Madras Day 2025: A Timeless Journey into the Soul of Madras

Madras Nalla Madras… goes the (g)olden Tamil cine song, and it still rings true. Fondly called Vandharai Vaazhavaikkum Ooru—“the city that gives life to all who come”—Madras has always been more than just a destination. It’s a warm embrace, a cultural melting pot, and a living chronicle of history.

For the people who call it home, Madras is not just a name; it is an emotion. For those born in the ’90s or earlier, the nostalgia of Madras-ah Suthi Pakka Poren rings a bell more than Chance-eh Illa Chennai! Madras Day, celebrated every year on 22 August, is not only just a foundation day. It is a celebration of life, love, labour, history, food, people, art, architecture, and heritage.

The streets you walk today, the shops you frequent, the towering heritage buildings—they are all storytellers, holding within their walls centuries of culture. Every lane, every corner, every weathered façade whispers tales of the history of Madras. Over the decades, photographers, artists, and writers have sought to capture the essence of this ever-evolving city. The soul of Madras lives on in its music, its flavours, its architectural wonders, and its treasured photographs.

The Trail of the Lost Treasure

Between 1880 and 1925, photographers E. F. H. Wiele and Theodore Klein, official photographers to the Governor of Madras, immortalised the spirit of Madras on delicate glass plate negatives. Their frames captured the heartbeat of Madras, its streets, architecture, and people all in exquisite detail.

When they left India, these plates found their way into the safekeeping of Ms. Cooper, a housekeeper in Coonoor, where they lay forgotten for over fifty years.

In the 1970s, Harry Miller, the legendary Director of Photography at The Indian Express, learned of this forgotten treasure. With help from Eric Stracey, Inspector General of Police, he retrieved the plates. Though Miller valued them greatly, advancing age and professional commitments prevented him from preserving them. In 1990, they passed into the care of Desikan Krishnan, a former Hindu photographer, who named them Vintage Vignettes.

In 2005, with grants from the German Consulate and Sundaram Finance, the collection was cleaned, digitised, and stored in archival-quality materials. Today, over 1,500 of these fragile yet enduring images stand as an irreplaceable visual record of India’s past.

An Ode to Madras at Radisson Blu Hotel & Suites GRT Chennai

This Madras Day, Radisson Blu Hotel & Suites GRT Chennai stands proud as a custodian of this legacy. We have secured exclusive rights to 16 of these priceless images and dedicated an entire floor—Madras Memories—to them. Here, every corridor and corner is a portal into the city’s past, inviting guests to experience Madras not just as history, but as living heritage.

Here, history isn’t just remembered; it’s felt.

Madraspatnam, Chennapatnam, Madras, Chennai, Singara Chennai—the names may have changed, but the heart of the city remains timeless. And this Madras Day, we celebrate not just its history, but its enduring soul. Wishing everyone a Happy Madras Day!