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Vol. XXXIV No. 9, August 16-31, 2024
Archives: Vol. XXXIV No. 9, August 16-31, 2024
Madras Week in all its glory
-- by Sriram V.
As Madras Week enters its 18th edition, the celebration seems to have come of age. There is a certain spontaneity with which events are being held at various places in the city which fulfils in great measure the vision of the founders who hit upon such an idea years ago. At a recent press conference held to announce the launch of Madras Week 2024, the catalysts as they call themselves expressed satisfaction at the way in which the celebration of the city is acquiring continuity and character. This augurs well, for Madras Week was always envisioned as a people’s movement.
When it was launched, the concept of Madras Day was hardly understood. While it was initially spoken of as a commemoration of the founding of the city, that has since been tapered down and these days it is merely a celebration of the metropolis and the ethos that it stands for. As is well known, there is considerable confusion surrounding the exact date when the British moved in. And has been proven, there was a village of Madarasanpattinam going back to Vijayanagar times though the origins of Chennapattanam seem to be shrouded in mystery. It would therefore not be correct to claim August 22 as the founding day of Madras.
But then, concepts such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day have no basis either and yet they are celebrated and so why not Madras Day? That seems to be the spirit in which the city has understood this to be and so people are now coming forth with their individual ideas on how to celebrate it. From the Government, to corporate bodies, to educational institutions, to hotels to apartment complexes, there are Madras Week events. And none of them is forced upon anyone.
The Government has in recent years become a champion of Madras Day. The Hon’ble Chief Minister, who took to greeting people on this date from the time he was Mayor, has certainly played a significant role.
Arappor Iyakkam Volunteers Identify 467 Danger Zones in Chennai
-- by Varsha V.
A citizen-led audit of speedbreakers, manholes and silt pits has identified 467 danger zones in Chennai. The 304-page report was put together by 100 volunteers working with Arappor Iyakkam, a non-governmental organization that strives to establish transparency and accountability in governance. Local bodies must follow IRC (Indian Road Congress) guidelines for laying roads, and the 467 danger spots in Chennai and its suburbs are all in violation of the same. They comprise 201 poor quality speed breakers, 205 dangerous manholes, and 61 dangerous silt pits.
Heritage Watch: The Town Wall
After nearly 120 years of its demolition, the town wall of Madras continues to fascinate. We have reproduced an article on it (in Lost Landmarks — The Old Fortified Wall of Madras) sourced from the ASI’s 1903 report. That our city’s oldest part, namely George Town once had a surrounding wall to it is the stuff of legend. And we should be grateful that one part of it, namely Madi Poonga, still survives and what is more, tended to rather well, though not exactly in a manner in which heritage needs to be presented. Our NEW is Madi Poonga taken a few years ago. Our OLD is a section of the wall, as it stood on the eastern side, by the sea, around a century ago and sourced from Madras, Its Past and Present, by S Muthiah.
Rainwater Harvesting and its importance
-- by Sekar Raghavan, sekar1479@yahoo.co.in
You may wonder as to the need for one more article on RWH, when it has been discussed in Seminars, Conferences and Workshops and also written about in several newspapers and magazines, for close to three decades! In spite of all that, a large majority of us living in
Heritage landmarks of Madras
The following sketches were made by artist Sethuramalingam Velumani for the Spastics Society in 1997 as a fund raiser. He has very kindly shared them with us for publication in Madras Musings to commemorate Madras Week 2024 – Editor.
