In 1960, a Tamil fiction film called Raja Desingu was released, starring the swashbuckling matinee idol, MGR. It flopped. But after centuries, Raja Desingu stories continue to be told in street performances like Therukoothu, Poi-Kal-Kuthirai, and even the Burra-Katha tradition of Andhra. In fact, many boys in Tamilnadu are named Desingu even today, after the legendary hero of Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu. 

A tall frosted glass of something delicious, clinking with ice – is there anything to beat this on a hot summer’s day in Chennai? Today, it just means a walk to the ‘fridge, but what about the days before refrigeration? Would you believe that there was ice in Chennai much before refrigeration was invented? All thanks to a 19th century businessman from far away Boston. His name was Frederic Tudor. It’s because of him that Chennai has a handsome round building on the Marina beach front – the Ice House, now called Vivekananda House. Let me connect all the dots for you.

Yale University is named after Elihu Yale. Back in 2007, the University had quietly removed a picture of Elihu from display, and replaced it with another. Why? And how is this university connected to the South Indian city of Ch

The Armenians started coming to Madras (old Chennai) around the 16th century. Most of them migrated from Julfa, a suburb of Isfahan in Persia, because Madras was fast becoming a cosmopolitan trade centre.