Selective Amnesia There was a point to this. But I forgot.

The fifteenth Chennai Photowalk + Chennai Sangamam

Hello all,

Sorry for the silence all these days. What with work, and other commitments, I’ve just not had the bandwidth to keep you all updated on the photowalk plans this month. Before we get into that, permit me a little digression and a little rambling.

I just got back from the Chennai Sangamam Opening Night performance. It was fantastic!

For those who came in late to the show…Chennai Sangamam is an annual event (now in the 3rd year) that celebrates Tamil traditional art forms. It is held on the second week of January (to coincide with Pongal) and bring to Madras/Chennai some of the oldest rural and traditional music, dance and other performances.

This year is easily the biggest show, purely in terms of scale and ambition.

This January is loaded for those looking to get some fun. There’s Chennai Open tennis, there’s the annual Book Fair, there’s Chennai Sangamam, the final few kutcheris from December season, and then there’s the Tourism fair in Island grounds.

But, what with Madras Week in August and Chennai Sangamam in January, Madras has come in to its own in terms of events, but it is definitely not enough. We need more, and I for one am planning a few things that I hope comes through well. I was associated with both Madras Week 2008 and Chennai Sangamam 2009 in a minor way and, like a cat that’s tasted milk/blood, I cannot wait to get more.

Now, back to schedule. I know this is very short notice for all of you, but I hope you (at least all of you in Madras currently) can make it to the Sangamam opening show tomorrow at the Centenary Auditorium, Madras University tomorrow at 6:30 PM

Okay. As I mentioned in the earlier mail I plan to do one walk every day of the Sangamam, at each of the venues. What is more, there’s a photo contest as part of Sangamam

The full list is available here – if you click on the links (each venue is a link), you’ll be taken to a page with the schedule for that particular venue.

But, if you folks all bear with me, I’ll decide which venue to go to daily and send a mail via the FB group. Each night, if you guys check your mail, you’ll get the agenda for the next evening. That’ll let us cover most of the big events and I am the only one sweating over the logistics.

It will be short notice, but I hope you folks can make it. We all meet at 6:30 inside the Madras University Campus tomorrow?

P.S: Remember, there are 7 days and 17 venues this year. So that’s a lot of walking and taking photos.

The fifteenth Chennai PhotoWalk

Hello folks!

This month, I thought I’d do something different for the photowalk.
From January 10th through January 16th, Chennai will host Chennai Sangamam – a very fun festival. Sangamam will bring to Madras some great art forms from across Tamilnadu to entertain the city. The festival coincides with Pongal, and is held in parks and beaches of Chennai.

Now, as part of Sangamam, there’s a photography contest. Anybody can participate, and anybody can win. All you do is take photos of the different performances and events that are on show during Sangamam and put them on a CD/take prints and reach it to the organisers.

A jury will then select few photos, the winners get a prize, some kind of medal/trophy and the winning photos get published in the coffee-table book that Chennai Sangamam is publishing.

If this sounds like something up your alley, and need more information, mail me and we can fix this up.

Meanwhile, for the actual walk this month, how about going to each venue on every day of the Sangamam and shooting each other and the performances?

What say folks?

C

(Update: Jass is right. I screwed up. This is indeed the 15th Chennai PhotoWalk.

The fourteenth Chennai Photowalk

Yello folks

Sorry for delay in announcing the December Photowalk. I was swamped with work and other things. I was hoping we could do this month’s walk in Theosophical society, and was waiting for permission from the TS folks, which hasn’t come through yet. No point in delaying things further. So, here’s the idea for December.

A few weeks ago, I posted some photos of Valluvar Kottam to flickr. Seeing how most of you liked the photos, I’d like to do Nungambakkam as my route. We all start at Valluvar Kottam – spend an hour or so inside the Kottam itself. And then walk down VIllage road into the crowded, colourful and pretty ancient Nungambakkam Market. We will end the walk at the corner of Village Road and Nungambakkam High Road.

I hope to start at 3:30 and end by 6:30. Are you all okay with the plan? Ayes? Nays?

Quick recap, then.
What: 14th Chennai Photowalk
Where: Nungambakkam – Valluvar Kottam to NH Road intersection
When: 25th December, 2008, 3:30 PM.
Who: All of you, and many more.

C

The thirteenth Chennai Photowalk

Hello all.
I’ll keep this short. I had planned big things for the November walk, but due to unforseen circumstances (to wit, the job I do that pays my salary) and unforseen hurdles (my boss expecting me to, can you believe it, actually work) and things of that nature, I’ve had to dust out my backup route and present it as first choice.

So, anyway, here’s the plan for November. On the 16th (the Sunday coming up), we all meet at 6 AM at the gate of Madras University Chepauk Campus. The walk will begin there and proceed south towards the lighthouse on the Marina. And, if we have the inclination and the energy, all the way up to Santhome Basillica. That’s the idea. Sunrise is around 5:45-6 these days so those who want to do that can meet me earlier at the same location.

To recap: 13th Chennai Photowalk – 16th November, 6 AM, Madras University campus.

The twelfth Chennai Photowalk and the first Chennai Street food walk

Oh do I break this to you gently? How do I ease you into the moment? Oh what the fuck! Here it is. October marks one year of the Chennai Photowalks. What started as a potential tour for a friend ended up one of the most talked about events in 2008.

Here’s then a small twist in the tail to celebrate the anniversary. Two walks – two different routes and with two different objectives.

The twelfth Chennai Photowalk will cover a part of Madras, Chennai, that many people fail to appreciate for its history. Vadapalani.
On the morning of 19th (the coming Sunday), we will change that. The walk begins at 8 AM, at the Vengeeswaram temple at Vadapalani. And ends at the Vadapalani Murugan temple, about a kilometre away. We will walk through one of the most colourful and vibrant markets in the city, so enough photo-ops. And enough locks.

Mint Street, in Parry’s is known for a lot of things. But not many people know that it is known for its wide range of cuisines. We shall, again, change that. In the process, make amends for our furious walking in the morning.
The first Chennai Street Food walk will begin at 8 pm, 19th October, at the Flower Bazaar police station. We shall sample Novelty’s delectable Paav and drool-worthy Baaji, Cheena’s oothappam and idli, Kakada Ramprasad’s badam milk and many, many more. Sev Sandwiches, crunchy paan-puris, not-bad coffees and more on the menu.

So that’s the plan. Come with cameras and an open mind in the morning, and an empty stomach in the evening. The number to call when in doubt, is on the sidebar.

Reminder: Ninth Chennai Photowalk

That’s this Sunday – 13th July 2008. 7 AM at the foot of St. Thomas mount. There’s a small arch at the entrance of the lane that leads to the top of the mount. Let’s all meet there and head out.