So I spent 9 months studying the city and leading heritage walks for locals and tourists in Chennai.
Everybody has their own expectations of how and what to discover in a city.
The one thing that really sells Chennai in my experience is when you make people understand the.... 1/n https://twitter.com/whyamihereughh/status/1262584685319737344

Implications it has had on indian history. I would sell it as the 'most consequential' city in the history of India.
For example :
1. The colonisation of India started with the establishment of Madras.
But that's not all. Arthur Wellesley of fort St George led the army.... 2/n

that defeated the last great indian resistance by Tipu Sultan. He would later defeat Napolean in the battle of Waterloo.

2. Have you ever wondered why the city has never seen communal riots even at worst of times in the country? Is it because our relationship with Islam.... 3/n

is different here in the south? Muslim traders came to the south as traders unlike in the north where they came as invaders. Hindu kings would try to build mosques for their friends and end up making weirdly temple aesthetic mosques in many parts of current day TN
In Madras...4/n

during the early 19th century, the nawab of Arcot moved his population from Arcot to Madras, relocating a mostly Muslim population right beside the ancient settlement of Mylapore.
From donating the tank of the kapaleshwar temple to making a langar khana with a veg food...5/n

the nawab (while still clearly an autocrat) maubhave laid the grounds for centuries of communal harmony.

3. The revolutions that changed indian politics.

In the 20s Madras saw the rise of anti-caste movement under the Justice party. If you're going to talk about politics...6/n

of Chennai, I beg of you, please talk about the first time reservations based on caste were introduced in india, the first female graduate from university, the 'legalisation' of marrying out of your caste and the slew of then deliriously revolutionary ideas born in this city..7/n

A lot of tourists on heritage walks ask about why we don't "like to learn" Hindi. I really lean into it. Hard sell the history of a language, it's unifying power beyond class & communal divide & the dangers of a homogenised society. Its a riveting and important story to tell..8/n

Wait but maybe people aren't into such serous stuff? How about selling to them stories of cinema, cricket, food, old buildings and all? Yes this works too... 9/n

But if you have to sell Chennai, please sell its stories.
Of Periyar and Bharathi's dissent
Of Tamil, but also Telugu and hindi migrants
Of the last flag raised on August 15 1947 to survive till date in a cupboard in the fort
Of a humble city but an unapologetic one