Delhi has symbols of the past, Kolkata lives in the past, Mumbai has showcased its past, Bangalore has gotten rid of much its past. Chennai is unique in that it seems to carry its past along with moving ahead. That at least is my view and I am willing to be corrected. There is something about the city that makes the past a living presence.
Ask for the most enduring symbols of Chennai and people will still name Central (no matter that it is now known as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MG Ramachandran Central), Egmore, and LIC Building. And at 14 floors I am sure there are still some who believe that it is the tallest building in the city. There is still an aching regret for the many theatres of Mount Road. And Moore Market and Spencers are still mourned.
Scanning The Hindu archives, you come across a special supplement when Dasaprakash was inaugurated. That was on December 27, 1954 with the Maharajah of Mysore doing the honours. There were messages from many VIPs, including Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, then Vice-President of India! K. Seetharama Rao had made such a name for himself in hospitality, a business he had been in since 1925. The text of the supplement makes you wonder at what Madras was then. Poonamallee High Road is described as leading into the city and the location as sylvan, removed from the glare, din and dust! Dasaprakash was a legend that still lives in memories – its masala dosa and its full moon dinners on the terrace still being talked about.
Another name that just refuses to go away is Woodlands Drive In. It may be a decade and more since it was summarily closed and the place taken over by (thankfully) a botanical garden but people still talk about its rose milk, its chola batura and its dosas. And the many personalities who were more or less permanent residents. Yes, these memories of Chennai don’t fade away.
There are many more that still live. The Marina is still where people come to cool off, especially on weekends. The Malls may be alternatives, but the lure of sand and surf is still powerful. No matter that the traffic gets worse, the vending is disorganised and the sands are full of rubbish. There is no stopping the people. And the crowds at the old parks – My Ladye’s Garden, May Day Park, Nageswara Rao Park and Anna Park for example, are only seeing increasing footfalls. The old seems to be going strong.
And then there are the other markers – people still taking days off for festivals in the village. Some areas of the city becoming villages at times – each arupathu moovar sees the old Mylapore staking its claim in the face of modernity. The Tanneer Pandals seem to only grow in number. Traffic is blocked for the Gods to have their day out. Nobody seems to mind. In fact many take time off to participate in the festivities.
December Music festival
Likewise, the December Music festival may be a niche event, but it has been going for 97 years, entirely funded by private means and organised through volunteer effort. That is incredible too. And like music, you have Tamil theatre – now more or less kept alive by amateur enthusiasts. The sponsors may dwindle and the audiences may be small but theatre remains alive. It keeps looking at new formats but its heart remains rooted in tradition. In recent years Chennai has also done its bit for folk arts. The record may be still in the making but there is serious effort.
How can we forget the great big Tamil wedding? It seems to have only grown bigger with time. You may rave and rant at the waste of money and time but there is no denying that it remains steeped in old ways, with some new such as Mehndi, Sangeet and Baraat thrown in.
Satorially too, Chennai still remains rooted. If male, you can still happily go about in a dhoti/lungi, tucked up at the knees if necessary. The weather seems to encourage it.
