Chennai:
As Chennai celebrates 'Madras Day,' the 375th anniversary of the city's formation, we take a look at its colonial history.
The city had its humble beginning in 1639 when the British bought a small piece of land from the Nayak rulers overlooking the beach. The British wanted the land to establish their East India Company at a place then known as 'Chennaipatnam.' Soon, the old Fort St George came up, around which Georgetown developed, which later in turn became Madras.
The city largely expanded along the River Cooum. The then-Madras Presidency included Andhra Pradesh as well with Madras as a hub for sectors from commerce to culture, education to entertainment, and health to hospitality. In 1996, the Tamil Nadu government renamed the city Chennai in a bid to drop the colonial connection from the city's name. But many Chennaites cherish their colonial heritage with Madras Day.
"Though we were ruled by the British, we have also inherited lots of good qualities from them and still we fought for our rights," said Savithri Jaganatha Rao, a dance guru.
Another resident Sreedharan proudly says, "About our old Madras, we can be proud of not just one thing but hundreds of things."
Chennai is perhaps a rare Indian city that celebrates its rich colonial culture. Many describe that as its ever-changing and yet a never-changing spirit.
"It is a moment, we are celebrating the beauty of the past," said Samrat Datta, general manager of Vivanta by Taj Connemara Hotel in Chennai.