the.com/madras
A city, a fabric, and a curry that share a name but not a country of origin.
means Madras refers either to the South Indian coastal city now called Chennai, the lightweight cotton fabric with its distinctive bright plaid or checked patterns once woven there, or the spiced, often tomato-and-chilli curry named in its honour.
from The name comes from Madras, the British colonial name for the port city on India's southeastern coast, founded as a trading settlement in the 17th century — its origin is itself uncertain, with stories tying it to a local fishing village or a personal name, none firmly proven. The fabric took the city's name because the region's cotton weavers exported these checked cloths through the port. The curry, however, is largely a British-Indian and restaurant invention: a 'Madras' on a menu signals a hot, tomato-rich dish, and despite the name it isn't a traditional dish of the city itself.
- renamed twice
- The city became Chennai officially in 1996
- bleeding plaid
- Authentic madras cloth fades and runs by design
- not Indian dish
- Madras curry was invented for British palates abroad
- oldest line
- Chennai had the world's second-oldest municipal corporation, since 1688
madras curry — british-indian dish with red chili peppers, originated in uk indian restaurants in the 1960s-70s
madras high court — established 1862 in chennai (formerly madras), india's second-oldest high court
madras check fabric — woven cotton textile with checkered pattern, traditionally from madras region india since 18th century