This has taken on a life of its own and is snowballing. Arasi suggests that we split it into 375 people and 375 others. She also admonishes me for missing out Subramania Bharati!

1. Subramania Bharati
2. SR Sundaram suggests KR Sundaram Aiyar and
3. Enfield. If so,
4. co-founder Easwara Iyer cannot be left out
5. Then he also adds Indian Bank and
6. Indian Overseas Bank in which case I must add
7. M Ct Chidambaram Chetyar the founder of the latter who also began
8. United India Insurance
9. Sundaram also suggests Raja Sir MA Muthiah Chettiar but I would substitute him with his father Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar
10. But talking of Indian Bank we have to add V Krishnaswami Aiyar who
11. as sai venkatesh b reminds us, gave us among other things, Sanskrit College
12. He also adds Mambalam Mosquitoes by which I assume he means the cricket team
13. Mekhala Raghavan adds Dr Sunithi Solomon and her pioneering work on AIDS and also
14. Tiruvalluvar which is also what Venkatesh Ramakrishnan added while admonishing me for leaving out the ancients such as…
15. Kamban and his Ramayanam composed in Tiruvottiyur
16. Sundaramurthy Nayanar and his romance at the same place
17. If so we need to add Tirumazhisai Azhwar and
18. Peyazhwar who was born in a well near what is now Arundel Street

The tweeters are adding their bit:

20. @arianrams suggests Ranganathan Street but we already have T Nagar. I will however accept Swami Haridoss Giri
21. @rameshnat27 suggests AVM – of course, and therefore we must have
22. Vijaya Vauhini studios and the rest of Kollywood
23. If so, what about the giant hoardings (I was scared of a multicoloured KR Vijaya in a hoarding for Thirudi) now all gone thankfully (I mean the hoarding and not KRV who is happily here)
24. @petromax_light who is America Mapilai (another Chennai institution now on the wane) suggests Ritchie Street
25. and Guindy Park
26. What about Madras Bhashai naina asks Karthik Bhatt. This is seconded by Shankar Sundaram who feels Kaidey and Somari are two of the greatest contributions Chennai has made.
By email comes an entire list from Prasanna Shyamprasad who asks
27. If Rajini, why not Kamal?
28. Maraimalai Adigal
29.Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar
30. He also suggests Rasikamani TK Chidambaranatha Mudaliar
31. Then we also have to add Tiru Vi Ka
32.Papanasam Sivan and the Margazhi Bhajanai
33. Several people have suggested the Vadapalani Murugan Temple
34. Prasanna also adds Alwarpet Anjaneyar who is also CA Anjaneyar (any aspiring CA has to only pray to him)
35. Then we need to have Triplicane Parthasarathy and
36. My Kapali
37. Prasanna also adds Shriram Chits (country’s biggest NBFC)
38. And he insists on ‘Madras’ Lalithangi to which I add Vasanthakumari and the
39. Lotus eyed Srividya
40. J Krishnamurthy
41. Prasanna suggests Patnam Subramania Iyer
42. Have I included Lalgudi already I wonder.
43. Baby Kamala turned Kumari Kamala turned Kamala Lakshman turned Kamala Lakshminarayan
44. Balasaraswathi.
A long list has come from Ashwin Bhandarkar on FB where he insists on
45. Veena Dhanam
46. The Ice House
47. Indira Nooyi (to whom all Tambrahms are related)
48. Adayar Aalamaram
49. the Amritraj Brothers
50. Chandralekha – dancer? film? If film already included under Gemini. If dancer, an emphatic yes.

Quick question while on Chandralekha the dancer- how different was she from Shiva the dancer? Hint: Think in Tamil. Correct first answer gets my book on Dr Santosham as a prize.

More to follow from Monday. Ashwin’s list is not exhausted. Have a good weekend everyone.