Madras, now Chennai, city deserves to celebrate its 372nd birthday. The city with its colonial relics certainly deserves it.
The lovers of this city and its unique history launched a unique celebration in 2004.
The history speaks that Madras was founded on August 22, 1639.
It was on August 22, 1639 that a sliver of land, where Fort. St. George stands today, was transacted by the East India Company.
The deal for this historic piece of land was struck by two representatives of East India Company - Francis Day, his ‘dubash’ Beri Thimmappa, and their superior, Andrew Cogan, with the local Nayak rulers. It is believed that this deal was made on August 22, 1639.
Number of settlements came around the Fort. St. George and what is now known as George Town was called as Black Town. Then slowly sorounding villages were annexed and brought together. Later the old towns and new towns got linked up. Slowly but steadily Madras took new shapes and evolved as an important metro city.
Today, the metro city Chennai (often described as the 'Gateway of South') stands tall for a variety of reasons. Education, healthcare, IT, history, tourism, auto industries, movies, etc. And yes, it also has its warts.
Madras Day celebrates the city.
Madras Day was the brain child of three well known people i.e.,
S. Muthiah, the city’s famed historian;
Sashi Nair, popular journalist; and
Vincent D’ Souza, known publisher.
Later, three more eminent people joined with the Madras History Movement:
Sushila Ravindranath, senior journalist and editor;
Revathi R, journalist and web site entrepreneur and entrepreneur; and
Sriram.V, writer-historian.
The objective of the Madras Day is to focus on the city, its culture rich tradition, its history, its past and its present and the above six form as the core team and this team communicates and motivates communities, groups, companies and campuses in the city to host events that celebrate the city.
Heritage walks, school exchange programmes, talks and contests, poetry and music and quiz, food fests and rallies, photo exhibitions and bike tours . . . . these and more are the ways in which the city is celebrated.
In order to enlarge participation, the Madras Day has been expanded to create the Madras Week.
In 2011, MADRAS WEEK will be celebrated from August 21 to 28. MADRAS DAY, as always, is August 22
