CHENNAI: There was a flurry of activity at the Vivekananda Memorial on Sunday morning. A double-decker bus parked nearby was the point of discussion among all those present. It was the opening day of Madras Week celebrations.
The bus ride, organised by The New Indian Express, was flagged off by the Minister for Tamil official language and Tamil culture, K Pandiarajan.
“It is a great initiative. It brings us back in touch with the heritage and culture of the city and makes one
nostalgic. The Tamil Nadu government is also working towards initiatives that reconnect us with our roots,” the minister said.
The ride, from Vivekananda House to War Memorial and back, was a delightful one. School and college students did not miss the opportunity to document every moment of this ride on social media while the bus passed through some of Chennai’s most celebrated monuments.
“The double-decker bus provides a bird’s eye view of the city,” said Swami Vimurtanandaji Maharaj, manager of the Ramakrishna Math in Chennai.
Dr RJ Ram Narayana, managing director of AMN Global group, was one of the dignitaries who took the ride with the public.
“This is a lovely initiative to celebrate the city. As a cricket buff, everyone knows that even the best players feel that it’s a pleasure to play in Chepauk stadium. So many stalwarts have contributed to the country from this stretch on Marina. This ride is a good way to remember all this,” he shared.
In lieu of this, a pledge was taken by those present to keep the city ‘clean and green.’ “I had a lot of fun,” said six-year-old S Sreesha.
“I had never been on a double-decker bus before. I enjoyed the ride and especially loved it when everyone had to duck to avoid the branches. It felt like a joy ride!” The bus will be taking different routes on different days. The areas to be covered include OMR, ECR, and Besant Nagar beach in addition to the Marina Beach stretch.
“We have planned about four programmes with The New Indian Express for the Madras Day celebrations this year,” said Sharmila Devadoss, president of Friends of Heritage Sites, the knowledge partner of the initiative. “We have a ‘Quiz on the go’ planned in addition to a guided tour with archaeologist Suresh for school students and a ‘Spot the heritage site’ competition in which every passenger can participate.”
The bus ride will start at 9:30 am every day till August 26.