It's hard to imagine yesteryear's Madras being cold and freezing. A city known for its sweltering heat in the peak of summers was once home to temperatures that hovered around 11 degree Celsius - interspersed with cold winds and the occasional snowfall. Yes, 200 years ago, Madras told a very different story. The last week of April 1815 saw temperatures dipping below the freezing point. A city that now knows only three seasons - "hot, hotter and hell" - once also knew what it felt like to blow winter smoke in the dead of the night. According to a report by The Hindu, the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia was the reason behind Madras's chilly weather. The disaster spewed lava with such ferocity that it claimed the lives of 12,000 people and was heard 2,000 km away.

The volcano eruption had resulted in over 70,000 deaths globally.

The report further states:

"In August 1815, the brig Catherina — the first vessel from Java after the eruption — arrived in Madras. The Madras Courier interviewed the craft’s master for an eyewitness description of what happened. He also brought with him a bag of volcanic ash, which was forwarded to Calcutta for further analysis. But nobody linked the big freeze in Madras to the volcano!"

Madras had a rich history no one really knew about till now. Although nobody chronicled it in written history, it's still definitely one worth remembering.