Madras Week Special | Made of Chennai

Made of Chennai! Who would have thought that this would be a headline. It seems to show that times have indeed changed. When that redoubtable chronicler of Madras S. Muthiah was around he would often say that Chennai or Madras was nobody’s city. It is nothing but a metropolis built by immigrants from the countryside all of them wanting to go back to their ooru at some point of time or the other was what he said. A generation later there is a full set of people who today claim Madras or Chennai to be their home. Their root. Their identity. On this occasion of Madras Day 2023 we, through this supplement, try to identify what Made of Madras is all about.

Mr. Muthiah himself in his final edition of Madras Rediscovered (2018) sums up what the city really means and I quote: “Madras today, to the surprise of the generation of the 1930s, has grown into a metropolis, but it still has not be- ing able to shake off its small town atmosphere. Life is still, for the most part, leisurely, gracious and gentle, even if industry and commerce have brought great hustle and bustle. The saree and plaited, beflowered hair are still parts of the city scene, dhotis are still seen outside the worka- day world. The symbols of religions are as much evident on persons as in buildings; nowhere is a place of worship more than a few minutes walk away. The battle to keep a bit of greenery thriving in decreasing garden space is still valiantly fought. The beach is still a favourite outing and Test cricket with its leisurely tempo is as much appreciated as the instant variety provided by Chennai Super Kings.”

He added: “So much is passing, so much changing in the present. But for all that Madras continues to retain its eternal charm. Perhaps it is the lack of hurry, the absence of a feeling of harried competitiveness. Or perhaps it is just a passionate attachment to old world traditions and courtesies. Madras is the past that is also catching up with the present where the Bharatanatyam dancer is as much at home on the Music Academy stage as she is in the discos being added to the entertainment scene every few months or the sambar and curd rice connoisseur at home is the gourmand in fine dining spaces that offer a plethora of international cuisine. But for all the change, the traditions of a conservative past and memories of glorious yesterdays remain an intrinsic part of the fabric of a city of today drawing up great plans for tomorrow.” Chennai today is a city of change. And yet, Chennai seems to be carrying with it a lot of its past. It is this which makes Chennai unique. There are cities of India that have embraced modernity, leaving behind their history and antiquity. There are cities which continue to remain resolutely in the past. Chennai is neither. It takes two steps forward and then turns back to make sure that it’s past is still coming along, catching up.

The Hindu has been part of Chennai since 1878. That is a long way back. The Hindu has since then seen Chennai belie all predictions by Cassandras and grow. The following pages therefore look at changing and steadfast patterns of Chennai over generations as seen in the columns of The Hindu.

V. Sriram, author and historian

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