BEST WORKS IN CHENNAI

BLOOD CIRCULATION:
By one estimate, India needs about 10 million units (1 unit = 450 ml) of blood for transfusion every year; considering that the USA uses up around 14 million units annually, the figure for India is possibly much higher.

Across Chennai, there are about 40 blood banks, government run and private, that together collect about a quarter of a million units of blood annually. Even allowing for weekends and bank holidays, that's roughly 25 units every day at each blood bank; in a city of about 7 million people, less than 5% donate blood in a year. With the demand for blood far outstripping supply, it is a challenge to encourage blood donation.


To make it easy for potential donors, several agencies have created mobile blood banks to go around the city, taking the message of blood donation to the people. The pattern is more or less the same - a multimedia show about how blood donation is useful and even healthy for the donor, register the volunteers, do a basic screen and collect a unit of blood. The vehicles must get each day's collection back to the bank, because they only have the collection and storage facilities on board. The high-tech work of screening and storing the blood still happens at centralised locations.



CHENNAI BOOK FAIR:

Chennai Book Fair or Madras Book Fair is an annual book fair organized in the Chennai, India by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI). The fair typically lasts for about 10 days during the New Year-Pongal season.

history:
The 1st Madras Book Fair was organized in Chennai between December 14 and December 24, 1977 by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India, an organization representing the major publishing companies of South India. The 1st Madras Book Fair had 22 stalls and was held at the Madrasa-i-Azam school. The first six book fairs were successful mainly due to the efforts of K. V. Mathew who was responsible for the growth of the book fair in its early years.



Features:
The Chennai Book Fair is considered to be one of the biggest events in the Chennai cultural calendar along with the Chennai music season. In addition to book stalls, there are food and refreshment stalls to serve the needs of hungry visitors. Regular debates, contests and speeches are held at the venue. In recent times, movie clippings of films of international renown are filmed at the venue of the fair. Annual awards to the best writer and the best publisher are given at the fair.

CHENNAI INDUSTRIAL AND TOURIST TRADE FAIR:

The annual Chennai Trade Fair that happens in Island Grounds is a popular tourist event. You get all round entertainment for the family here - some shopping, rides, booths and government department stalls, etc.
The exhibition presents a panorama of Tamil Nadu - all her places of touristinterest, her cultural wealth and economic progress.
people used to go their during pongal vacation.the site is divided into many blocks each block will represent a particular theme and information,projects based on that will be available there.it also contains many rides,shops,stalls,hotels and many other things.



TRADITIONAL PRACTICE:

kapaleeswara temple is one of the oldest temple in india.during every summer Panguni Thiruvizhaa is celebrated grandly.this is really a classic work in chennai.even though every thing changes but its followed strictly.

The 10 day Panguni Thiruvizha of the Karpagaambaal Kapaaleeswarar temple in Mylapore, Chennai was celebrated from March 26. On all 10 days, Vinaayakar, Kapaleeswarar-Karpagambal, Karpagambal, Murugar with Valli Deivayaanai and Chandikeswarar (Ainthirumenigal - 5 deities) were taken in procession around the 4 Maada veedhis on different vaahanams / vehicles on pallakkus, palanquins, chariots. As an opportunity for the asuras and demons to redeem themselves from their sins and bad actions, they are also used by the Lord as his vaahanams during this 10 day festival.

During the 10 day festival, Mylapore turns into a place of intense activity. Devotees young & old, teenagers having fun with their crowd, merry go rounds & giant wheels for the children to enjoy, vendors with their colourful wares (pottery, toys for children, plastic wares, utensils, accessories, coir items and many others are broungt from far & wide to be displayed & sold in Mylapore).




Devotees offer their prayers & worship by lighting camphor, applying beautiful kolams on the four main streets as a welcome to the Lord & his devotees, carrying kavadi & pulling tiny thaers.

CHENNAI FESTIVALS

Chennai celebrates a number of festivals. Pongal, celebrated in the month of January, is the most important festival of and is celebrated over a period of five days. Tamil New Year's day signifying the beginning of the Tamil calendar usually falls on April 14 and is celebrated widely. Being a cosmopolitan city, almost all major religious festivals like Divali, Eid and Christmas are celebrated here.

PONGAL:

Pongal is one of the major festivals celebrated in the Chennai city of India. It is basically a rural-based festival, but is also celebrated in the cities with great enthusiasm. Pongal marks the end of the south east monsoon and the harvest season in South India. It is celebrated in the Tamil month of Thai, which is considered quite sacred. The festival involves the worship of Sun God, Mother Earth and the Cattle for bearing a good harvest. In Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated continuously for four days.



Moreover, there are many legends associated with the Pongal festival. According to the folklore, the first day of Pongal is celebrated to pay homage to Lord Krishna, as he lifted the Govardhan Parvat (mountain) to save his people from the incessant rain. In relation with the third day of the Pongal, it is said that Lord Shiva sent his divine vehicle Nandi - the bull, on the earth, to give the message to the people that they must have an oil bath everyday, while they must eat only once in a month.


DIWALI:

This festival of lights is usually celebrated in Oct, Nov. It generates an atmosphere of gaiety, friendliness and excitement. Diwali is celebrated with new clothes, spectacular firecrackers and a variety of sweets in the company of family and friends. Dhanatrayodashi; Narakchaturdashi, Amavasya (Laxmi poojan), Balipratipada and Yamadvitiya (Bhaubeej) are the five days which comprise Diwali, and each day has a peculiar religious significance.



some other festivals are:

Vinayaka Chathurthi
Navarathiri
Karthigai Deepam

Chennai Sangamam:

The only Festival of India that belongs to people of all religions, as well as to the non-believers. The harvest fest of Tamil antiquity - The Pongal re-discovering itself as urban thanksgiving. It's Chennai Sangamam. More than 2000 performers will ignite the spirit of Chennai for seven days with around 4000 performances. All in parks, streets and beaches. From January 10-16, 2009. Welcome to the longest and biggest Open Festival of India, presented by Tamil Maiyam & Dept. of Tourism and Culture, Govt of Tamil Nadu.

The most important point is that the event is open for all and happening in the public places.so each and every citizen of chennai can able to enjoy this.

History

The idea of organizing a festival during Pongal showcasing the culture of Tamil Nadu was conceived by Kanimozhi, Member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu and daughter of M Karunanidhi and Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj, founder of Tamil Maiyam, in September 2006[3]. The festival was rolled out in 2007, with patronization of the Government of Tamil Nadu

places where events takes place:

Nageswara Rao Park, Mylapore
Anna Park, Royapuram
ELLIOTS Beach, Besant Nagar
Tower Park- ANNA NAGAR
Lady Wellington School
ECR Road – Palavakkam

"chennai sangamam 2009";

The Chennai Sangamam 2009, which inaugurated on 10the January exists at many places around Chennai, stimulates the festival mood. In welcoming Pongal – the harvesting festival that falls on January 14th, this celebration gives a feel of nearly in traditional way. What this arts turn to be only temple festivals special in villages, which seen rarely in today’s world, this truly aware the need and significance of our unique arts. The idea comes out in supporting and raising the declining artists, and helps in discovering certain norms in public. Year by year I could think its popularity and we all began to look forward this festival around. In my view it has a bright future not alone being celebrated, and to make our existing arts to keep in active and some more in spreading to other districts, could certainly witness a growth.



Karagattam was familiarly known by most, as they take places first and more in festivals and cultural programs. Karagam is mean to decorated vessel. So as one have to perform dance movements, placing them on head without let to fall the vessel. It’s uneasy to see how stable the vessel on head, to only active the body more or less towards music. Have seen this kind of dance in movies alone, and the one ever get out of mind is famous Tamil movie Karagattakaran (karagam dancer). The current song is Mankuyile poongkuyile... from Karagattakaran, do check for the karagattam.



Poikkal Kudirai Attam (Dummy horse dance) is a skill trained performance. It’s wonderful to see someone standing and balancing on two pieces of wooden legs, and caring a dummy horse on hip to move up and down to band music. Wearing colorful cloths hiding there legs, and wooden legs to hoof. It is unheard in the raised band music; called Naiyandi melam.



Kavadi attam is a devotional dance dedicated mostly to lord muruga. Unlike those carried on shoulders balanced by a stick and something curved like with fixed feathers on each end, what I see last evening was a stool like thing carried on head with a cone like decorated, as they roll, it revolves colorfully.

CHENNAI ARCHITECTURE AND MONUMENTS

Chennai architecture and monuments:

Chennai architecture is a confluence of many architectural styles. From ancient Dravidian temples built by the Pallavas, to the Indo-Saracenic style (pioneered in Madras) of the colonial era, to 20th century steel and chrome of skyscrapers. Chennai has a colonial core in the port area, surrounded by progressively newer areas as one travels away from the port, punctuated with old temples, churches and mosques.

Styles of architecture:

The Government Museum, Egmore, in the Indo-Saracenic style.

Indo-Saracenic and colonial style

In the city, one can notice the British influence in the form of old Cathedrals and the mix of Hindu, Islamic and Gothic revival styles that resulted in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. Many of the colonial era buildings are designed in this Indo-Saracenic style. The colonial legacy of Chennai is most apparent in the vicinity of the Chennai port. South of the port is Fort St George. The stretch between the Fort and the port is occupied mostly by the High Court buildings and several clubs, some of which have existed since the British era. A little south of the Fort, across the Cooum River, is the Chepauk cricket stadium, another British staple, dating from 1916. North and west of the port is George Town, where dockyard workers and other manual labourers used to live. George Town is now a bustling commercial centre, but its architecture is significantly different from areas closer to the Fort, with narrower roads and tightly packed buildings. Most of the colonial style buildings are concentrated in the area around the Chennai port and Fort St George. The remaining parts of the city consist of primarily modern architecture in concrete, glass and steel.



Tamil style

Some residential areas like Tiruvallikeni (Triplicane) and Mylapore have several houses dating from the early 20th century, especially those far removed from arterial roads. Many of them were built in the traditional Tamil style, with four wings surrounding a square courtyard, and tiled sloping roofs. In sharp contrast, the apartment buildings along the larger roads in the same areas were built in 1990 or later

Ripon building:

Ripon Building is the seat of the Chennai Corporation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, a combination of three types of architectural styles - Gothic, Ionic and Corinthian.

The Ripon Building is white in colour and is located near the Central station in Chennai. Commissioned in 1913, it was built by a builder named Loganatha Mudaliar. the Building took four years to build at a cost of 750,000 Rupees. Ripon building was named after Lord Ripon, Governor-General of British India and the Father of local self-government. Earl of Minto, the then Viceroy and Governor General of India laid the foundation on December 12, 1909.

ripon building

Madras high court:
The Madras High Court, one of the landmarks of the metropolis of Chennai, India, and believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world[citation needed], is located near the beach, one of the important central business districts of Chennai.

madras highcourt

Valluvar Kottam

The Valluvar Kottam, constructed in 1976, is an auditorium in memory of the poet-saint Thiruvalluvar. All 1330 verses of the poet's epic - the Thirukkural, are inscribed on the granite pillars that surround the auditorium. There is a 101-feet high temple chariot structure with a life-size image of the poet in it. The base of the chariot shows in bas-relief the 133 chapters of the Thirukkural.



Other interesting buildings:

The Government Museum (designed by Henry Irwin and completed in 1896), the Senate House of the Madras University and the College of Engineering, Guindy are some more examples of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture.

Other buildings of architectural significance are the Presidency College, built in 1840, the Ripon Building (now housing the Chennai Corporation) dating from 1913, The War Memorial, Vivekanandar Illam, The Museum Theatre and the Ramakrishna Math temple. Adjoining the Governor's residence (Raj Bhavan) at Guindy, there are five mandapams (or memorials) dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, the first Indian Governor General C Rajagopalachari, former Chief Ministers of the state Kamaraj and Bhaktavatsalam and one to Martyrs in general.

Among the Churches are the 'Cathedral', 'St. Andrew's Church' (referred to as "the Kirk"), St. Thomas Mount Church.

religious monuments:

St. Thomas Mount Church:
According to legend, St. Thomas was one of the first Christians to reach India and to preach Christianity. He is believed to have reached South India in AD 52, and spent the last years of his life in a cave on this hill. Tradition states that Thomas was assassinated by a shot of an arrow in AD 72, by persons hostile to him. Thus, the hillock acquired the name St. Thomas Mount



A small relic-filled Church built in 1523 by the Portuguese stands at the summit of the 300 foot high St. Thomas Mount. The place was visited by Pope John Paul II during his visit to India on 5 February 1986. The Indian Army operates an Officers training Academy (OTA) on the mount. The South line of the Chennai suburban railway has a station named after St. Thomas Mount here.

chennai classic homes:


War Memorials:

A visit to the War Memorials of Chennai is the best way to discover the heroic past of India. The memorials are dedicated to those soldiers who laid their lives for the welfare of the nation as well as those who died as martyrs, serving their nation. These war memorials have been built to pay homage to those great souls. Some of these War Memorials are located within the boundaries of the city, while some are located at the outskirts. Two most famous and visited memorials in and around Madras are given below

Victory War Memorial:
The Victory War Memorial is located to the south of Fort St. George. This memorial is also known as 'Cupid's Bow'. A circular rock and marble structure have been built here, in the memory of those who sacrificed and lost their lives for the country's honor, during World War I. It is situated on Beach Road of Chennai, near Island Grounds.

Rajiv Gandhi Memorial:
Rajiv Gandhi Memorial is another must visit spot on your tour to Madras. It is located at a distance of about 40 km from the main city. The memorial is precisely situated at Sriperumbudur and is dedicated to the former Prime Minster of India, Raiiv Gandhi. He was assassinated in the year 1991 by a human bomb.

central prison:

The historic Madras Central Prison that was constructed in the year 1837 and was operational until a few years ago will soon be reduced to rubbles.The sprawling nine-acre campus situated in the heart of the city, which is also one of the last few heritage sites, has housed several prominent personalities like former chief ministers C. K. Annadurai, Jayalalithaa, M. Karunanidhi.

The prison, which was originally used as a transit point to house criminals and freedom fighters before they were eventually transferred to the central prison in Andaman, has even housed pre-Independence era personalities like Hindu nationalist leader Veer Savarakar, who spent a few days here before he was sent to Andaman.

According to prison officials, the prison is expected to become a part of the government general hospital.

central prison

CHENNAI PEOPLE

Chennai People:

Chennai is a metropolitan city in the southern region of India. Due to the fast paced development taking place in the urban area, it has become the hub of all the major activities. This has attracted a huge influx of the people to Chennai for various purposes, such as employment, business, education etc. This has given the city its cosmopolitan character, with people from different caste, community, religion and regions residing in its heart. However, the natives of Tamil Nadu are very particular about their value system and their beliefs.

People of Madras are world-famous for their hospitality and warmth. They strongly adhere to their age-old custom and tradtions. Usually the day of a Tamil household begins with early rising and performing religious rites. The doorsteps are decorated with kolam, on a daily basis. Kolam are patterns made from rice power or white stone powder, which has both decorative as well as religious significance. People are very religious and visit the temples daily, but a major chunk of the population pays a visit on Friday.


Apart from this, there are a number of other people from different cultures residing in the city. This has made Chennai an absolute blend of varied cultures and lifestyles. There is a considerable population of Sindhis, Gujaratis, Malayalees, Muslims, and Kannadigas in the city, who live in perfect harmony with each other and present an excellent example of unity in diversity. Thus, Chennai is a paradise for all those who want to experience the true spirit of the country we call India.



Chennai favourite mode of address is SIR, everywhere and everybody calls you sir, this word is so much a part of tamil culture it has now become a tamil word now. Chennai is a place where you can afford to be human, tender, humble and you wont loose anything doing that. To the contrary you may gain a friend or two being humble. People here do not respect you because you belong to a class or you look respectable, no they show respect because they enjoy giving respect and you as a human being deserve to be addressed with respect.





POPULAR PERSONS FROM CHENNAI:

Viswanathan Anand:





A. R. Rahman



M. S. Swaminathan

CLASSIC MALLS AND HOTELS IN CHENNAI

HOTELS:
in chennai you can able to see many kind of hotels starting from stars to fair low ones.some of the classics are,

Taj Coromandel (TajGroup)

Centrally located in the prime business and residential district with ideal access to shopping and entertainment. The hotel is about 15 kms from the airport offering 201 rooms including 22 suites.





Chola Sheraton (ITC-Welcomgroup Sheraton)

Heart-of-town location, close to the shopping and commercial centres,13 kms from the airport. Offers 100 rooms, including suites. Enjoy the comforts of the Executive Lounge & Bar the atmosphere of elegant service at the Business Centre and a state-of-the-art Health Club.



royale Meridien , Chennai

Le Royal Meridien Chennai is the perfect destination for business travellers, just 5 kms from International airport. Facilities include extensive conference and banquet rooms for up to 1000 guests.



Connemara Hotel (Taj Group)

Located downtown within walking distance of the city's shopping and commercial districts. A 20 minute drive from the airport, the Connemara Hotel is Chennai's only heritage hotel offering 148 rooms including 4 suites.

this are the some of the hotels in terms of high class.


chennai is also know for its low budget hotels which feeds many peoples.


MALLS AND MOVIE PARKS:

The Malls of Chennai

SPENCER PLAZA:
Spencer Plaza, one of the biggest shopping malls in South Asia, is located on Mount Road (officially known as Anna Salai), and is one of the landmarks of the modern Chennai, Tamil Nadu state, India.



History:
The historical roots of Spencer Plaza goes back to British Raj, when in the year 1863-1864, the first Departmental store in the Indian subcontinent (comprising India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka), established by Charles Durant and J. W. Spencer. After a few years, Eugene Oakshott shifted the department store to a new building, which was an example of Indian Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. The building was designed by W. N. Pogson. In the year 1983, the original building was destroyed in a fire. The present Spencer Plaza was constructed on the same site. This shopping mall is the major hangout for people of Chennai.

City Center Mall:
It is a different world in there.

In contrast to the dust and the heat and the traffic, the malls of Chennai offer a completely different flavor and taste of Chennai.

City Center Mall, hardly in the center of the city (it is actually close to the coastline) stands out on Radha Krishnan Salai. Although self contained with a parking facility, parking does become a hassle when the facility is full.

The building is impressive from the outside and once you get in, it is the world of 21st century commerce all through.

A fine assembly of brand names and glitzy stores. Of course. What else would a shopping mall contain?






sathyam cinemas:

The sathyam cinemas located in Chennai is the most preferred place for cine entertainment. The facilities provided here for a reasonable price is the attractive factor here. The multiplex has six screens with the real digital experience feature to enjoy the movies with high digital quality and convenient seating facility. The tickets are sold at reasonable rates all the time.





Mayajaal:

One of the first multiplexes in Chennai, Mayajaal offers a bowling alley, gaming arcade, restaurants and shopping and a theater. It is like an oasis of activity on the now busy but still very scenic East coast Road. So if you want to drive out for a movie, this is the way to do it.

Mayajaal Multiplex has contained within it six separate screens that each have a capacity of seating 150. The theaters are all pretty similar in terms of interiors and decor. The ceilings are high and white, like the walls. Flooring is a carpeted dull red acrylic matted material.

CHENNAI CULTURE:

CHENNAI is Popularly called the "Gateway to the South", Chennai culture is distinctly different from that of any other city in India. Being a cosmopolitan city, the culture of the city reflects its diverse population which has resulted in a unique blend. Though a modern city, it continues to be traditional and conventional in certain ways. Traditional music, dance and all other art forms of Tamil Nadu are very popular in the city. One can find a unique blend of culture from traditional foods to fast foods, from ancient temple architecture to modern high-rises and from classical music and dance to the growing nightlife in the city.

MUSIC:

The city is known for its classical music shows. Every December, Chennai holds a five week-long Music Season, which has been described as one of the world's largest cultural events. The Music Season encompasses performances (kutcheries) of traditional Carnatic music by hundreds of artists in and around the city. This happens during the Tamil season of Margazhi and this period is a festive and joyous time in chennai. The mercury lies in the low twenties and the music rendered by the great musicians is soul-stirring and sensational. Carnatic music makes the December season a must-experience for visitors to Chennai.




DANCE AND DRAMA:

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. Political satire, slapstick comedy, history, mythology and drama are some of the popular genres of Tamil plays. Prominent theatre personalities include Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar, K.S. Nagarajan, Cho Ramaswamy, Indira Parthasarathy, R.S. Manohar, N. Muthuswamy, Crazy Mohan, S. Ve. Sekhar and Y. Gee. Mahendran. English theatre is also popular in Chennai.

Kollywood:

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 dominate the music scene in the city.


Art:

Chennai has played a vital role in the evolution of traditional and contemporary art in India.

Lalit Kala Akademi, at Greams Road conducts regular exhibitions of works by established and emerging artists.

The Cholamandal Artists' Village is a unique centre of art and craft where artists and sculptors work in their own studios to supplement their income from the sale of paintings or sculptures. A permanent gallery attracts visitors throughout the year.

Chennai has produced some of the finest artists in India like KCS Panicker, K.M.Adimoolam, A.V.Ilango, R.B.Bhaskaran, R.M.Palaniappan.

There are also couple of emerging artists like Aparajith, Benita Perciyal, Sivabalan, cheenu pillai, Sheela Maradi, Ramasuresh who have made a mark for themselves.

CLASSIC CHENNAI

Chennai is a city where the traditional and the modern blend in life everywhere. From traditional vegetarian fair to fast foods, from nine-yard sarees to the latest in fashion, from ancient temple architecture to modern high-rise - with Indo-Saracenic and Victorian as stops along the way - from classical music and dance to discos throbbing to heady beats, Chennai has them all and many more vivid contrasts that are a pleasant surprise. And perhaps the most striking of them all is that here is a modern metropolis with beaches, parks and even sanctuaries in the heart of the City. Chennai offers a wealth of nature and a rich historic past to visitors in the ambience of a city with every modern facility.

Prime Attractions

Fort St. George:

The British East India Company under the direct supervision of Francis Day and Andrew Cogon built Fort St. George in 1640 AD. The fort houses St. Mary's Church and fort museum. St. Mary's Church is the oldest Anglican Church in India built in 1680 and the tombstones in its courtyard are the oldest British tombstones in India. This ancient prayer house solemnized the marriages of Robert Clive and Governor Elinu-Yale, who later founded the Yale University in the States. Today the fort is used by the state legislative assembly and as the secretarial offices of the Tamil Nadu government.






Kapaleeswarar Temple:
The biggest temple in the city, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple contains inscriptions dating back to the 13th century AD, and is a fine specimen of the Dravidian style of architecture. The 37-metre gopuram is especially noteworthy for its intricate carvings that depict stories from Hindu mythology.




Santhome Cathedral:
San Thome at the southern end of Marina derives its name from St Thomas, the apostle of Christ who is believed to have come to Madras sometime during 52 AD. He was killed on St Thomas Mount just outside the city in 78 AD and was interned in San Thome beach where a church was later built. Several years later, another church was built further inland and his mortal remains were transferred from the old church to the new one. In 1606 the church was rebuilt as a cathedral and in 1896 it was made a basilica. The beautiful stained glass window at the basilica portrays the story of St Thomas and the central hall has 14 wooden plaques depicting scenes from the last days of Christ. In the cathedral is a 3 ft high statue of Virgin Mary, which is believed to have been brought from Portugal in 1543.






The Marina Beach:

Marina Beach - ChennaiLining the east of the city is the famous Marina Beach. Supposed to be the second longest beach in the world, it is 12 km long. The beach can be ideally visited in the early mornings or in the late evenings when the area becomes a virtual fair ground with food stalls and other entertainments.




chennai central:

Madras Central was built in 1873 at Parktown as a second terminus to decongest the Royapuram harbour station which was being utilised for port movements. Built in the Gothic Revival style, the original station was designed by George Hardinge and consisted of just four platforms. The station was later modified with the addition of the central clock tower and other changes by Robert Fellowes Chisholm . The redesign was eventually completed in 1900.



Madras Central gained prominence after the beach line was extended further south in 1907 and Royapuram was no longer a terminus for Madras . All trains were then terminated at Madras Central instead and its position was further strengthened after the construction of the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Maratha Railway (erstwhile Madras Railway and now known as the Southern Railway (India)) adjacent to it in 1922.

Due to increasing passenger movement, the main building was extended with the addition of a new building on the western side with a similar architecture to the original.

Capacity at the station was further augmented after the construction of Moore Market Complex as a dedicated terminus for the Chennai suburban railway.

HISTORY OF CHENNAI

CHENNAI HISTORY:


Chennai, originally known as Chennapatnam, was located in the province of Tondaimandalam, an area lying between Pennar river of Nellore and the Pennar river of Cuddalore. The capital of the province was Kancheepuram. Tondaimandalam was ruled in the 2nd century A.D. by Tondaiman Ilam Tiraiyan, who was a representative of the Chola family at Kanchipuram. It is believed that Ilam Tiraiyan must have subdued the Kurumbas, the original inhabitants of the region and established his rule over Tondaimandalam. Chennai is a city which has grown by merging numerous villages which are really ancient. The temples of Thiruvanmiyur, Thiruvotriyur, Thirvallikeni (Triplicane), Thirumyilai (Mylapore) have existed for more than 1000 years. Thiruvanmiyur, Thiruvotriyur and Thirumyilai are mentioned in the Thevarams of the Moovar (of the Nayanmars).




Early European settlers:

Modern Chennai had its origins as a colonial city and its initial growth was closely tied to its importance as an artificial harbour and trading centre. When the Portuguese arrived in 1522, they built a port and named it São Tomé, after the Christian apostle St. Thomas, who is believed to have preached there between the years 52 and 70. The region then passed into the hands of the Dutch, who established themselves near Pulicat just north of the city in 1612.


Arrival of the British:

By 1612, the Dutch established themselves in Pulicat to the north. In the seventeenth century when the British East India Company decided to build a factory on the east coast they selected Armagon (Dugarazpatnam), a village around 35 miles North of Pulicat, as the site in 1626. The calico cloth from the local area, which was in high demand, was of poor quality and not suitable for export to Europe. The British soon realized that the Armagaon was not a good port and it was unsuitable for trade purposes. Francis Day, one of the officers of the company, who was then a Member of the Masulipatam Council and the Chief of the Armagon Factory, made a voyage of exploration in 1637 down the coast as far as Pondicherry with a view to choose a site for a new settlement.



Post-independence (1947):

After India became independent, the city became the administrative and legislative capital of Madras State which was renamed as Tamil Nadu in 1968.


modern chennai:

Chennai , 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 7.60 million (2006), the 369-year-old city is the 36th largest metropolitan area in the world. The symbol of this city is tamarind, a tropical fruit and the great actor Rajnikant, whose ape-like gestures while acting is famous internationally.


OLD CHENNAI PHOTOS