Chennai’s remarkable quality is the willingness of people to help others: V.P. Jeyaseelan

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Chennai has always fascinated me. My association with the city began much before I actually started living here.

My long wish to visit Chennai was fulfilled when I was in higher secondary school. It was February 2004, on the eve of Valentine’s Day, and I still remember my first train journey to the city. I had won the first prize at the district level in both the elocution and poetry competitions conducted by the Tamil Development Department, and was travelling to Chennai to participate in the State-level competitions.

For a school student coming to Chennai for the first time, everything looked enormous. I vividly remember arriving at Egmore. The magnificent railway station, the crowds, and the energy of the city fascinated me. That first journey remains one of my fondest memories.

Years later, after college, I returned to Chennai to prepare for the Civil Services Examination. This was when my relationship with the city became deeper. During those days of preparation, I started reading more about the history and heritage of Chennai. What began as curiosity gradually became a passion. I started visiting heritage sites and discovering the stories hidden behind familiar streets, buildings, and neighbourhoods.

Writer S. Ramakrishnan once wrote about the remarkable quality of Chennai — the willingness of people to help others. It is a city where even those who are unknown or little known can find a helping hand when in need. Many who have come here have experienced this spirit. That is perhaps why the expression “Vandhaarai Vaazhavaikkum Chennai” has endured for generations. Chennai has a way of accommodating people, giving them space, and allowing them to grow.

There is another Chennai that deserves to be experienced more widely — its extraordinary cultural life. During Margazhi, the city becomes a great meeting place for classical music and dance. It is difficult to find another city where such a large number of performances, musicians, rasikas, and cultural gatherings come together over a few weeks. Yet, Chennai’s cultural wealth extends much beyond the Margazhi season. Its food, literature, architecture, temples, churches, historic neighbourhoods, traditional markets, and many lesser-known heritage sites have stories waiting to be told.

As someone interested in tourism, I strongly feel that many of these hidden gems are yet to receive the attention they deserve. We have an opportunity to present Chennai’s heritage, music, cuisine, and living culture much more effectively to both domestic and international visitors.

At the same time, Chennai is not merely a city of the past. It is one of India’s important centres for automobiles and manufacturing, and has steadily built its presence in technology and other emerging sectors. The city is growing rapidly, though there is still a long way to go before we realise its full potential.

Growth, however, cannot be measured only through industries, investments, flyovers or new buildings. The quality of everyday life matters equally.

We need to keep our city clean.