It’s a mental trip for me this week to revisit a charming and historic city in southern India – Chennai, which is also known for its old name, Madras.
Today, Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India, has a population of about 12.5 million, which is almost double the number of people in the entire Western Visayas region, making it the sixth most populous city in the South Asian country.
While it has become a bustling metropolis Chennai has been described to have retained its old-world charm and traditional ways – in cuisine, music, dance and other art forms.
I travelled to Chennai almost two decades ago to attend an academic conference and, in the process, experience the cultural diversity there and realize the truth and substance of its ‘Incredible India’ tourism slogan.
With my group of Filipino professors, we flew to Chennai via Singapore (a distance of almost 3,000 kms.), the trip a 4.5-hour-flight from Changi Airport. We arrived around 10:30 p.m., which is 1 a.m. in the Philippines.
We were hosted by Madras Christian College, which was founded in 1837, one of the oldest existing institutions in Asia.
The college is known for its top academic performance and takes
pride in having produced numerous well-known alumni in various disciplines and professions, including Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second president of India.
Madras is known for its programs on, among others, health care, information technology, history, tourism, auto industries, movies and education.
A leading institution in the city is the University of Madras, which was founded in 1857. It has produced five Indian presidents, including Dr. Radhakrishnan, two Nobel laureates and renowned scientists.
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Even just on my mind, I’d like to immerse myself in the celebration of Madras Day, an observance annually held every Aug. 22. The day commemorates the establishment of Madras City
In 1639 – or 384 years ago – when it was purchased by the East India Company from the viceroy of the Vijayanagar Empire.
At MCC, we were treated to an evening program showcasing classical Indian dances and music as well as a parade of types of saree, the traditional women’s wear, which numbered more than two dozens.
Madras is never short of attractions. Promotional materials highlight, among others, that Chennai’s 13-km. Marina Beach is the second longest beach of its kind in the world.
I spent early morning hours at the fine white-sand beach and it was already bustling with people, swimming on the waters of Bengal Bay,
playing sand cricket, vending, or just promenading. A quick evening passage showed a bigger crowd.
Another point of interest in Chennai is the Royapuram railway station, which was a window’s view distance from my hotel room.
It is the oldest railway station, which operated starting 1856, and has remained functional today.
There are numerous Hindu temples, among them, the 6th century Parthasarathy, which was heavily crowded when we stopped by.
For Christians, who comprise less than 3 percent of the people of now the most populous country in the world (with 1.43 billion people), there are interesting places to visit.
Our hosts, as faculty of a Christian institution, took us to the neo-gothic St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica which was originally constructed in 1523. The place has been declared a national shrine. Another religious site we visited was the St. Thomas Mount National Shrine, a 16th century memorial located on a hill in the outskirts of the city.
Both landmarks are dedicated to the saint. It was on this hill where Thomas was believed to have been martyred in 72 AD for his beliefs and his mission to evangelize in the area.
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Locals say the Madras celebration gets more splendid year after year.
Popular activities to mark the founding anniversary include public
talks, heritage walks, exhibitions, public performances, poetry reading sessions, food festivals and a bike tour.
Also held are tree walks, field trips, photo, t-shirt designing contest and documentary film contests as well as multimedia presentations, lectures and discussions and other events sponsored by community organizations and companies.
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To a visitor, another interesting sight are the cows roaming freely on the streets. Reports show there are about five million cattle – many of which no longer serve as work animals due to their age – which are astray on streets across the country which cause road problems in many instances.
Our guide told us that because cows are considered sacred animals, they are left to stray on the streets.
Another animal that captured my attention during my Madras stay was the spotted deer on MCC campus.
Chennai has more than 2,500 spotted deer, locally known as Chital.
At that time, interest on the spotted deer in Negros was rising following reports that they are an endangered species that’s why the Chennai deer was of high interest to me.
The spotted deer there appeared bigger than those in Negros.
They were grazing when I saw them on campus and they were tied
up.
Our host explained that they are held in captivity, otherwise they would stray and face risks in the streets. I later learned that other universities also tied them up as a way of conserving them.
I am not sure if the deer remain on campuses as there had been reports that the stray animals had been rounded up and transferred to the nearby Kavuthi forest reserve and the Guindy National Park.
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Writing of the spotted deer, I received a press material from Silliman University that it has received a P9.2 million research grant from the Department of Science and Technology for the conservation of the endangered Philippine spotted deer which is a program if the SU Biology Department.
The research project “aims to preserve genetic diversity and increase the number of individuals of the Philippine Spotted Deer in captivity and in the wild.”
The animal, endemic in Negros and Panay, is an endangered species based on the IUCN criteria.
The SU Center for Tropical Conservation Studies has 77 spotted deer in its facilities in Barangay Daro, Dumaguete City and Barangay Palinpinon, Valencia.
The SU Center became the country’s first captive breeding center for the Philippine Spotted Deer in 1990.
Silliman President Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann was informed last month of the grant by Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, DOST-PCAARRD executive director.
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I take this opportunity to congratulate my mentor and friend, Dr. Betty Cernol-Abtegana for the approval of her second term as president of the university until 2027.
The renewal was approved by the SU Board of Trustees.
She is the 13th and first woman president of the university.
May God continue to guide and bless you, Doc Betty!
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The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10) – NWI
