“Muslims use the Kapaleeshwarar temple tank on Muharram day every year. It was on this condition that the Nawab of Arcot gifted the land where the tank stands now, to the temple,” said renowned quizmaster Naveen Jayakumar, revealing an interesting tidbit from Chennai’s history at the launch of the second edition of Murugappa Madras Quotient Quiz at Parry’s Corner on Thursday.
The quiz will be held on September 1 for school students from classes V to XII at Vani Mahal in T. Nagar. While the preliminary test will be a written round with multiple choice questions, the finals on the same day will comprise three sections, ‘Madras Past’, ‘Madras Present’ and ‘Madras Forever’.
“During the first quiz in 1989, at a time when there were no computers, we planned an audio-visual round. We spent two days roaming from St. Thomas Mount to Royapuram station clicking pictures,” Mr. Jayakumar said.
Historian V. Sriram explained how Parry’s Corner got its name, as it actually marked the end of land with the sea water almost reaching the building.
Schools should register before August 28 and any number of participants can register from a school. The winners will get prizes worth Rs. 1 lakh.
