Grand Christmas Ball today in Chennai

Grand Christmas Ball today in Chennai The soiree is organised by Anglo-Indians but by no means restricted to them. In these times of dwindling Anglo-Indian presence even in enclaves with a distinctive Anglo-Indian flavour, this event signifies an effort to preserve a cultural tradition that has enriched Chennai Published - December 25, 2025 07:07 am IST Sharon Jessica Michael READ LATER SEE ALL Remove For a good part of the twentieth century, the epicentre of Anglo-Indian social life was the Railway Institutes, and in Chennai, it was the one in Perambur. Snapshot of a Grand Christmas Ball at the Railway Institute in Perambur. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Over the decades, the Anglo-Indian Grand Christmas Ball in Chennai has stepped into many venues, from Railway enclaves to private halls. It has left an indelible mark on some of these venues, Faiz Mahal and Shiraz Hall, both in Egmore, counted among them. This Christmas Day (December 25), Faiz Mahal is playing host to yet another Grand Christmas Ball (7 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.) -- titled Care ‘n’ Share Christmas Ball -- organised by Anglo-Indians but by no means restricted to them. For a good part of the twentieth century, the epicentre of Anglo-Indian social life was the Railway Institutes, and in Chennai, it was the one in Perambur. “Earlier, the majority of Anglo-Indians worked in the Indian Railways,” says Harry MacLure, publisher and editor of Anglos in the Wind . “So all our balls and dances naturally happened there.” An Anglo-Indian family in Royapuram. Royapuram has been known for community dances organised by the Anglo-Indians | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement These institutes were cultural commons. Christmas dances, Easter balls, May Queen celebrations and Valentine’s Day Balls would unfold there year after year. Entry was not restricted to railway employees. “Anglo-Indians from outside the railways were always welcome,” Harry recalls. “That camaraderie was a defining feature.” The dances themselves were formal, unhurried affairs. Live bands played through the night. Waltzes, foxtrots and jives held the floor. Even those who did not dance stayed on, content to listen. Christmas balls often began at nine at night and ended at five in the morning — a full night given over to music, movement and social ritual. By the 1970s and 80s, Anglo-Indians were beginning to look for fortunes beyond the Indian railways, migrating abroad or entering new professions. “We lost our hold over the Railway Institutes,” Harry says. “Once that happened, we had to look for other venues.” That search led to a succession of spaces across Chennai — Binny’s among them — before settling, over the last two decades, on private halls. In Egmore, Shiraz Hall and Faiz Mahal emerged as consistent hosts of what is now known as the Grand Christmas Ball. “Shiraz has been happening for at least 20 years,” Harry notes. “There has always been a strong relationship between the Anglo-Indian community and the Muslim families who own these halls.” Even as costs rose, negotiation rarely entered the picture. Christmas,...

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