CLASSIC GLORY: A file photo of the Esplanade Road, Madras, in 1910. - PHOTO: Vintage Vignettes

CHENNAI: The city's birthday bash is back and it is bigger than before.

Madras Day celebrations, started as a citizens' initiative two years ago, will be observed through a series of events next week. It will coincide with the anniversary of the official transaction of a sliver of land, where Fort St. George stands today, between the East India Company and the local Nayak rulers on August 22, 1639.

At a press meet on Friday to announce the commemoration, writer and historian S. Muthiah and publisher Vincent D'Souza said the primary motive of celebrating `Madras Day' was to focus on the city, its past and its present. The effort behind the event was to motivate people, associations and communities to host events and celebrate the city. "We are working towards a situation where people readily recognise August 22 as Madras Day," Mr. Muthiah said.

So far, different organisations and corporate sponsors have come forward to celebrate 30 different events between August 20 and 27 as part of the celebrations. Competitions announced so far include: lyrics competition by Unwind Centre (email: rob @unwindcenter.com); video short documentaries competition (submit in DVD format to Mylapore Times, 77, C.P. Ramaswamy Road, Alwarpet); heritage project for schools by Intach (contact 98408 92939); T-shirt design contest (submit as a jpeg file to madrasday@yahoo.com); mobile phone camera contest by Univercell (submit photos to contest@univercell.in); Madras Quiz for students of Tamil medium and English medium on August 26 and 27 respectively (registration at P.S. High School in Mylapore); and a photography contest `Marina moods', about themes based on the Marina beach (submit to Mylapore Times before August 22).

Apart from competitions, Madras Day organisers have also put together several events: heritage walks on weekends; exhibition of coins, maps, photos and books on vintage Madras from April 21 to 23 at Clive House inside Fort St. George; Motorcycle tour of heritage sites by Madras Bulls Motorcycling Club; a hash run by Madras Hash House Harriers, and readings at Nageswara Rao Park on August 27.

For further details, log on to www.themadrasday.in.

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