Madras Week: Happy Birthday!

August 22, 2016 02:55 am | Updated November 17, 2021 02:31 am IST

A view of the council inside Fort St. George

A view of the council inside Fort St. George

Raising a toast to the city, 377 years after it was founded, is at once a tribute and a promise. It is a celebration of its manifold facets and a firm resolution to ensure that this glorious heritage is retained and built upon in a rapidly changing world

1746

Battle of Adyar

In a crucial event in the history of Madras, the French and the Nawab of Arcot fought the day-long Battle of Adyar on October 24, 1746. The battle followed the French seizing control of Fort St. George from the British East India Company, and the Arcot Nawab trying to regain control for the British. However, the strength of the Nawab’s forces, led by Mahfuz Khan, was no match for the disciplined forces of the French and the battle was over in less than a day with the Nawab’s forces retreating and the French consolidating their hold over Fort St. George for some more time.

1758

Madras Regiment is formed

The oldest regiment in the Indian Army was formed by the then Government of Madras during the mid-18th century to ensure the protection of its commercial interests and other establishments at a time of mounting French pressure on the British East India Company. It was in December 1758 that the first two battalions of 8 Companies of the Madras Regiment were formed. The sepoys of were outfitted in scarlet coats and trousers fringed with blue and were armed with flintlock muskets.

1914

Emden bombs Madras

World War I came to the city causing unprecedented panic and an exodus when the the German ship Emden fired a volley of shots at Madras on the morning of September 22. After striking at two oil tanks, a few ‘fancy shots’ were fired, which left shells scattered in a few areas. While three people were reportedly killed, and 13 injured, the attack shook residents of the city who had hitherto been largely unaffected by the war. Many chose to leave the city, either through trains or by road, as they feared that they would once again be targeted by the ship.

1921

Death of Subramania Bharathi

The ‘desiya kavi’ or national poet as he is known, Subramania Bharathi was a resident of Triplicane in his final years. Bharathi used to feed a female elephant of Parthasarathy temple regularly and was injured after he was hit by the elephant. He survived the attack but became extremely weak and eventually died on September 11, 1921. His funeral was attended by a handful of people. His home on Tulasinga Perumal Koil Street is now a government-maintained memorial.

1936

Founding of Kalakshetra

One of the most famous arts academies in the country, Kalakshetra was set up in 1936 under a tree on the Theosophical Society campus by Rukmini Devi Arundale who visualised a centre of arts to encourage the teaching of music and dance. The institution initially functioned as the International Centre for Arts on the Society's campus in Adyar and was headed by Rukmini Devi, her husband Dr. Arundale, and Dr. Annie Besant. The name Kalakshetra was said to have been suggested by Pandit Subramania Sastri.

The campus also had the Arundale Teachers’ Training Centre, which has now been closed down and a Montessori school which was the result of Rukmini inviting Maria Montessori to conduct a teachers’ training course and set up the school. The school was then merged with the Besant Arundale School. Kalakshetra was later moved to its current location in Thiruvanmiyur in 1962.

1924

Transmitter Set is first used

The transmitter was first used in India in 1924 by the Madras Presidency Radio Club with Viscount Goschen, the then Governor of Madras as its patron.

In October 1927, the club was wound up and the transmitter was presented to the Corporation of Madras that started a regular broadcasting service from April 1, 1930, which not only benefitted residents of Madras but also those in places as far off as as Chittoor, Vizianagaram and even Ceylon.

1943

Tamil Isai movement begins

In an effort to encourage and propagate Tamil songs, Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar founded the Tamil Isai Sangam on 19th June 1943. The name was given by C. Rajagopalachari. In December 1943, the Sangam held its own music conference, in parallel to those of the Music Academy and the Indian Fine Arts Society. Artistes such as M.S. Subbulakshmi, M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavatar, K.B. Sundarambal, G.N. Balasubramaniam and Madurai Mani Iyer sang for the Sangam. This caused much resentment at the older sabhas, but with time, attitudes softened on both sides and each came to respect the sentiments of the other.

The works of Subramania Bharati began to be frequently sung in concerts. The Tamil Isai Sangam built a handsome edifice for itself in the Esplanade area of Madras in the 1950s. The auditorium remains a popular venue for fine arts performances even today and each year in December, it hosts the Tamil Isai Sangam’s music festival.

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