
Chennai (''ெசன்னை'' in Tamil language), formerly known as Madras, is a city on the east coast of South India. Situated on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, this capital of the state of Tamil Nadu is India's fourth largest metropolitan city and one of the List of metropolitan areas by population metropolitan areas in the world, with a metropolitan population of about 7.45 million in 2005 [http://www.citypopulation.de/World.html]. Its name was officially changed to Chennai in 1996, but the older name Madras is still widely used. The city is a large commercial and industrial centre in India, and is known for its cultural heritage. __TOC__
==Geography== [[Image:Satmap.jpg|thumb|Chennai is situated on a flat coastal plain. The Red Hills Lake and the Chembarambakkam Lake are seen clearly.]] [[Image:Chennai.satmap.annotated.jpg|thumb|A Landsat 7 map of Chennai city, showing the urban features in more detail.]] Chennai is located at , on the Coromandel Coast in South India, at the north-eastern tip of Tamil Nadu state. It has a long shoreline with the Bay of Bengal on the east, the location of the 13 kilometer-long Marina Beach, and a large artificial harbour servicing sea-lines to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. The land on which Chennai is built is flat coastal plain. The average elevation is 6 meters above sea-level. Two rivers pass through Chennai, the Cooum (or ''Koovam'') in the central part and the Adyar in the southern part. Both rivers are placid, and meander slowly on their way east to the Bay of Bengal. The estuary of the Adyar River, whose ecology is protected, is the nature habitat of several species of birds and animals. Two small waterways exist in addition to the rivers. The Buckingham Canal runs parallel to the coast, about 3-5 kilometer inland. It connects the two rivers to each other and extends farther in both directions, up to Guntur in Andhra Pradesh in the north and just beyond Sadras in the south. The ''Otteri Nullah'' is an east-west stream that runs through north Chennai and meets the Buckingham Canal at Basin Bridge. There is some rowing on the Adyar River, but there is no boat traffic on the other waterways. The Canal has not been navigable within city limits since about 1975 due to extensive silting, which is also a problem with the two rivers. The Adyar and the southern stretch of the canal were fully desilted in 2004. The Cooum has not been desilted due to its narrowness and several illegal hutments along its banks. Several lakes of varying size are located on the western fringes of the city. Red Hills and Sholavaram lakes in the north-west supply most of the city's water supply. Chembarambakkam Lake (the source of the Adyar River) located 40 kilometer west of the city, is another water source. Climate, Chennai lies on the thermal equator, which makes it hot and humid most of the year. The highest temperatures are attained in late May and early June, usually about 38° Celsius (100.4° Fahrenheit), though it usually exceeds 40° C (104° F) for a few days most years. The coldest time of the year is early January when temperatures are about 24° C (75.2° F), though temperatures below 18° C (64.4° F) have been recorded. The average annual rainfall is about 1 E0 m (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 also contribute significantly, exceeding the regular monsoon rainfall in some years. Extreme temperatures: 15.8C & 44.1C [http://app.nea.gov.sg/cms/htdocs/article.asp?pid=1111]
==History== [[Image:Mylapore.kapali.gopuram.jpg|thumb|The Kapaleeshwarar temple in Mylapore was built by the Pallava kings in the 7th century]] The region currently occupied by Chennai has served as an important administrative,military, and economic center from as far back as the 1st century.The region was ruled by several South Indian kingdoms, most notably the Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas and finally the Vijaynagar empire. European settlers arrived in 16th century, and the region got its initial character as a city when merchants of the British East India Company selected a fishing hamlet called Madraspatnam as a site for settlement in 1639. Some believe that the British favoured the name "Madraspatnam" while the locals called it "Chennaipatnam", but this hypothesis is disputed. The England strengthened their position in the region in several steps until the end of the 18th century, following which Madras became an important English navy and the administrative centre of the growing British dominions in southern India. When the British eventually gained control over most of southern India, they integrated the region into the Madras Presidency and Madras became its capital. After Indian independence in 1947, the city became the capital of Madras State, renamed Tamil Nadu in 1956. In 1996, the state government renamed the city from "Madras" to "Chennai". According to most accounts, this was in accordance with the names "Madraspatnam" and "Chennaipatnam", but this hypothesis is disputed.
==Government== [[Image:Chennai_corp.jpg|thumb|Ripon Building, which houses the Chennai Corporation, was completed in 1913. It is named after former viceroy Lord Ripon.]] The executive and legislative wings of the government of Tamil Nadu are housed in the Secretariat Buildings, part of the Fort St George campus. The Chennai High Court is the highest judicial authority in the state. Chennai has three Parliamentary constituency (Chennai North, Chennai Central and Chennai South). The current Member of Parliaments are C Kuppusami, Dayanidhi Maran (Minister of Communications and Information Technology) and TR Baalu (Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways) respectively. As with the rest of Tamil Nadu, each Parliamentary constituency is divided into six State Legislature constituencies. Chennai is therefore represented in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by 18 Member of Legislative Assemblys. The 18 constituencies are Royapuram, Harbour, Radhakrishnan Nagar, Perambur, Tiruvotriyur and Villivakkam (all in Chennai North); Park Town, Purasawalkam, Egmore, Anna Nagar, Thousand Lights and Chepauk (all in Chennai Central); and T Nagar, Triplicane, Mylapore, Saidapet, Alandur and Tambaram (all in Chennai South). Chennai city is governed by the Chennai Corporation, which consists of a Mayor (directly elected by the city residents) and 155 Councillors representing the 155 Wards (each directly elected by the residents of that Ward), one of whom is elected by the other Councillors as a Deputy Mayor. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor preside over about 10 Standing Committees. (Executive hierarchy: [http://www.chennaicorporation.com/images/execut_chart.gif] Administrative hierarchy: [http://www.chennaicorporation.com/images/admin_chart.gif])
==Economy== [[Image:chennai_tidelprk.jpg|thumb|Tidel Park in Taramani hosts a number of Information technology companies.]] Founded as a trading outpost by the British East India Company in the early 17th century, Chennai is today a large industrial and commercial centre in India. The major centres of trade and commerce in Chennai are Parry's Corner and T.Nagar, named after Thomas Parry, who set up the EID Parry company, and Sir P. Thyagarayar, the founder of what later became the Justice Party respectively. The city also has other less hectic business districts. Chennai has a very diversified industrial base and is home to companies producing everything from Bicycles (TI Cycles) to Battle Tanks (Avadi HVF). It is the base for over 40% of India's automotive industry. Most of the automotive original equipment manufacturers in India are based in Chennai, mainly in the Ambattur-Padi industrial zone. Several auto and tyre companies such as TVS, India, Ashok Leyland, Hyundai, Ford Motor Company, Mitsubishi and MRF have manufacturing plants in and around Chennai. Major heavy industries are textiles and chemicals, located mainly in the northeast and northwest industrial zones. The leather industry is located mostly in the southwest of the city. So many tanneries were once located there in a tight cluster that the ground water changed colour due to chromium in the effluents. The locality (which was subsequently cleaned up) is now known as Chromepet. [[Image:Chennai it park.jpg|thumb|International Tech Park Chennai-Ascendas in Taramani is one of largest IT parks in India]] Chennai's service sector was traditionally dominated by finance and banking especially because several multinational banks had their headquarters or IT systems supported out of Chennai. Since the late 1990s, software development and BPO have become very important and Chennai is now an important hub for Software and IT companies. Companies like Infosys, Wipro, TCS, CTS, Covansys, Saksoft, Thinksoft and several other IT firms are situated in Chennai. The ''information technology'' is in the southeast of the city. Several technology parks have been built in the area, the most important being Tidel Park, built by TIDCO as a Government initiative. Several organizations have their software development and BPO centres in Chennai.
==Demographics== [[Image:Chennai.ranganathanst.jpg|thumb|Ranganathan Street in T.Nagar is usually packed with shoppers. Powered vehicles are forbidden on this street.]] The residents of Chennai are called ''Chennaiites''. 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 [http://www.citypopulation.de/World.html]. The population density in the city is 24,418 per square kilometer, while the overall population density is 6,351 per square kilometer. The sex ratio in the city is about 948 females for every 1000 males, slightly higher than the national average of 934 [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html]. The average literacy rate is 80.14% [http://www.tn.gov.in/schooleducation/statistics/table7and8.htm], much higher than the national average of 59.5% [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html]. About 25% of the city's population is classified as living in slum conditions [http://www.tn.gov.in/economy/eco-oct2001-12.htm]. The majority of the people in Chennai are Tamil people, with a sizable Telugu minority. English language is widely spoken, and is used almost exclusively in business and education. The Tamil language spoken in Chennai uses English words very liberally, so much so that it is often called ''Madras bashai'' ("Madras language"). Telugu is also spoken in Chennai. Historically, Madras under the British used to be the capital of the Madras Presidency, which covered most of the area now occupied by the modern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, excluding the princely states enjoying British patronage. Madras thus inherited a mix of languages and dialects, most of which have changed with time. Marwari moneylenders and businessmen from northern India (mainly from Gujarat and Rajasthan) settled in and around north Chennai in the 1950s, many of them in the locality of ''Sowcarpet'', which is a polyglot mix of ''sahukar'' (Hindi for "moneylender") and ''pettai'' (Tamil for "neighbourhood"). Chennai has therefore become progressively more cosmopolitan. More recently the growth of the IT industry has also attracted people from other states and even a few from other countries.
==Culture== [[Image:Chennai.carnatic.concert.jpg|thumb|A Carnatic music concert during the annual Music Season.]] Chennai is a major cultural hub. Every December, Chennai has its five week-long ''Music Season'', which has been described as the world's largest cultural event [http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/03/stories/2005020301281000.htm]. Chennai is also known for a classical Indian dance form called 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. Founded in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale after an encounter with Anna Pavlova, Kalakshetra is a cultural hotspot with thousands of students from many countries learning the "Kalakshetra style" of Bharatanatyam, in addition to music, painting and other fine arts. [[Image:Saarang.2005.orangestreet.jpg|thumb|Matmatah performing at ''Saarang'' 2005.]] College culfests play an important role in allowing several cultures to blend. Many culfests in the city attract participants from around the country. Some of the larger culfests in the city are ''Saarang'', ''Deep Woods'', ''Melange'' and ''Down Sterling''. Rock shows are a regular feature, both as stand-alone events and as part of college culfests. The annual ''June Rock Out'', organized by the Unwind Center is attended by rock bands from around the country. Chennai has a number of local rock bands, most notably ''Moksha (band)'' and ''The LBG''. Chennai is the base for the large Tamil language movie industry, nicknamed ''Kollywood'' after the locality of Kodambakkam where most of the movie studios are located. The industry makes about 300 Tamil movies a year. "Gaana", which originated as the voice of Chennai youth especially the poorer sections of the population, now has been adopted by mainstream music/movie industry - a trend shared with Urban Youth Music worldwide.
==Cuisine== Indian_filter_coffee_is_a_morning_ritual_for_many_Chennaiites">Image:Indian filter coffee in Dabarah.jpg|thumb|Indian filter coffee is a morning ritual for many Chennaiites Chennai is known for traditional Tamil cuisine. The staple food of most of the population is rice. This is usually steamed and served with about two to six accompanying items. Typically the items are sambar (dish), 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. Many meals are chased by a hot Indian filter coffee, the signature beverage of the city. Another popular beverage is strongly brewed tea found in the thousands of small Tea stalls found across the city. Other cuisines are also popular in Chennai: Indian, European Continental, and Chinese cuisines have been around for a long time, while Mexican, Thai, and Mediterranean cuisines have made their entry in the past few years. A growing trend is fusing traditional Tamil cuisine with elements from other cuisines from around India and the world. This results in both spicier versions of foreign dishes (such as ''Szechuan Chicken Masala'') and remixed versions of traditional Tamil dishes (such as ''Cheese Mushroom Uthappam''), increasing the diversity of city cuisine.
==Architecture and urban planning== [[Image:Musee madras.jpg|thumb|The Government Museum in Egmore is a good example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Designed by Henry Irwin, it was completed in 1896.]] Chennai has a very heterogeneous mix of architecture styles, from ancient temples built by the Pallavas through the British Raj to features of 20th century urban planning. 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. The colonial legacy of Chennai is 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 from 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 Georgetown, where dockyard workers and other manual labourers used to live. Georgetown 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. Some residential areas like Tiruvallikeni (Triplicane) and Mayilapur (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. Many other old buildings are still fully functional and host government, business or educational establishments. For instance, the General Hospital moved to its current location in 1772 (it opened to Indians in 1842), the Presidency College was built in 1840, the Royapuram Station dates from 1856, the Chennai Central Station dates from 1873, the High Court was completed in 1892, the Ripon Building (which houses Chennai Corporation and the mayoral offices) dates from 1913, and the Southern Railway (India) Headquarters was built in 1922. Many of the colonial era buildings are designed in the Indo-Saracenic style. Other roads and localities have undergone significant change in the late 20th century. Many areas along the western stretch of the city were urban planning efforts, such as Ashok Nagar, KK Nagar and Anna Nagar. Several areas south of the Adyar River, including Kotturpuram, Besant Nagar and Adyar itself, have been developed only since the mid 1960s. Characteristic features of all these localities are their unusually wide roads and Cartesian coordinate system layouts. Many of these places were remote suburbs when they were first developed. Current urban development efforts are concentrated along the southern and western fringes, largely seeking to benefit from the growing ''information technology corridor'' in the southeast and the new ring roads in the west. The extent of the city's urban sprawl is indicated by the fact that the area administered by Chennai Corporation is 174 square kilometer [http://www.chennaicorporation.com/general_stats.htm], while the total urbanized area is estimated to be over 1100 square kilometer [http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/Utility/transport/utilitytr0001.htm].
==Transport== [[Image:Chennai.cmbt1.jpg|thumb|The CMBT in Koyambedu is the terminus for all intercity bus services from Chennai. It is the largest bus station in South Asia.]] [[Image:Chennai_central.jpg|thumb|Chennai Central, built in 1873 and remodeled in 1900, has been the city's main railway station since 1907, taking over from Royapuram.]] Chennai's economic development has been closely tied to its status as a major transportation hub. The city is well connected by road, rail and air and is a major port. Chennai is a hub from which five major highways radiate outward towards Kolkata, Bangalore, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruvallur, and Pondicherry. 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. Intercity bus services are run by 7 government owned transport corporations that run busses to all cities and towns of Tamil Nadu and border towns of neighbouring states. The State Express Transport Corporation runs express busses to major cities and towns in Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring states of Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. The city is also served by transport corporations of neighbouring states. There are also plenty of private bus companies that run buses out of Chennai. Chennai International Airport serves as the city's airport for both domestic and international flights, and is one of the most important gateways into the country, and especially southern India. The city is connected to major hubs in South East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America through 15 international carriers. The city is also well connected to other cities in India through 4 domestic carriers. The airport is also the second busiest cargo terminus in the country. Chennai is a major maritime hub. 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. It also handles general cargo, automobiles etc. The Ennore port handles more of cargo like coal, ore and other 'Dusty' cargo. The city is well connected by rail to the rest of India and has two main railway stations, Central Station which is the city's main railway station with trains to all the major cities and towns in India, and Egmore Station, which serves destinations mainly within Tamil Nadu. Intracity transport is accomplished through a system of roads, and trains. Although the road network is extensive, main arterial roads are often in gridlock during rush hour. The
Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) runs an extensive intracity bus system, which is generally efficient, though the buses themselves can get very crowded at times. The bus service consists of 2773 buses on 375 routes, and moves an estimated 4.2 million passengers daily[http://www.tn.gov.in/transport/routes/routes_mtc.htm]. In addition to buses, metered private call taxis, fixed rate tourist taxis, and auto rickshaws widely available within the city. Vans which are run like bus services and popularly called MaxiCabs also ply on many routes in the city. Motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters, are still the preferred mode of private transport for many Chennaiites for their fuel efficiency, maneuverability, and ease of parking despite an ever increasing number of cars on the roads. The intracity train network consistes of three rail sectors namely Chennai Central - Arakkonam, Chennai Central - Sulurpettai and Royapuram - Chengalpet. Suburban trains ply on these lines at regular intervals. Chennai also has an elevated MRTS suburban train system, which is interlinked with the remaining rail network and is currently being expanded.
==Natural resources== ===Beaches=== [[Image:chennai.marinasouth.jpg|thumb|An aerial view of south Marina Beach. ]] The Marina beach is the countrys longest (and among the longest in the world) beach, and its 13-kilometer length is often subdivided into more manageable units. The northern part of the beach (immediately south of the Cooum River) is called the ''Marina beach'', and is followed by the ''San Thome beach'', which lies north of the Adyar river estuary. [[Image:Dcp01618.jpg|thumb|Facing north on Elliot's Beach in Besant Nagar.]] South of the Adyar, the first section is called ''Elliot's beach'' or ''Besant Nagar beach'', and is followed by the ''Tiruvanmiyur beach'', the ''Kottivakkam beach'', and the ''Neelangarai beach''. The beach is visited by most people in the late afternoon and evening, when the sea breeze effect is at its strongest. It is also favoured by joggers at dawn and by couples at night. ===Flora and fauna=== The Guindy National Park in the south of the city is the country's smallest National parks of India, with an area of 2.76 square kilometer. This is also a rare National Park that is located completely inside a large city. It hosts a variety of endangered deer (mostly chital and black buck)), snakes (pythons, boas, cobras, kraits, vipers) and other endangered animals (tortoises, turtles) [http://www.tamilnaduscientists.com/SnakePark/snakepark5.html]. The adjoining Indian Institute of Technology, Madras campus also holds many deer, non-poisonous snakes and monkeys. This park plays a vital role in cleaning the city's atmosphere, and is several degrees cooler than the city in summer. The ''Arignar Anna Zoological Park'' (better known as ''Vandalur Zoo'') is located southwest of the city and covers an area of 5.1 square kilometer. The Zoo was formerly located in the city under the name "Madras Zoo", and was the oldest zoo in the country (established 1854 [http://www.cza.nic.in/history.html]). It was moved to its current suburban location in 1980. It has about eighty species on display, and includes a lion safari and two aviaries. The southern stretches of the beach, from Tiruvanmiyur to Neelangarai, are favoured by the endangered Olive Ridley turtles to lay their eggs every winter, as are other beaches in Tamil Nadu and Orissa. At that time, many conservation volunteers work on the beach during the night to protect the eggs or to remove them to a hatchery. Hatchlings are usually released to the sea in March or April. South of the city, along the East Coast Road, is located the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, which hosts several fresh-water and salt-water crocodiles, alligators, gharials, and also turtles and snakes. It is considered an important institute for herpetology research, and performs services such as snake venom extraction for preparing antidotes.
==Education== [[Image:Iitm.maingate.logo.jpg|thumb|The main entrance of IIT Madras, showing its logo and its motto.]] Chennai is the location of several colleges and universities in a wide variety of disciplines. The prestigious IIT Madras (1959), is located in the south of the city and is well-known for its engineering program. Located diagonally across the street 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). A large number of colleges in Tamil Nadu offering programs in engineering, technology and architecture are affiliated to Anna University. The University of Madras (1857), which has three campuses in the city, offers a range of programs in liberal arts, science and commerce. In addition, a large majority of city colleges are affiliated to the University of Madras, and collectively offer programs in medicine, law, science, and commerce. Some such older institutions are the Presidency College (Chennai) (1840) and the Madras Medical College (1850), both of which affiliated themselves to the University of Madras on its formation. Other educational establishments include Loyola College (1925), the NIFT (1995), the IFMR (1970) and the Madras School of Social Work (1952), (2003). Schools in Chennai may be run privately, by the Tamil Nadu Government, or may be run privately with financial aid from the Government. Private schools are usually affiliated to the CBSE or to the Tamil Nadu State Board. Very few schools are affiliated to the ICSE. Children join school at about age 3, and study through 2 years of kindergarten and 12 years of school, with one board exam in Class 10 and one in Class 12. Many students follow their Class 12 board exam with one or more college entrance examinations of their choice. Common choices include the IIT-JEE and the TNPCEE. Academic pressure is a characteristic feature of the system.
The Connemara Public Library in Chennai is one of the four National Depository libraries. ==Sports== [[Image:Chennai.MAC.gif|thumb|The M A Chidambaram Cricket stadium, popularly called the MAC]][[Image:Chennai_nehrustd.jpg|thumb| The Jawaharlal Nehru soccer and athletic stadium .]][[Image:Chennai.adyar.boating.jpg|thumb|Rowing on the Adyar River is a popular sport and pastime.]] 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 was built in 1916. It seats 50,000 and is home to the Tamil Nadu cricket team. The Indian cricket team won its first ever test cricket here in 1952 against English cricket team. This stadium is noted for its appreciative crowd, which often surprises visiting teams with its good sportsmanlike behaviour [http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/GROUNDS/IND/CHENNAI/MA_CHIDAMBARAM_STADIUM_00291/]. The Chemplast Cricket Ground in the IIT Madras campus is another important cricket venue. It seats a small number of spectators, being surrounded by forest on three sides, and has been described by Sachin Tendulkar as "the most scenic in India". The Egmore Stadium for field hockey seats 4,000 spectators and has an Astroturf field. The modern Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam seats 7,000 spectators and has 6 synthetic surface courts. This stadium hosts India's only Association of Tennis Professionals event, the Chennai Open every January. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Periamet seats 40,000 and hosts soccer, athletics and volleyball competitions. The Aquatic Complex in Velachery seats 4,000. The city also has a good squash court. All these facilities were built in 1995, when Chennai hosted the South Asian Federation Games. The Guindy Race Course for Horse racing was set up in 1777. Motor racing events are held at the Sriperumpudur (''Thirupperumputhur'') track for cars, and the Sholavaram track for motorcycles. The Madras Boat Club was set up in 1867. Rowing on the Adyar River is a popular sport and pastime. Most of the rowing is done near the Kotturpuram bridge. The city has three 18-hole golf courses: the Cosmopolitan Club has a golf course in Nandanam, on the banks of the Adyar River; the Gymkhana Club golf course is located within the central section of the Guindy Race Course; and the nearby Guindy Links. All three clubs were established between the 1870s and 1880s. Golfing in Chennai is usually done between September and February, when the ground is moist.
==Notable people born in Chennai== *Engelbert Humperdinck (singer), popular music singer *Henry Whitehead, mathematician *Mahesh Bhupathi, tennis player *R.K. Narayan, writer *Nasser Hussain, England cricketer *Pete Best, early The Beatles drummer *A. R. Rahman, music composer *Viswanathan Anand, chess grandmaster *Thiruvalluvar, Great/Divine Poet (Theiva Pulavar) ==Present problems== As of 2005, overpopulation is the single largest problem facing Chennai. This manifests itself in four main secondary effects: *Urban sprawl *Pollution *Large slum population *Strained infrastructure *Unbearable long summmers with 40 degree celsius days The city's population has grown from [http://www.sampatti.com/news/urban3.shtml 1.54 million] in 1951 to [http://www.chennaicorporation.com/general_stats.htm 4.2 million] in 2001. The population of the metro area is expected to grow from about 6 million in 2001 to about [http://www.tn.gov.in/policynotes/hud2004-05-8.htm 9.5 million] by 2011. Due to structural and legal constraints in the city, tall buildings are not generally favoured, especially if they are residential buildings. Most residential buildings in the city are four stories or shorter. This has caused the city to spread outwards by a large extent. The area administered by the Chennai Corporation is about 172 square kilometer[http://www.chennaicorporation.com/general_stats.htm], which is a small fraction of the total 1177 square kilometer currently urbanized.[http://www.tn.gov.in/policynotes/hud2004-05-8.htm] Consequently, the average commute distance and number of vehicles on the streets have both increased, the latter factor also being aided by the city's strong economic growth. Air pollution is considerable due to a large number of two-stroke engines used in auto rickshaws and mopeds, and diesel fuel used by buses and trucks. It is more unpleasant in combination with the high temperatures and humidity. The Cooum and the Adyar rivers are both 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 desilted and cleaned periodically. As of 2001, about [http://www.tn.gov.in/economy/eco-oct2001-12.htm 25%] of the city's population were classified as living in slum conditions. The overall literacy rate is about [http://www.tn.gov.in/schooleducation/statistics/table7and8.htm 80%]. Nearly all the illiterate people in Chennai also live in slum conditions. The large population has strained some of the city's urban infrastructure. While most agencies have been able to cope, the city's water supply in particular has proved inadequate for its population, and an over-reliance on annual monsoon rains to replenish the 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. The Veeranam Project has proved unsuccessful so far, in part due to mismanagement of project funds and in part due to the nature of state politics [http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2110/stories/20040521004009700.htm]. The Veeranam project [http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20050423232332&Page=T&Title=Southern+News+-+Tamil+Nadu&Topic=0 has been axed] 24 Apr 2005. Water from the Krishna is occasionally pumped to the city, but has become infeasible due to political squabbles between Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka over sharing river water. A large part of the city now buys water commercially from tankers, and rainwater harvesting has become an essential practice. Selling water has become a lucrative industry, and has attracted several entrepreneurs. In December 2004, about 200 people in Chennai were killed by a 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Most of the casualties were fishermen and joggers. The city was otherwise not significantly affected.
==External links== *[http://www.chennai.tn.nic.in/ Official government website of Chennai District.] - *[http://www.chennaicorporation.com/ Official website of the Corporation of Chennai] *[http://www.chennaicorporation.com/madras_history.htm History of Madras] *[http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/mpcl13.htm Archive of historian S. Muthiah's articles on Chennai, published in ''The Hindu''] *[http://groups.msn.com/krishnaswamiIyerfamily/realsingarachennai.msnw Vintage pictures of Madras] *[http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/43279.html Current weather in Chennai] *[http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Madras Chennai travel guide at Wikitravel] *[http://www.dewpointtravels.com/ Air Ticket booking and flight enquires - www.dewpointtravels.com - Chennai Travel Agent and Tour operator] *[http://hsb.iitm.ac.in/~prakriti/ ''Prakriti'' wildlife club at IIT Madras] *[http://www.citypopulation.de/World.html Th. Brinkhoff: The Principal Agglomerations of the World], 2005-January 30 *[http://www.chennaionline.com ChennaiOnline.com] *[http://www.spiritofchennai.com SpiritOfChennai.com] *[http://www.chennaibest.com ChennaiBest.com] *[http://www.chennaivision.com/ Tourist attractions] *[http://www.chennaishopping.com/ www.chennaishopping.com - Chennai's Online market place] ==Further reading== *S. Muthiah, C.L.D. Gupta: ''Queen of the Coromandel'' (ISBN: 8186982973) *Richard Plunkett, Teresa Cannon, Peter Davis, Paul Greenway, Paul Harding: ''Lonely Planet South India'' (ISBN: 1864501618) Chennai Tamil Nadu Cities and towns in India Cities and towns in Tamil Nadu Districts of Tamil Nadu Coastal cities Metropolitan areas hi:चेन्नई ta:சென்னை
==Archives of older discussions== /archive1 :This is an archive of the following discussions, which don't seem to be active any more: ::Explicit code for table of contents. ::Comma separators and number format (lakhs vs millions). ::The names "Chennai" and "Madras", and their origins. ::Unicode characters for "Chennai" in Tamil, and Firefox vs IE rendering issues. Please archive the other discussions on this page if they no longer seem to be active. == Deleted Food. Explained here. == I deleted the section called Food, which I've pasted below. I feel it currently reads like a joint ad for some Chennai restaurants ("excellent quality", "very tranquil" etc). This needs to be rewritten and merged with the Cuisine subsection, without making a sales pitch for any restaurant. Thanks, --User:Brhaspati 07:52, 2005 Jan 10 (UTC) Some of the best South Indian food is available in Chennai. The Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants are popular for serving South Indian fast foods such as Idlis, Vadais, Dosais, Uthappams etc of excellent quality. Other chains such as Sangeethas are also catching on. The Drive-in Dasaprakash Restaurant on Cathedral Road is surrounded by trees and is very tranquil. Numerous cafes dot Mylapore and Triplicane area. In addition, the more expensive hotels offer both South Indian and North Indian cuisine. Top of the line South Indian food can be found at "The Dakshin", a restaurant run by the Adayar Park Sheraton. Other popular joints that serve local cuisine are: 1. Kaaraikudi (Chettinad) 2. Kalpakam (Keralite) 3. Annalakshmi (Typical Tamil lunch of rice, Samhbar, Rasam, veggies etc served on a silver platter) 4. Adayar Ananda Bhavan (serves snacks, sweets and savories) 5. Adayar Grand Sweets (One of the best places to buy authentic sweets and savories) 6. Sree Krishna Sweets (their Mysorepak is very popular) 7. The innumerable joints in T Nagar around Ranganathan and Ramanathan Street. The beaches are popular for "Pattani Sundal", a snack made out of boiled peas, grated coconuts, bits of raw Mango, red chillies and garnished with mustard seeds and cilantro(coriander) leaves. == Length of article == The length of the article has crossed 32 KB again. This is in spite of outsourcing the large infobox table to Template:Chennai infobox and moving the lists to a separate article List of things in Chennai. I do tend to add a lot of stuff. How can we reduce the article length? (please indicate Support or Oppose under these options) * Move History section (currently the longest) to its own article History of Chennai. Maybe with other sections too if they are mature enough. :Support on the condition that there should be a brief summary in the current article too. -- User:Sundar 04:56, Jan 24, 2005 (UTC) * Reduce the detail and make the article less comprehensive than it is now. I feel the article is ''informative'' but I don't know how much of it is truly ''encyclopedic''. :Support. The candidates I see are the list of British Governors etc. Can't we outsource them to some list articles and include a template that expands here? -- User:Sundar 04:56, Jan 24, 2005 (UTC) * Split the article into two smaller articles, one dealing with permanent aspects of the city (history, geography etc) and one with changeable aspects (economy, current problems etc). : Oppose. In general, even when we move sections to other articles, we should have a brief summary in the Chennai article, which should give a complete overview of all aspects. -- User:Sundar 04:56, Jan 24, 2005 (UTC) I should also warn people that I intend to add one more (hopefully brief) section about the administration of Chennai (local government structure, Corporation, Mayor, their problems, progress, plans etc) and Chennai's contribution to Lok Sabha and TN Assembly (number of seats/constituencies, current MP/MLA etc). :Support. Please do so. We can always find some ways for reducing article length. -- User:Sundar -- User:Brhaspati 22:24, 2005 Jan 21 (UTC) :Problem of plenty is good. If we had so much info, may be we should start
Chennai (சென்னை), formerly known in English as Madras, is a sprawling port city on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. One of the major Metropolitan cities of India, it is also the capital of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. Cities and towns in India
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Chennai
Chennai (''ெசன்னை'' in Tamil language), formerly known as Madras, is a city on the east coast of South India. Situated on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, this capital of the state of Tamil Nadu is India's fourth largest metropolitan city and one of the List of metropolitan areas by population metropolitan areas in the world, with a metropolitan population of about 7.45 million in 2005 [http://www.citypopulation.de/World.html]. Its name was officially changed to Chennai in 1996, but the older name Madras is still widely used. The city is a large commercial and industrial centre in India, and is known for its cultural heritage. __TOC__
==Geography== [[Image:Satmap.jpg|thumb|Chennai is situated on a flat coastal plain. The Red Hills Lake and the Chembarambakkam Lake are seen clearly.]] [[Image:Chennai.satmap.annotated.jpg|thumb|A Landsat 7 map of Chennai city, showing the urban features in more detail.]] Chennai is located at , on the Coromandel Coast in South India, at the north-eastern tip of Tamil Nadu state. It has a long shoreline with the Bay of Bengal on the east, the location of the 13 kilometer-long Marina Beach, and a large artificial harbour servicing sea-lines to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. The land on which Chennai is built is flat coastal plain. The average elevation is 6 meters above sea-level. Two rivers pass through Chennai, the Cooum (or ''Koovam'') in the central part and the Adyar in the southern part. Both rivers are placid, and meander slowly on their way east to the Bay of Bengal. The estuary of the Adyar River, whose ecology is protected, is the nature habitat of several species of birds and animals. Two small waterways exist in addition to the rivers. The Buckingham Canal runs parallel to the coast, about 3-5 kilometer inland. It connects the two rivers to each other and extends farther in both directions, up to Guntur in Andhra Pradesh in the north and just beyond Sadras in the south. The ''Otteri Nullah'' is an east-west stream that runs through north Chennai and meets the Buckingham Canal at Basin Bridge. There is some rowing on the Adyar River, but there is no boat traffic on the other waterways. The Canal has not been navigable within city limits since about 1975 due to extensive silting, which is also a problem with the two rivers. The Adyar and the southern stretch of the canal were fully desilted in 2004. The Cooum has not been desilted due to its narrowness and several illegal hutments along its banks. Several lakes of varying size are located on the western fringes of the city. Red Hills and Sholavaram lakes in the north-west supply most of the city's water supply. Chembarambakkam Lake (the source of the Adyar River) located 40 kilometer west of the city, is another water source. Climate, Chennai lies on the thermal equator, which makes it hot and humid most of the year. The highest temperatures are attained in late May and early June, usually about 38° Celsius (100.4° Fahrenheit), though it usually exceeds 40° C (104° F) for a few days most years. The coldest time of the year is early January when temperatures are about 24° C (75.2° F), though temperatures below 18° C (64.4° F) have been recorded. The average annual rainfall is about 1 E0 m (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 also contribute significantly, exceeding the regular monsoon rainfall in some years. Extreme temperatures: 15.8C & 44.1C [http://app.nea.gov.sg/cms/htdocs/article.asp?pid=1111]
==History== [[Image:Mylapore.kapali.gopuram.jpg|thumb|The Kapaleeshwarar temple in Mylapore was built by the Pallava kings in the 7th century]] The region currently occupied by Chennai has served as an important administrative,military, and economic center from as far back as the 1st century.The region was ruled by several South Indian kingdoms, most notably the Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas and finally the Vijaynagar empire. European settlers arrived in 16th century, and the region got its initial character as a city when merchants of the British East India Company selected a fishing hamlet called Madraspatnam as a site for settlement in 1639. Some believe that the British favoured the name "Madraspatnam" while the locals called it "Chennaipatnam", but this hypothesis is disputed. The England strengthened their position in the region in several steps until the end of the 18th century, following which Madras became an important English navy and the administrative centre of the growing British dominions in southern India. When the British eventually gained control over most of southern India, they integrated the region into the Madras Presidency and Madras became its capital. After Indian independence in 1947, the city became the capital of Madras State, renamed Tamil Nadu in 1956. In 1996, the state government renamed the city from "Madras" to "Chennai". According to most accounts, this was in accordance with the names "Madraspatnam" and "Chennaipatnam", but this hypothesis is disputed.
==Government== [[Image:Chennai_corp.jpg|thumb|Ripon Building, which houses the Chennai Corporation, was completed in 1913. It is named after former viceroy Lord Ripon.]] The executive and legislative wings of the government of Tamil Nadu are housed in the Secretariat Buildings, part of the Fort St George campus. The Chennai High Court is the highest judicial authority in the state. Chennai has three Parliamentary constituency (Chennai North, Chennai Central and Chennai South). The current Member of Parliaments are C Kuppusami, Dayanidhi Maran (Minister of Communications and Information Technology) and TR Baalu (Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways) respectively. As with the rest of Tamil Nadu, each Parliamentary constituency is divided into six State Legislature constituencies. Chennai is therefore represented in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by 18 Member of Legislative Assemblys. The 18 constituencies are Royapuram, Harbour, Radhakrishnan Nagar, Perambur, Tiruvotriyur and Villivakkam (all in Chennai North); Park Town, Purasawalkam, Egmore, Anna Nagar, Thousand Lights and Chepauk (all in Chennai Central); and T Nagar, Triplicane, Mylapore, Saidapet, Alandur and Tambaram (all in Chennai South). Chennai city is governed by the Chennai Corporation, which consists of a Mayor (directly elected by the city residents) and 155 Councillors representing the 155 Wards (each directly elected by the residents of that Ward), one of whom is elected by the other Councillors as a Deputy Mayor. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor preside over about 10 Standing Committees. (Executive hierarchy: [http://www.chennaicorporation.com/images/execut_chart.gif] Administrative hierarchy: [http://www.chennaicorporation.com/images/admin_chart.gif])
==Economy== [[Image:chennai_tidelprk.jpg|thumb|Tidel Park in Taramani hosts a number of Information technology companies.]] Founded as a trading outpost by the British East India Company in the early 17th century, Chennai is today a large industrial and commercial centre in India. The major centres of trade and commerce in Chennai are Parry's Corner and T.Nagar, named after Thomas Parry, who set up the EID Parry company, and Sir P. Thyagarayar, the founder of what later became the Justice Party respectively. The city also has other less hectic business districts. Chennai has a very diversified industrial base and is home to companies producing everything from Bicycles (TI Cycles) to Battle Tanks (Avadi HVF). It is the base for over 40% of India's automotive industry. Most of the automotive original equipment manufacturers in India are based in Chennai, mainly in the Ambattur-Padi industrial zone. Several auto and tyre companies such as TVS, India, Ashok Leyland, Hyundai, Ford Motor Company, Mitsubishi and MRF have manufacturing plants in and around Chennai. Major heavy industries are textiles and chemicals, located mainly in the northeast and northwest industrial zones. The leather industry is located mostly in the southwest of the city. So many tanneries were once located there in a tight cluster that the ground water changed colour due to chromium in the effluents. The locality (which was subsequently cleaned up) is now known as Chromepet. [[Image:Chennai it park.jpg|thumb|International Tech Park Chennai-Ascendas in Taramani is one of largest IT parks in India]] Chennai's service sector was traditionally dominated by finance and banking especially because several multinational banks had their headquarters or IT systems supported out of Chennai. Since the late 1990s, software development and BPO have become very important and Chennai is now an important hub for Software and IT companies. Companies like Infosys, Wipro, TCS, CTS, Covansys, Saksoft, Thinksoft and several other IT firms are situated in Chennai. The ''information technology'' is in the southeast of the city. Several technology parks have been built in the area, the most important being Tidel Park, built by TIDCO as a Government initiative. Several organizations have their software development and BPO centres in Chennai.
==Demographics== [[Image:Chennai.ranganathanst.jpg|thumb|Ranganathan Street in T.Nagar is usually packed with shoppers. Powered vehicles are forbidden on this street.]] The residents of Chennai are called ''Chennaiites''. 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 [http://www.citypopulation.de/World.html]. The population density in the city is 24,418 per square kilometer, while the overall population density is 6,351 per square kilometer. The sex ratio in the city is about 948 females for every 1000 males, slightly higher than the national average of 934 [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html]. The average literacy rate is 80.14% [http://www.tn.gov.in/schooleducation/statistics/table7and8.htm], much higher than the national average of 59.5% [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html]. About 25% of the city's population is classified as living in slum conditions [http://www.tn.gov.in/economy/eco-oct2001-12.htm]. The majority of the people in Chennai are Tamil people, with a sizable Telugu minority. English language is widely spoken, and is used almost exclusively in business and education. The Tamil language spoken in Chennai uses English words very liberally, so much so that it is often called ''Madras bashai'' ("Madras language"). Telugu is also spoken in Chennai. Historically, Madras under the British used to be the capital of the Madras Presidency, which covered most of the area now occupied by the modern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, excluding the princely states enjoying British patronage. Madras thus inherited a mix of languages and dialects, most of which have changed with time. Marwari moneylenders and businessmen from northern India (mainly from Gujarat and Rajasthan) settled in and around north Chennai in the 1950s, many of them in the locality of ''Sowcarpet'', which is a polyglot mix of ''sahukar'' (Hindi for "moneylender") and ''pettai'' (Tamil for "neighbourhood"). Chennai has therefore become progressively more cosmopolitan. More recently the growth of the IT industry has also attracted people from other states and even a few from other countries.
==Culture== [[Image:Chennai.carnatic.concert.jpg|thumb|A Carnatic music concert during the annual Music Season.]] Chennai is a major cultural hub. Every December, Chennai has its five week-long ''Music Season'', which has been described as the world's largest cultural event [http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/03/stories/2005020301281000.htm]. Chennai is also known for a classical Indian dance form called 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. Founded in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale after an encounter with Anna Pavlova, Kalakshetra is a cultural hotspot with thousands of students from many countries learning the "Kalakshetra style" of Bharatanatyam, in addition to music, painting and other fine arts. [[Image:Saarang.2005.orangestreet.jpg|thumb|Matmatah performing at ''Saarang'' 2005.]] College culfests play an important role in allowing several cultures to blend. Many culfests in the city attract participants from around the country. Some of the larger culfests in the city are ''Saarang'', ''Deep Woods'', ''Melange'' and ''Down Sterling''. Rock shows are a regular feature, both as stand-alone events and as part of college culfests. The annual ''June Rock Out'', organized by the Unwind Center is attended by rock bands from around the country. Chennai has a number of local rock bands, most notably ''Moksha (band)'' and ''The LBG''. Chennai is the base for the large Tamil language movie industry, nicknamed ''Kollywood'' after the locality of Kodambakkam where most of the movie studios are located. The industry makes about 300 Tamil movies a year. "Gaana", which originated as the voice of Chennai youth especially the poorer sections of the population, now has been adopted by mainstream music/movie industry - a trend shared with Urban Youth Music worldwide.
==Cuisine== Indian_filter_coffee_is_a_morning_ritual_for_many_Chennaiites">Image:Indian filter coffee in Dabarah.jpg|thumb|Indian filter coffee is a morning ritual for many Chennaiites Chennai is known for traditional Tamil cuisine. The staple food of most of the population is rice. This is usually steamed and served with about two to six accompanying items. Typically the items are sambar (dish), 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. Many meals are chased by a hot Indian filter coffee, the signature beverage of the city. Another popular beverage is strongly brewed tea found in the thousands of small Tea stalls found across the city. Other cuisines are also popular in Chennai: Indian, European Continental, and Chinese cuisines have been around for a long time, while Mexican, Thai, and Mediterranean cuisines have made their entry in the past few years. A growing trend is fusing traditional Tamil cuisine with elements from other cuisines from around India and the world. This results in both spicier versions of foreign dishes (such as ''Szechuan Chicken Masala'') and remixed versions of traditional Tamil dishes (such as ''Cheese Mushroom Uthappam''), increasing the diversity of city cuisine.
==Architecture and urban planning== [[Image:Musee madras.jpg|thumb|The Government Museum in Egmore is a good example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Designed by Henry Irwin, it was completed in 1896.]] Chennai has a very heterogeneous mix of architecture styles, from ancient temples built by the Pallavas through the British Raj to features of 20th century urban planning. 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. The colonial legacy of Chennai is 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 from 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 Georgetown, where dockyard workers and other manual labourers used to live. Georgetown 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. Some residential areas like Tiruvallikeni (Triplicane) and Mayilapur (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. Many other old buildings are still fully functional and host government, business or educational establishments. For instance, the General Hospital moved to its current location in 1772 (it opened to Indians in 1842), the Presidency College was built in 1840, the Royapuram Station dates from 1856, the Chennai Central Station dates from 1873, the High Court was completed in 1892, the Ripon Building (which houses Chennai Corporation and the mayoral offices) dates from 1913, and the Southern Railway (India) Headquarters was built in 1922. Many of the colonial era buildings are designed in the Indo-Saracenic style. Other roads and localities have undergone significant change in the late 20th century. Many areas along the western stretch of the city were urban planning efforts, such as Ashok Nagar, KK Nagar and Anna Nagar. Several areas south of the Adyar River, including Kotturpuram, Besant Nagar and Adyar itself, have been developed only since the mid 1960s. Characteristic features of all these localities are their unusually wide roads and Cartesian coordinate system layouts. Many of these places were remote suburbs when they were first developed. Current urban development efforts are concentrated along the southern and western fringes, largely seeking to benefit from the growing ''information technology corridor'' in the southeast and the new ring roads in the west. The extent of the city's urban sprawl is indicated by the fact that the area administered by Chennai Corporation is 174 square kilometer [http://www.chennaicorporation.com/general_stats.htm], while the total urbanized area is estimated to be over 1100 square kilometer [http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/Utility/transport/utilitytr0001.htm].
==Transport== [[Image:Chennai.cmbt1.jpg|thumb|The CMBT in Koyambedu is the terminus for all intercity bus services from Chennai. It is the largest bus station in South Asia.]] [[Image:Chennai_central.jpg|thumb|Chennai Central, built in 1873 and remodeled in 1900, has been the city's main railway station since 1907, taking over from Royapuram.]] Chennai's economic development has been closely tied to its status as a major transportation hub. The city is well connected by road, rail and air and is a major port. Chennai is a hub from which five major highways radiate outward towards Kolkata, Bangalore, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruvallur, and Pondicherry. 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. Intercity bus services are run by 7 government owned transport corporations that run busses to all cities and towns of Tamil Nadu and border towns of neighbouring states. The State Express Transport Corporation runs express busses to major cities and towns in Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring states of Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. The city is also served by transport corporations of neighbouring states. There are also plenty of private bus companies that run buses out of Chennai. Chennai International Airport serves as the city's airport for both domestic and international flights, and is one of the most important gateways into the country, and especially southern India. The city is connected to major hubs in South East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America through 15 international carriers. The city is also well connected to other cities in India through 4 domestic carriers. The airport is also the second busiest cargo terminus in the country. Chennai is a major maritime hub. 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. It also handles general cargo, automobiles etc. The Ennore port handles more of cargo like coal, ore and other 'Dusty' cargo. The city is well connected by rail to the rest of India and has two main railway stations, Central Station which is the city's main railway station with trains to all the major cities and towns in India, and Egmore Station, which serves destinations mainly within Tamil Nadu. Intracity transport is accomplished through a system of roads, and trains. Although the road network is extensive, main arterial roads are often in gridlock during rush hour. The
Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) runs an extensive intracity bus system, which is generally efficient, though the buses themselves can get very crowded at times. The bus service consists of 2773 buses on 375 routes, and moves an estimated 4.2 million passengers daily[http://www.tn.gov.in/transport/routes/routes_mtc.htm]. In addition to buses, metered private call taxis, fixed rate tourist taxis, and auto rickshaws widely available within the city. Vans which are run like bus services and popularly called MaxiCabs also ply on many routes in the city. Motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters, are still the preferred mode of private transport for many Chennaiites for their fuel efficiency, maneuverability, and ease of parking despite an ever increasing number of cars on the roads. The intracity train network consistes of three rail sectors namely Chennai Central - Arakkonam, Chennai Central - Sulurpettai and Royapuram - Chengalpet. Suburban trains ply on these lines at regular intervals. Chennai also has an elevated MRTS suburban train system, which is interlinked with the remaining rail network and is currently being expanded.
==Natural resources== ===Beaches=== [[Image:chennai.marinasouth.jpg|thumb|An aerial view of south Marina Beach. ]] The Marina beach is the countrys longest (and among the longest in the world) beach, and its 13-kilometer length is often subdivided into more manageable units. The northern part of the beach (immediately south of the Cooum River) is called the ''Marina beach'', and is followed by the ''San Thome beach'', which lies north of the Adyar river estuary. [[Image:Dcp01618.jpg|thumb|Facing north on Elliot's Beach in Besant Nagar.]] South of the Adyar, the first section is called ''Elliot's beach'' or ''Besant Nagar beach'', and is followed by the ''Tiruvanmiyur beach'', the ''Kottivakkam beach'', and the ''Neelangarai beach''. The beach is visited by most people in the late afternoon and evening, when the sea breeze effect is at its strongest. It is also favoured by joggers at dawn and by couples at night. ===Flora and fauna=== The Guindy National Park in the south of the city is the country's smallest National parks of India, with an area of 2.76 square kilometer. This is also a rare National Park that is located completely inside a large city. It hosts a variety of endangered deer (mostly chital and black buck)), snakes (pythons, boas, cobras, kraits, vipers) and other endangered animals (tortoises, turtles) [http://www.tamilnaduscientists.com/SnakePark/snakepark5.html]. The adjoining Indian Institute of Technology, Madras campus also holds many deer, non-poisonous snakes and monkeys. This park plays a vital role in cleaning the city's atmosphere, and is several degrees cooler than the city in summer. The ''Arignar Anna Zoological Park'' (better known as ''Vandalur Zoo'') is located southwest of the city and covers an area of 5.1 square kilometer. The Zoo was formerly located in the city under the name "Madras Zoo", and was the oldest zoo in the country (established 1854 [http://www.cza.nic.in/history.html]). It was moved to its current suburban location in 1980. It has about eighty species on display, and includes a lion safari and two aviaries. The southern stretches of the beach, from Tiruvanmiyur to Neelangarai, are favoured by the endangered Olive Ridley turtles to lay their eggs every winter, as are other beaches in Tamil Nadu and Orissa. At that time, many conservation volunteers work on the beach during the night to protect the eggs or to remove them to a hatchery. Hatchlings are usually released to the sea in March or April. South of the city, along the East Coast Road, is located the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, which hosts several fresh-water and salt-water crocodiles, alligators, gharials, and also turtles and snakes. It is considered an important institute for herpetology research, and performs services such as snake venom extraction for preparing antidotes.
==Education== [[Image:Iitm.maingate.logo.jpg|thumb|The main entrance of IIT Madras, showing its logo and its motto.]] Chennai is the location of several colleges and universities in a wide variety of disciplines. The prestigious IIT Madras (1959), is located in the south of the city and is well-known for its engineering program. Located diagonally across the street 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). A large number of colleges in Tamil Nadu offering programs in engineering, technology and architecture are affiliated to Anna University. The University of Madras (1857), which has three campuses in the city, offers a range of programs in liberal arts, science and commerce. In addition, a large majority of city colleges are affiliated to the University of Madras, and collectively offer programs in medicine, law, science, and commerce. Some such older institutions are the Presidency College (Chennai) (1840) and the Madras Medical College (1850), both of which affiliated themselves to the University of Madras on its formation. Other educational establishments include Loyola College (1925), the NIFT (1995), the IFMR (1970) and the Madras School of Social Work (1952), (2003). Schools in Chennai may be run privately, by the Tamil Nadu Government, or may be run privately with financial aid from the Government. Private schools are usually affiliated to the CBSE or to the Tamil Nadu State Board. Very few schools are affiliated to the ICSE. Children join school at about age 3, and study through 2 years of kindergarten and 12 years of school, with one board exam in Class 10 and one in Class 12. Many students follow their Class 12 board exam with one or more college entrance examinations of their choice. Common choices include the IIT-JEE and the TNPCEE. Academic pressure is a characteristic feature of the system.
The Connemara Public Library in Chennai is one of the four National Depository libraries. ==Sports== [[Image:Chennai.MAC.gif|thumb|The M A Chidambaram Cricket stadium, popularly called the MAC]][[Image:Chennai_nehrustd.jpg|thumb| The Jawaharlal Nehru soccer and athletic stadium .]][[Image:Chennai.adyar.boating.jpg|thumb|Rowing on the Adyar River is a popular sport and pastime.]] 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 was built in 1916. It seats 50,000 and is home to the Tamil Nadu cricket team. The Indian cricket team won its first ever test cricket here in 1952 against English cricket team. This stadium is noted for its appreciative crowd, which often surprises visiting teams with its good sportsmanlike behaviour [http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/GROUNDS/IND/CHENNAI/MA_CHIDAMBARAM_STADIUM_00291/]. The Chemplast Cricket Ground in the IIT Madras campus is another important cricket venue. It seats a small number of spectators, being surrounded by forest on three sides, and has been described by Sachin Tendulkar as "the most scenic in India". The Egmore Stadium for field hockey seats 4,000 spectators and has an Astroturf field. The modern Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam seats 7,000 spectators and has 6 synthetic surface courts. This stadium hosts India's only Association of Tennis Professionals event, the Chennai Open every January. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Periamet seats 40,000 and hosts soccer, athletics and volleyball competitions. The Aquatic Complex in Velachery seats 4,000. The city also has a good squash court. All these facilities were built in 1995, when Chennai hosted the South Asian Federation Games. The Guindy Race Course for Horse racing was set up in 1777. Motor racing events are held at the Sriperumpudur (''Thirupperumputhur'') track for cars, and the Sholavaram track for motorcycles. The Madras Boat Club was set up in 1867. Rowing on the Adyar River is a popular sport and pastime. Most of the rowing is done near the Kotturpuram bridge. The city has three 18-hole golf courses: the Cosmopolitan Club has a golf course in Nandanam, on the banks of the Adyar River; the Gymkhana Club golf course is located within the central section of the Guindy Race Course; and the nearby Guindy Links. All three clubs were established between the 1870s and 1880s. Golfing in Chennai is usually done between September and February, when the ground is moist.
==Notable people born in Chennai== *Engelbert Humperdinck (singer), popular music singer *Henry Whitehead, mathematician *Mahesh Bhupathi, tennis player *R.K. Narayan, writer *Nasser Hussain, England cricketer *Pete Best, early The Beatles drummer *A. R. Rahman, music composer *Viswanathan Anand, chess grandmaster *Thiruvalluvar, Great/Divine Poet (Theiva Pulavar) ==Present problems== As of 2005, overpopulation is the single largest problem facing Chennai. This manifests itself in four main secondary effects: *Urban sprawl *Pollution *Large slum population *Strained infrastructure *Unbearable long summmers with 40 degree celsius days The city's population has grown from [http://www.sampatti.com/news/urban3.shtml 1.54 million] in 1951 to [http://www.chennaicorporation.com/general_stats.htm 4.2 million] in 2001. The population of the metro area is expected to grow from about 6 million in 2001 to about [http://www.tn.gov.in/policynotes/hud2004-05-8.htm 9.5 million] by 2011. Due to structural and legal constraints in the city, tall buildings are not generally favoured, especially if they are residential buildings. Most residential buildings in the city are four stories or shorter. This has caused the city to spread outwards by a large extent. The area administered by the Chennai Corporation is about 172 square kilometer[http://www.chennaicorporation.com/general_stats.htm], which is a small fraction of the total 1177 square kilometer currently urbanized.[http://www.tn.gov.in/policynotes/hud2004-05-8.htm] Consequently, the average commute distance and number of vehicles on the streets have both increased, the latter factor also being aided by the city's strong economic growth. Air pollution is considerable due to a large number of two-stroke engines used in auto rickshaws and mopeds, and diesel fuel used by buses and trucks. It is more unpleasant in combination with the high temperatures and humidity. The Cooum and the Adyar rivers are both 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 desilted and cleaned periodically. As of 2001, about [http://www.tn.gov.in/economy/eco-oct2001-12.htm 25%] of the city's population were classified as living in slum conditions. The overall literacy rate is about [http://www.tn.gov.in/schooleducation/statistics/table7and8.htm 80%]. Nearly all the illiterate people in Chennai also live in slum conditions. The large population has strained some of the city's urban infrastructure. While most agencies have been able to cope, the city's water supply in particular has proved inadequate for its population, and an over-reliance on annual monsoon rains to replenish the 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. The Veeranam Project has proved unsuccessful so far, in part due to mismanagement of project funds and in part due to the nature of state politics [http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2110/stories/20040521004009700.htm]. The Veeranam project [http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20050423232332&Page=T&Title=Southern+News+-+Tamil+Nadu&Topic=0 has been axed] 24 Apr 2005. Water from the Krishna is occasionally pumped to the city, but has become infeasible due to political squabbles between Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka over sharing river water. A large part of the city now buys water commercially from tankers, and rainwater harvesting has become an essential practice. Selling water has become a lucrative industry, and has attracted several entrepreneurs. In December 2004, about 200 people in Chennai were killed by a 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Most of the casualties were fishermen and joggers. The city was otherwise not significantly affected.
==External links== *[http://www.chennai.tn.nic.in/ Official government website of Chennai District.] - *[http://www.chennaicorporation.com/ Official website of the Corporation of Chennai] *[http://www.chennaicorporation.com/madras_history.htm History of Madras] *[http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/mpcl13.htm Archive of historian S. Muthiah's articles on Chennai, published in ''The Hindu''] *[http://groups.msn.com/krishnaswamiIyerfamily/realsingarachennai.msnw Vintage pictures of Madras] *[http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/43279.html Current weather in Chennai] *[http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Madras Chennai travel guide at Wikitravel] *[http://www.dewpointtravels.com/ Air Ticket booking and flight enquires - www.dewpointtravels.com - Chennai Travel Agent and Tour operator] *[http://hsb.iitm.ac.in/~prakriti/ ''Prakriti'' wildlife club at IIT Madras] *[http://www.citypopulation.de/World.html Th. Brinkhoff: The Principal Agglomerations of the World], 2005-January 30 *[http://www.chennaionline.com ChennaiOnline.com] *[http://www.spiritofchennai.com SpiritOfChennai.com] *[http://www.chennaibest.com ChennaiBest.com] *[http://www.chennaivision.com/ Tourist attractions] *[http://www.chennaishopping.com/ www.chennaishopping.com - Chennai's Online market place] ==Further reading== *S. Muthiah, C.L.D. Gupta: ''Queen of the Coromandel'' (ISBN: 8186982973) *Richard Plunkett, Teresa Cannon, Peter Davis, Paul Greenway, Paul Harding: ''Lonely Planet South India'' (ISBN: 1864501618) Chennai Tamil Nadu Cities and towns in India Cities and towns in Tamil Nadu Districts of Tamil Nadu Coastal cities Metropolitan areas hi:चेन्नई ta:சென்னை
Chennai
==Archives of older discussions== /archive1 :This is an archive of the following discussions, which don't seem to be active any more: ::Explicit code for table of contents. ::Comma separators and number format (lakhs vs millions). ::The names "Chennai" and "Madras", and their origins. ::Unicode characters for "Chennai" in Tamil, and Firefox vs IE rendering issues. Please archive the other discussions on this page if they no longer seem to be active. == Deleted Food. Explained here. == I deleted the section called Food, which I've pasted below. I feel it currently reads like a joint ad for some Chennai restaurants ("excellent quality", "very tranquil" etc). This needs to be rewritten and merged with the Cuisine subsection, without making a sales pitch for any restaurant. Thanks, --User:Brhaspati 07:52, 2005 Jan 10 (UTC) Some of the best South Indian food is available in Chennai. The Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants are popular for serving South Indian fast foods such as Idlis, Vadais, Dosais, Uthappams etc of excellent quality. Other chains such as Sangeethas are also catching on. The Drive-in Dasaprakash Restaurant on Cathedral Road is surrounded by trees and is very tranquil. Numerous cafes dot Mylapore and Triplicane area. In addition, the more expensive hotels offer both South Indian and North Indian cuisine. Top of the line South Indian food can be found at "The Dakshin", a restaurant run by the Adayar Park Sheraton. Other popular joints that serve local cuisine are: 1. Kaaraikudi (Chettinad) 2. Kalpakam (Keralite) 3. Annalakshmi (Typical Tamil lunch of rice, Samhbar, Rasam, veggies etc served on a silver platter) 4. Adayar Ananda Bhavan (serves snacks, sweets and savories) 5. Adayar Grand Sweets (One of the best places to buy authentic sweets and savories) 6. Sree Krishna Sweets (their Mysorepak is very popular) 7. The innumerable joints in T Nagar around Ranganathan and Ramanathan Street. The beaches are popular for "Pattani Sundal", a snack made out of boiled peas, grated coconuts, bits of raw Mango, red chillies and garnished with mustard seeds and cilantro(coriander) leaves. == Length of article == The length of the article has crossed 32 KB again. This is in spite of outsourcing the large infobox table to Template:Chennai infobox and moving the lists to a separate article List of things in Chennai. I do tend to add a lot of stuff. How can we reduce the article length? (please indicate Support or Oppose under these options) * Move History section (currently the longest) to its own article History of Chennai. Maybe with other sections too if they are mature enough. :Support on the condition that there should be a brief summary in the current article too. -- User:Sundar 04:56, Jan 24, 2005 (UTC) * Reduce the detail and make the article less comprehensive than it is now. I feel the article is ''informative'' but I don't know how much of it is truly ''encyclopedic''. :Support. The candidates I see are the list of British Governors etc. Can't we outsource them to some list articles and include a template that expands here? -- User:Sundar 04:56, Jan 24, 2005 (UTC) * Split the article into two smaller articles, one dealing with permanent aspects of the city (history, geography etc) and one with changeable aspects (economy, current problems etc). : Oppose. In general, even when we move sections to other articles, we should have a brief summary in the Chennai article, which should give a complete overview of all aspects. -- User:Sundar 04:56, Jan 24, 2005 (UTC) I should also warn people that I intend to add one more (hopefully brief) section about the administration of Chennai (local government structure, Corporation, Mayor, their problems, progress, plans etc) and Chennai's contribution to Lok Sabha and TN Assembly (number of seats/constituencies, current MP/MLA etc). :Support. Please do so. We can always find some ways for reducing article length. -- User:Sundar -- User:Brhaspati 22:24, 2005 Jan 21 (UTC) :Problem of plenty is good. If we had so much info, may be we should start
Chennai
Chennai (சென்னை), formerly known in English as Madras, is a sprawling port city on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. One of the major Metropolitan cities of India, it is also the capital of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. Cities and towns in India
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