I started my professional journey 25 years ago by joining a Madras-headquartered instrumentation company. At that time, my dream was to settle down in Madras. Being a Palghat Iyer, I did not wish to move beyond the familiar environs of Chennai, what with a lot of common features linking both places. But I did journey beyond this initial destination and spent time away in Delhi, Hyderabad and Kochi for professional reasons. Each stage in my life was fraught with complexities and insecurities but the common thread that kept me going was the possibility of being able to return one fine day.
It took two full decades to finally realise my dream of coming back to where it all began. When I returned to Singara Chennai, I found there had been a tremendous transformation from the Madras of yore. The route from Tambaram to Adyar via SRP Tools is chock-a-block with gleaming buildings and IT parks now whereas in those days, there were hardly any landmarks worth mentioning along the entire route, barring Madras Christian College, MCC.
“Curiouser and curiouser”, I cried on landing here, just like Alice in Wonderland. I was so surprised that, for a moment, I had evidently forgotten how to speak Good English.
But I am happy to note that when most of us think of Chennai, even today, the primary image that comes to mind is that of filter coffee, beaches and Carnatic music just the way it was 25 years ago.
In a world that is increasingly operating online and changing more rapidly than the mood of a navaragamalika, can the age-old practices of Madras be sustained? The answer, as per my experience, is a resounding yes!
Sometimes, a place is more than just a physical location. It transforms into a thing that shines like a beacon where all our dreams and aspirations get fulfilled. Madras-turned-Chennai is just that for me!
