For a change it wasn’t Delhi, our favourite punching bag, that gave us serious FOMO, but Chennai. Year after year, the city has been putting up a show, around August 22, to recognise their foundation day. Celebrations continue for an entire week with a packed itinerary that is a mélange of traditional and modern. And it’s gotten bigger and better with each passing year. This year, backed by the state’s tourism department, their official website (themadrasday.in) reveals a mix, from art exhibitions and book releases, to quiz contests and sporting competitions, walks, and music concerts.

Nearly a decade ago, this columnist had caught a few sessions as part of its weeklong programming. The air was filled with fervour and nostalgic revelry. At the heart of it was reminding its residents of its origins, and why August 22, 1639, remains an important date. We loved the education-meets-entertainment theme that drew in crowds across age groups. Records reveal that this was the date when a small patch of land where Fort St George stands, came into the spotlight. A deal was struck by Francis Day, his ‘dubash’ (commercial agent) Beri Thimmappa and their superior Andrew Cogan, on behalf of the East India Company with the native Nayak rulers of the region. Settlements grew around the Fort, and over time, Madras emerged as the East India Company’s and later, the Crown’s prime colonial outpost along the Bay of Bengal.