In love with Madras

As I was reading Dandilsa’s post on why she wants to return to India, I realized how much I could relate to what she has written. Of course, I am already here. In fact, except for a few months of staying in another city, I have never been, forget about being away from India, been away from Madras itself. But, every time I am asked why I don’t want to leave Madras and go anywhere else, the reasons I give are quite similar to what she has written. This is the place where I have grown up and at this point of time in my life, there is only one thing that I am very clear about and it is that here is where I want to spend the rest of my life.

My passions are rooted to this city. Well, I am passionate about this city itself. I just cannot dream of a life sans kutcheris (I cannot even imagine being elsewhere when December Season is happening here!), paaTTu class, visiting kapAleeswarar temple and a few other favourite temples of mine here, visiting the numerous temples that are just a few hours drive away from Madras and marveling at the amazing sculptures and architecture of the temples, rushing off to Sound Zone, Odyssey or Music World to buy the CD every time a Rahman’s album releases, watching Mani Ratnam’s movies on the first day and other good movies with my family at Satyam, Mayajal or Inox, shopping in T.Nagar, beach, walk in Boat Club Road and my new-found passion to know more about temple architecture etc. which was triggered by and is also being fulfilled by attending Chithra Madhavan’s talks. And of course, Madras is where my home is. My blog stands testimony to how my life revolves around all the above-mentioned things.

Some say life isn’t all about music and kutcheris. But, when I have clearly identified what my passions and interests are, why should I even think about forgetting those and going miles away from those? I am not sure if I would have developed all these interests had I been elsewhere or had I not been given full freedom by my parents to explore the events happening here. There are a lot of places and countries that I do want to visit. But, visit is all I want to do. I am least interested in staying anywhere else.

22 thoughts on “In love with Madras

  1. Madhusudhanan.J

    hehe well said… maybe its not only for people who stay in chennai that chennai seems thr only homeland but for ppl who’ve visited chennai and stayed thr for a few days to get an essence of the city 🙂 I totally love that place 🙂 I’ll be thr for 6 months to pursue my PCC trainig 🙂 am all geared up for it 🙂 I just hope I end up in chennai 🙂 🙂

    Reply
  2. R Sathyamurthy

    Not many people have clear idea of what their interests and passions are to pursue them.

    As life moves on, you may get new passions and “love” 😉 which might make you to re-prioritize your interests and passion.

    It is nice to read that you are clear about spending rest of your life in Chennai. I bless you to get that Ram who says “Seethai irukkum idam Mithilai” 😛 instead of the conventional “Raman irukkum idam Ayodhi”

    Life is like a river “nee nadhi poley odi kondiru”, to avoid disappointments.

    Reply
  3. sangs

    for me,there was a time when i didn’t want to settle anywhere else but bangalore .i had lived there for 6 years and loved the city.But,now,given a choice and the chance,I just want to get back to Chennai.I’ve this newfound love for Singara Chennai,home,family,tamizh,pondy bazaar shopping and ratna cafe and saravana bhavan after having braved it out sans all that in jaangiriland for a few months now ! This keeps changing.You never know,tomorrow “with whom” you want to spend the rest of your life with might become more important that “where” you spend the rest of your life ! 😮

    Reply
  4. Girish

    Just a thought.
    Theres already a city praising song for Bombay (Yeh dil hai mushkil) and Delhi (Yeh hai Dilli mere yaar). I sincerely pray that ARR composes one such for Madras 🙂

    Reply
  5. Dandilsa

    Everytime I read your posts, I would wonder what I was doing here, and I wanted to live your life. Yours is one of the blogs that really helped me seal my decision. Thank you for that!

    Reply
  6. Sridhar

    The points you have listed are exactly the things I care about too and I hope someday to return to my homeland and make a living there. It would be nice also if you listed some of the negative things about the city (comparing to neighboring cities), some of the irritations you face in day-to-day life.

    Reply
  7. Sathej

    Thats a nicely written post, Aparna! I just remembered I am yet to read in detail and comment on a series of posts on the season and Carnatic music, intro to TMK, Sanjay concerts et al – shall do that soon 🙂 Hope you won’t mind comments on an old post 😉

    Sathej

    Reply
  8. Sriram

    nice to see you (too) reaffirm your love for my madras. much has changed in the city this past decade – the way ppl seem to dress so ostentatiously all the time & being so self-conscious is one thats easily visible -& one that i hate the most. whether it was our taste in books leaning toward mr.jeeves/wodehouse or going nuts over vinayakram/zakir, we have always been quite diff from the rest of our country & not too bothered by it – this too seems to be changing except for the few holdouts some of which uve cited -but madras will always remain beloved no matter what

    Reply
  9. PrasadC

    You know I pursue what most people of my generation (especially the ones leaving the country) pursue – a better life. I don’t speak of people who wish to settle abroad but of those who use the time abroad to upgrade or enhance skills/career paths for a better life at home in india.

    And here I am looking like an idiot when I am obviously missing out on so much. Life is indeed short. I am hoping to get back as soon as possible.

    Reply
  10. naane

    Living in US for more than a decade, rarely a day goes without the thoughts of getting back to Chennai. hmmm!
    I wonder is it “Ikkaraikku akkarai Pachai” effect? or is it real?

    Reply
  11. Aparna

    Madhusudhanan,
    That’s great! Hope you have a great time here!

    Sathyamurthy,
    Ultimately one doesn’t have an option but to nadhi pole odi kondify

    Sangs,
    I know priorities will keep changing as time goes on. But still I hope that I do get to spend the rest of my life here. Anyway, hope you come back here soon & enjoy shopping at Pondy Bazaar and a lunch at Ratna Cafe! 😉

    Girish,
    Madrasa sutthi paakka poren is there. But it would be great if he composes another song on Madras 🙂

    Dandilsa,
    Glad to know that! 🙂

    Reply
  12. Aparna

    Sridhar,
    Hope you return…
    This is Madras I am in love with. Not the negative things 😉

    Puranjoy,
    What’s with all these 2-3 character comments??

    Like so many others, I too like the name Madras more than Chennai. As simple as that 😛

    Sathej,
    Thank you

    Sriram,
    True that lots are changing here. But as you have said, Madras will always remain beloved 🙂

    Prasad,
    When you know you are going to get a better life once you get back, I don’t think you should worrying about what you are missing. Will you not be getting all that and more once you come back? 🙂

    naane,
    It’s not as though you haven’t lived in Chennai before. So I am sure you should know whether it is ikkaraikku akkarai pacchai or not

    Reply
  13. Pradeep

    Not all the reasons why I want to be in Chennai are the same as yours. However, whenever I come to Chennai, something happens to me and I get so senti about this place. The friends. The people. The food. The music. The air. The beach. The simplicity. The nakkal. The conservatism. Things which others cant understand much.

    Awesome post. I am in Ahd now and this made me real senti. I really want to go to Chennai soon.

    Reply
  14. Aparna

    Yuva,
    I posted a comment for your post saying I enjoyed reading it. Not able to view your post page after I clicked on ‘Submit Comment’!

    Reply
  15. Srinivas

    Even though am from Andhra Pradesh, I ve done my engg from Chennai. During my engineering I stayed at Besant Nagar and am totally in love with the locale, the city and also a girl from the same city. True, I hate to be anywhere else! Currently, I am in IIM Calcutta but come almost every month to visit the city and the girl I love. Every arrival is a joy and every departure is a pain!:( I think beaches, cafes, restaurants and music make Chennai such a lovely place and of course the people!

    Reply

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