The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Madras Week fest

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Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Madras Week fest

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The fifth edition of Madras Day, rechristened as Madras Week, is slated to begin on August 17 and will continue until 24.

There will be 60 events, including heritage talks, walks through various parts of the city, film shows and food festivals. The events are being organised by a few volunteers who act as catalysts and hope to infuse a sense of belonging into the city’s residents.

On August 22, 1639, Francis Day of East India Company received a grant of a piece of land from a local chieftain. The city of Madras developed around this area in the next 300 years.

It is to commemorate this development and with the aim of passing down the rich heritage of the city that Madras Week is being celebrated.

The city’s chronicler S.Muthiah told presspersons here on Monday that the idea of the entire programme was to “fix Madras Day in people’s minds”.

This time nine hotels, around half-a-dozen schools and 18 corporate houses are participating, he said. Roja Muthiah Research Library will hold a series of lectures.

Three of the lectures to be organised in the city will be held in Tamil, in Royapuram. Rotary Clubs will also host talks.

The legendary Mark Tully of British Broadcasting Corporation will also deliver a talk. One of the lectures to be held in north Chennai includes ‘Murders in Old Madras’ by Randor Guy.

Some personal collections will also be on display. One of them is an exhibition of a collection of autographs by businessman A.L.Lakshmanan. The autographs by famous personalities such as Gandhi, Nehru and Lord Wavell, who visited the city in the 1940s and 1950s, will be displayed at Hotel Taj Coromandel from August 17 to 24.

“The autographs come with words of advice from the personalities. It is one of the finest collections,” Mr. Muthiah said.

As this year marks the centenary of veteran silver screen villain M. R. Radha, a special lecture has been organised in his memory.

A gazetteer, with around 55 articles archiving the history of Madras, will be released on August 22.

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