Editorial: Celebrating the spirit of a city

It is commonly agreed that on August 22, 1639, the village of Madraspatnam or Chennapatnam was purchased by the East India Company from the Viceroy of the Vijayanagar empire. And most Chennaiites would remember the month of August as one marked by a plethora of cultural events, ranging from exhibitions, lectures and film screenings to photo walks through some of the city’s haloed neighbourhoods and heritage centres, and gastronomic discoveries made on foot that has taken thousands of history buffs back in time, thanks to some lip-smacking fare from Mylapore’s numerous masala vada joints.

The season is also renowned for the renewed interest it invokes in those who swear by the spirit of Madras, to learn everything they can about this wonderful city that we call home. The concept of celebrating a city’s ‘spirit’ assumes importance when you consider how megacities across the world invoke very specific emotional responses in people, courtesy pop culture. A case in point is New York City, whose iconic Statue of Liberty helps it to be distinguishable among a range of urban monuments, such as the London Bridge, Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Sydney’s Opera House and the Roman Colosseum.

But more than geographic landmarks, something that has helped NYC capture the minds of entire generations for more than four decades is the stylised I Love New York logo. Developed by graphic designer Milton Glaser in 1976, while riding in the back of a taxicab, using a red crayon and scrap paper, it became the basis for an advertising campaign to promote tourism in the state of New York. Owned by the NY Department of Economic Development, that logo has become the most imitated of catchphrases the world over, with almost every city replicating the typography to promote its own metro.

Interestingly, inspired by such typographic experiments to promote local culture, here in Chennai, a selfie-spot was set up at Marina Beach, last December. The words Namma Chennai, which has been laid out in a mix of both Tamil and English atop a pedestal was constructed at a cost of Rs 22 lakh and it is gradually turning into a typographic icon of the city. Similarly, the Avadi Municipal Corporation had also invested in a selfie spot called ‘I Love Avadi’ to push the idea of litter-free zones. In Coimbatore, the Ukkadam Periyakulam Lake now hosts a ‘I Love Kovai’ selfie spot as part of the lake restoration project.

While it is heartening to see the efforts of the government in infusing a hip, new identity to major metros like Chennai, its citizens are also coming together in delightful ways to represent Chennai to the world outside. The city’s visual identity experienced an overhaul a year ago, when Kannagi Nagar, off OMR, became a hub of the artistic congregation. One of India’s largest resettlements was transformed when as many as 16 artistes etched gigantic murals on the walls of these tenements, bringing attention to the lives of children and adults here, and offering a ray of opportunity in the art to young artistes from underprivileged families. It is commendable that Chennaiites have found a way to celebrate all elements that make the city vibrant and eclectic, cutting across social, political, economic and religious barriers. And while we may not have a slogan to call our own, for now, barring Namma Chennai, we still have a day to celebrate this infinitely diverse city that we are all part of. Have a good one, Madras.