Chennai celebrates love, fitness, and philanthropy

Hearts and chocolate took centre stage this past week as the city went all out for Valentine’s Day. From couples to singles, and from the cheesy to the out-of-the-box, there was something for everyone. I also loved that many of the ladies went the ‘Galentine’s’ route, choosing their gal pals over their better halves for V-Day.

Dou Nungambakkam hosted The Chocolate Xperience, an exciting and interactive chocolate-making workshop featuring the renowned Chef Peter Tseng. From tempering and moulding to decorating handcrafted treats, participants indulged in the art of chocolate creation.

Meanwhile, across town, fitness enthusiasts gathered for the launch of The Pilates Studio in Anna Nagar and had a chance to meet Bollywood’s favourite trainers, Namrata and Samir Purohit. There was a whole lot of fangirling and many photos taken, with Namrata happily obliging while answering a slew of questions.

Closing out the week were the Humanitarian Awards at The Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort and Spa, honouring individuals who have made remarkable contributions to humanitarian causes. This year’s awards featured actor and activist Gautami as the Chief Guest, while the Guests of Honour were Kalidas Jayaram and India’s chess grandmaster, Viswanathan Anand.

All in all, it was an evening of thought-provoking conversations, inspiring stories, and artistic talent.