August 08, 2009

Destination Madras!

If you are proud of this city and you have friends and relatives in Bangalore or Puduchery, in Coimbatore or in Kochi, this is the time to invite them over to Madras.

Drive down, take a train or hitch a ride.

Tell them to be in our city between August 15 and 23.

Because this is the best time to soak in the essential Madras that is also Chennai.

Soak in ‘Madras Week’.

If they like the outdoors, they can check out the ten heritage tours/walks the city has put together. Through marshlands and reserve forest, down alleys and on the edge of the Marina, the walks will open your eyes to a city we may not have known.

If your guests are the cerebral types, underline the two dozen talks/lectures that will be hosted at different venues in the city.

A young man from Coimbatore wants to make sure he gets a seat at Randor Guy’s ‘Scandals that Rocked the City’.

If your friends love performances, there are many options (I am sharing with you just a wee little here and am not partial too!).

Actor-writer Pritham Chakravarthy is presenting a solo performance to unspool all the stories she has heard and collected of another part of the city that many of us just do not know - North Chennai.

At two cool venues, musicians of this city will play their original songs and some of these songs have a lot to do with our city. (Wonder, if someone out there has been inspired to write a song on Bessie Beach or alleys of George Towne?).

There are dozens of events to choose from and plan your own Madras Special (the web site to log on to - www.themadrasday.in).

And if all of this does not appeal to you, create your own weekend ‘Lets Explore Chennai’ kind of schedule.

If you discover some gems, do let me know at madrasday@yahoo.com

Finally, here is a teaser - What is the theme of the Special Postal Cover to be released on Madras Day (August 22) this year?

The answer could be at www.madrasday.blogspot.com

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