Chennai

Template:India capital infobox Chennai (சென்னை in Tamil), formerly known as Madras, is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and is India's fourth largest city. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. With an estimated population of 7.45 million (2005), it is the 41st largest metropolitan areas in the world.

The city is a large commercial and industrial centre, and is known for its cultural heritage and temple architecture. The city is the automobile capital of India, with around forty percentTemplate:Inote of the automobile industry having a base there. One of the longest beaches in the world, the Marina Beach, forms the city's east coast. The city is also known for its sport venues and hosts India's only ATP tennis event, the Chennai Open.

The name Madras is derived from Madraspatnam, the site chosen by the British East India Company for a permanent settlement in 1639. Another small town, Chennapatnam, lay to the south of it. In due course the two towns were merged, and the term Madras was favoured over Chennai by the British. The city was renamed Chennai 1996 Template:Inote as the then ruling government perceived that Madras was a Portugese coinage. However, there have been suggestions that Chennai is not a Tamil name while Madras might indeed be one. Template:Inote

The region around Chennai has served as an important administrative, military, and economic centre dating back to the 1st century, when it was ruled by several South Indian kingdoms, notably the Pallava, the Chola, the Pandya, and Vijaynagar empires. The town of Mylapore, now part of the metropolis, was once a major port of the Pallava kingdom.

The apostle St. Thomas is believed to have preached there between the years 52 and 70 AD. With the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, they built a port known as San Thomé or Sao Thomé in 1522. The region then passed into the hands of the Dutch, who established themselves near Pulicat just north of the city in 1612. In 1639, the British East India Company was granted land by the Nayak of Vandavasi as a base for a permanent settlement, believed to be called Madraspatnam. A year later, Fort St George was built, which subsequently became the nucleus around which the colonial city grew. In 1746, Fort St George and Madras were captured by the French under General La Bourdonnais, the Governor of Mauritius, who plundered the town and its outlying villages.

The British regained control of the town in 1749 through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and subsequently fortified the base to withstand further attacks from the French and Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysore. By the late 18th century the British had conquered most of the region around Tamil Nadu and the northern modern-day states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to establish the Madras Presidency, whose capital was Madras.

Under British rule the city grew into a major urban dwelling and naval base. With the advent of railways in India in the late 18th century, it was connected to the other towns such as Bombay and Calcutta, facilitating communication and trade with the hinterland. It was the only Indian city to be attacked by the Axis during World War I, by the German light cruiser SMS Emden. After independence in 1947, the city became the capital of Madras State, which was renamed as Tamil Nadu in 1968. From 1965 to 1967, Chennai was an important base for the Tamil agitation against the perceived imposition of Hindi, and witnessed sporadic rioting. Chennai witnessed further political violence due to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, after 33 people were killed by a bomb planted by the Tamil Eelam Army at the airport in 1984. Violence escalated following the assassination of thirteen members of the Sri Lankan separatist group EPRLF, and two Indian civilians by the rival LTTETemplate:Inote in 1991.Template:Inote Strong measures were taken and the city has not faced any major terrorist activity since then.

In 2004 the Indian Ocean tsunami lashed the shores of Chennai, killing many and permanently altering the coastline.

Chennai is located at 13°02′N 80°10′E / 13.04°N 80.17°E / 13.04; 80.17 on the southeast coast of India and in the northeast corner of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is located on a flat coastal plain known as the Eastern Coastal Plains. The city has an average elevation of 6 meters (20 feet), and its highest point being 60 m (200 ft). Two rivers meander through Chennai, the Cooum (or Koovam) in the central region and the Adyar in the southern region. Both rivers are heavily polluted. The Cooum in particular has been severely polluted with sewage from slums on its banks, effluents from some business establishments, and plastic bags. The Adyar, which is much less affected, is de-silted and cleaned periodically. A protected estuary of the Adyar forms the natural habitat of several species of birds and animals. The Buckingham Canal, 4 km (3 miles) inland, travels parallel to the coast, linking the two rivers. The Otteri Nullah, an east-west stream runs through north Chennai and meets the Buckingham Canal at Basin Bridge.

Several lakes of varying size are located on the western fringes of the city. Red Hills, Sholavaram and Chembarambakkam Lake supply Chennai with potable water. Groundwater sources are mostly brackish. The city's water supply has proved inadequate for its population, and an over-reliance on annual monsoon rains to replenish water reservoirs has compounded problems. There had been some attempts to pipe in water from other sources, such as the Veeranam, a water-rich place in Tamil Nadu or from the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh. Water is a precious commodity in Chennai and this has given rise to private water tankers supplying many areas. Alternative measures such as reverse osmosis and rainwater harvesting have been taken up.

The geology of Chennai comprises of mostly clay, shale and sandstone.Template:Inote The city is classified into three regions based on geology, sandy areas, clayey areas and hard-rock areas. Sandy areas are found along the river banks and the coasts. Clayey regions cover most of the city. Hard rock areas are Guindy, Velachery, Adambakkam and a part of Saidapet.Template:Inote

Chennai lies on the thermal equator, and thus sees little variation in seasonal temperature. Its proximity to the sea gives it a hot and humid climate for most of the year. The highest temperature is obtained in late May and early June usually about 38 °C (100.4 °F), though it usually exceeds 40 °C (104° °F) for a few days most years. Average daily temperature in Chennai during January is around 24 °C (75.2 °F), though the temperature rarely falls below 18 °C (64.4 °F). The lowest temperature recorded is 15.8 °C (60.44 °F) and highest 44.1 °C (111.38 °F).Template:Inote

The average annual rainfall is about 1,300 mm (47.2 inches). The city gets most of its seasonal rainfall from the north-east monsoon winds, from late September to mid November. Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal often hit the city.

For administrative purposes Chennai is divided into three talukas. 1) Egmore-Nungambakam 2) Fort Tondiarpet 3) Mambalam-Guindy 5) Mylapore-Triplicane.

The Chennai Metropolitan area consists of three districts, the Chennai city and the districts of Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur. The city area covers and area of 174 km² (67 mi²).Template:Inote The metropolitan area covers 1,177 km² (455  mi²). The city is divided on the basis of composition into four major parts: North, Central, South and West.

North Chennai is primarily industrial. Central Chennai is the commercial heart of the city and the downtown area. South Chennai, previously a residential area has turned into a commercial area in recent years, hosting a large number of IT companies.

Contiguous satellite towns include Mahabalipuram to the south, Chengalpattu to the south west, Kanchipuram, Sriperumpudur and Arakkonam to the west.

The metropolitan region of Chennai is governed by the Corporation of Chennai. The corporation is headed by a mayor and a deputy mayor. There are a total of 155 councillors directly elected to the corporation, each representing a ward. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor preside over about ten Standing Committees.Template:Inote The municipal corporation takes care of the civic functions of the metropolis.

Chennai also houses the administrative and legislative departments of the government of Tamil Nadu. They are housed in the Secretariat Buildings, part of the Fort St George campus. The Madras High Court, whose jurisdiction extends across Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, is also located in the city.

Chennai has three Parliamentary constituencies – Chennai North, Chennai Central and Chennai South. The current MPs are C Kuppusami, Dayanidhi Maran and T R Baalu. Chennai elects 18 MLAs to the state legislature.

Greater Chennai Police, a division of the Tamil Nadu Police is the law enforcement agency in the city. The city police force is headed by a Commissioner of Police and the administrative control vests with the Tamil Nadu Home ministry. There are thirty six sub-divisions of the Greater Chennai Police, and 121 police stations. Fifteen of these police stations are now ISO 9001:2000 certified. Template:Inote The city's traffic is managed by the Chennai City Traffic Police (CCTP).

The city was initially a major port and with the advent of the East India Company, it grew in size after the construction of Fort St George. The city has important branches of many Indian companies. As the capital of the state, Chennai has many government employees. The city also has its own stock exchange, the Madras Stock Exchange.

Chennai's service sector was traditionally dominated by finance and banking as several multinational banks had their base in Chennai. Since the late 1990s, software development and business process outsourcing have provided a steady source of employment for city residents. The IT Corridor on Old Mahabalipuram Road in the southeast of the city houses several technology parks. The largest of these is Tidel Park, built by TIDCO, a government initiative. Infosys is constructing what is to be the world's largest IT campus at the Mahindra World City, located on the outskirts of Chennai.Template:Inote The city is also an important centre for other service industries like advertising and healthcare.

Chennai is the base for over forty percent of India's automotive industry. Most of the automotive OEMs in India are based in Chennai, mainly in the Ambattur-Padi industrial zone. Several automotive-related companies such as: Hyundai, Ford, Mitsubishi, TVS, Ashok Leyland, Royal Enfield, TI Cycles and MRF have manufacturing plants in and around Chennai. There have been reports that BMW would set up its base in Chennai. Template:Inote The Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi produces military vehicles, including India's main battle tank: Arjun.

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Residents of Chennai are called Chennaiites or Madrasis; the latter is often used to refer to South Indians in general. As of 2000, Chennai city had a population of 4.2 million, while the total metropolitan population was 6.7 million. The estimated metropolitan population in 2005 is 7.45 million.Template:Inote The population density in the city is 24,418 per while the overall population density is 6,351 per km². The sex ratio is 948 females for every 1000 males, slightly higher than the national average of 934.Template:Inote The average literacy rate is 80.14%Template:Inote much higher than the national average of 59.5%. 25% of the city's population is classified as living in slum conditions.Template:Inote

The main problem Chennai faces is overpopulation. Residential skyscrapers are generally not favoured, leading to urban sprawl, with consequent increases in commuting time and ownership of private vehicles. High land prices and the lack of space has pushed many of the lower strata of society into residing in slums, which have poor sanitation and lack clean water.

The majority of residents in Chennai are native Tamilians and speak Tamil. English is widely spoken, and is used almost exclusively in business, education and other white collar professions. Tamil spoken in Chennai uses English words liberally, so much so that it is often called Madras bashai (or "Madras language"). There is also a large number of Telugu speakers in Chennai. Other languages spoken include Malayalam and Kannada. A regional hub since British times, Chennai has a large number of Marwari traders. Other communities are the Anglo Indian, Bengalis, Punjabi and from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Chennai also has a small expatriate population who work in the industries and IT centres.

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Chennai's culture reflects its diverse population. The city is known for its classical dance shows and Hindu temples. Every December, Chennai holds a five week-long Music Season, which has been described as one of the world's largest cultural events.Template:Inote The Music Season encompasses performances (kutcheries) of traditional Carnatic music by hundreds of artists in and around the city.

Chennai is also known for the classical Indian dance, the Bharatanatyam, which is also the official dance of Tamil Nadu. An important cultural centre for Bharatanatyam is Kalakshetra (Sanskrit for "place of the arts"), located on the beach in the south of the city.

Chennai has a vibrant theatre scene, with a large number of Tamil plays being performed. English theatre is also popular. Most of the plays are commercial and encompass comedy and serious drama. School and college cultural festivals (locally called culfests) play an important role by providing platforms for the city's youth to indulge in art and culture. These culfests attract participants from around India. Some of the larger culfests in the city are Saarang (IIT Madras), Deep Woods (Madras Christian College) and Down Sterling ( Loyola).

Chennai is the base for the large Tamil movie industry, dubbed Kollywood after the locality of Kodambakkam where most of the movie studios are located. The industry makes about 300 Tamil movies a year, and its film soundtracks dominates the music scene in the city.

The staple food is rice-based, usually steamed and served with about two to six accompanying items. Typical items are sambar, dry curry, rasam, kootu and thayir (curd) or moru (whey or buttermilk). Lighter meals usually include one or more of pongal, dosa, idli or vada, and are often served for breakfast or as an evening snack. Filter coffee is a very popular beverage consumed in Chennai. Other cuisines, both Indian and international, are popular in the city.

Chennai has a heterogeneous mix of architectural styles, from ancient temples built by the Pallavas through the colonial era to features of 20th century urban planning. The city has a colonial core in the port area, surrounded by progressively newer areas.

Chennai is well connected internationally and to other parts of India. Five major national highways radiate outward towards Kolkata (Calcutta), Bangalore, Trichy, Tiruvallur, and Pondicherry.Template:Inote The Central Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), which serves as the terminus for all intercity buses from Chennai, is the largest bus station in South Asia. Seven government owned transport corporations operate busses across the state and to nearby states. There are also many private bus operators in Chennai.

The Chennai International Airport serves as the city's airport for both domestic and international flights. The city is connected to major hubs in South East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America through over fifteen international carriers. The airport is also the second busiest cargo terminus in the country.

The city is served by two major ports namely the Chennai Port which is one of the largest artificial ports and the Ennore Port. The Chennai port is India's second busiest container hub handling general industrial cargo, automobiles etc. The Ennore port handles cargo such as coal, ore and other natural resources. A smaller harbour at Royapuram is used by local fishing boats and trawlers.

There are two main railway terminals, the Chennai Central station, which is the city's largest railway station with trains to all the major cities and towns in India, and Chennai Egmore, which serves destinations within Tamil Nadu. The Chennai suburban railway network consists of three rail sectors, namely Chennai Central—Arakkonam, Chennai Central—Sullurpeta, and Chennai Beach—Chengalpattu. The rail network is broad gauge. Chennai also has an elevated MRTS suburban train system, which is interlinked with the suburban rail network.

Buses and trains are the most popular public transport. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) runs an extensive city bus system. The bus service consists of 2,773 buses on 375 routes,Template:Inote and transports an estimated 4.2 million passengers daily. Besides MTC services, Mini-bus services are present in the suburbs of the Chennai metropolitan area. Vans which are run like bus services and popularly called "Maxi Cabs" also ply on many routes in the city. Hired for of transport include metered taxis and auto rickshaws. Air pollution is considerable due to a large number of two-stroke engines used in auto rickshaws and mopeds.

Being a major commercial and business centre in India, Chennai has a well-developed communication and media infrastructure. The city is covered by a large network of optical fiber cables. The city is the key point of connectivity between Indian and underwater South East Asian optical fibre networks and enjoys maximum internet bandwidth in the country.Template:Inote

The city's telephone service is serviced by four landline companies: BSNL, Tata Indicom, Reliance Infocomm and Airtel. There are six mobile phone companies: BSNL, Hutch, Skycell, Airtel, Tata Indicom and Reliance Infocomm. The phone companies also offer broadband internet access.

Doordarshan runs two terrestrial television channels and two satellite television channels from its Chennai centre. SCV and Hathway are the major cable TV service providers. Chennai is the only city in India to have implemented the Conditional Access System for television. All major international news, sports and entertainment channels are available to viewers through the CAS. However, a few international free to air channels and most of the regional channels are available even without the system, which include all the channels from Doordarshan, Sun Network, Raj Network, Star Vijay, Jaya TV, and SS Music. Direct To Home (DTH) is available via DD Direct Plus and Dish TV. The city has two AM and four FM radio stations, operated by All India Radio and private broadcasters.

Chennai has about six print media groups that publish about eight major newspapers and magazines. The major English dailies are The Hindu, The New Indian Express, The Deccan Chronicle and an evening daily, The News Today. The major Tamil dailies include the Dina Thanthi, Dina Mani, Dina Malar and Malai Malar. Besides these major newspapers, there a number of localised neighbourhood newspapers that caters to particular localities. Magazines published from Chennai include Ananda Vikatan, Kumudam, Kalki, Kungumam, Frontline and Sportstar.

Schools in Chennai may either be run privately, or by the Tamil Nadu government, or be run privately with financial aid from the government. The medium of education in private schools is English. Government run schools offer both English and Tamil medium education, English being preferred by a majority. Private schools are usually affiliated to the national CBSE board or to the Tamil Nadu State Board. A few schools are affiliated to the ICSE board and the Montessori system. A few schools also offer the International Baccalaureate and the American systems. Schooling begins at the age of three. After two years of kindergarten and twelve years of schooling, students take up professional university courses.

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The University of Madras (1857), which has three campuses in the city, offers a range of programs in liberal arts, science and commerce. A large majority of city colleges are affiliated to the university and offer programs in medicine, law, science, Arts and commerce. Some such older institutions are the Presidency College (1840) and the Madras Medical College (1850), both of which affiliated themselves to the University of Madras on its formation. Other autonomous educational establishments include Loyola College (1925), the National Institute of Fashion Technology (1995), Asian College of Journalism (2000) and the Madras School of Social Work (1952).

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras (1959), is located in the south of the city and is internationally renowned for its engineering program. Located nearby, is the main campus of Anna University (1978), which formed from a merger of the College of Engineering, Guindy (1794), the Madras Institute of Technology (1949), the Alagappa College of Technology (1944), and the School of Architecture and Planning (1957). Almost all colleges in Tamil Nadu that offer programs in engineering, technology and architecture are affiliated to Anna University. The remaining colleges are autonomous deemed universities. The Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai, a prominent law college in Tamil Nadu was founded in 1891.

The Connemara Public Library built in 1890 is one of the four National Depository Centres in India. These centres receive a copy of all newspapers, and books published in India. It also is a declared UNESCO information centre.

Cricket is the most popular sport in Chennai. The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (formerly known as Madras Cricket Club ground or Chepauk Stadium) in Chepauk is the oldest cricket stadium built in 1916. It seats 50,000 and is home to the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. The Chemplast Cricket Ground in the IIT Madras campus is another important cricket venue.

Tennis is another popular game in Chennai. The SDAT Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam seats about 6,000 spectators and has five synthetic surface courts. The stadium also hosts India's only ATP event, the Chennai Open. Indian tennis professionals such as Vijay Amritraj, Ramanathan Krishnan and Ramesh Krishnan hail from Chennai.

Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium is the venue for hockey matches and seats 4,000. The Chennai Veerans, a Premiere Hockey League team hails from Chennai.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium seats 40,000 and hosts football (soccer), and athletic competitions. The complex also houses a multi purpose indoor stadium with a seating capacity of 8000 which hosts various competitions including volley ball, basket ball, table tennis. The Velachery Aquatic Complex seats 4,000 and hosts different kinds of water sports. Chennai has also hosted the South Asian Federation Games 1995.

The Guindy Race Course for horse racing was set up in 1777. Motor racing events are held at the Sriperumbudur (Thirupperumbudur) track for cars, and the Sholavaram track for motorcycles. The Madras Boat Club was set up in 1867 at the Basin Bridge and hosts rowing races. The city has three 18-hole golf courses: the Cosmopolitan Club, the Gymkhana Club golf course, and the Guindy Links. All three clubs were established in the late 19th century.

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• Official government website of Chennai District
• Official website of the Corporation of Chennai
• History of Madras
• Current weather in Chennai
• Chennai travel guide at Wikitravel
• Moving around in Chennai
• Archive of historian S. Muthiah's articles on Chennai, published in The Hindu
• Vintage pictures of Madras
• Th. Brinkhoff: The Principal Agglomerations of the World, 2005-01-30

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