Enga ooru Chennaikku...

...periya whistle adinga... phee phee phee pheeeeeeeee!

Whew! OK. This post is part of blog tag titled The CBC Tablog and about 39 (the count is increasing by the day) bloggers write on "What Chennai means to me". This couldn't have come at a better time - a Tam friend settled in Delhi has been raining abuses on Madras (and that comes close on the heels of the criminal gang rape in the capital #epic facepalm)

Thank you Clement, for passing the game to me. Clement blogs at http://jollyrogerrocks.blogspot.in

I still cannot come to terms with calling this city as Chennai, so this post is going to have more of Madras references. I have lived in various cities - Pune (my home town), Bombay, Bangalore and have traveled briefly in Calcutta, among other cities. But, Madras is where I porukified during school, college, NIIT and post grad days.

I am proud to be part of a city with a rich heritage - a city that served as the British capital during the Raj. My Madras may not have a night life (oh it does, and some people don't want to accept it), but it does have a beautiful morning life, especially during the Maargazhi maasam. My Madras may not have all the four seasons, but it has its fair share of rains, heat, and a pleasant year end! My Madras may not have too many large malls (off late it does and it is the first city to boast of 2 IMAX screens and the first in India to have DOLBY ATMOS) but it has Ranganathan Street & Pantheon Road. My Madras may not host many firangi concerts, but it has the beautiful Carnatic season steeped in tradition.

The loud speakers, bhajanai ghoshti, kolams, kacheris, road side kaiyendhis, 5 star restaurants, midnight roadside dosai kadai, Saravana Bhavan, jay walkers, filter kaapi, to-a-large-extent disciplined traffic, hindu paper, mylapore times, madras baashai, world class schools, scenic ECR, marina beach, malliga poo, St. George's Fort, museum, Ripon building, MRTS, Central Station, tidel park, film institute, grand sweets, nalli, rasi, GRT, Santhome Church, Parthasarathy / Kabali Kovil, Sankara Nethralaya, Loyola / New / Pachaiyappa College, Ethiraj / Stella / WCC and other colleges, IIT, AR Rahman, Mani Ratnam, RajniKanth, Kamalhaasan, Ilayaraja, Richie Street, Parsn Complex, Gemini circle, Satyam Theater, AVM Studios, Vasan House, Pondy Bazaar, Burma Bazaar, Sujatha, Kannadasan, Nilam, Thane, Tsunami and many many more define this city I call home!


This is a city that rejoices at the first drop of rain and wears ear muffs at the first hint of temperature dropping to twenties. This is a city that doesn't need to worry about investing in heavy winter wear and storing them later on. This is a city that opens its arms to people from other states and is rightfully called "vandhaarai vaazha vaikum Chennai"

All said and done, whatever Madras may / may not have, it has a soul, and that - no one can take away.

Sun rise view from my abode!

followed by the morning kolam

Breakfast at ID, Satyam Cinemas

A walk in Besant Nagar Beach

Kili Josyam anyone?

Sunset at Besant Nagar

I pass the baton to GB aka Ganga Bharani, who lives in GB Land.  She writes blog books, short films, short stories and at times crazy articles. GB blogs at http://scribbledbygb.blogspot.in/.

Madras ku oru O podunga... Ooooohooooo!