After Bengaluru, Chennaiites want a logo for their city too

The logo, which was crowd-sourced through a contest, is part in English and part in Kannada, an initiative of the Tourism department that is trying to redefine the city’s image.

Barely hours after the logo made its appearance, Chennaiites took to Twitter and Facebook discussing how best namma ooru could also be represented in font and imagery, and how after the tumultuous incidents over the last few years, the city definitely deserves a logo of its own, that pays true tribute to its identity and character.

Graphic novelist Gaman Palem says it would be a terrific idea, “If you look at the Bengaluru logo, it’s just font play and no iconography. If a logo for our city had to be inspired around personality, then look no further than Subramania Bharati, as his literature has been the basis for so much here.

If you consider a monument, then definitely the Central Railway Station could be worked into the font.”

The state of Tamil Nadu already has a symbol though, the image of a temple tower based on the gopura of the Srivilliputhur Andal temple. The state emblem was designed in 1949 by artist R Krishna Rao who was a native of Madurai.

Other suggestions ranged from somehow incorporating Amma’s (Jayalalithaa) image or name into the font, Carnatic notes emanating from the letters, a Margazhi significance, or paying tribute in the typography, to the spirit of the city during the floods. However, Rajinikanth and Kollywoodbased ideas ruled the roost, as film buffs insisted nothing exemplified Chennai more than its rich film history. Social media expert Sorav Jain also has an interesting idea, “Why not replace the two ‘n’s in Chennai with a symbol of the Napier Bridge? It truly personifies the city for me.”