A city with strong cultural moorings: Sharath Kamal
'I like how the city has bonded in terms of different aspects of life: through music, culture, arts, and sports. Our involvement in all these aspects shape us all as the people of Chennai.'
'A lot of tradition still continues in a strong way in Chennai, for example the music festival during the winter months. This in a way defines the identity of the city and the people of the city.'
'The legacy that has been built by the generations before continue to be passed on to the next generation. Alongside, the sporting culture has also had pretty strong roots. Chennai always had a sizeable number of spectators showing up to watch different sports. Many are hardcore sports fans and keep themselves well aware across different disciplines and games. I get recognised in Chennai, which doesn't happen in many other places. This is true for many other sportspersons as well.'
(As told to Saptarshi Bhattacharya)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
12 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
'No discussion about Shreyas Iyer for ODI captaincy': BCCI secretary busts myth to HT; ‘No way Shubman Gill is…'
It is a period of transition for the Indian national cricket team, with a young coach and a team that has seen wholesale changes in the last 12 months as many of its veterans step away and make space for fresh blood. This has been particularly true when it comes to the leadership contingents of the team across the board, with the decisions regarding who the leader of India's brave new world will be holding a lot of importance for its immediate future; this is not a string of decisions to be taken lightly. If the first half of the year was dedicated to question marks over the Test captaincy for India's men's national team, the second half has begun with questions regarding captaincy in ODI cricket. With rumours swirling regarding the oncoming retirement of incumbent ODI captain Rohit Sharma, a fair few names have been thrown around as candidates for limited-overs leadership in recent days. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have developed into central members of India's ODI team.(PTI) High amongst those is Shreyas Iyer, whose stock as a captain in white-ball cricket is at an all-time high after reaching two consecutive IPL finals with two different franchises. Iyer's mixture of experience, leadership, and x-factor has made him a sudden crowd favourite to take over the captaincy mantle from Rohit, as and when Team India reaches that bridge. Recent reports suggested Iyer will be the frontrunner, but those calls might have been nipped in the bud early. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia denied all claims of discussions to replace Rohit having taken place. In an exclusive comment to Hindustan Times, Saikia stated: 'That's news to me. There have been no such discussions.' Rohit is certainly in the twilight of his career at age 38, having retired from T20I and Test cricket already. However, ODI cricket remains arguably his strongest format, where he has provided no indication thus far of hanging up his gloves. Nonetheless, tough questions must be asked regarding whether or not Rohit will be in the picture when the 2027 ODI World Cup rolls around, at which point he will have reached his 40th birthday, while someone like Iyer would be at the peak of their strength and with a decade of international experience holding him up to boot. 'No way' Shubman Gill shouldn't be ODI captian': BCCI official While Iyer is a fixture in the Indian ODI team after a pair of sensational tournament performances in the World Cup and Champions Trophy, he may still not be the frontrunner for the captaincy position. Shubman Gill remains a premier ODI opening batter for his team, and given his fast-track to leadership positions within the IPL and for the Indian Test team, might have pipped Iyer to being Rohit's natural successor. Given that the BCCI also enjoys relative continuity between teams in terms of leadership, Gill is being touted as the heir apparent by officials within the cricket board. A source stated to Hindustan Times that the current Indian Test captain would be the natural choice for the ODI captaincy as well. 'He averages 59 in ODI cricket and is already the vice-captain of the team. There is no way someone who has recently been appointed Test captain, found some success and has age on his side should not take over leadership in ODI cricket, when the time comes,' stated the source. While Iyer has his supporters given his quality and his pedigree as a long-time captain in the IPL, India are clearly looking to groom Gill as the long-term leader for the team, at almost 5 years Iyer's junior. Gill's success leading in the IPL and a successful first series on the tour of England also play in his favour: while he might be a work-in-progress for another year or two, there have been no red flags to sway the BCCI away from handing him the reins of India's future, in terms of leadership or his primary skill of batting. Whichever player is chosen will have to wait, with Rohit holding on to captaincy as India head to Australia for a three-match series this October.
The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- The Hindu
How the Portuguese shaped Madras: From Luz church to loan words still in use in Chennai
For over 300 years, i.e, between the Chola era of prosperity and the glory years of Vijayanagar, the Madras region seems not to have had many visitors from overseas. But by the 16th Century, the Portuguese were here and were the first among the significant colonial presences. While there is no doubt that it was trade that brought them to India, my contention is that it was the strong link with the legend of St. Thomas that drew them to Mylapore. Under them, the area proved a blueprint for colonial forts — a white town by the sea and a black one to the west. They called it San Thome, after the saint who brought them here. The Portuguese were as inspired by evangelisation as they were by conquest, and so both flourished. There were as many as seven churches within the fort, and four outside of it. Today, among the former, we have the San Thome basilica (much reconstructed and bearing no trace of Portuguese architecture) and the Rosary Church as two survivors, with a third, St. Rita's now part of the San Thome Matriculation School. Its façade remains unchanged. Surprisingly, all four churches outside the fort survived — St. Lazarus, Madre de Deus, Descanso, and Luz. Among these, the Luz Church, also known as Kattu Koil, takes its Indian name from the fact that it was once in a dense forest. It still retains its baroque architecture. The flourishing of Christianity in San Thome meant Mylapore's historic Kapaleeshwarar Temple waned and was eventually shifted. Certainly, relics of a temple emerged for long from where the basilica stands today. That temples in San Thome went through a rough patch is evident from an appeal made by the locals to Aliya Rama Raya, the powerful son-in-law of Krishna Deva Raya. But he took no action — the Vijayanagar rulers needed the Portuguese for their supply of firearms and horses. The Portuguese were never great administrators and San Thome soon descended into chaos, thereby making the neighbouring Fort St. George more attractive to locals. The Dutch and the Golconda Sultanate combined to reduce San Thome in the late 17th Century and then the French too came in. Finally, it was the English, who had done nothing but watch till then, who gained the upper hand. By the 1750s, San Thome was with them, and they made quick work of demolishing its walls. What is mysterious is the way in which its harbour, historic Shah Bandar, vanished without a trace. Architecture and street names There were till recently plenty of Portuguese-style houses in the San Thome area. Street names still remain — Nimmo, Lynna Pereira (he was a purveyor of spirits), and DeMonte — all commemorate the Portuguese. And there are still many educational institutions here that owe their existence to the Catholic Church and its many denominations. A legend of a mysterious light that guided storm-tossed sailors to safety inspired the Portuguese to build a church here, it was given the Portuguese word for light — Luz — as its name, and those in the Mylapore area at least must be using it on a daily basis without once pausing to think of how it became local coin. And Descanso, meaning 'rest', is Ilaipparral in Tamil. The church became Ilaippatriya Mada Kovil (St. Mary's Road), which became Ellapatha Mada Kovil. We still have some words that we owe to the Portuguese. Among these, istri for the act of pressing clothes and peepa for barrel are but two. The former is from the Portuguese estirar, meaning to stretch, while the latter is from pipes (pronounced peeps) — barrels that transported wine. However, there was also a dark side to the Portuguese presence in Madras — they kidnapped locals and sold them off as slaves to the plantations across the world.
Mint
42 minutes ago
- Mint
Stocks to trade today: Trade Brains Portal recommends two stocks for 22 August
Today we recommend two stocks, one from the railways sector and another from the power sector. India's railway sector plays a vital role in the country's economic and social progress, serving as the backbone of both passenger and freight transportation. The power sector is experiencing strong growth, fueled by increasing electricity demand, rapid expansion of renewable energy, and infrastructure upgrades. We also analyse the market's performance on Thursday to understand what may lie ahead for the stock indices in the coming days. Two stocks to trade today, recommended by Trade Brains Portal for 22 August Current price: ₹725.7 Target price: ₹895 in 12 months Stop-loss: ₹641.05 Why it's recommended:Established in 1999, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) is a Navratna public sector enterprise operating under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. It serves as the professional arm of Indian Railways, focusing on travel and hospitality services. IRCTC is responsible for managing, modernizing, and enhancing food and hospitality offerings at railway stations, onboard trains, and across other locations. The organization also plays a vital role in promoting both domestic and international tourism by developing budget hotels, curating travel packages, engaging in commercial marketing, facilitating information exchange, and integrating with global reservation systems. IRCTC has consistently demonstrated strong financial performance. In FY25, its operating revenue rose by 9.7% to ₹4,675 crore, up from ₹4,260 crore in FY24. Absolute EBITDA grew by 5.71% year over year to ₹1,549 crore, maintaining a healthy margin of 33.15%. Profit After Tax (PAT) increased significantly by 18.30%, reaching ₹1,315 crore in FY25 compared to ₹1,111 crore in FY24. Over the last three years, the company's revenue and PAT have grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35% and 26%, respectively. Looking ahead, IRCTC projects its revenue to reach ₹7,825 crore by FY28. The company holds a monopoly in online railway ticketing, supported by its official website and the Rail Connect mobile app. It also benefits from limited competition in train catering services and is the exclusive provider of packaged drinking water for train passengers. Indian Railways is well-positioned for growth, with passenger traffic expected to increase by 29%, from 9,457 million in 2021 to 12,213 million by 2031. The Indian railway industry is projected to become the third largest globally within the next five years, accounting for 10% of the global market share. In Q1 FY26, IRCTC reported revenue from operations of ₹1,159.68 crore, up 3.8% year-on-year. EBITDA rose by 7.5% to ₹458.45 crore from ₹426.34 crore in the same quarter of the previous year. PAT also increased by 7.5%, reaching ₹330.7 crore compared to ₹307.72 crore in Q1 FY25. Risk factors: During peak booking periods, the reservation and ticketing system may experience performance issues such as slow response times or system crashes. These disruptions can lead to lower revenues and harm the company's reputation. Additionally, secure online transactions are critical to IRCTC's operations, and any security breach could have a severely negative impact on the business. Current price: ₹284 Target price: ₹345 in 12 months Stop-loss: ₹253.5 Why it's recommended:Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, a Schedule 'A' and 'Maharatna' public sector enterprise under the Government of India, was established in 1989 and is the country's largest electric power transmission company. Its operations are structured into three core segments: transmission, telecom, and consultancy. The transmission segment remains the primary contributor, accounting for over 97% of the total revenue. Powergrid is responsible for providing transmission systems for Central Generating Stations (CGS), Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs), and the integration of renewable energy. In Q1 FY26, the company reported total revenue of ₹11,444 crore. EBITDA stood at ₹9,394.94 crore, while Profit After Tax (PAT) was ₹3,631 crore. Transmission revenue was recorded at ₹10,694.66 crore, reflecting a marginal decline of 0.31% year-on-year. The consultancy segment posted strong growth, increasing by 120.35% year-on-year to ₹405.92 crore. The telecom segment also performed well, with revenue rising by 17.75% year-on-year to ₹289.49 crore. Within telecom, the company secured orders worth ₹58 crore and added 16 new customers during the quarter. In consultancy, Powergrid secured 11 new domestic orders and 2 international contracts in Q1 FY26. The company is actively pursuing transmission opportunities across regions such as South Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia as part of its global expansion strategy. As of Q1 FY26, Powergrid has established 180,849 km of transmission lines and operates 286 substations with a total inter-regional (IR) capacity of 101,180 MW. Its system availability stands at an impressive 99.84%. The consultancy arm of the company has a presence in more than 25 countries, with over 150 domestic clients and 25 international clients. In FY25, Powergrid exceeded its capex target of ₹20,000 crore by achieving ₹26,255 crore. For FY26, the company has projected a total capex of ₹28,000 crore. Key project completions include the Fibre Optic Communication System in the western region and the Transmission Network Expansion in Gujarat. Additionally, Powergrid acquired MEL Power Transmission Limited for a total value of approximately ₹8.53 crore. Risk factors:The company is exposed to risks arising from the weak financial health of several counterparties, particularly state distribution utilities. It also faces execution-related risks for its ongoing and under-construction projects. Furthermore, any unfavorable changes in the regulatory landscape could adversely affect its operations and strategic significance. How the market performed on Thursday The broader indices were volatile on Thursday before closing Nifty 50 had a positive opening at 25,142, up 91.45 points from its previous close of 25, closed the day at 25,083.75, finishing above all four 20/50/100/200-day EMAs. By the end of the session, the Nifty 50 had gained 33.2 points, or 0.13%. The BSE Sensex followed a similar trajectory, rising 142.87 points, or 0.17% from the previous day's closing. It opened at 82,220.46 and settled at 82,000.7. In terms of momentum, the Nifty 50's Relative Strength Index (RSI) stood at 57.88, while the Sensex RSI was at 56.48, both remaining below the overbought threshold of 70. In contrast, the Bank Nifty Index ended at 55,755.4, gaining 56.95 points, or 0.10%, to close at 55,755.45. The Nifty Pharma Index was the top gainer, closing at 22,177, up by 208.20 points, or 0.95%. Pharma stocks, including Mankind Pharma Ltd, Cipla Ltd, and Dr Reddy's Laboratories, rose up to 3%. The Nifty Realty Index followed the gains, closing at 917.35, up by 3.5 points, or 0.38%. Anant Raj Ltd was the biggest gainer, increasing by 2.66%, followed by Brigade Enterprises Ltd, which gained 1.18%, and Sobha Ltd, up 0.89%. Among the major losers, the Nifty FMCG index plunged the most on Thursday's trading session. The index decreased by -361 points, or -0.64%, closing at 56,303. Dabur India Ltd was the major loser, dropping 3.6%; Britannia Industries declined 1.8%, and United Breweries fell 1.7%.Another major laggard was the Nifty CPSE Index, which closed at 6,308.5, losing -39.85 points, or -0.63%. Major losers include Coal India Ltd, Lupin Ltd, Power Grid Corporation, and NHPC Ltd, whose shares declined by up to 2%. Asian markets showed a mixed trend on Thursday, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index ending at 25,104, losing 61.33 points, or 0.24%. The Shanghai Composite Index closed at 3,771.1, gaining 4.89 points or 0.13%. South Korea's KOSPI Index closed in the green at 3,141.74, up 11.65 points, or 0.37%. However, Japan's Nikkei 225 Index also closed in the red at 42,626, down -262.55 points, or -0.62%. US Dow Jones Futures were trading at 44,807.07, down -131.24 points, or -0.29%, as of 5:10 p.m. IST. Trade Brains Portal is a stock analysis platform. Its trade name is Dailyraven Technologies Pvt. Ltd, and its Sebi-registered research analyst registration number is INH000015729. Investments in securities are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing. Registration granted by Sebi and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
