Madras Week, which started off as Madras Day nine years ago to celebrate the founding of the city on August 22, 1639, has become Madras Fortnight, if not Madras Month. For the small band of volunteers who began this concept and now help coordinate the programmes, the response from corporates and public citizens of the city has given enormous satisfaction.

This year, the hotels of the city will, as usual, be enthusiastic participants. Some are venues for talks while others are hosting art and photographic exhibitions besides organising food festivals with Madras cuisine as their theme. Art galleries have also taken to this event in a big way.

The Chennai Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is also planning several competitive programmes for schools, such as quizzes, elocution contests and debates with Madras as the focus. Mylapore Times too is organising a wide range of events for Madras Week. These include walks, quiz contests and other programmes. As has been the practice in past years, Chennai Heritage, publishers of Madras Musings, will be hosting talks at various locations on subjects related to the city. Plenty of heritage walks are also being organised this year. Rotary Clubs are also having several programmes. Further details will soon be available at the site www.themadrasday.in

Participation is purely a voluntary effort by those wanting to organise programmes during the Week. The role of the informal group of co-coordinators is only to encourage such participation, try to organise publicity for the events, offer advice and, where possible, arrange venues. For any assistance or information please contact editor@madrasmusings.com.

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Nizhal celebrates Madras Week this August with tree walks in English and Tamil. The walks will last for about an hour. Rediscover the verdant parks and magnificent trees in your neighborhood with friends and family! The Azhinji at Kotturpuram Tree Park, the Thaandri at Semmozhi Poonga, the Putranjiva at Panagal Park and many more such gems!

As a part of Madras Week celebrations, a "Special Musical Tree Walk" will be held in Kalakshetra on Sunday, 18th August, at 8 am. The walk will be led by the Nizhal team (Latha Nathan and Dr. Babu), and Carnatic musician Dr. Sowmya along with her disciples.

Meeting and assembly point will be the Kalakshetra Road entrance to the campus.

Registration for all the Walks

By phone, please call: Usha at 97910 29568 between 10 am and 6 pm. Online through: www.facebook.com/Nizhal.shade

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As has been the practice for a few years now, as part of the Madras Week celebrations, the Madras Naturalists' Society (MNS) will organise a Nature Walk for the public at Pallikaranai Marsh on Sunday, 25th August. The details are as under:

• Group size: 30
• Reporting time: 6.15 a.m.
• Reporting place: Forest Dept. Office on Velachery-Thoraipakkam Road

(When coming from Velachery, take the service road along the 2nd Flyover on the Velachery-Tambaram Road and turn left at the junction under the Flyover onto the Velachery-Thoraipakkam Road, travel around 300 metres. and take the U-turn after the Toll Plaza sign and the Office is on the left immediately after the turn. When coming from OMR, the Office is 200 metres after the Toll Plaza).

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Walk: Waves of conversion! Tiruvanmiyur in 7-8th Century: A landmark on the Vadagu Peruvazhi (as the ECR was known in Chola times), Tiruvanmiyur. Marundeeswarar Temple is a great place in Madras to understand the work of the Shaivaite saints in reconverting Tamilians in the Chola times to Hinduism from Jainism and Buddhism. The 30-minute walk will explore the sadly modernised temple and help understand how religion and politics mingled for mutual benefit in the 6-9th Centuries. Using the hymns on the temple, we will recreate how Tiruvanmiyur looked in those times and how the conversion techniques the saints used can teach the modern management expert a thing or two about achieving lasting changes in institutions.

Date: Sunday, 11th August 7.30-8 a.m. Meeting spot will be announced to those whose registration is accepted.

• The walk is free and will not focus on the religious aspect of the temple – there will be no time in the walk to offer worship, please plan for that separately
• Please dress appropriately for a house of worship. No shorts please!
• Participants above 40 cannot register unless they bring with them a school (class 8 and above) or college student. This is the best way we can get younger folks interested and they will get enough information that will help them in their careers. The student doesn't necessarily have to be someone you even remotely know; so please don't ask for exceptions!
• No more than 30 participants. Registrations to Pradeepandanusha@gmail.com on or before August 1st, 12 noon.
• No transport/food arrangements for the walk.

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Madras Week contacts

For any assistance or information regarding 'Madras Week' programmes please contact:

    editor@madrasmusings.com
    themadrasday@gmail.com
    PRISM PR, Satyan Bhatt (9840085411).
    Website: www.themadrasday.in

To list your programme on this site, e-mail: themadrasday@gmail.com

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For INTACH competitions

    Padma Swaminathan: padmaathreya@yahoo.com
    Malvika Harishlakshman: malavika.harishlakshman@gmail.com

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For showings of INTACH DVD

    youngintachchennai@gmail.com and
    intachchennai@gmail.com,
    Telephone: 24991696

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For Walks

    Sushila Nataraj: sushi_1952@yahoo.co.in

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For Talks

    S.R. Madhu: editor1941@gmail.com