Tamarind City

Book excerpt: About the Book A WITTY, OBSERVANT AND PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY OF A REMARKABLE CITY-CHENNAI From moody, magical Madras to bursting-at-the-seams, tech-savvy Chennai, the two aspects of the city are inseparable. As Bishwanath Ghosh tells us, while Chennai is usually known as conservative and orthodox, almost every modern institution in India-from the army to the judiciary; from medicine to engineering-traces its roots to Madras. Today the city once again figures prominently on the global map as 'India's Detroit', a manufacturing giant and a hub of medical tourism. There have been sweeping changes since Independence, but even as Chennai embraces change, its people hold its age-old customs and traditions close to their hearts. It is this city that Bishwanath Ghosh explores, delving into its past, roaming its historic sites and neighbourhoods, and meeting a wide variety of people-from a top vocalist to a top sexologist, from a yoga teacher to a percussionist, from a yesteryear film star to his own eighty-five-year-old neighbour. What emerges is an evocative portrait of this unique city, drawn without reservation-sometimes with humour, sometimes with irony-but always with love. About the Author Bishwanath Ghosh, an Indian writer and journalist, best known for his literary travelogues which describe the essence of India. In 2009 he published the bestselling Chai, Chai: Travels in Places Where You Stop but Never Get Off, which The Telegraph (Kolkata) called "a delightful travelogue with a difference." He is also the author of Longing, Belonging (2014), which is a portrait of present-day Kolkata, Gazing at Neighbours (2017) and Aimless in Banaras.