The person who gave the name Choolaimedu to that area must have been endowed with a good amount of sense of humour. Choolaimedu, contrary to the word ‘medu’ suffixed to its name, has always been a low-lying area. Even a drizzle in Chennai would cause water logging in Choolaimedu. For a long time Choolaimedu was considered as a part of Kodambakkam. Before the introduction of the six digit PIN code number, its postal zone was the same as that of Kodambakkam - Chennai 24. Then it became Chennai 94. It is Chennai 600 094 nowadays.

The area between Kodambakkam railway gate and Sterling Road railway gate, to the west of the railway track was known as Choolaimedu. There were not many houses nor was there much of congestion and traffic jam in those days. Then came the Nungambakkam railway station and that triggered all the changes in Choolaimedu. Many questioned the validity of naming the station as Nungambakkam, while Choolaimedu was close by. But all the questions have gone with the wind, now. If a low-lying area can be called ‘medu’ why can’t the station be known as Nungambakkam, an area at least a mile away from the station?

                                                                                                                              Ashoka Mithran

Retro Chennai from Asoka Mithran looks back at Chennai, in fact the Madras as it was known and existed. The column traces the city's lifescape at various points of time.