Madras Day Celebrations held in the city

CHENNAI: Though India boasts of cities of historic significance like Kolkata and Mumbai, no city’s foundation day is celebrated every year with the gusto and verve like Chennai’s,” said postmaster general MS Ramanujan, speaking at the Madras Day Celebrations held at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, KK Nagar. The event was organised by India Post along with Madras Heritage Lovers Forum.Historian S Muthiah, who was present at the event, asked for more spontaneity in holding events to commemorate the founding day of the city. “The Madras Day celebrations started out seven years ago as a hour-hour event organised by Madras lovers, but this year, it has grown to be an event spanning a month with about 150 programmes. But, most of the events were being organised by volunteers, with no sponsorship. This year, we have noted that institutions like IIT, Madras Medical Mission and Anna University, are observing the Madras Week in their own way. We look forward to more schools and other institutions to enthusiastically organise more events to commemorate the special day in the city’s calendar,” he said.Dr YGP, dean and director of the PSBB group of schools, who was also present at the event, asked students to remain rooted in their culture.The three-day expo, which began on Monday, features an exclusive collection of several memorabilia of the city like the locks, lamps used in the early 20th century, or the magazines popular in that era. Sketches of good-old-Madras, its coins, stamps and magazines, apart from books pertaining to that period, are on display at the expo. A limited collection of about 50 books written in or about old Madras, including an 1870 edition of Francis Buchanan’s Journey from Madras, and a World War II Fighter Pilots Logbook, are being displayed by old books enthusiast Winston Anand Henry. A giant British Lock, made by John Chubb, appointed patent lock maker to Queen Victoria St, manufactured by Oakes and Co and imported to India,  and a lamp used by the British Rail in Madras in 1904, are some of the memorabilia on display in a collection conceived by John Moses.  A pictorial presentation of significant first-things in Madras, like the first Tamil newspaper Sudesamithran, the first Indian-owner theatre Gaiety, first English newspaper Madras Courier and first theatre Electric Cinema in Mount Road, have been assembled by PS Seshadri.During the event, the winners of the essay writing, kolam, quiz, oratorical competitions held as part of the Madras Day celebrations by the school, received prizes. The expo is on till Wednesday till 3 pm.