Long before the British left their stamp on Chennai, or Madras of yesteryears, as the formative trading hub of the British East India Company, this coastal port has been remarkable for its astonishing contributions to India’s commercial and cultural landscape. The beginnings of this state capital of Tamil Nadu were rooted in a cluster of village settlements eking out a living mainly as fisherfolk. Bristling with contemporary pursuits, Chennai is on a constant high, driven by its grand scale of commerce and culture.
Little wonder then that travellers to the city are never short of stimulating experiences for all tastes. The past and present are dear companions in Chennai. If the history buff can get excited by the idea that ice was brought all the way from America’s Great Lakes down to Chennai to be housed in the Ice House in the Raj-era, the culture aficionado is spoilt for choice with its fabulous Indian classical music and dance and culinary traditions.
Explorations of its historic buildings, its churches and sacred places, its museums, bazaars, culinary hubs and entertainment centres serve up the quintessential Chennai experience in all its richness and variety. A good place to start out is Fort George, the nucleus for the beginnings of an empire that came to keep India on its leash for 200 years. A wander around George Town brings you to the heart of what the British called ‘Black Town’ because this is where the local weavers, who supported the East India Company’s textile trade, were settled.
A bustling hive of activity as a wholesale and retail market today, Black Town is magnetic for its frenetic pace of commerce which spills into its dizzy maze of narrow lanes and bylanes. Shop here for anything from bangles to brinjals, from spices to cereals. Located here also are the Indo-Saracenic- style High Court, the General Post Office and the still operational Parry’ Corner, a mercantile firm dating back to 1790. Also scattered here are houses dating back to the 17th century which served as homes and business centres for the Portuguese, Armenian and other foreign tradesmen.
The legacy of the British is well documented in the slew of historic structures across the city; many of these buildings of ‘Colonial Madras’ are remarkable for their architectural aesthetics. Also, there are hidden narratives to uncover about men and matters that presided over these buildings back in the day.
A pleasant way to spend a morning is to follow the textile trail and even try and meet up with some of the weavers. The tradition which goes back several centuries was at the heart of one of the most lucrative commodities in the export trade, especially during the days of the East India Company’s commercial activities. Its access to one of the busiest seaports, the third oldest in the country, was pivotal to the development of the textile industry; this covered all aspects of the business from hand weaving, spinning, dyeing and textile printing, on a large and steadily growing scale.
Early Christianity had a tryst in Madras with no less a personality than one of Christ’s own apostles – St Thomas. Mylapore, which pre-dates the old Madras by at least 2000 years, is where you will discover these ancient lineages that go back to the 1st century CE with ‘Doubting Thomas’ who came to preach here. Thomas Cathedral Basilica or Santhome is one of the only three churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus. Also popular here is the Kapaleeshwara Kovil, one of the oldest temples in the city and renowned for its Dravidian architecture.
Not to be missed is the opportunity to watch a Bharatnatyam dance performance and attend a Carnatic music concert. Carnatic music or kar?a?aka sangitam is one of the two styles of Indian classical music; the other is Hindustani music. In the year 2017, Chennai was included in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network for its vibrant cultural heritage.
One of the most exciting ways of connecting with the local communities is through the medium of food. And one should do this by plunging into the city’s eat streets around Sowcarpet near Georgetown where one discovers the sumptuous array of food and beverages; you will also encounter the vibrant cross-cultural influences that have shaped the course of the city’s culinary heritage. Chennai, it can be recalled, has also long been the stronghold of regional speciality cuisines from all four South Indian states.
To discover another important aspect of cultural delights to imbibe involves a day trip to nearby Dakshinachitra. It is legendary for being a rich and exciting open-air museum of heritage, art, architecture, crafts and performing arts. Visitors can imbibe cultural highs of the very best kind at this ‘Picture of the South’.