Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Celebrating the good old Madras

— Photo:R. Raghu

GREEN TRAIL: M.N. Pushpa, curator of the Botany Section at the Government Museum, Egmore, with the participants during the ‘Tree Walk’ at the Museum on Sunday.

CHENNAI: Representatives of the American, Asian, African and Australian continents stand tall within the Government Museum campus in Egmore. The celebrations of Madras Day on Sunday provided the ideal reason to greet these green visitors from other lands, most of them now as much a part of the Indian landscape as indigenous trees.

The gulmohar tree that is also known as ‘flame of the forest,’ for instance, is a colonial import, brought in by the British to beautify avenues. M.N. Pushpa, curator of the Botany section at the Museum, beguiled a small group of nature lovers for over an hour early on Sunday with similar facts, detailing the botanical classification and medicinal and other uses of trees on the 16-acre campus.

Hordes of bats took to the air, flapping umbrella-like wings and screeching in alarm at the invasion of their territory by human beings at 8 a.m. as the ‘tree walk’ proceeded around the Museum’s buildings. The nocturnal creatures spend the day sleeping hanging upside down on tree branches, and help pollinate these trees, Ms. Pushpa pointed out.

The baobab tree from Africa with the texture and colour of an elephant has earned the Tamil name of ‘Aanai Puliya Maram’ (or the elephant tamarind tree). The bark of the copper pod tree is sometimes used as a substitute for red sandal because of its striking colour. A mahogany tree, highly valued for making furniture, is tucked away in a corner of the campus. The fishtail pine is a Malaysian import, also named ‘Koonthal Panai’ or the ‘palmyra with tresses’ because of the clumps of tiny flowers that blossom along elegant long flowing stems.

The ‘tree walk’ was organised by the Nizhal Foundation. The next walk would be held on Sunday at Guindy National Park at 6 a.m.

Celebrations of Madras Day included a heritage walk at the same time from the Mayor Ramanathan stadium, Egmore.

Talks on the heritage of the city, its music and its documentation were held through the day. Speakers included historian S. Muthiah, film critic Randor Guy, journalist Gowri Ramnarayan and director of Roja Muthiah Research Library G. Sundar.

Photo exhibitions of old and new Madras were organised at various locations, including C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, Gallery Sri Parvati on Eldams Road, the Forum Art Gallery in Adyar and at Gallery 4, Kilpauk Garden. The Madras Day celebrations mark the founding of the city in 1639 and would continue through the week. Details are available at www.themadrasday.in

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