Chennai City Guide - History, Climate, Sightseeing, Geography & Facts

Chennai: The Gateway to South India

Short Info:

• Country: India
• State: Tamil Nadu
• District: Chennai
• Area: 174 square kilometres (city) and 1,180 square kilometres (metropolitan area)
• Elevation: 181 square kilometres
• Population: 4.6 million (city) and over 8 million (metropolitan Chennai)
• Pin code: 600—
• Telephone Code: 044
• Time Zone: GMT plus 5:30

Chennai is the fourth largest metropolitan city of India and is the capital of the southernmost state of Tamil Nadu. It is the fourth most populous metropolitan area. Chennai is a coastal city located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. It is situated in the Chennai district (the smallest district of Tamil Nadu) which is surrounded by Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts. Chennai district, owing to its significant location and economic importance, is often termed as the ‘Gateway to South India’.

Chennai City View from Light House [source]

History:

Chennai was formerly known as Madras. The origin of Madras dates back to a few centuries ago. Before the city was developed into an urban centre, the area featured a cluster of small villages. Some of the villages based around Parthasarathy and Kapaleeswarer Temples in My lapore and Murudeshwar Temple in Thiruvanmiyur were in existence much long before the first generation of Europeans reached the eastern shores of South India. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to have reached Madras and they built quite a few churches here like St Thomas Church. In the 17th century, the British East India Company built a fort known as Fort St George (it was named for its construction was completed on St George’s Day, i.e. April 23, 1653) on a land called Madraspatnam bought from a local chieftain of Vijayanagar. The fort soon emerged a hub of merchant activity and subsequently a new settlement area called George Town (also Black Town) came up. With due course, the settlement grew further to include more villages and settlements and the city of Madras was gradually born. Madras is the only Indian city that had experienced attack by the Central Powers during the World War II. After India became independent in 1947, Madras became the capital city of the state of Madras with the latter’s name being changed into Tamil Nadu.

Expansion of the City Today: Name:

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has planned to develop satellite townships around the sprawling city of Chennai. Plans are on to develop contiguous satellite towns like Mahabalipuram to south, Chengalpattu and Maraimalai Nagar to southwest, and Kanchipuram, Sriperumpudur, Tiruvallur and Arakkonam to the west of the capital city of Chennai.

The former name of the city ‘Madras’ came from the name of the settlement called ‘Madraspatnam’. There are various opinions, however, about the evolution of the name ‘Madras’. Some believe it came from the Portuguese God called Mãe do dues in whose dedication a church was built here while many are of the opinion that the name descended from a local village chieftain Maddarasu. One school of researchers asserts that the name ‘Madraspatnam’ was in existence much before the arrival of the Europeans. The name ‘Chennai’ is a shortened form of Chennai pattinam, the name of the town adjacent to Fort St. George. On the origin of the word ‘Chennai’, some think it was named after the king of Kalahasthi Chennaiappa Naicker while another account holds that the name comes from Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple.  The name ‘Madras’ was officially changed into ‘Chennai’ in 1996.

Geography of Chennai:

Chennai is located on the flat eastern coastal plains bordering the Bay of Bengal in the east. The average elevation of the city is 7 metres above the sea level, the highest point being 60 metres. Cooum, Adyar and Kortalaiyar Rivers flow through Chennai.  Several lakes of varying size are located on the western fringes of the city. Red Hills, Sholavaram and Chembarambakkam Lake supply Chennai with potable water. The soil of Chennai is mostly clayey in nature.

Climate:

The climate of Chennai is hot and humid for most part of the year. May-June is the hottest time with temperature reaching 40 degree Celsius mark on the higher side. January is the coolest month with the minimum temperature hovering between 18-20 degrees Celsius. Average annual rainfall is 1,300 mm. Chennai and the rest of Tamil Nadu also experiences rain from the receding monsoon winds in October-December period. Coastal Tamil Nadu including Chennai is occasionally hit by cyclonic storms. The city was badly affected by the devastating Tsunami of December 2004.

Facts About Chennai:

Governance of City:

Corporation of Chennai, which is the oldest civic body not in India but also in the Commonwealth world

Court:

Madras High Court. All areas under Tamil Nadu and Puducherry fall under its jurisdiction

Parliamentary and Assembly Representatives:

Chennai has three parliamentary seats, namely, Chennai North, Chennai Central and Chennai South apart from 14 Assembly constituencies.

Police:

Greater Chennai Police Department

Water Supply:

Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewage Board (CMWSSB)

Electricity Supply:

Tamil Nadu Electricity Board

Industry:

Automobile, auto components, software, textile, leather

Stock Exchange:

Madras Stock Exchange

Sex Ratio:

989 females for every 1,000 males

Literacy Rate:

90 per cent (average)

Religion:

Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains and others

Language:

Tamil, English, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and other languages.

Dance:

Bharatnatyam Dance [source]

Bharatnatyam, Chakkai Attam, Kaliyattam, Bommalattam, Karagattam, Kolattam, Kummi, Kavadiyattam, Oylattam, Devarattam, Bamber Dance, Kollattam, Kai Silambattam, Dummy Horse, Shattam Peacock Dance, Kaman Pandigai & more.

Film and Entertainment:

Tamil movie industry is known as Kollywood. Chennai is home to a great many personalities in fields of film and entertainment like A R Rahman, Kamal Hasan, Rajnikanth, M G ramachandran, J Jayalalitha, Mani Ratnam K. V. Mahadevan, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Dhanush, Ajith Kumar, Padma Lakshmi, Ilaiyaraja, Santhanam, Shridevi, Rekha, Hema Malini, Allu Arjun, Priya Anand, Trisha, Jayabharathi, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam and others.

Fair & Festivals:

Pongal Celebration [source]

Pongal, Natyanjali Dance Festival, Tamil New Year’s Day, Thaipusam, Mahamaham Festival, Thiruvaiyaru Festival, Karthigai Deepam, Travel and Tourism Fair, Dance and Music Festival & more.

Food & Cuisine:

Idli and Sambar [source]

Idli and Sambar, Uttapam, Dosa, Vada, Mirchi Bhajji, Murukku, Pongal (dish), Samosa, Boli, Jigarthanda, Atho, Parotta, Idiyappam, Boli, Sambar & Rasam Rice, Kuzhi Paniyaram, Bajji, Adai, & others.

Newspaper:

New Indian Express, Deccan Chronicle, News Today , The Hindu, Times of India, Dinamalar, T.Nagar Times, Chennai Vision, Anna Nagar Times and others.  Dinakaran, Tamil Murasu, Dina Malar, Thanthi, Dina Mani are some of the regional papers.

TV Channels:

Private channels include  Zee Tamil, Angel TV, Vijay TV, Makkal T V, Sathiyam Media Vision Pvt Ltd, Sun TV Network Ltd, Thanthi TV, New Generation Media Corporation Pvt Ltd, News 7 Tamil, Vendhar TV, Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd, Jaya TV, Doordarshan Kendra, Vasanth TV, Polimer Media Pvt Ltd, Captain Media Pvt Ltd, Mega TV, Raj Television Network Ltd, Blessing TV, Blessing TV, Kamadhenu Telefilms Pvt Ltd, Win Tv, Win Tv  and others.

Education:

Anna University, IIT Madras, Guindy, Bharath University , Madras Medical College (MMC), Anand Institute of Higher Technology, Kilpauk Medical College, University of Madras , Stanley Medical College (SMC), College of Engineering, St. Joseph's College of Engineering,  Meenakshi Academy and Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute (SRMC) and others.

Hospitals:

Shankar Nethralaya, Fortis Malar Hospitals, SIMS Hospital, MIOT International, Billroth Hospital - Cardiology Department, Vijaya Hospital, Apollo Hospitals, Hindu Mission Hospital, Venkataeswara Hospitals, Dr. Mehta's Hospitals, Dr. Mehta's Hospitals,  Sri Ramchandra Medical Centre and others.

Sports Stadium:

Cheepauk Stadium for cricket, Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Rajarathinam Stadium, Tamil Nadu Tennis Association, Ambattur Badminton Association, ICF Stadium,  Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium for Soccer and Athletics. The Amritraj brothers, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Sharath Kamal, Srinivasan Vasudevan, Somdev Devvarman,Dhanpal Ganesh, Sai Jayalakshmy Jayaram are some noted sportspersons from Chennai.

Sister Cities of Chennai:

• There are a number of cities in the world that share ‘sister city’ relationship with Chennai. Like:
• San Antonio, Denver in the United States
• Frankfurt in Germany
• Cairo in Egypt
• Volgograd in Russia
• Tourist attractions in Chennai:

Chennai has a number of places of tourist attraction. Some of these include:

Marina Beach:

Marina Beach [source]

The 12 km long Marina Beach is a top attraction of Chennai. It is the second longest sea-beach in the world and extends from St George Fort to Mahabalipuram. This beach was, as has been said, was badly harmed by the Tsunami waves in 2004.

Guindy National Park:

Guindy National Park [source]

It is located within the confinements of Chennai. This park is located very near to the Raj Bhavan or the residence of the Governor of Tamil Nadu. The small national park has animals like blackbucks, sambar, jackals and civets.

St George Fort:

St George Fort, Chennai [source]

This fort which was built in the 17th Century by the Europeans is the earliest landmark of the modern city of Chennai. Today the fort houses the secretariat of the Tamil Nadu government

Santhome Cathedral:

Santhome Cathedral, Chennai [source]

A Christian pilgrimage centre built over the tomb of St Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.

Kapileshwar Temple:

Kapaleeshwar Temple, Chennai [source]

Located in My lapore area of Chennai

Parthsarathy Temple:

Parthasarathy Temple in Chennai [source]

An eighth century temple built by the Pallava rulers. It is located at Triplicane. The temple architecture is of Dravidian style.

National Art Gallery which houses rich collection of old paintings and sculptures.

Snake Park which is home to various types of snakes and reptiles

Triplicane:

Close to the shore and the St George Fort, Triplicane is an important business location of Chennai.

Theosophical Society:

The headquarters of the Theosophical Society is located in Chennai since the late 19th century.

Kalakshetra:

A cultural academy set up by late danseuse Rukmini Devi Arundale for the revival of Indian classical art, particularly Bharatnatyam dance and Gandharva Veda music.

Parry’s Corner:

An important business corner in Central Chennai. South, West and North are the 

Other Major Segments of Chennai.

St Mary’s Church

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Birla Planetarium

Government Museum

Ana Zoological Park

Other Attractions Around Chennai:

Mahabalipuram city which is 55 kilometres from Chennai. It is famous for its Shore Temple.

Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, which is about 150 km from Chennai. Tirupati is a famous Hindu pilgrimage in South India. Thousands of devotees pay visit to the Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple every year.

Kanchipuram (or Kanjivaram): Known for its fine silk saris

Covelong Beach:

Covelong Beach [source]

A scenic beach about 40 km from Chennai

Muttukadu, Thirukalukundram and Vedanthangal bird sanctuaries

Chidambaram, a pilgrimage sit is 235 km from Chennai

Pondicherry is 244 km from Chennai

Accommodation in Chennai:

Beach Resorts:

MGM Beach Resort

Ideal Beach Resort

Shelter Beach Resort

GRT Temple Bay

K G Emerald Beach Resort

Hotels:

Hotel Le Royal Meridien

Radisson Hotel

The Trident Hilton Hotel

The Park

The Ambassador Pallava

Taj Connemara

The Trident Hilton Hotel

Chola Sheraton

Benz Park Tulip

Breeze Hotel

The Raintree Hotel

Savera Hotel

The Residency Towers

GRT Grand Days

Pandian Hotel

Time to visit Chennai:

Winter is the best time to visit Chennai. November to February is the ideal time to pay visit to the city.

How to Reach Chennai:

Chennai can be reached by air, rail, road and also water.

By Air:

Chennai is connected with various corners of the world as well from almost all the parts of India. Chennai airport is located at Meenambakkam where both the international domestic terminals are located.

By Rail:

Chennai is the headquarters of the Southern Railway Zone of the Indian Railways. The city is well-connected with various parts of India through super-fast and express trains. Chennai has rail stations at Chennai Central and Egmore. It also has a local electronic rail network system that operates within the city.

By Road:

Chennai is connected with various other cities through national highways. Inter-state buses operate from Chennai. Auto-rickshaws, taxis and buses are the major modes of transportation within the city.

By Ship:

Chennai Port is connected to various places by means of cruise liners and passenger ships. Ship service is available for Andaman and the Nicobar Islands from Chennai. The city is also served by Ennore Port which handles a while a smaller harbour at Royapuram is used by the fishing boats and trawlers.

External links

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