Some of the avid Chennaites here will recognize that the title of this post is borrowed from Tishani Doshi's book. Madras - the name given to South India's biggest metro and the capital city of Tamil Nadu (and the erstwhile Madras Presidency) might be a redundant name on the blue book and in government records, but to the city's former and current residents, it is more than just a monicker. While Madras was officially renamed Chennai on 17 July 1996, the transformation of the city, from, what it meant to live in 'Madras' versus what it means to be a resident of 'Chennai', happened through my childhood years. This was a splendid time to grow up in the city as I could witness its truly abstract morphing - from Madras to Chennai.
Having said that, Madras goes beyond nomenclature, the term captures an era, a period when the city became exactly that - a city by modern terms. In the process of capturing the city's journey, it also captures multiple stories. The story of ocean trade, the chronicle of British and later, Indian administration, the saga of revolutionizing the much beloved Bharatanatyam, and the story of growth burgeoning in all directions. It is the story of the emergence of recreational parks and IT parks. Yet, it is still not a 'tale of two cities'.
Unlike what one might think, the story of Madras is not a story that culminates in Chennai, rather it is a nested tale - I see as much Chennai in Madras as you see as much Madras in Chennai. Here is a ballad of Madras which is equally enough, the ballad of Chennai, as it is today and not just of a bygone era.
She was mesmerizing, an expanse of green groves and dotted with blue lakes,
He was captivating, ever euphoric in the excitement of malls and cafes.
But have we not found them together in today’s landscape?
She was one happening woman, with Margazhi Concerts stealing her Decembers,
and, He was a hustling man, with Book fairs taking over his Januaries.
Yes, were they not both experts in entertainment?
Her shores were a serene cyan, sequestered from the city’s sounds,
His beaches were a blue, brightened by the lights of the varied booths.
Still, did they not lap against the same sands?
Her arms welcomed writers and filmmakers, and
His wide embrace touched engineers and entrepreneurs.
Yet, did not both grow ambition?
She was called Mesmerizing Madras and He, Captivating Chennai.
She or He, aren’t They the one and the same?
Her soul bestowed onto Him, and Her old world charm still hiding in Him,
They beckoned with open arms, all those who sought Them!
You are probably thinking, this poem hardly qualifies as a ballad, not by the most liberal literary standards. However, when I called it a ballad, I was merely referring to the love for the city captured in the poem and the oneness of the two characters here. Oneness - because the city's spirit has remained the same through the ages. On the face of it, the poem may juxtapose the two periods as distinct ones, through various differences, but a closer reading (and some facts) would tell you otherwise.
Often the things attributed to Madras and Chennai that are different are simply attributed to different epochs in the city’s life. While it might seem like all of those things attributed to ‘her’ hold exclusively for Madras and those attributed to ‘him’ are meant for Chennai, a closer look at the poem will reveal that both - aspects attributed to ‘her’ and ‘him’, throughout the poem can be found in both Madras and Chennai.
While it is indeed true that the city had a lot many lakes and groves a few decades back, today's Chennai is at least making efforts to get back its previous green cover. As for malls seemingly being a feature of Chennai, one would know by now that that is not the case, as the country's first mall was constructed and developed way back in 1863, in Madras! The Spencer Plaza is a building that still stands, albeit in mature understanding realizing that newer malls may captivate larger crowds today; nonetheless, it will probably be the only mall to single-handedly reign over the weekends of the city folks for more than a century! It still has a loyal fan following who visit the complex standing tall on Mount Road to relive old memories. As for entertainment, both Margazhi concerts and the Madras Bookfair have been refreshing sources of amusement for a very long time - the Bookfair has been an annual affair in the ever-so-famous YMCA for over 45 years, and Chennai's Margazhi concerts are, in all likelihood, as old as the city itself, yet they are naturally connotated to Madras and Chennai, respectively.
Another unmissable feature of the city discussed in the poem is its coastal location and numerous beaches. The city's two most important beaches are Marina beach and Elliot's beach (nicknamed 'Bessie'). While the beach road has always been dotted with administrative buildings and monuments of political significance, and Marina has long since become a commercial spot, the Besant Nagar beach area was a quiet spot away from the main city area, perfect for some peace and solitude, until a few decades back. Today, civilization has taken over, and one can find residential apartments and some of the nicest cafes and restaurants quite close to Besant Nagar’s shores as well, thanks to urbanization. Chennai’s beaches might be much more crowded today, but they have also evolved in terms of the kind of leisure preferred by its folks, and one can see a lot more stalls and kiosks lining the shore, which has only made it prettier, especially in the nights, when the beach is bathed in the glow of these lights.
The city, which is the administrative and legal capital of Tamilnadu, has also been the capital of Tamil art and cinema (and Telugu and Malayalam cinema too, until not so long ago). The city has been home to the ideas and brainchildren of a lot of writers and directors, and there are many humble haunts where the superstars of today used to patiently wait for an audience with influential people in the industry. Those aspiring to make it big in Tamil cinema still continue to flock to the city, though they may have well found a new haunt in addition to the good old Mount Road (or Anna Salai) to discuss with producers and writers.
Today, Chennai is seen more as a city that attracts people for its Information Technology and has better visibility as an automobile hub attracting engineers from all over the country. This is a development post the 1990s when separate localities emerged as IT parks in the city. Regardless, the city is a magnet for talent and has embraced the dreams of lakhs of people. While Madras and Chennai evoke extremely different visuals, it is not hard to reconcile the two and enjoy the underlying essence of the city - which has not changed.
Even without such a transformation, I often see Chennai as a city encompassing extremes - combining the best of two worlds, so to speak. Through the years I have spent in the city, I have discovered that there is truly something in it for everyone. It has catered to my varied interests, and I have found seeming misfits carve out a niche for themselves and settle in comfortably in the city, eager to make it their permanent address. If you are a bookworm whose idea of the perfect weekend is to lose yourself in a library, there are a bunch of places from the British Council to the Anna Centenary library; if you would rather prefer to advance your scientific temper, the seminars at the Trade Centre and the Birla Planetarium is your place to go. As for the history geeks, Chennai makes for the perfect place to marvel at Indo-Sarcenic architecture, and study colonial segregation and city planning. Post such rendezvous, you can have its stereotypical filter coffee; all the same, it would not be too hard to find specific eateries that serve authentic tea from across the country if you are a tea-lover. In fact, my friends from across the Vindhyas tell me, the naans and dhoklas of Chennai are not only authentic, but also cheaper! If you think Chennai does not have good paani-puri, you just haven't been to the right place! Every city has places for people to shop - both on a shoestring budget and to display some opulence and so does Chennai.
But Chennai stands out because you will find both in the same place. Our good old T. Nagar houses the city’s most prided designer brands but is also famous for apparel (besides other things) sold right on the streets. It would not be an uncommon sight to see the same person visit both of these places on a shopping spree. For a moment of peace and prayer, Chennai has simply too many options to pick from - be it Hindu, Jain or Buddhist temples, mosques or churches. Chennai also has Zoroastrian fire temples for the humble community that is around 250 strong in the city, clearly, inclusivity is taken seriously here. Nor is it hard to find vibrant nightlife in the city; a lesser-known fact is that Chennai's nightlife goes on for longer than Bangalore’s, to which it is often compared, often to take a dig at the city. Chennai is one of those rare Indian metros (it would not be far-fetched to say it is the only one) that has embraced Western practices while still in the garb of traditional values, again balancing extremes. Chennai is definitely a world by itself.
While it is natural to attribute aspects exclusive to the pre-1996 period to Madras and later happenings to Chennai, this Madras ponnu (born much after 1996) and others, still see the Madrasness of Chennai and want to wish you a Happy Madras Day, as we celebrate 384 years of growing together, in times of crises and development!
If you are in the process of discovering the city or making it your home, check this flipbook out to understand the city better -
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