Chennai is the symbol of religious harmony, says T.N. Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar

Chennai is the symbol of religious harmony and unity in diversity.

Hailing from present-day Dindigul district, I moved to Madras (as Chennai was then known) in 1958, when I was six years old.

When I first came to Chennai, I was fascinated by the way people spoke. In each locality, people spoke different dialects of Tamil. People who spoke different languages also lived here. I liked the unity in diversity of people living in Chennai.

There are many ancient temples here, including the Tiruvottiyur temple, which has several inscriptions, the Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane, and the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore. The Thousand Lights Mosque is also centuries-old. Jain monks had lived in and around the city. There are many temples, mosques, and churches in the city.

Chennai has undergone many changes. My favourite place is Marina Beach. It has remained largely unchanged and is still much the same as it was.

(As told to N. Sai Charan)