Have you ever wondered why one end of the Chepauk Cricket stadium, in Chennai, is called Wallajah End? Your response would probably be “That’s because, that’s where the Wallajah Road is!” Yeah, so why is the Wallajah Road called so? Well, THAT requires a serious answer. Wallajah Road is so called because it leads to the Chepauk Palace of the Nawab Wallajah. And who was Nawab Wallajah? To find out, let us travel back to a time when the British were a formidable power in these parts.

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 […]

The British came to Madras (modern Chennai) in 1639. By the 18th century, they controlled large parts of the South Eastern coast of India. The Carnatic region, though was ruled independently by the Nawab of Arcot, Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah. He became great friends with the British in the 1750s, after they helped him acquire larger territories by defeating his rivals during the Siege of Arcot in 1751. But everything has a price: the British demanded exorbitant rates for their ‘protection’. £160,000 per year to be exact.

The best way to reach Sadras, is to get lost on your way from Chennai to Mahabalipuram or Pondicherry. I, on the other hand, have lived near Sadras Fort all my life. For years, I passed by its walls on my way to and from school. The 17th century fort, was just part of the background. Visiting it never struck me as something to do