Madras was, and has been, a crucible of cultures, traditions and beliefs. In the last instalment of our series chronicling the various persons, places and events that shaped the city, we take a look at how Madras embraced its differences and assimilated them into its core
1516
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The Church of Our Lady of Light, commonly called the Luz Church, is the oldest Roman Catholic church in Chennai. It was built in 1516 by the Portuguese. The Luz Church continued to be a Franciscan church till the time of Fr. Francis Das Dores. Between 1662 and 1673, the forces of Golconda damaged the church. Between 1780 and 1782, Haider Ali left his mark during his attack on the city. East India Company forces also occupied the Luz Parish Residence for a few years. The quincentenary celebrations of the church were held this year.
ORNATE PAST: The nave and altar of Luz Church in Mylapore. Built in 1516, the Church of Our Lady of Light (Nossa Senhora da Luz; ‘luz’ means light in Portuguese), the city’s oldest church, turned 500 this year
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Madras had no natural harbour and passengers and cargo had to be ferried to land through continuous surf using local boats. This disadvantage was met by the construction of the pier, which extends seawards from the Customs House. Designed by Frederick Johnson, work began in 1858, and the completed project opened to the public in January 1862.
1677
When Chhatrapati Sivaji came to Madras
In the Kalikambal temple, located on Thambu Chetty Street in George Town, is a plaque that declares that on October 3, 1677, Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj visited the shrine and worshipped Sri Kalikambal. During that time, the Maratha warrior was indeed in the vicinity of Madraspatnam.
He had come up to the gates of Fort St. George and had sought the services of British engineers. But the East India Company politely turned down the request. In fact, the fort administrators recorded the fact that Sivaji had sought the assistance of engineers. However, there is no mention of the visit to the temple.
1836
Formation of The Madras Chamber
The Madras Chamber was started on September 29, 1836, by 18 Englishmen who resolved to form the Association Madras Chamber of Commerce. Their aim was to watch over and protect the interests of the trade, receive and collect information on all matters of mercantile interest bearing upon the removal of grievances and promotion of the common good and so on. This is relevant even today, which showcases the farsightedness of the founders. The 180th anniversary of the chamber is to be celebrated next month.
1927
Margazhi and the music season
From 24 December 1927, concerts were being organised at a pandal on Spur Tank Road. The season has now grown to 65 organisations and about 1,000 artists. The World War II and the floods in 1943 did not disrupt the season.
1936
First branch of Communist Party of India
The first branch of the Communist Party of India in Madras Province was established in 1936. The most important people associated with the party were P. Sundarayya and S.V. Ghate, members of its Central Committee. Other eminent leaders who continued to dominate the political space and influence people even long after Independence include P. Ramamurthy, B. Srinivasa Rao, P. Jeevanantham, A.S.K. Ayyangar and C.S. Subramaniam.
Expert Speak
Madras is unique in many ways… most of the city has not been planned. It has temples of all major dynasties — the Pallavas, Cholas and Vijayanagara. It has been controlled by four of the five Europeak Colonial powers. It was part of the Roman trade network and Greek literature mentions 'Mylarpia' that corresponds to Mylapore. It yielded coins used during the Sangam period.
S. Suresh, Convener, Tamil Nadu chapter, INTACH
An event a day
Bonds of friendship
Staff Reporter
In a contest marked by goodwill and bonhomie, the crew of the Royal Australian Navy’s combat logistics ship ‘HMAS’ took on the Prince of Arcot’s XI for the ‘Madras Week Australia-India Friendship Cup’ at the Amir Mahal Grounds on Wednesday.
The Prince of Arcot XI, led by the Dewan to the Prince of Arcot, Nawabzada Mohammed Asif Ali, won the Friendship Cup that was presented by Harinder Sidhu, Australian High Commissioner to India. Consul General of Australia Sean Kelly, N. Ram, Chairman, Kasturi and Sons Ltd., and Seiji Baba, Consul-General of Japan, were present.
Snippets
In 1996, Madras was renamed Chennai in line with a nationwide trend of doing away with Anglicised names
The 300-year-old city has a new entrant now: The Chennai Metro Rail. This mass rapid transit system may have started in a small way covering just 10 km but it has ambitious plans to cover major portions of the city
The first car in Madras was bought by A.J. Boag, director of Parry & Co., who drove it for the first time on the city roads in 1894. A year later, the first tram car service was started, and ran till it was removed in 1953
In December 2004, a killer wave affected the coastal areas of 12 countries. In Tamil Nadu alone, an estimated 8,000 people were killed
The Madras War Cemetery, built in 1952, is the final resting place for those who died in the Second World War. There is also a First World War Memorial situated in the cemetery
Madras Week Calendar
August 25 | Highlights of the day
DISCUSSION: ‘Chennai Style Influencers’ by Tanvi Shah, Sriya Reddy, Vivek Karunakaran and Sundar Ram being moderated by Rosella Stephen, Amethyst, 6.30 p.m.
STORY TELLING: Madrasapattinam storytelling by Jeeva Raghunath, Malgudi, Savera Hotel, 1.30 p.m.
PRESENTATION: Select bronze sculptures in the Government Museum, by Chitra Madhavan, Press Institute of India, Taramani, 5 p.m.
PLAY SESSION: ‘Never too old to play:’ Play session for senior citizens by Kreeda, Old is Gold Store, Anna Nagar, 3 p.m.