NAMMA CHENNAI August 22 is marked as the foundation day of Chennai. It is on this day back in 1639 the British struck a land deal with the local Nayak rulers to build what stands today as Fort St.George which heralded the beginning of the evolution of the metropolitan City of Chennai. In the recent years this occasion has come to be celebrated as “Madras Day” as an opportunity to remember its history and heritage. This year marks the 374th year of the foundation of Chennai. “Namma Chennai” is an initiative that adds on to the Chennai Day celebrations attempting to bring in a people perspective, inclusivity space of everyone being the thematic keynote of the rendition. This is made possible by the participatory coming together of NGO-s, Institutions, Corporates, people clusters and individuals coordinated by NAAM, to motivate local communities to develop deeper bonding and a sense of ownership about their functioning and residing locations. In that way it would also become truly people owned celebrations. The following is the Namma Chennai 2013 calendar of Events from August 19-25: On August 19, 06:00 PM, Dr.Sankara Saravanan, an ardent Tamil reader and Animal husbandry scientist will speak on ‘Life in Chennai’ as narrated in Contemporary Tamil Writings. This will be followed by a talk on ‘Urban Coastal Ecology’ by writer & activist Nityanand Jeyaraman. Chennai is the only metropolis of India situated along high seas unlike Mumbai & Kolkatta which are along bays that requires a radically di¬fferent urban planning. These talks will be held in the Tamil Maiyam Hall at 68, Luz Church Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. At the same venue another interesting talk on ‘History and Antiquity of Chennai Coast Line’ will be delivered by marine historian Siva Balasubramanian on August 20, 06:00 PM. The Chennai coastline has a glorious history of global marine species migration as well as of trade, commerce and conquests. At 06:00 PM August 21, Rtd Senior Bureaucrat and Civil Society voice Mr.Devasahayam, IAS will speak on ‘Civil Society and Urban Challenges’. The massive growth of Chennai city has thrown up complex planning challenges. Enlightened and participative Civil Society is key to address them. The talk will be held in the Tamil Maiyam Hall at 68, Luz Church Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. On August 22, the Chennai Day, The Great Chennai Walk will be led by GiveLife children at 04:30 PM. GiveLife is an amazing story of compassion and care. In just five years it has touched and transformed the lives of thousands of underprivileged children. Currently it supports 3688 children. A city becomes truly great only when it adorns itself with a spirit and culture of compassion and care. All those who believe in it are invited to join the GiveLife children in the walk along the Marina Inner Lane. The walk will start near Nethaji Subash Chandra Bose statue and end at Gandhi Statue with a drumming performance by children of JUS Drums School of Percussion. Space is increasingly insisted as a crucial component of equity. Namma Chennai weaves a space for the most marginalized and vulnerable segment of Chennai - the street children, abused children, orphaned and differently abled children to express themselves through art & culture. On August 23 06:00 PM, a cultural evening titled ‘Kannmanigal’ will be held for them at Presentation Church Grounds, Jani Jan Khan Rd, Royapettah, Chennai 600014. The event is coordinated by 12 NGOs in the city which cater to the marginalized children. On August 24, 07:00 pm, ‘A Piano Evening’ a Franco-German contribution to Chennai Day will be held at Goeth Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan No.4 5th Street, Rutland Gate, Chennai 600 006. A two hour Piano Concert will be performed by Anil Srinivasan the great musician from Chennai, and Christine Chareyron a French invited pianist. It is a free concert. On the same evening August 24, 06:00 PM, a cultural evening titled ‘We are the One’ will be held at Presentation Church Grounds, Jani Jan Khan Rd, Royapettah, Chennai 600014, to celebrate the different cultural-linguistic communities in Chennai. Cultural programs will be presented by the following groups representing different states and countries: Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Bihar, Odisha, Kerala, Gujarat and Tibet. The Namma Chennai Photography Contest was held in the first week of August in which Media Students of the city, Amateur and Professional photographers and the general public without age bar have participated. The Awarding Ceremony of the Contest will take place during the ‘We are the One’ program on August 24. The eminent Jury members Mr.Arthur Wilson –Kollywood Cinematographer and Mr.Karthik Wilson – Celebrity, Advertising and Fashion Photographer will give the awards and certificates to the participants of the contest. On August 25, Madhavaram, Ayodhyakuppam, Ganesapuram, Saidapet and Royapettah areas will bear a festive scenario as a local celebration of the Chennai Day. It is a celebration breaking all societal differences, a coming together through participation in various traditional games and competitions and cultural programmes organized by the people of each area. Talks and discussions on topics that will help recall the history and pride of each place will also be held. The ‘Thiruvizha’ in these select areas is designed to promote a deeper sense of community ownership, interactive space and harmony. This will be replicated in multiple locations in the coming years. The ‘Namma Chennai’ events are coordinated by ‘NAAM’. M.Jegath Gaspar Raj Coordinator 9003010460
Posted on: Sun, 18 Aug 2013 12:09:22 +0000
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