An annual event, Madras Week has greatly grown in popularity over the years. What started as an idea a few years ago, today this yearly tribute not only celebrates the city’s history but also the people who have added to its rich and vibrant heritage. The home of traditional forms of music and dance, Chennai, as the city is known today, also has an inspiring assemblage of professionals in various other fields. And this year Madras Week will celebrate this crop of people who have contributed to the city’s transformation.
From Lawyers to Medical professionals to first generation entrepreneurs, this year’s sessions with achievers will see a walk down memory lane recalling famous and not so famous individuals who deserve a mention. Starting with a talk with Dr B Biswakumar about the 'Famous Doctors of Madras' on August 19, over the course of the week the celebrations will include panel discussion featuring first generation entrepreneurs and various heritage tours with stopovers at interesting and long-forgotten places in the city.
Interestingly planning and organising these events are not restricted only to the core team that incepted this annual tribute, but is open to anyone and everyone who wants to celebrate the city of ‘Madras’. From contests, music sessions, food fests to tours, people can choose their own way to pay tribute and in the last few years the pockets of celebrations has increased tremendously.
As writer-historian V. Sriram rightly summed-up the growing popularity of the annual event, “When we started these celebrations four years ago, we knew this would grow to mammoth proportions over the years. Although the concept was new, in the last four years we’ve been witnessing a steady growth in numbers, as more and more people have been joining-in to commemorate the city they love. This year we’ve organised some very informative sessions, and we hope that even this year we will be able to inspire the young and the old and also bring to light the seemingly inconspicuous events in our history that has instigated the growth and transformation of this ever-vibrant city.”
