Madras is a city with a rich history and culture but the problem is not many people know about this, especially the youngsters. To bridge this gap Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan, an archaeologist, intends to start a weekend camp to teach students about the city’s archaeology.
The idea, he says, came to him when he was on a Chennai photowalk and discovered a number of interesting things. “When you talk about Chennai, people know about the historic buildings and the British but there is so much more than that. This is what I want to explore,” said Gopalakrishnan.
The Chennai photowalk was started by Gopalakrishnan in 2007. The walk involves visiting some of Chennai’s most historic areas and photographing them. This heritage walk which takes place every month covers different routes every time, making it a unique experience for those who participate.
Gopalakrishnan has high hopes for the weekend camp. He says, “I plan to start this in December-January when the weather is cooler because the camp would involve outdoor activities.” At the end of the camp, Gopalakrishnan says he wants children to be able to tell a story out of their experience. “They would be able to find interesting things and tell the world what they saw or found. It is a different kind of experience,” he said.
A multifaceted personality, Gopalakrishnan took interest in archaeology a few years ago which led to him to study a course in UK to gain expertise on the subject. He is also a writer, photographer and a documentary film maker concentrating on archaeology and heritage documentaries. Gopalakrishnan is hopeful of active participation from children and is certain that they will learn every inch of the city in a unique way!