Chennai Daily Photo
There was Chennapattanam and then there was Madras. About 357 years later, in 1996, she became Chennai. And whatever she may be called 383 years from now, she will always remain the "Queen of the Coromandel"! Come wander around this blog. It will give you a peek into her soul!!
Sunday, June 4, 2023
Changeover man
Saturday, June 3, 2023
Shore temple
Friday, June 2, 2023
Green light
Thursday, June 1, 2023
Theme Day: Smile
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Music, not arms
The Doveton Group of schools in Chennai has under its management 8 schools in the city. The most famous among them is arguably the Doveton Corrie School for Boys in Vepery (though it is not called by that name any longer, if I am correct). The oldest school in this group goes back to 1855, but today, we are looking at a school that began in the centenary year of the Doveton Group of Schools.
In 1955, the Group purchased this piece of land in Choolai from one Howard Oakley. Of Oakley, I have not been able to find much, other than that he was the Patron of the Madras Amateur Photographers Society in 1932, reviving it after the post-War years. Anyway, Oakley seems to have disappeared from Madras after this sale and a Doveton Nursery began functioning here on July 15, 1955. For a long while, it was coasting along, taking in young children in the nursery and kindergarten, going on to include primary schooling as well. It may well be a feeder school to the others in the Doveton Group. It was in 2001 that, for some reason, the name of the school was changed to include Oakley. Today it functions as the Doveton Oakley Nursery and Primary School.
One of the major activities here seems to be music. In And that brings us to the logo. When I first looked at it as I passed by, I thought it was some kind of cannon; given that John Doveton, the founder of the Group, was a distinguished military officer, the logo did not seem out of place. It was only after discovering the musical bent of this school that I took a closer look at the logo. And realised that clarinets and cymbals might well be mistaken for charging cannons!
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Olden view
Monday, May 29, 2023
Eat chocolate
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Washout
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Occupant
Friday, May 26, 2023
Hero worship
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Emptied out
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Gold and dust
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Deal making
Monday, May 22, 2023
What man?
It is quite a nicely done piece, that Spiderman climbing down from the TeaBoy outlet's signage. But what is that he has in his hands? A glass of lassi and a pav-burger?
Is he chai-man or lassi-man, this Spiderman?
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Ammunition
Saturday, May 20, 2023
Over what?
Friday, May 19, 2023
Moved
At the departure terminal of Anna International Airport, Chennai. Why would they need this kind of a message?
Anyway, this is probably the only thing about Chennai that I cannot even begin to defend - our airport - so I will go with any explanation that is given!
Thursday, May 18, 2023
Splash of yellow
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
One more
As we looked back at the way we had come, we found this fellow in the middle of the path, looking at us. His companion had gone a bit ahead and was already in the shadows. How do I describe seeing two of them?
Reminded me of an old story about a tailor who wanted to order two units of a special kind of pressing iron called the 'goose'. He wrote out an order for 'two geese'. Reading it, he thought that sounded odd, so he changed it to 'two gooses'. This was odd too. So he wrote a new note:
"Please send one goose. Thank you!
P.S. please send another one too."
So yes, I saw two mongooses. Two mongeese a mongoose. And I saw another one, too!
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Multi-dimensional
Monday, May 15, 2023
Dark clouds
Sunday, May 14, 2023
Anniversary question
It was exactly a year ago that I visited this building for the first time. There is nothing in the picture which explicitly states what this building is. But the colour scheme, plus that Black Maria (okay, it is painted blue, but it was a paddy wagon alright) parked on the right should give you enough indication for making a guess.
Here are some more clues. The original building, the core of which has been retained here, was built in 1842. In 1856, it was repurposed and continued to function as a key office until about 2012-13, after which it was unused for a while. In 2018, a restoration programme was begun, which brought the building to its current shape - and purpose - in 2021.
So go ahead, make that guess and tell me what this building currently is. And for bonus points, what office was operating from here between 1856 and the early 21st century!
I guess you would have figured out more clues in the labels!
Saturday, May 13, 2023
Out of water
Away from their 'natural' habitat, these boat hulls look rather flimsy. Would one really be able to trust these to carry one out into a body of water and get back safely?
Well, the folks who are rowing members of the Madras Boat Club do. And they seem to to be doing it quite well, too!
Friday, May 12, 2023
Displaced
There was a time when traffic along the ECR was controlled, not by any human agency, but by these friends of ours. Domesticated buffaloes were a-plenty, and if they decide to amble across the road, the rest of the world had to find a way around them.
I was told that when the Sheraton property on ECR was being constructed, the most difficult task they had was to herd these animals away from the construction site. But they were not forgotten; these statues of the water buffaloes, though made of metal - balls of metal held together - they seem quite a lifelike replica of the animals displaced by development!
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Window wall
We have some idea of what would happen if walls had ears. But what if they had windows? I am talking specifically about the outer walls of a building, the ones that separate the spaces inside and outside.
Here is an example. This wall is on General Collins Road, Vepery. And it is not a merchant's house or anybody's residence. This belongs to the Presentation Convent.
I wonder how it would feel for the girls inside class to look out of the window and see the 'free world' outside - or, more likely, to be cooped up inside with the windows shut and imagine what is happening outside through all the noises that would certainly seep in!
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Old gold
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Ripe for picking
I did not think that one would find a cotton plant in Chennai, but the Adyar Poonga surprised me.There was just the one shrub, in flower and showing off a few bolls. Was hugely tempted to pick one, but I'm proud that I managed to resist.
The genus Gossypium, to which cotton belongs, has over 50 species. That was news to me, because I always thought that cotton was sui generis!