Discovering Madras in the bustle of Chennai

In the run-up to Madras Day, The Hindu Downtown will be presenting a series of articles showcasing Madras as it is ensconced in the everyday things of Chennai. These are not major monuments, but minor markers of the past that are often ignored

The piggy bank has been passed on through the generations in this family. Swapna Sridharan says the money box in this picture has its own story of four generations and more. It is made of steel, with compartments for coins and cash.

“A proud possession of my great grandmother, this spans well over a hundred years. I have heard my mother Jamuna Kalyani Sridharan speak of her early memory of this cash box, 75 years ago, when as a five-year-old she had seen her grandmother fish out a currency note from this very same cash box to pay for Dr. Prabhu’s house visit in the middle of the night and for the taxi fare and also for the diphtheria antigen injection to save her five-year-old granddaughter,” says Swapna, managing director of PRICE.

The money box has never been without money and always comes to the rescue of the family members.

Says Swapna, “This money box has always been used to hold funds for the dispensation of monthly expenses and now as a fourth generation user, I am teaching my eight-year-old daughter about management of finances using this very lucky and enduring symbol of thrift.”

This drawing plan of Fort Geldria in Pulicat is among architect Xavier Benedict’s most prized possessions.

In 2009, his brother gifted him this plan that he picked up from a thrift shop selling old documents.

“This is what kindled my interest in Pulicat Lagoon and later led me to establish a small museum in Pulicat,” says the Nungambakkam resident.