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 Chennai
formerly known as Madras is the capital city of Tamil Nadu state and
is the fourth largest metro city in India. The city grew up around
the English settlement of Fort Saint George and gradually absorbed
the surrounding towns and villages. However, despite the strong
British influence, Chennai has retained its traditional Tamil Hindu
culture and effectively blended it with the foreign influence. The
city is widely spread in about 180 Sq. Kms. It is a major trade
center, being well linked by road, rail and air to important cities
besides being a sea port. Compared to the other major metros of
India, it is far less congested and polluted.
Chennai, is a journey into timeless India, a kaleidoscope of moods.
rich in the treasures of history, from temples and shrines to forts
and palaces, the landscape of the past lives easily with the
present. Chennai is the fourth largest city in India and the capital
of Tamil Nadu. Retaining much of its traditional
charm, this 350 year old city is the gateway to the south, providing
many a fascinating vignette of southern heritage.
AREA: 174 Sq.Km. ALTITUDE: Sea level TEMPERATURE:
Max- 37 C and Min-21 C in Summer, Max-32C and Min-20C in Winter.
RAINFALL: 1,272 Mm ( June to Sept ) BEST SEASON:
Throughout the Year.
CLOTHING: Summer-cottons, Winter- Woolen, STD CODE:
044
REACHING CHENNAI
Kamraj National and Anna International Airports are situated at
Tirusulam about 20 Kms from city. Chennai is connected by rail with
all major towns and cities in India. Main Railway Stations: Central
and Egmore. Chennai is connected by good network of roads with all
important places in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India.
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Near by Cities |
|
Kancheepuram -
75kms. |
Bangalore - 334
kms. |
|
Pondicherry -
162 kms. |
Tirupati - 154
kms. |
|
Mamallapuram -
58 kms. |
Vellore - 145
kms. |
|
Thirukkazhukundram - 74kms |
Vedanthangal -
85 kms. |
History of Chennai, India
The region of Chennai was called Tondaimandalam in earlier days and
had its military headquarters at Puzhal, which is now a small and
rather insignificant village on the outskirts of the city. Modern
Chennai grew out of a small village, when in 1639 a fishing hamlet
called Chennaipatnam was selected by early English merchants of the
East India Company as a site for their settlement. Chennai has
attracted a vast assortment of people right from seafarers, spice
traders and cloth merchants over the period.
The sixteenth century saw the arrival of the Portuguese, followed by
the Dutch trading companies. The Portuguese established a fort, Sao
Tome or San Thome in 1522, pushing back the ancient Pallava port of
Mylapore. By 1612 the Dutch established themselves in Pulicat to the
North. Founded in 1639 on land given by the Raja of Chandragiri, the
last representative of the Vijayanagar rulers of Hampi to British
traders, a small fort was built at a fishing settlement in 1644 and
a town, which subsequently came to known as George Town, grew in the
area of Fort St. George.
The settlement became independent of Banten, Java, in 1683 and was
granted its first municipal charter in 1688 by James II. It thus has
the oldest municipal corporation in India. During the 18th and early
19th centuries, when the British and French competed for supremacy
in India, the city's fortunes waxed and waned. The French briefly
occupied it on one occasion. Robert Clive of British India used it
as a base for his military expeditions during the Wars of the
Carnatic. In 1756, the French withdrew to Pondicherry, leaving the
British to develop Fort St.George. During the 19th century, it was
the seat of the Chennai Presidency, one of the four divisions of
British Imperial India.
After Independence, the city continued to be known by the name
Chennai until the government of Tamil Nadu under the chief minister
Mr. M. K. Karunanidhi officially converted it to Chennai in 1997.
Since then, it has grown into a bustling metropolis and a
significant southern gateway. |
