“The Bank of Madras, one of the three Presidency banks, the other two being the Bank of Bengal and the Bank of Bombay, was established on July 1843 and was headquartered in Madras, now Chennai. It is now subsumed in the State Bank of India.” Not just this, but many other interesting facts about the then Bank of Madras has been chronicled with pictures by Standard IX students Karthik and Ashwanth. They are among other students of Asan Memorial Sr Sec School, Egmore, who have contributed to the exhibition on Madras —The Coramandel Trading Post organised as part of the Madras Week Celebration.
An initiative of the Heritage Club and Social Sciences department of the school, this exhibition chronicles the transformation of Chennai from a cluster of small villages into the busy trading hub over the centuries. Barely legible information that is scribbled on a chart about the various modes of transport used by Chennaitties makes you visualise the charming old Chennai. Miniature models of Chennai’s first mall, Moore market, and the latest marvel, Express Avenue, tell the story of the makeover Chennai has undergone.
It’s Asan Memorial School’s fourth consecutive exhibition in the celebration of Madras. “The previous years focused on Chennai As A Cultural Capital and Philately And Coin Collection,” says Kalpana Gopinath of Social Sciences department.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Deepa Sathiaram, Chairperson of Yi Chennai and is open to all till today.
With two other exhibitions titled Trade and Traders — Chronological Link and Traditional Occupation of Madras joining the first one, this school truly celebrates the city that is Chennai. It’s evident from the exhibits that the students are proud Chennaitties.