Chennai

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Chennai as seen from space

Chennai (formerly known as Madras) is the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a population of about 7 million people (nearly 10% of state's total population).It is the fourth largest city of india. It was founded in 1661 by British East India Company.The city situated on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Chennai the automobile capital of India, is also referred as the Detroit of South Asia. The 12 Kilometre long Marina Beach in Chennai, is one of the longest beaches in the world. The city is trisected by two rivers namely Cooum River and Adyar river. The Cooum river divides the city into almost half and the Adyar river divides the southern half of the city into two parts. The historic Buckingham canalruns through the city, almost parallel to the coast. The 350 year old city retains much of its old charm and today stands as a big commercial and industrial centre. Rich in the cultural heritage, the temples, shrines,forts and palaces, the city presents a blend of past with present.

1 History
2 Attractions
3 Accessibility
4 Other websites

[change] History

Chennai and its nearby area has served as an important administrative, military and economic centre way back to the 1st century.Several South India kingdoms like the Pallava, the Chola, the Pandya and Vijaynagar empires have ruled over the area. The British occupied the powerof the town in 1749 and under British rule the city developed into a majorurban centre and naval base. The city grew up around the English settlement of Fort Saint George and slowly extends in the adjacent towns and villages.Chennai became the capital of Madras state after the Independence of Indiain 1947, and the state was later renamed as Tamil Nadu is 1968.

[change] Attractions

» Marina Beach - World’s second largest beach,12 Kms long, is a best place for recreation and relaxation.

» Sri Parthasarathy Temple - Built by the Pallavasin the 8th century the temple was dedicated to Lord Krishna, the temple houses images of Lord Vishnu.

» Santhome Cathedral - The 500 year old cathedral was built by the Portuguese in honor of Saint Thomas.

» Saint Thomas Mount -Built by the Portuguese thechurch offers the spectacular views of the city.

» Corporation Complex - The Cororation Complex houses Ripon Building, home of the oldest municipality in India, the Madras Corporation built in 1913. The complex have a building with the designin spired from the Taj. The domed white building has Parks and Gardens, Nehru Stadium, Victoria Public Hall, a public meeting place out of the gas lightera and Moore market. The Moore market is the perfect place to shop.

» Government Museum - The Museum was established in the year 1857. One of the country’s best museums has the collection of authentic relics of 2nd century A.D., brought from the Buddhist site of Amaravati. The museum displays prehistoric antiques of South India and exquisite carvings of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths.One can also see a fine collection of wood carvings from processional temple Chariots. In addition the museum has the interesting collection of South Indian musical instruments and jewellery, ancient icons and modern bronzes, including the famous bronze Natraja and the beautiful set of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman.

» George Town-George Town is considered as the commercial heart of the city, as the streets remain packed with traders,buyers and their employees. Rajaji Salai (North Beach Road) separates George Town from the Harbour and along one side of it, imperial architecture flourishes. The British commercial house stands at the beginning, further one can watch most of the major business centres in Chennai. George Town is bounded in the north by Old Jail Road and Clive Battery.

» Valluvar Kottam - Located at Nungambakkam, the memorial was built for immortal Tamil poet-saint, Thiruvalluvar. The memorial has also an auditorium with a capacity of up to 4000 people.

[change] Accessibility

Chennai is connected by Airways, Railways and Road link with all the major towns of the country. » Road - Chennai is linked with well motorable roads from rest of the country. The distance of major towns from Chennai are Mumbai (1329 Kms), Bangalore 334 (Kms), Hyderabad (669 Kms), Kanyakumari (693Kms), Madurai (461 Kms), Mahabalipuram (60 Kms), Pondicherry (162 Kms),Rameshwaram (619 Kms), Kanchipuram 71 (Kms), Tirupati 143 (Kms), Ooty (535Kms), Kodaikanal (498 Kms), Thiruvananthapuram 709 (Kms) and Thanjavur (334Kms).

» Rail - Chennai Railway station is connected with all the major railway stations of the country like Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta,Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Cochin, Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Varanasi.

» Air - The Airport in Chennai is directly linked to Airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Goa,Bhubaneswar, Cochin, Hyderabad, Port Blair and Pune.