Heritage Walks / Tours / trails

Heritage Tour of Fort St George – Aug. 21, 2016

Fort St George is one of the historic precincts of our city. The seat of governance for over three centuries and more, it holds within it several interesting monuments, buildings, memorials and what have you.
Join historian Sriram V on a tour of the various parts of our city’s own fort on Sunday, 21st at 7.00 am.
Charges: Rs 350/head.
Register at http://www.india-pastforward.com/Products/product_purchase.php?productGUID=84a33ff4-6516-11e6-ab71-e78c0b91b8e4

Heritage Walk: The Arcot Nawabs Trail at Triplicane – Aug. 27, 2016

Walk conducted by Kombai S Anwar
Beginning from the Chepauk Palace, the walk takes you through the various monuments in Triplicane area associated with the Wallajahi Nawabs.
Time 6.00 AM to 9.00AM
Cost: Rs 350/- per person
To pay; http://www.india-pastforward.com/Products/product_purchase.php?productGUID=dad0cb4b-5f98-11e6-ab71-e78c0b91b8e4  or call 94440 77171
Point of Assembly: The Labour Statue, Marina (opp University of Madras)

Walk: Understanding Textile Heritage of Madras at the Govt Museum Egmore – Aug. 27, 2016

The participants will get to see the repositories and reserved artefacts of Indigenous Desi cotton, Indigo dyeing
and Vintage Kalamkari and Kodalikaruppur Saree at the Government Museum, Egmore.

Led by Sreemathy Mohan.
From 11 a.m to 12.30 p.m.

Report at the venue 15 minutes before the start of the event.
Fee: Rs. 300 per head.
Registrations at nammamylapore@hotmail.com

Heritage Walk: Arms and Weapons Gallery at the Government Museum – Aug. 28, 2016

A tour of the Arms and Weapons Gallery at the Government Museum led by Rajith Nair, a heritage enthusiast.
From spears to maces, swords to battle axes, cannons to guns, our Museum has an amazing collection of arms and weapons and they all have a story to tell. Many of these exhibits are also pieces of art. We will jointly uncover the stories behind some of the exhibits on display.

From 11:30 AM-12:30 PM.

Starting Point: The ticket counter near the main entrance to the Museum.

Registration: We plan to limit the group to 20 participants. Please send an email to: rajith.bala@gmail.com.

Charges: There is no fee for taking part in the walk. Please take your entry tickets before the start of the walk so that we can start on time.

Heritage Walk: Madras High Court – Aug. 14, 2016

Conducted by N.L. Rajah, senior advocate and Sujatha Shankar (INTACH).
Starts at 8 a.m.
Assemble before Indian Bank in the High Court Campus. Entrance to High Court from Prakasam Salai, opp. Raja Annamalai Mandram adjacent to police station only.
The walk will include a tour of the grounds, buildings and a visit to the museum in the High Court campus.

Free walk. Prior registration required. Register by email to nlrajahadvocate@gmail.com or intachchennai@gmail.com
All participants must bring their ID cards for security check.
Carry drinking water.

Heritage Tour: Trace Origin of Madras – Aug. 28, 2016

A walk /tour at Pazhaverkadu to find the origin of Madras
Includes AV Presentation, Heritage-Walk, Craft-Visit, and Sight-Seeing with a visit to Pulicat-Interpretation Centre & Light House.
AC Bus with Break Fast, Lunch, Snacks, Water, & Reading Materials will be provided;
Pick-up at Loyola College, ICAM Gate, Nungambakkam at 6.15 a.m. The tour will conclude around 4.30 p.m.
Cost of the tour is Rs.1475/-
For information and reservation contact info@aarde.in
Organised by AARDE Foundation, Chennai, a not-for-profit Trust actively involved in the promotion and conservation of Pulicat.

Heritage Walk Cum Sail – Aug. 14, 2016

Historian V. Sriram will walk you down memory lane inside Chennai Port Trust, pointing the rich heritage and tracing the history of over a hundred years.
The participants can also set a sail and view Chennai from the sea as EMDEN saw Chennai before bombing.

Organised by Royal Madras Yacht Club

Assemble at the Reserve Bank of India at 6.30 a.m. The walk will be followed by breakfast at RMYC. Fee: Rs. 850 per head. (Members of the club get a discount of 20%)
Optional ‘Sailing Experience’ at 11 a.m. followed by lunch will cost Rs. 500 extra per head. (Members of the club get a discount of 20%)

Confirm participation by Aug. 12, 2016.
Mail your name, age and your vehicle registration no. to: rmyc.coachinna@gmail.com and v_sara@yahoo.com
Or contact 9677203086 with the above details to register.
Payment to be made by cash at the venue on Aug. 14, 2016

Heritage Walk : Marshalls Road – August 20, 2016

Led by Sudha Umashanker.

Starting point –  just outside  Rajah Muthiah Hall – In gate.

The Marshalls Road (Rukmini Lakshmipathi Salai) walk will include spots like The Willingdon Ladies club – the first exclusive club for women in Madras, old location of All India Radio, the iconic Madras Eye Infirmary now Govt Eye Hospital, the oldest Eye hospital in India and the must-see Elliott’s museum, Rukmini Lakshmipathi statue, Rajarathinam Stadium and Presentation Convent, Pudupet among many other locations.

This is a free walk. Organised by Storycorner at Bookmine. To register contact 9840247624

Heritage Walk – Harrington Road – August 28, 2016

Led by Padmapriya Baskaran and Sudha Umashanker.

Who was William Harrington Senior ? What is the connect between Mathematician Ramanujam and Harrington Road?
From whom was the land for Madras Christian College School bought ?
Who is the saint whose Samadhi can be found on Harrington Road ?
Who were some of the famous social workers who lived on Harrington Road ? The walk will provide the answers.
Starting point: Shoppers Stop end, Harrington Road
Time: 7 a.m. to 9.15 a.m.
To register please contact 9790918056/9840247624 .This is a free walk.

Organised by The Cooum-a -cultural- mapping group and Storycorner at Bookmine.

 

Trail: British Blueprints 2- Beach Station to Fort – Aug. 21, 2016

Discover colonial Madras through the buildings the British left behind. Look closely at each structure and you will find stories of grand ambitions and unexpected revolutions; the hopes, fears, and ideas of the creators, as well as the history of this ever-vibrant city.

Time: 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Reporting venue: Beach station, North exit
Registration fee: Free
Mode: walk
Distance covered on foot: Approx 3 KM
Things to bring along: water bottles, comfortable walking footwear, cap.

Organised by Storytrails.

To register, write to chennai@storytrails.in. Or call +91 9940040215 for details.

Trail: British Blueprints 1- Lighthouse to War Memorial – Aug. 20, 2016

Discover colonial Madras through the buildings the British left behind. Look closely at each structure and you will find stories of grand ambitions and unexpected revolutions; the hopes, fears, and ideas of the creators, as well as the history of this ever-vibrant city.

Time: 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Reporting venue: Gandhi statue on Marina beach
Registration fee: Free
Mode: walk
Distance covered on foot: Approx 3 KM
Things to bring along: water bottles, comfortable walking footwear, cap.

Organised by Storytrails.

To register, write to chennai@storytrails.in. Or call +91 9940040215 for details.

Stories on the run – Running trail – Aug. 6, 2016

Running trail by the sea. Organised by Storytrails.

The Marina was the bastion of the British and some of the best British buildings are along this road. But more interesting are the stories they conceal – of true blue Brit grit, of perseverance and backstabbing, of practical concerns and pure unadulterated greed. Stories On The Run, is a jog through a world of exciting people and momentous decisions.

Time: 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Report at Gandhi Statue on the Marina.
Registration fee: Free
Mode: Slow jog, with plenty of stops along the way
Distance covered on foot: Approx 6 KM (return will be by train)
Things to bring along: water bottles, running shoes, cap.
To register, write to chennai@storytrails.in. Or call +91 9940040215 for details.

Walking Tour: Living Statues of Marina Beach – Aug. 28, 2016

The 9th annual Living ‘Statues of Marina Beach Walking Tour’will be held on Sunday 28 August 2016.

Meeting Point: Kannagi statue, Marina Beach (at Bharathi Salai).

Time: 7:30am.

Featuring six brief dramatic enactments (in English and Tamil) of the characters portrayed by the statues: Kannagi, NSC Bose, Thiruvalluvar, George Pope, Bharathidasan, and Avvaiyar.

Please let us know if you might like to
A) Perform one of the statue characters (in English or Tamil).
B) Read-aloud poetry by the characters (Thiruvalluvar, Bharathidasan, Avvaiyar, etc).

The suggested scripts (in English), and other details, are at www.storytellinginstitute.org/28.html .

Facilitated by the World Storytelling Institute.

To Register, please contact: info@storytellinginstitute.org , 98403 94282

Heritage Walk: The City and its Cinema – August 13, 2016

An introduction to the fascinating history of cinema in Chennai followed by a walk across Prasad Studios and Prasad Labs. This walk will offer a unique opportunity to see what an actual studio floor looks like.

Lead: The walk will be led by Mr. Venkatesh Chakravarthy, Regional Director of L.V. Prasad Film & TV Academy

Date: Saturday, 13th August 2016

Timings: 3.30 p.m. -6.00 p.m.

Starting and Ending Point: Entrance gate of L. V. Prasad Academy, Saligramam

Registration: There are NO charges for this walk. However, prior registration is required so that necessary arrangements can be made to visit the studio floors. Please register by sending mail to: rajith.bala@gmail.com

Heritage walk: Kapaleeshwarar temple, Mylapore – Aug. 28, 2016

History, Art, Architecture and Traditional Games by Dr Chithra Madhavan, historian with Vinita Sidhartha of Kreeda.
Between 6.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. A fee of Rs.300/- per person will be charged for this tour.

During this session, Vinita Sidhartha from Kreeda will talk about the games and their link to life as we know it today. A history of the games, our learning from them will all be covered. Those who attend will be encouraged to find the boards when they visit the temple.

Organised by Namma Mylapore. To register, contact nammamylapore10@gmail.com

Heritage Walk: Stone Gallery of the Govt Museum – Aug. 28, 2016

Led by Pradeep Chakravarthy.
10.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. No fee. Participants buy their own tickets at the gate.

The Government Museum established in 1851 has one of India’s finest collections of sculptures that span several centuries.

The 45 min walk will focus on select stone sculptures from Tamil Nadu in the ground floor of the main gallery. A short Bharathiyar song will be sung by the children of the Madras Youth Choir. The song will appropriately connect to how these artifacts showcase our cultural pride and deserve to be in our country.

The participants will learn the context of the sculptures and learn how to tell which period they belong to (and you will have a practice test at the end where you score your own test!!) and what you can learn from the sculptures for our own lives today.

Madras Youth Choir is the oldest Indian Choral Group and has been recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi for its untiring efforts to propagate the message of social unity through musical harmony. With a rich repertoire of over a hundred songs in various Indian languages that seamlessly straddle classical, semi-classical, and light and folk music genres, the MYC has performed at prestigious music festivals all over India

This program is done with the support of the Chennai chapter of INTACH.

Meeting place – The seated Buddha just outside the entrance to the stone sculptures gallery (be sure to buy your ticket as you enter the gates of the museum)
Registrations to pradeepchakravarthy75@gmail.com by Aug 20, 2016.

Heritage Walk: Waves of conversion and a games thrown in – Aug. 27, 2016

Tiruvanmiyur in 7- 8th Century – Led by Pradeep Chakravarthy.
7.00 a.m. to 7.45 a.m.

A landmark on the Vadagu Peruvazhi (as the ECR was known in Chola times), Tiruvanmiyur. Marundeswarar Temple is a great place in Madras to understand the work of the Shaivaite saints in reconverting Tamilians in the Chola times to Hinduism from Jainism and Buddhism. The 30min walk will explore the sadly modernized temple and understand how religion and politics mingled for mutual benefit in the 6-9th centuries.

After the 30min walk, we play games in the temple! For years now Kreeda has been involved in documenting the Graffiti Games carved in temples and old monuments. Kreeda has found two game boards carved on the floor of this temple. One is the more popular Aadu Puli Aatam, while the other is a board that has not been seen elsewhere. While it bears a certain semblance to other game boards one cannot be completely sure if this is the same game or a different one. Kreeda has been researching this game and has put together three sets of optional rules to play the game.

This program is done with the support of the Chennai chapter of INTACH.

Meeting spot entrance to temple opp. the temple tank and facing the beach (NOT the one on ECR)
The walk is free and will not focus on the religious aspect of the temple – there will be no time in the walk to offer worship, please plan for that separately
Kreeda games will bring the boards and other accessories to play the game, just bring your fun quotient with you!
Please dress appropriately for a house of worship. No shorts please!

Registrations to pradeepandanusha@gmail.com on or before August 20, 2016