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Vol. XXXIV No. 15, November 16-30, 2024

Featured Articles

A Judge recalls Madras and its High Court

The family of Justice S. Natarajan (1924-2014) is celebrating the centenary of his birth. A commemorative volume, with tributes from many prominent personalities has been released and in it is also included his autobiography, originally published as Family History and Rambling

Kottur – The Core of Kotturpuram

-- by Sriram V.

Last fortnight we looked at the landmarks in Kotturpuram that help us trace the heritage of that upmarket housing district. We now turn to Kottur, the ancient village from where the name Kotturpuram evolved. For the record, Kottur is now a warren of streets at the southern end of Kotturpuram, bound by Sardar Patel Road […]

How Chennai became an auto hub

Business Houses of the South by Sushila Ravindranath

A recent report that Ford, which had exited India a couple of years ago, is planning to start manufacturing again in its Chennai plant at Sriperumpudur, has brought back exciting memories of the mid 1990s. It was Maruti, with its Suzuki tie-up, that first made a difference, with its launch of the 800 in the […]

The Accidental Chennaite

– Kirty Kochar

On Madras Day this year, Kirty Kochar (neé Chopra), the daughter of famed Choreographer Anil Kumar Chopra, remembered her father. It would not be wrong to call my father A.K. Chopra the Father of Choreography in the South Indian film industry. He was among the pioneers who gave meaning to film dances in Madras. In […]

A Report on the first ever Buchi Babu Nayudu Tournament (1909)

– Annotated by Karthik A Bhatt

The Buchi Babu Tournament has traditionally occupied an important place in the Indian cricket calendar. Conducted in the memory of Buchi Babu Nayudu, considered the father of organized cricket in Madras, it was initially played amongst local cricket clubs, before becoming an invitational tournament in the 1960s featuring teams (corporates and others) from outside the […]

Please Bear With Us

The Madras Musings postal list has had some problems because of which the last two issues have been mailed to addresses that were in our database two years ago. Consequently, many of those who have already notified us of change of address and to which we have been mailing since, have now got the magazine […]

From Kottur to Kotturpuram – adding to the city’s kaleidoscopic heritage

-- by Sriram V.

In my quest for new locations where I could conduct heritage walks, outside the beaten track of the old city that is, I organised one at Kotturpuram on Saturday, October 24. It was well attended, including among others the local ward councillor and some of his associates. More importantly, it helped throw light on the […]

Every day in the park

-- by Prof. Dr. Jyotirmay Biswas, Director of Uveitis & Ocular Pathology, Department, Sankara Nethralaya

I don’t know who created Jeeva Park, nor when it was built. But one thing’s for sure: it’s a charming little piece of heaven near our home, well-known and beloved by many. I’ve been coming to this park for at least 20 years now. Right in the heart of the park stands a majestic banyan […]

First Housing/Apartment of Madras

Recently, TNUHDB notified the Tamil Nadu Apartment Ownership Act Rules 2024, which lays down the guidelines for redeveloping old or at-risk apartment complexes. The move has spurred many residential associations to plan the redevelopment of their properties. Among those looking at a new lease of life is Ayodhya Flats on South Canal Bank Road, which […]

My Teacher and Our Country

-- by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, sujviji@gmail.com

It was the day after Deepavali. The school was a riot of colours. Girls in resplendent pattu pavadais and glass nylon dhavanis, boys in full pants and new shirts were parading in their Deepavali outfits. Amidst them one group stood out, boys and girls, every one of them wearing Khadi as a part of their […]

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