Heritage on a photowalk

CHENNAI: This year’s programmes for Madras Week started on a positive note with a presentation of Madras through the eyes of a photowalker, Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan. A writer and a photographer, Chandrachoodan has been conducting photowalks for past four years. With a passion for archaeology and heritage, he presented a session – Ancient Light on Monday (the second day of Madras Week celebrations).  In order to make archaeology and heritage easily accessible to the public, he is also organising special photowalk sessions for students and other members in the coming days. If you thought Madras Week is a period to revive old Madras and its rich heritage, then perhaps you are mistaken. Chandrachoodan has a completely different take on it. He has successfully captured Madras (Chennai) in a colourful new way.During the session, he presented the history behind one of the missing landmarks of Madras — De Havilland’s Madras Bulwark. The Madras Bulwark stretched from the Fort and ran parallel to the Esplanade, ending somewhere near First Line Beach. Later, it formed the foundation on which the Beach Road runs. And with the construction of the harbour, the sea receded and the road was built on the bulwark, says Chandrachoodan. “Now, you will only find few stones of the bulwark dug out.”The session continued with Chandrachoodan talking about his experiences during the photowalk. He also went on to emphasise that a photowalk is not meant to be a frivolous event, but rather a way to reach people and discuss Chennai’s rich heritage. “Our city has a rich history, but we lack the interest to learn history. History cannot be taught in classes. We should definitely start looking at archaeology.” If you think walking is a normal exercise, Chandrachoodan explained the theory behind walking. “There are many things that are involved in a photowalk and people are unaware about it. I want to teach how a photowalk helps in learning archaeology also,” he concludes.