Heritage to high-rises, how Chennai grew taller
This feature explores the rapid urbanization of Chennai, contrasting the city's historical heritage with its modern high-rise landscape. Residents share nostalgic reflections on how the city's physical transformation has altered their personal memories.
Why it matters
It captures the cultural and social impact of rapid urban development on community identity and historical preservation.
“Andha kalathula ellam…” [In those days...] is how many memories of Chennai, or Madras, begin. We all grow up, and inevitably, so do our beloved cities. Every goodbye is followed by a hello: old buildings are torn down for new high-rises, beloved theatre screens go dark, garden houses become apartments, and corner shops give way to malls and multiplexes. Relatively flat for most of its early development, the city today has tall buildings and skyscrapers vying with each other in certain parts. Swept up in the business of being a metro, Chennai grew wide and tall; and as it did, it changed the memories that different generations carry of home.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in