CHENNAI TODAY

About Chennai City
Chennai, previously known as Madras is India's fourth largest city. It was the capital of the sate of Madras, which was renamed Tamil Nadu ("home of the Tamils") in 1967.
Chennai's History
Chennai, the capital and principal port city of Tamil Nadu, is relatively of recent origin. In 1504 the Portuguese established a settlement at Mylapore near Chennai patnam and called it Santhome, but they were soon driven away by the sultan of Golconda, who in his turn was forced to give up Santhome to the French. The French were expelled in 1674 by the Dutch and finally the British captured it in 1639.

Madras, as Chennai was previously called was found in 1639. At that time an Indian Rajah granted a strip of land to Francis Day, a British subject and chief agent of the East India Company. On this site, the British built a small fort in 1644 and named it as Fort Saint George after England's patron saint. In 1653 it became the East India Company's headquarters.

Between 1702 and 1801 the fort was captured in turn by the moguls, Marathas (people of west and central India) and the French. It also was taken by the forces of Haidar Ali, muslim ruler of Mysore. By 1801 most of the territory that presently makes up the state of Tamil Nadu had been ceded to the British by defeated Indian rulers. The city of Madras then became the capital of one of the largest administrative units of British India.
More Information about Chennai
The city of Chennai sprawls over an area of 130, 058 sq.kms with a population of 62,110,839. The language spoken by the people in Tamil, one of the oldest literary languages in India. Most people of the region are of Dravidian descent. The city extend 10 miles along the coast of the Bay of Bengal and has the third largest port of India. With fine highways, railroads, rivers and canals, Chennai is an important transportation terminal. The city is serviced by an international airport situated nearby at Meenambakkam.

Chennai is today the fourth largest city of India. The Chennai harbour founded in 1875 north of the city continues to grow. Near the Harbour are located YMCA, High Court, old Light House, General Post and Telegraph office, Beach, Railway Station, Broadway Bus stand. The river Cooum divides the city into two by its serpentine course before it drops into the Bay of Bengal near Fort St.George.

To the south flows the Adayar river. Mount Road is the main thorough fare of Chennai. The Mount Road, now called Anna Salai road, cuts the city diagonally. It passes through the city's central shopping and hotel areas before reaching the residential district in the south. It form the hub of the city with its modern shopping arcades the SPENCER PLAZA, handicrafts emporiums, travel agencies, southern railway booking offices, foreign missions, Govt. of India Tourist office etc.,

The capital's beautiful, wide 9 mile shore drive is called the Marina, Chennai is possessed of one of the finest and longest 12 km beaches in the world. On the Marina beach, midway between the University building and the Aquarium is a quaint semicircular structure called the "Ice House". During the British Raj times, it was used to store ice for the use of English nobles and merchants. In those days, fast sailing boats brought huge blocks of ice from the lake in the Northern America.

At one end of the Marina beach is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint Thomas, believed to be the burial place of the Apostle Thomas. In 1622, the Portuguese took over the church. Later it was pulled down and rebuilt in 1896 in modern Gothic style with its stained glass windows.

Between the Cathedral and Madras's busy man-made harbour are government buildings, residential houses, Madras University and Fort Saint George, the original site of Madras.

On Poonamallee High Road, are located most of the budget class hotels, restaurants, bus terminals, busy narrow bazaars, corporation office and central railways station.
How to Reach in Chennai
AIR
Chennai is well connected with all cities in the country & foreign countries. Chennai is served by an International Airport at Thrisulam which is about 17 Km from the centre of the city.

RAIL
Broad guage train services link the city of New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram, Hydrabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Lucknow and many other destinations. The two railway stations are Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore. Both the stations are located at the heart of the city and are easily accessible.

BUS
One of the best inter-city and inter-state bus system cater to the needs of travelers to and from Chennai. The central bus stand is at Koyembedu.

SEA
Chennai is connected by a passenger line to Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Reservation are controlled by the Andaman and Nicobar administration and the Shipping Corporation of India.

Deputy Director (shipping services), Andaman and Nicobar Administration

S.C.I Building (ground floor), Rajajio Salai

LOCAL TRANSPORT
Local transport within the city and to the adjacent satellite township is both excellent and cheap. The city bus services and the suburban trains provide fast and economical modes of communication. All route boards are written in Tamil and English. Besides this, call taxis and autorickshaws are available throughout the city. This mode is metered and the rates must be negotiated before hiring. Share auto services are available in some central areas of the city, the charges are comparatively cheaper.