When 20-year-old Sai Kiran arrived in the city three years ago from Hyderabad to study, he witnessed a bus burning near Chennai Central station in the aftermath of the arrest of a political leader.
“I was horrified and I wondered what the next four years will be like in the city,” he says. But that impression soon changed. On Sunday, he was among those who took residents of Chennai on a tour of historical places in the city and their significance.
The city tour was organised by The Hindu Friends of Chennai as part of Madras Day celebrations and comprised winners of a contest conducted by The Hindu . A group of 30-odd people was guided by a bunch of engineering students.
From Elliots Beach to Fort St. George, the residents were taken through various locations, including the Karl Schmidt Memorial, Kapaleeswarar temple, Santhome church, Vivekananda House, Egmore Museum and the Marina
Spirit of togetherness
“When I came to the city, I knew nothing but now, I know quite a bit about the history of these iconic places. The best part about the city is its people. When crisis strikes, they all come together and I saw this happen during the floods of December 2015,” Sai Kiran says.
Unlike routine tours where only guides talk, this one saw a few residents sharing their memories of the city. For instance, Prabhakar Singh, a native of Tirunelveli, who moved to the city two decades ago, recollected travelling to Egmore station when he was a child. “There used to be a drive-in platform. Can you imagine something like that now?” he asks.
Says S. Anuradha, “The city’s diverse culture makes it convenient for new entrants to feel at home.”
