This area was ruled by the renowned Pallava dynasty with Kancheepuram as their capital. As time passed and villages turned into cities, this area became known as Madarasapattinam, named after Madaran, a fisherman and his community, settled in the vast seashore of the world's second longest beach, Marina. On its shores, there are famous historical buildings of great importance like Ice House which served as a source of ice to the British and the 150-year-old Madras University that has given us a brilliant mathematician, Ramanujam. The Marina coast has not just seen the dazzling sunrise but also the darkness of various wars like the Japanese bombings during World War I, and in the more recent past, the unity and bravery of people in the Jallikattu rally that become world news.
When the East India Company settled in the south east, they chose Madras as their base due to its vast shores and ports and built Fort St George in the early 1640s, around which the city developed into an important location in India, called Madras. The fort became a major place of control of trade and commerce for the British. Remains of the fort wall in Robinson Park still stands testimony to our rich history. During the British rule, to improve trade, Buckingham Canal, the biggest fresh water canal was built by the British, and proved to be one of the most important waterways for transport before road and railways. The canal is still a well-known identity in Chennai and till the 20th century was used mainly to transport timber.
Madras is also the birthplace of a number of great personalities who are known globally for their contribution to various fields. Thiruvalluvar, the author of Thirukkural, born in Mylapore, has shown us ways to live and given a solution to our every problem in short couplets of seven words. Karmaveerar Kamarajar is famous for his contribution to the formulation of the worlds best education system. The land of Madras also gave birth to Bharathiyar, a patriotic and inspiring poet whose poems are read with great interest even today.
A Small Fishing Hamlet, Madras turned 380 this year and continues to see rounded growth. People of Madras (Madras Wala) are proud of its traditions, culture and legacy and demonstrate solidarity in their thought.
