Where Heritage Lives On: Chennai’s Madras Day Celebrations

Chennai, once known as Madras or Madras Patnam, is a city shaped by centuries of maritime trade, colonial architecture, and layered cultural identities. What began as a humble fishing village on the Coromandel Coast transformed into one of India's most important urban and port centres. The East India Company's decision to acquire the village of Madraspatnam on August 22, 1639, set in motion a story of commerce, colonisation, creativity, and community. Today, the city continues to balance tradition and modernity, spirituality and software, Carnatic music and cutting-edge cinema.