It was on this very day in 1639 that the land where Fort St George now stands was purchased by the British. This year marks the 383rd anniversary of Chennai’s establishment
Madras Day was first celebrated in 2004 by a group of citizens. Wkimedia Commons.
Every year, Chennai celebrates Madras Day on 22 August to mark the establishment of the city. It was on this very day in 1639 that the land where Fort St George now stands was purchased by the British. This year marks the 383rd anniversary of Chennai’s establishment. The Ministry of Culture also shared a post on this occasion. “To a city of rich history, tradition, culture and heritage! Let’s celebrate the beautiful Tamil city of Chennai erstwhile Madras on its 383rd foundation day today!”, the official Twitter handle of the ministry wrote.
History of the city:
The region of Madras has always been important, and was seen as a significant place by the Cholas, Pallavas and other dynasties. In 1639, the British were given a land grant by Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak, an influential chieftain in the Vijayanagara Empire. On this piece of land, Fort St. George was established the next year. It was one of the three earliest cities established by the British, the other two being Bombay and Calcutta.
Celebrations:
Madras Day was first celebrated in 2004, when historian S Muthiah and journalists Shashi Nair and Vincent D’Souza were attending a meet of the Chennai Heritage Foundation. Inspired by the idea of Mylapore Festival, they decided to organise Madras Day to recognise the heritage, culture and history of Chennai. Since then, the celebrations have been marked every year.
What events have been organised this year?
Authorities have gone all out to commemorate the 383rd foundation day of Chennai. The Greater Chennai Corporation had earlier organised special events in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The two-day event was organised at Elliot’s Beach.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin also took part in the Happy Streets’ event on Sunday as part of Madras Day 2022. The DMK leader was seen playing games like table tennis with the locals. Check the tweet here:
The Chennai Police has also issued a traffic advisory in relation to the events. Till 6 pm today, there will be a number of diversions in the city due to the celebrations. The restrictions will mainly be in place on the 850-metre stretch from the police booth to the fish stall (16th Cross Street).
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