It's August 22, time to celebrate the birthday of Madras, the mesmerizing city. Eight years ago, the idea of celebrating Madras Week began as a four-hour-long celebration of the city and today it has transformed into an elaborate fortnight-long celebration.
Madras Day focuses on the city, its history, past, present and the core team motivates communities, groups, companies and campuses in the city to host different events.
Why August 22!
It was on this day August 22, 1639 - British trader Francis Day signed the lease for the tiny strip of beach he had obtained from the disintegrating Vijayanagara Empire to build a permanent trading post of the East Coast. His favourite spot was where Fort St. George stands today. Soon the construction began and that marked the birth of the city of Madras.
In 2004, it was journalists Shashi Nair and Vincent D'Souza who came up with the idea to celebrate the birth of the city every year.
