August 22nd is the day when the 3-square mile land that grew into city of Madras is believed to have been given by the local rulers to Francis Day of East India Company in 1639.<br /> <br /> In 2004, a group of concerned citizens came together to start celebrating this day to focus on the city, its past and its present. Several events like heritage and photo walks, lectures, poetry, quiz contests, food festivals and a Bullet tour are organized by various organization and citizen groups. The celebrations usually last for a week.