Madras - Mylapore Tank and Religious Processions (1932)

Part of India on Film: 1899 - 1947
This collection of newly digitised films is part of the BFI's contribution to the UK-India Year of Culture 2017, in partnership with the British Council. View more films on BFI Player player.bfi.org.uk/collections/... (UK only)
Festivities in Chennai - The thronging streets of Chennai in festive mood are captured by this lively amateur film.
In festive season, the streets of Madras (now Chennai), capital of Tamil Nadu, thronging with people and vividly impressive religious floats, are caught on camera by this vibrant 16mm amateur film. The illuminations of the 'floating festival' at the close prove a challenge too far for the camera, but the images at least give us a sense of the spectacle.
Frustratingly, the name of the gifted amateur filmmaker who shot this film appears to be lost to us. The film wsa one of a considerable collection of amateur films donated to the BFI National Archive in the 1970s by the Centre of South Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge.
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[@SBALAK9753]

This was 5 years before I was born. I was looking to see if the picture shows South Mada street near Adam Street and if I can see the book store 'Ambika Brothers' there my dad had. Also to see if I can see my Dad or mother or my elder brother who died when I was 3 years old in the crowd. No such luck. Thanks to at least be able see Mylapore of my youth. Mylapore did not change from 1932 till the 1960s that much but since then there is so much change. We do not preserve our old structures like other nations do.

[@prezo1000]

I hope you are safe and well during these strange Covid times. Take care sir.

[@mscommerce]

I remember Mylapore from the early 1960s, and my brothers remember it from the early 1950s. You are right, not much change back then, from 1932, depicted here. My relatives used to live on what was then called Brody's Road (pronounced "Brodice"). Nice to meet someone from Mada Theruvu!

[@SBALAK9753]

@@mscommerceThe other day I opened Google map and looked at many of the streets in Mylapore and identifies the places where my friends and relatives lived. It brought great memories to me. I remember the name Brody's road but cannot recollect where it was. I tried it in the Google map but could not find it. If you remember please let me know. Which area should I look to find the road? Has the name changed since?

[@SBALAK9753]

@@mscommerce Thanks a lot and I totally forgot about that change. I studied in P S High School during that period i.e. 1947 to 1952. I frequently attended Ramakrishna Mission on Sundays and for Durga Pooja. My father had the book shop Ambika Brothers on South Mada Street. I am sure I have passed by your house also. There were houses on the opposite side of the P S High School and your house must be one of them either to the north of the post office or just opposite the High School. Ambika Brothers used to sell books and also Deepavali crackers. In the beginning we had no competition but later Vijaya Stores came. Unfortunately our family did not continue the business after my mother's death. If you studied in the 1960's you might have studied at the same time as my brothers. I am sure you also studied at the P S High School and remember many of the teachers there. Thanks for your response. I have not gone to India since 1980. But I watch programs about Kapaleeswarar temple and about Mylapore like the Bhajans during the Margazhi month along the Mada streets. Hope you can talk about your reminiscences regarding the teachers at P S High School if you have time. Best wishes

[@sairaghavvinodh27]

@sundaresan balakrishnan sir , do you remember by any chance few of the major jewellery shops in Mylapore and kutchery road .

[@krithikasivasw]

What a beautiful era. The houses looked so amazing

[@RaghavKarthik1778]

OMG THIS GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS...MY AREA BACK THEN 🔥

[@martinsantosh1597]

Beautiful video

[@malathyrajnarain9723]

Nostalgic !!

[@kalyanaramanpradeepkumar9221]

Excellent to see very old temple tiruvizha

[@vimalaravishankar7394]

Wow beautiful..

[@cricket5179]

Superb

[@venkatasuryanarayan8879]

Great olden days and great people at Kapali temple in 1932. I bowed down to Kapalesswarar.

[@bharathi7247]

Period of Brahminism

[@mscommerce]

@@bharathi7247 Irrelevant comment.

[@bharathi7247]

@@mscommerce i see brahmans everywhere and how those days can be good ?

[@srikrishnak196]

@@bharathi7247 Your comments show intolerance for a particular community. Given their previous wrongdoings , they still did achieve a lot and their descendants are high achievers despite reservation.

[@geetasart2294]

Not a single person wearing western outfit

[@unmaivirumbhi57]

Awesome!

[@gurunathan3943]

Super

[@potulavasu7561]

Thanks to U tube

[@karthik9696]

At the time maximum people are lean and fast Walker's

[@gunasekarkrishnan4947]

Healthy food but still famine and drought but peaceful life it was

[@parthasarathy9130]

Not fast walkers. The camera on those days was like that, which will show people moving a little bit fast.

[@Vmr48765]

Its scary to note that most people in this video are now dead...such is the cycle of life and death..

[@prabhu9651]

Eanga Eariya mylai Mannan kabali da

[@karancena390]

Me also mylapore thala

[@mayilvaganannatarajan259]

Tamil nadu

[@bhoganchanakya8542]

I don't see any obese people then....

[@Gopal1939]

Was looking for one, just one paunchy but no. People then (86 yrs ago) seemed thin, flatbellied (healthy ?) ... fit as a fiddle so to say !

[@gokhalesh1]

They are malnutritioned

[@ce1834]

people don't have enough food

[@bgmi2333]

@@gokhalesh1 All of them did physical work, there were no desk jobs and junk food back then.

[@bgmi2333]

@@gokhalesh1 by the way correct your English it's malnourished

[@praveengurukal2957]

Mayilai maa nagara Raja kabali 🙏

[@vinothmaster1265]

🔯🌹⭐

[@NareshKumar-ff6iy]

Untouchablity era on that mylapore on those days brahamana era.

[@parthasarathy9130]

Now you are practicing untouchability, not Brahmins.

[@mcharyulu1]

I dont see any untouchability in this video..everyone is mingling among each other. I think its in your mind. See the positive and stay out of the negative.

[@amolkhobaragade]

@@parthasarathy9130 😂😂😂

[@shubhamsaxena7726]

Jai shri ram

[@mscommerce]

Kapaleeshwarar Temple procession is a Shiva temple, not Ram (Vishnu) temple. Kapal-eshwara means "Head-Ishwar". From the time when Shiv-ji took one of Brahm-dev's heads.

[@priyasiva6749]

bharmin punda mavana

[@anandalinghamganesh3843]

Unnakku spelling seriya varaala neenga yellam ippadi pesrathukku than lakki

[@priyasiva6749]

Anandalingham Ganesh spoken english poren

[@priyasiva6749]

bharmina baadu

[@nkrish9232]

dalit paraya

[@priyasiva6749]

poda pundai mavanai bharmina baadu