Madras Day: Walks to remember

Chennai has a beautiful ritual, where we revel in its heritage and history through walks. This concept becomes a mainstay during the Madras Week. With the city that we call Namma Ooru with pride turning a year older, organisers talk about how they plan these walks for history and heritage enthusiasts, their efforts to keep them fresh while revisiting the same areas, and why exploring them from different perspectives can add to the experience. Ramaswamy N (HR professional, runs the ChennaiDailyPhoto since 2007) A walk is always about celebrating the city rather than loading it with history. No two walks are ever the same. The group of walkers is never the same, and we ensure the route is not repeated for at least 18 to 24 months. For me, a photowalk captures contemporary history; we are recording the present for future reference. Our walk leaders and volunteers are constantly scouting for the road less travelled. We do a recce to see if it will interest a wider audience. But the magic of a walk is that you can never ensure anything. Each photographer is seeking something new a portrait, a moment, a bit of nostalgia, a detail of nature or history. The participants themselves bring in this diversity: regulars, newcomers to the city, first-time photographers, nostalgia seekers, and even those returning to their roots. That mix keeps the experience rich. Madras Week is always an inspiration it pushes us to stay at it, and that energy is contagious. A photowalk, I believe, is far more engaging than any book or lecture. It lives in the moment; theres no space for imagination because youre seeing, smelling, and hearing the city right there. That multisensory experience connects you instantly. Over the years, weve also stumbled upon some secret treasures during our brainstorming. One such place, close to the modern world but seemingly removed by time, has become a marquee location for our group. Nivedita Louis (Author and historian) I dont repeat my walks. It takes me months to curate one, and once done, I lose interest in going back. Most of my walks except rare ones like Poonamallee or Royapuram rides are one-time events. I also dont work in familiar heritage circuits like Mylapore or Triplicane. Instead, I seek unexplored spaces Greenways Road, Kasimedu, Washermanpet, or Poonamallee where hardly anyone has attempted a walk before. My process involves repeated scouting 10 to 12 visits sometimes riding my bike through lanes, striking up conversations with passersby, gathering clues, and then returning home to dive into archival sources. I cross-check Tamil and English texts because each tells a different story Tamil books often capture peoples voices, while English ones focus more on places. Gaining access to sites is always a challenge; permissions can take weeks, but they are essential for the experience I want participants to have. I prefer heritage rides in suburban stretches where sites are scattered, and I make sure even non-riders can join with bike taxis. For me, interaction is crucial: temple elders, printing press owners, or community members themselves often speak to participants. That kind of people-connect is my USP. I avoid anecdotes for gossips sake my focus is always on lived history. Audiences have shifted. Earler, it was mostly retirees; now, younger people, especially when food is combined with heritage, are curious to join. Madras Week or World Book Day pushes me to step away from my writing and curate something special, like a walk at Connemara Library. For me, heritage walks differ sharply from lectures or books: they are experiential. You cannot feel Christmas Eve in Santhome through text but on the street, with cribs, kolams , and the aroma of cakes, you live it. Along the way, Ive stumbled upon unrecorded inscriptions and countless serendipitous encounters, like strangers at Kasimedu who stepped in to share their own stories. Thats the beauty of it: every walk is a discovery, both for participants and for me. Naveen Kumar MK (Chartered Accountant and photography enthusiast) Visiting the same place again always brings familiarity, but it also allows you to notice the surroundings in greater detail. In photography, this is valuable even after 100 visits to places like Marina, Mylapore, Triplicane, Kasimedu, or Saidapet market, youll always come across someone or something new and inspiring. Over time, you also build bonds with locals, and those conversations make the walks even more interesting. A lot of participants show the photos theyve clicked earlier to people in the same area, and that excitement adds another layer of connection. Every photowalk begins with a small introduction about the area, followed by pit stops for discussions. Its always informal and friendly, never rigid. When 30-50 people come together, the knowledge sharing is rich from school students and young professionals to retirees, couples, and even father-daughter duos. Many who first joined as students are now working professionals, yet they still come back, even if they live abroad. That special connection keeps growing. Madras Week brings extra buzz. Last Sunday, we did Kosapet (in time for Vinayagar Chaturthi preparation), walking through lanes filled with Ganesha idols being made was magical, and 50 people turned up. Some special memories of the walks I have conducted include documenting the Adyar Gate Hotel before its demolition, or collaborating with NGOs like V the Volunteers, photographing elderly people at their Mudhiyor Thiruvizha celebration. Those moments were truly touching. For me, these walks are about meeting people and conversations I wouldnt have in my everyday professional life with flower vendors, fishermen, tea annas, sanitation workers, or kids flipping on the beach. That mix of perspectives amazes me. The Saidapet vegetable akka who remembers all my visits or the ex-military man with a bunk shop near St. Thomas Mount they remind me why every walk feels different. Its about documenting, connecting, and celebrating Chennais stories together. Chithra Madhavan (Historian) I do repeat walks, but since the participants are different each time, it really doesnt matter. In a subject like mine (temple walks), the facts have to be repeated! Hardly ever do the same people come again, and even if they do, repetition only reinforces understanding. Mine is a slightly academic subject, and a person listening just once may not be able to grasp everything. A repeat can do no harm. In fact, the more one visits a place, the more one finds out about it. Many minor, and sometimes major, details come to light sometimes through locals, sometimes from research articles. I always make sure to acknowledge my sources. I absolutely love participant interaction. It shows they are listening and want to know more. Even if people stop me mid-sentence to ask questions or for explanations, I encourage them. Over the years, I have also noticed many more young people joining heritage walks even school students and that makes me very happy. History has long been considered boring, and if these walks help change that perception, Im glad. Madras Week has been a huge catalyst for me in conducting heritage walks. Ive been doing tours of the Government Museum, especially the bronze and stone sculpture galleries, as well as temple walks in Mylapore and other places for years. I never get bored with repeating them. I dont plan anything exclusive, but I keep group sizes small, around 15 people, which means I repeat walks multiple times. Long-time Chennai residents and newcomers alike often learn something new. For example, many Mylaporeans dont know it was a thriving Sangam-era port city visited by foreigners like Ptolemy. Walks, I believe, are 100% better than books or lectures you are at the site, seeing inscriptions, sculptures, monuments. That makes a world of difference. I always tell teachers to take students outdoors they will never forget what they learn. Gouthamkumar Janakiraman (Photographer and founder, Plan Ur Vacay) For me, the key to keeping walks engaging is giving participants new tasks and themes. Even if someone has visited a place several times, a new perspective can be discovered. What we see today may not happen tomorrow each day brings new stories. Take Rajaji Salai and Beach Road for example. Almost every Chennaite has passed by the SBI headquarters, India Post, or the High Court. Everyone knows these are colonial-era buildings, but how many have stopped to observe them and ask who built them, or what style of architecture they belong to? During our walks, participants pause, explore, and think about these questions. I encourage looking for fresh details a new corner, a missed building, or a conversation with a local. Interacting with locals is essential; they often give us lesser-known facts that you wont find in books. I also do some research before the walk so that when participants photograph a spot, we can share the context and history. Our groups are always diverse students, working professionals, and even regulars who keep coming back purely out of passion. Madras Week has been special to me since 2019. This year, I collaborated with The Chennai Photowalk and hosted a walk at Kosapet, exploring artisan streets with 30+ participants. I share my knowledge, participants share theirs, and together we discover new angles. Even when people post on social media, they dig deeper for captions, sparking curiosity. Once, at Kasimedu Harbour, I guided participants beyond the usual boats and markets to N4 Beach, where fishermen loaded ice before setting out. Many told me it was the first time they had witnessed this, despite visiting the area before. Thats what makes every walk fresh. Ashmitha Athreya (Head of Operations, trustee, lead storyteller at Madras Inherited) We are committed to continuously revisiting the areas and their history for every walk we conduct. Its crucial to integrate new information or refine existing content, as research is an ongoing process. It doesnt conclude with one walk but evolves as we conduct other walks. I also find it important to connect multiple walks and provide participants with a holistic understanding of the areas history, enabling them to see it not in isolation but about the citys broader narrative. The dynamism of our walks stems from the continuous influx of new participants. Each time I lead a walk that I might have led several times, it is different, as the audience is different. People, including the team, interact and engage with information differently, and this creates space to perceive the area in a new light. Our heritage walks are meticulously researched and curated, involving extensive reconnaissance both before and after. It is as simple as going around the city and ensuring that our senses are open to take in everything. Engaging with diverse audiences helps reshape our view and allows us to keep evolving. Over the years, weve struck a balance to keep our walks interactive and engaging, depending on the routes themselves. Walks focusing on community history lend themselves to more anecdotes. We maintain minimal group sizes to ensure participants feel comfortable and the experience remains intimate. Madras Week provides an excellent platform to celebrate the city. This year, we have two new walks happening in August, in addition to specially curated ones for students and corporate groups. Walking is a unique experience it allows you to observe overlooked details, pause at intriguing spots, and absorb the citys essence. Almost every walk brings participants who share amazing tidbits and discoveries.