82 Book Lovers Race Through Chennai on Literary Treasure Hunt

Eighty-two book lovers turned Chennai into their playground Sunday morning, racing between heritage sites to solve literary riddles in a massive treasure hunt.

The Hindu Lit For Life Treasure Hunt brought 41 teams of two together at 9:30 a.m. for a three-hour adventure through the city. Participants decoded clues about famous writers, literary works, and Chennai's rich cultural history while visiting landmarks that matter to the city's story.

The cold morning didn't slow anyone down. Teams crisscrossed the city, collecting rare rubber stamps featuring iconic Chennai buildings at each stop.

Enga Area, Ulla Varadha, made up of Sashank Balaji and Samyuktha R, solved their way to first place and won ₹60,000. Reading Riders team members Usha Seetharam and Priya Radhakrishnan earned ₹40,000 for second place, while Lit Arcade's Varunkanth and Srinidhi claimed ₹25,000 for third.

The hunt ended at The Savera Hotel, where winners gathered to celebrate. Vijay Prabhakar of Nexus Consulting designed the clever clues that sent teams on their literary adventure.

The Ripple Effect

The treasure hunt serves as more than just Sunday fun. It's building momentum for The Hindu Lit For Life 2026, a two-day literary festival scheduled for January 17 and 18 at Lady Andal School.

Events like this remind us that reading communities stay vibrant when people come together beyond book pages. The massive turnout shows Chennai's literary scene is alive and growing, with readers eager to celebrate stories in creative new ways.

The treasure hunt turned quiet reading into active community building. Participants who might normally read alone got to share their literary knowledge with teammates and compete alongside fellow book enthusiasts across the city.

Eighty-two people gave up their Sunday morning to run around Chennai solving riddles about books, proving that literature still moves people to action.