Happy birthday Chennai !!!!! Posted by Raj , Friday, August 20, 2010 at 4:59 AM, in Labels: Happy birthday Chennai

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From a tiny village to a high-tech metropolis with major automobile units, a IT industry and pride of place as the cultural capital of South, its been a long and eventful for Chennai, the Madras, which turns 371 on Sunday.

As befits the occasion, a week-long birthday has been drawn up by various bodies, including Archeological in Survey of India, University of Madras, the Chennai Museum and Anna University to mark the great 'Madras day' celebrations -- a wide canvas of cultural and literary activities.

"As part of the celebrations, we have organised the photo exhibition titled 'Chennaiyil Paadal Pettra Thiruthalangal' at Clive's building in Fort St. George, ASI superintending Archaeologist Sathyabama Badrinath told PTI.

She said even before the British came to Madras (now Chennai), the place was 'sanctified' and temples were built, which even today are acclaimed and respected.

Heritage walks, school exchange programmes,poetry sessions, Carnatic music and quiz contests, food festivals and rallies, photo exhibitions and bike tours will give Chennaites glimpses of a city they never knew.

"Madras Day focuses on the city, its history, its past and present. The core team motivates communities, groups, companies and campuses in the city to host events that celebrate the city", city's famous historian S Muthiah said.

It was on this day in 1639 that British Administrator Francis Day got permission from the wards of Chennapa Naicker, a chieftain ruling the fishing hamlet near Madras Harbour to construct Madraspatam as it was referred then by the British.

The deal was struck by Francis Day,his 'dubash' Beri Thimmappa and their superior Andrew Cogan, with local Nayak rulers.

The original document relating to building of Fort St.

George, a historic fort which was for a while the seat of power of East India Company, is said to have been signed at Chandragiri fort in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Robert Clive, founder of the British empire in India, got married in a church inside the fort. His marriage certificate is still the prized possession of the museum in the fort.

Unknown to many is that villages around temples like Parthasarathy in Triplicane and Kapaleeswarer temple in Mylapore near the Southern coast and Marudheeswarer temple in Thiruvanmiyur existed for several centuries, long before the Europeans arrived here.