The cycling yogis of Chennai have joined hands with TTDC to discover everything from the ancient history of Madras to its streets with the funniest names. and upcoming heritage cycling tours
Cycling Yogis of Chennai have joined hands with TTDC to find out everything from the ancient history of Madras to its streets with the funniest names, in the latest set of Heritage Cycling Tours.
Sitting about 700 meters from the island grounds of Chennai, where India’s first flight, a plane led by Giacomo D’Angelis, took off in 1910, history enthusiast Ramanujar Moulana spoke about Chennai’s rich cultural history. Revealed many other secrets.
Following a set of four heritage tours organized in early 2022, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), along with Cycling Yogi, an organization of Ramanujar, is launching a second series of six themed tour trails starting June 26.
Prominent among these are the scars of the recently concluded World War, which revisits Madras’s attempt with wars. “Many people are not aware of Chennai’s involvement in World Wars, so World War I scars include the Emden bombing plaque, the air shelter used in World War II at Kasimedu, the Madras War Cemetery at Nandambakkam and the Victory War Memorial. Ramanujar says.
During the First World War, Emden bombed Madras on the night of 22 September 1914. A shot fired from Emden’s powerful cannons hit a compound wall of the High Court, causing it to collapse. Later, a plaque was put up near this place. , photo credit: KV Srinivasan
The second tour, the Ancient Madras Trail, focuses on Madras before its British settlements. It will locate a temple in Alwar, Thiruvalluvar Temple, Parthasarathy Temple and Tiruvottiyur.
On the other hand, the Scottish and Irish Trail will visit the Monroe Statue, The Kirk aka St Andrew’s Church in Egmore and other Scottish contributions to Chennai architecture. It is also planning to cover St. Patrick’s School in Gandhinagar and St. Thomas Mt. to inspect Irish stamp on our city.
Stained glass window at St Andrews designed to serve the Scottish community at The Kirk, Egmore, Chennai. The church was consecrated in 1821, and is one of the oldest churches in Chennai. , photo credit: Ravindran R
“When COVID was at its peak, I had to put my previous research on hold for safety reasons,” says Ramanujar, who has been highlighting Chennai’s heritage through his cycling tours for years. He adds, “It was during this time that I decided to create a trail dedicated to my doctors and health workers. These trails were compiled and released in my book Madras by bicycle in 2021.”
The Medical Heritage Trail will include places already listed in his book, such as the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy memorial in Thiruvanmiyur, Dr. Edward Bulkley’s tomb right next to the Madras Medical College, and Asia’s oldest eye hospital, Egmore Eye Hospital.
From healthcare, he focuses on travel. The Vada Chennai Trail will take participants to Royapuram Railway Station, one of the oldest railway stations in South Asia, to learn more about the railway heritage of this city. The trail also covers other unique, famous places that showcase North Chennai in a truly vibrant way, right in time for Madras Day.
Ramanujar Maulana | photo credit: Ashwini Rao
And yet, not all trails have been seen in heavy history. “The concept of the last tour is quite simple but different. There are many strange and strangely named streets in Madras, so I wanted to visit all these places. We also wanted to throw light on the various charitable societies in Chennai. “He explains. Hence, the Street Names and Charity Trail will spread across Madras and stop at places like Constable Road, Brewery Road and Kolaikaran Pettai. They will also focus on charitable places such as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Vepery.
“Bicycle tourism is a unique experience in itself as one gets acquainted with the outline and topography of the city. It is certainly not something that you can experience just sitting in a car,” he explains. Lived in Chennai for the rest of his life, but it took him a full 10 years to document it and curate the trails to really get to know it.
The information he collected over the years has been published in different books, each specific to a specific field or subject. Ramanujar’s next book discusses foreign influences other than the British who left their mark on Madras. Countries like Italy, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, America, Scotland, Ireland and Turkey are present here. title Madras’s Global Heritage, It is scheduled to release on August 21.