Chennai: Ever wondered what it would be like pedaling all the way to heritage structures in an otherwise traffic chocked Chennai and exploring the hidden history?
May sound exhilarating, but to the clan of Cycling Yogis, it’s a mission to join the efforts in protecting the heritage buildings and monuments.
The cycling enthusiasts, aiming to disseminate information to the public, brought out a glossy book on “Madras, by cycle” lucidly capturing about 40 heritage trails in and around Chennai. “Cycling can be grueling at times, but at the end there is a smug satisfaction that we have achieved something for a noble cause,” said Ramanujar Moulana, who leads the Cycling Yogis. They rise early, with the birds and trace one heritage spot a week. “Of course, I do a lot of spade work and check on the routes that are safe for cycling,” Ramanujar, founder, Cycling Yogis, said. The members, who also include women, communicate mostly on Facebook.
The unique feature of the book is that it provides QR code for each trail, which can be scanned. It helps to locate the spot on Google maps and makes it easy to reach the site.
“The booklet is an amalgamation of information about built and natural heritage treasures on the roadside which we tend to ignore in our daily life,” he said.
The beach trail may sound familiar to many from the city but the bridge trail, cannon trail, the gateway trail – Chennai too boasts of gateways and arches– Azeempet arch, Nandanam arch, hotel oceanic, food trail for the foodies, are among the trails listed with images and terse description. While the fort trail unfolds the history of Chennai that was Madras, the flagstaff and hall trails are uniquely different.
“I recommend you get yourself this slim booklet by the Cycling Yogis. If you are interested in exploring Madras and discovering something new or interesting around every corner, this is for you, cyclist or not,” said S. Muthiah, chronicler of Madras. The book concludes with X Trail, where the Cycling Yogis take us to the Boot House near Madhavaram milk factory.
