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Chennai (Madras) India, Asia. If you have time to explore Chennai (formerly Madras), this 284-sq-mi (400-sq-km) conglomerate of urban villages and diverse neighborhoods making up Tamil Nadu's capital will pleasantly surprise you. Its role is as keeper of South Indian artistic, religious and culinary traditions.
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Chennai ( / ˈtʃɛnaɪ / ⓘ, Tamil: [ˈt͡ɕenːaɪ̯], IAST: Cennaī ), formerly known as Madras, [b] is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is the state's primate city and is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.
- Overview
- City site
- Climate
- City layout
- People
- Manufacturing
- Finance and other services
- Transportation and telecommunications
Chennai was previously called Madras. Madras was the shortened name of the fishing village Madraspatnam, where the British East India Company built a fort and factory (trading post) in 1639–40. Tamil Nadu officially changed the name of the city to Chennai in 1996.
How was Chennai founded?
The present-day Chennai city emerged from the British East India Company's fort and a trading post at Fort St. George. By 1652, Fort St. George was recognized as a presidency, and between 1668 and 1749 the company expanded its control. The English became masters of southern India and Madras, their administrative and commercial capital.
In which state is Chennai located?
Chennai is located in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It is situated on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is also the capital of the state.
Chennai, city, capital of Tamil Nadu state, southern India, located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Known as the “Gateway to South India,” Chennai is a major administrative and cultural centre. Pop. (2011) city, 4,646,732; urban agglom., 8,696,010.
Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast along the Bay of Bengal. The Cooum (Koovam) River flows through its centre and the Adyar River through its southern portion. The Buckingham Canal runs parallel to the coast, joining the Kortalaiyar (Kosasthalaiyar) River in the northern edges of the city and the Muttukadu Backwaters south of the city.
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Chennai’s climate is warm and humid. It reaches average temperatures of 89 °F (32 °C) in May and 77 °F (25 °C) in January. Annual rainfall is about 50 inches (1,250 mm), occurring mostly from October to mid-December.
Madras developed without a plan from its 17th-century core, formed by Fort St. George and the Indian quarters. To the north and northwest are the industrial areas. The main residential areas are to the west and south, where a number of modern high-rise apartment buildings have been constructed, and the old villages are in the centre.
The most distinctive buildings in the city are the seven large temples in the Dravidian style, situated in the city sections of George Town, Mylapore, and Triplicane. The Chepauk Palace (the former residence of the nawab [Mughal ruler] of Karnataka) and the University Senate House, both in the Deccan Islamic style, and the Victoria Technical Institute and the High Court buildings, both in the Indo-Saracenic style, are generally considered the most attractive buildings of the British period.
The population of Chennai is predominantly Tamil. About four-fifths of the population is Hindu; Muslims, Christians, and Jains make up the remainder. Tamil is the most common language, and many professionals speak English. About one-tenth of the population speaks Telugu; slightly fewer speak some variety of Hindustani.
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Since the late 1990s, software development and electronics manufacturing have made up the bulk of Chennai’s economy. Numerous technology parks, where many foreign companies have offices, are found throughout the city. Other major industries include the manufacture of automobiles, rubber, fertilizer, leather, iron ore, and cotton textiles. Wheat, ma...
Services, especially finance and tourism, are also significant. Indian Bank and Indian Overseas Bank, both administered by the Ministry of Finance, are headquartered in Chennai. Hotels, luxury resorts, restaurants, marinas, and parks line Marina Beach, the coastline abutting Chennai city.
Chennai is well connected by road, rail, air, and sea. It has an international airport and seaport. Within the city a network of bus services and auto-rickshaws are common modes of transport. About 37 miles (60 km) south of Chennai, the historic town of Mamallapuram, with its Shore Temple, is a popular tourist destination.
Chennai has one of the highest penetrations of high-speed Internet access in India and is one of a handful of cities in the country connected to submarine fibre-optic cables. It was one of the first cities in India to offer free Wi-Fi connectivity in public spaces.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Top Things to Do in Chennai (Madras), India. Places to Visit in Chennai (Madras) Explore popular experiences. See what other travellers like to do, based on ratings and number of bookings. See All. Half-day Tours (55) Full-day Tours (74) Theme Parks (6) Private Sightseeing Tours (195) Day Trips (70) Sacred & Religious Sites (133)
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- Visit the 2nd longest beach in the world - Marina Beach. Marina Beach is a natural urban beach in Chennai, along the Bay of Bengal. The beach runs for a distance of 6.5 km (4 mi) thus making it the longest natural urban beach in the country and the second longest urban beach in the world.
- Visit the church at st. thomas mount. St. Thomas Mount is a small hillock near the airport in Chennai. St. Thomas the Apostle is believed to have been martyred at this place, a shrine dedicated to Mother Mary was built in 1523 on top of the mount.
- Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary. Vedanthangal in Tamil literally means ‘hamlet of the hunter’. This is a protected area near Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu.
- Watch First Day First Show (FDFS) of a blockbuster movie at Satyam Theatre. Chennai or Madras is famous for its film industry, popularly referred to as Kollywood.
Formerly known as Madras, Chennai is the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu, in the southern part of India. Located on the Coromandel coast of Bay of Bengal, Chennai is as dynamic as it is immersed in tradition.
2 days ago · Tamil Nadu, state of India, located in the extreme south of the country. It represents the Tamil-speaking area of what was formerly the Madras Presidency of British India. The capital is Chennai, in the northeastern portion of the state.
