Various organisations come together to celebrate Madras Day this month

Madras Day celebrations mark the city's 385th anniversary with 53 events, including heritage walks and multimedia contests.

Various organisations and individuals have come together yet again to celebrate the city, which turns 385 this month. At a press briefing held on Monday, various organisers spoke on the events slated for the month as part of Madras Day celebrations.

Historian and author V. Sriram said this was the 17th year since Madras Day celebrations had started. Now, more organisations, including various government agencies and educational institutions, are part of the social calendar. Many events explored some interesting facets of the city.

Recalling the events held over the past years, Vincent D’Souza, editor, Mylapore Times, and coordinator, Team Madras Day, said organisers were open for collaborations, including with industries and educational institutions, from across the city for the celebrations.

This year, 53 events are on the cards, and this is expected to increase to 100 by the end of the month. A multimedia contest has been announced for children, with the theme being stories of three old houses in their locality, Mr. D’Souza said.

Actor and film historian Mohan Raman listed various events, including heritage walks, quizzes, talks, and exhibitions, scheduled this month. Besides the Madras Musings Lecture series for Madras Week beginning August 17, the Madras Quiz for Children will be organised at various venues in the city from August 17. The complete list of events will be updated on www.themadrasday.in

Sujatha Shankar, convenor, INTACH, Chennai Chapter, spoke on events, including the screening of the film The Story of Madras, Chennai-First City of Modern India, with narration by veteran historian S. Muthiah. Vinita Sidhartha, founder, Kreeda Games, highlighted an exhibition and a talk on the forgotten games of the city on August 17 and videos of Chennai’s prominent citizens sharing their memories of the city.