Chennai is also known as Madras or Madrasapatinam. Chennai is the capital city of Tamilnadu and is the fifth most populous city in India. The name Chennai is a neat form of the city called Chennaipattinam, and there are two versions of the origin of the Chennai nomenclature.

Version 1: In 1639, the English acquired the city of Chennaipattinam, named after Damarla Chennappa Nayakudu.

Version 2: The Tamil word chenni means face and Chennapattinam was named after the Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple, considered as the face of the city.

History: An ancient city with a wealth of 350-year-old culture and heritage, it has evolved to achieve harmony with compelling modern trends. Chennai is known for its sandy beaches, historical monuments, splendid sculptures and lively parks.

The Stone Age monuments were found in a pit near Pallavaram, which was known to be a megalithic cultural settlement according to the archaeological survey of India. The city was ruled by the renowned South Indian dynasties namely Pallava, Chera, Chola, Pandya and Vijaynagara.

• 1522- The Portuguese arrive and build the port of São Tomé.
• 1612- The Dutch settlement takes place.
• August 22, 1639: Francis Day of the British East India Company purchased a small strip of land on the Coromandel Coast.
• In 1746, Fort St. George and Madras were captured by the French under General La Bourdonnais.
• late 18^the century, the British conquered most of the regions around Tamilnadu.
• 1947: After India’s independence, there were violent boycotts against Hindi as the national language. This marked a major change in the political dynamics of the state.

Culture: A center for music, arts and culture, the city is famous for its classical dance and lush temples. Tamil is the native language spoken. On the music and arts front, Chennai holds a five-week music season that revives the spirit of the 1927 opening of Madras Music Academy. The most striking features are the famous Kutcheries who flaunt their authentic Carnatic music performed by countless artists from across the country. Held every year during the month of January, Chennai Sangamam is a very famous art festival that showcases various arts of Tamilnadu. Bharatnatyam originated in Tamil Nadu and the Kalakshetra cultural academy promotes traditional dance.

Chennai is home to the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which is a renowned cricket stadium in Chennai, named after MA Chidambaram, the former president of BCCI and the Tamilnadu Cricket Association. Chennai is being a staunch cricket loving city and two times champions in IPL (Indian Premier League) creating a wave in the world of Indian sports.

Apart from being art lovers, Chennai is very famous for its immense craze for Tamil movies and its display of affection for supersonic icons like Ilaiyaraaja, K. Balachander, Sivaji Ganesan, MG Ramachandran, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Mani Ratnam and S Shankar and this list goes on forever. Legendary musician AR Rahman has earned laurels not only for Tamil Nadu but for the entire nation with his highly acclaimed music that won Oscars and Grammys.

Pongal is the most important festival that is celebrated on a large scale. The authentic delicious delicacies are Pongal, Dosa, Idli and Vadai, served with steaming filter coffee.

Topography and Climate: Chennai located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Elevated around 6.7 m, the highest point is 60 m. Marina Beach runs for around 12 km and two rivers, Cooum/Koovam and Adyar, run through the center and south of the city, respectively. Chennai experiences a tropical wet and dry climate. The climate is hot and humid for most of the year, as it is located on the thermal equator. Summers run from March to October and the hottest part of the year is from late May to early June, also known as Agni Nakshatram or Kathiri Veyyil. The monsoon prevails from June to September, and the winters run from October to mid-January and experience winter rains.

Places to visit in and around Chennai:

• Elliots Beach (Marina Beach)
• Kanchipuram
• Mahabalipuram
• pondichery
• fishermen’s cove
• Dakshin Chitra
• kabaleeswar temple
• nanganallur temple
• Church of Santhome
• besant nagar beach
• Tiruvannamalai
• Vedanthangal
• vandalism zoo
• Cholamandalam Artist Village
• Muttukadu
• Tiruthani Murugan Temple
• Kishkintha Amusement Park
• Pannai Snake Museum
• Gandhi’s Mandapam
• Kallikambaal Temple
• Kapaleeswarar Temple
• Mundakaniamman Temple
• Church of Santhome
• Mount Saint Thomas
• dizzy world
• Mother Ashram, Pondicherry
• Siruvapuri Temple
• orchid gardens
• Alaparai Fort

How to get to Chennai:

Air:Madras International Airport is located at Tirisulam, 7 km south of Chennai. It has two terminals, the Kamaraj Terminal, which handles domestic flights connecting more than 20 destinations throughout the country, and the International Terminal, called Terminal Anna. The airport is very well connected.

Lane: The two main railway stations are Chennai Central and Egmore Station. Egmore Station connects various meter gauge and broad gauge trains linking South India, and Chennai Central links North and West India.

Metro Rail is very well connected for rapid transit.

Bus: The newly opened Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, Koyembedu, is the largest bus terminal in India, operating government bus services for Tamil Nadu and the interstate.

Boat:Cruise ships and other passenger ships regularly dock at the port of Chennai. A passenger liner connects Chennai with Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.