In 1996, the city we knew as Madras became Chennai. So, though Madras no longer exists, the Madrasi does!
As we celebrate 379 years of this iconic city let’s take a look at what makes this place special. Of course, the first thing is the beaches — no surprises there as it is ideally located on the Coromandel Coast, off the Bay of Bengal. Despite the plethora of beaches one must mention the Marina Beach which is the second longest beach in the world. People come from across the city to witness the sunset and the beach comes alive with food stalls, people, games, horse rides and more.
The shopping hub of the city is Pondy Bazaar. It is busy through the year, and takes on a life of its own during the festival season. It is named after the Justice Party politician W. P. A. Soundarapandian Nadar. You can find his statue at the entrance of Pondy Bazaar. All the streets in and around this area are named after Justice League party leaders.
But, all is not sunning by the sea and shopping. Chennai boasts ofsome great libraries — both new and old. One of the oldest libraries is the Connemara Public Library at Egmore. It was started in 1860 and is a depository library for the United Nations.
When it comes to food, once again Chennai takes the lead. The all time favourite Chicken 65 is believed to have been introduced at Buhari Hotels, by its founder A. M. Buhari. But, the culinary skills of this city do not end here. The Madras Club (founded in 1832, and the second oldest of its kind in India) is the birth place of the Mulligatawny Soup. The soup is but a variant of rasam, but the credit for the dish goes to Col. Kenney-Herbert.
The essence of the city is its people, who live together in harmony enjoying its culture and rich heritage. Yes, it does get hot, but all the same, it warms your heart too.
