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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Chennai</title>
</head>
<body>
<div class="conainer" style="text-align: center;padding: 50px;">
<h1>Chennai</h1>
<p>Chennai (/ˈtʃɛnaɪ/ (listen), Tamil: [ˈt͡ɕenːaɪ̯]), formerly known as Madras[A] (the official name until
1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in
area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, and is the most
prominent cultural, economic and educational centre of South India.
According to the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most populous city in the country and forms the
fourth-most populous urban agglomeration. The Greater Chennai Corporation is the civic body responsible for
the city; it is the oldest city corporation of India, established in 1688—the second oldest in the world
after London. The city of Chennai is coterminous with Chennai district, which together with the adjoining
suburbs constitutes the Chennai Metropolitan Area,[note 1] the 36th-largest urban area in the world by
population[25] and one of the largest metropolitan economies of India.
The traditional and de facto gateway of South India,[1][2][3][4] Chennai is among the most-visited Indian
cities by foreign tourists. It was ranked the 43rd-most visited city in the world for the year 2015[26] and
was ranked the 36th-most visited city in the world for the year 2019.[27] The Quality of Living Survey rated
Chennai as the safest city in India.[28] Chennai attracts 45 percent of health tourists visiting India, and
30 to 40 percent of domestic health tourists.[29] As such, it is termed "India's health capital".[30][31] An
established port of trade of British India since the 1600s, Chennai has the fifth-largest urban economy,[23]
and had the third-largest expatriate population in India, at 35,000 in 2009, 82,790 in 2011 and estimated at
over 100,000 by 2016.[32][33] Tourism-guide publisher Lonely Planet named Chennai as one of the top ten
cities in the world to visit in 2015.[34]
Chennai is ranked as a beta-level city in the Global Cities Index,[35] and was ranked the best city in India
by India Today in the 2014 annual Indian city survey.[36][37] In 2015 Chennai was named the "hottest" city
(city worth visiting and worth living in for long term) by the BBC, citing the mixture of both modern and
traditional values.[38] National Geographic mentioned Chennai as the only South Asian city to feature in its
2015 "Top 10 food cities" list.[39] Chennai was also named the ninth-best cosmopolitan city in the world by
Lonely Planet.[40] In October 2017, Chennai was added to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) list for
its rich musical tradition.[41] More than one-third of India's automobile industry is based in the city.
Home to the Tamil film industry, Chennai is also known as a major film production centre. It is one of the
100 Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under the Smart Cities Mission.[42]
<br>
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
3 Environment
3.1 Geography
3.2 Geology
3.3 Flora and fauna
3.4 Environment conservation
3.5 Climate
3.5.1 NE monsoon
3.6 Land usage
4 Administration
4.1 Law and order
4.2 Politics
4.3 Utility services
5 Architecture
6 Demographics
6.1 Population
6.2 Languages
6.3 Religion and ethnicity
6.4 Housing
7 Arts and culture
7.1 Museums and art galleries
7.2 Music and performing arts
8 Cityscape
9 Economy
9.1 Banking and finance
10 Infrastructure
10.1 Communication
10.2 Power
10.3 Health care
10.4 Waste management
11 Tourism and hospitality
11.1 Entertainment
11.2 Recreation
11.3 Shopping
12 Transport
12.1 Air
12.2 Rail
12.3 Metro rail
12.4 Road
12.5 Sea
13 Media
14 Education
15 Sports and recreation
15.1 City based teams
16 International relations
16.1 Foreign missions
16.2 Twin towns – Sister cities
17 See also
18 Notes
19 References
20 External links
Etymology
See also: Names of Chennai in different languages
The name Chennai is of Telugu language origin.[43][44][45] It was derived from the name of a Telugu ruler,
Damarla Mudirasa Chennappa Nayakudu, father of Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak, a Nayak ruler who served as a
general under Venkata III of the Vijayanagara Empire from whom the British acquired the town in
1639.[46][47] The first official use of the name Chennai is said to be in a sale deed, dated August 1639, to
Francis Day of the East India Company, even before[48] the Chennakesava Perumal Temple was built in
1646,[49] while some scholars argue to the contrary.[50]
<br>
The name Madras is also of native origin, and has been shown to have been in use before the British
established a presence in India.[51] A Vijayanagara-era inscription dated to the year 1367 that mentions the
port of Mādarasanpattanam, along with other small ports on the east coast, was discovered in 2015 and it was
theorised that the aforementioned port is the fishing port of Royapuram.[52] According to some sources,
Madras is derived from Madraspattinam, a fishing village north of Fort St George.[53] However, it is
uncertain whether the name was in use before the arrival of Europeans.[54] British military mapmakers
believed Madras was originally Mundir-raj or Mundiraj, which was the name of a Telugu community, Mudiraj,
who were the native inhabitants of the city.[55][56]
There are also suggestions that it may have originated from the Portuguese phrase Mãe de Deus or Madre de
Dios, which means "mother of God", due to Portuguese influence on the port city, specifically referring to a
Church of St. Mary.[57]
In August 1996, the Government of Tamil Nadu officially changed the name from Madras to Chennai. At that
time many Indian cities underwent a change of name.[58][59] However, the name Madras continues in occasional
use for the city,[60] as well as for places named after the city such as University of Madras, IIT Madras,
Madras Institute of Technology, Madras Medical College, Madras Veterinary College, Madras Christian College.
History
See also: History of Chennai and Timeline of Chennai history
Clive House at Fort St. George is said to be the first English settlement in India, founded in 1609.
Diogo Lopes de Sequeira, Viceroy of Portuguese India, established the first European settlement in Chennai
with the construction of the port of São Tomé de Meliapor in 1522.
Surrender of the City of Madras in 1746 to de La Bourdonnais, by Jacques François Joseph Swebach
An 18th-century portrait depicting Fort St. George, the first major English settlement in India and the
foundation stone of Chennai
St.Thomas Mount, Chennai
Stone age implements have been found near Pallavaram in Chennai. According to the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI), Pallavaram was a megalithic cultural establishment, and pre-historic communities resided in the
settlement.[61]
The region around Chennai has served as an important administrative, military, and economic centre for many
centuries. During the 1st century CE, a poet and weaver named Thiruvalluvar lived in the town of Mylapore (a
neighbourhood of present Chennai).[62] From the 1st–12th century the region of present Tamil Nadu and parts
of South India was ruled by the Cholas.[63]
The Pallavas of Kanchi built the areas of Mahabalipuram and Pallavaram during the reign of Mahendravarman I.
They also defeated several kingdoms including the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas who ruled over the area before
their arrival. Sculpted caves and paintings have been identified from that period.[64] Ancient coins dating
to around 500 BCE have also been unearthed from the city and its surrounding areas. A portion of these
findings belonged to the Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled the region during the medieval period.[65]
The Portuguese first arrived in 1522 and built a port called São Tomé after the Christian apostle, St.
Thomas, who is believed to have preached in the area between 52 and 70 CE. In 1612, the Dutch established
themselves near Pulicat, north of Chennai.[66]
On 20 August 1639 Francis Day of the East India Company along with the Nayak of Kalahasti Damarla Chennappa
Nayakudu, travelled to the Chandragiri palace for an audience with the Vijayanager Emperor Peda Venkata
Raya.[67] Day was seeking to obtain a grant for land on the Coromandel coast on which the company could
build a factory and warehouse for their trading activities. He was successful in obtaining the lease of a
strip of land about 10 kilometres (6 mi) long and 1.6 km (1 mi) inland in return for a yearly sum of five
hundred lakh pagodas.[68][69][70] On 22 August, he secured the land grant from local Nayak (Damarla
Venkatadri Nayaka and his younger brother Aiyappa Nayaka of Poonamallee).[71][72] The region was then
formerly a fishing village known as "Madraspatnam".[65] A year later, the Company built Fort St. George, the
first major English settlement in India,[73] which became the nucleus of the growing colonial city and urban
Chennai, grew around this Fort.[74] Post independence the fort housed the Tamil Nadu Assembly until the new
Secretariat building was opened in 2010, but shortly afterwards it was again moved back to Fort St. George,
due to a change in the Government.[75]
In 1746, Fort St. George and Madras were captured by the French under General La Bourdonnais, the Governor
of Mauritius, who plundered the town and its outlying villages.[66] The British regained control in 1749
through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and strengthened the town's fortress wall to withstand further attacks
from the French and Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysore.[76] They resisted a French siege attempt in 1759.[77]
In 1769 the city was threatened by Mysore and the British were defeated by Hyder Ali, after which the Treaty
of Madras ended the war.[78] By the 18th century, the British had conquered most of the region around Tamil
Nadu and the northern modern–day states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, establishing the Madras Presidency
with Madras as the capital.[79]
Map of Madras, c. 1914
Gradually, the city grew into a major naval base and became the central administrative centre for the
British in South India.[80] The city served as the baseline for the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India
started on 10 April 1802.[81] With the advent of railways in India in the 19th century, the thriving urban
centre was connected to other important cities such as Bombay and Calcutta, promoting increased
communication and trade with the hinterland.[82] Sir Arthur Lawley was Governor of Madras from 1906 to 1911
and promoted modern agriculture, industry, railways, education, the arts and more democratic governance.[83]
The Governor lived in Government House, Fort St George, and had a country home at Guindy, with access to a
golf course, hockey pitches, riding stables and the Guindy Horse Racing Track.[84][85] In the First World
War as Red Cross Commissioner in Mesopotamia, he looked after the welfare of Indian soldiers.[86] Madras was
the only Indian city to be attacked by the Central Powers during World War I,[87] when an oil depot was
shelled by the German light cruiser SMS Emden on 22 September 1914, as it raided shipping lanes in the
Indian Ocean, causing disruption to shipping.[88]
After India gained its independence in 1947, the city became the capital of Madras State, which was renamed
as Tamil Nadu in 1969.[89] The violent agitations of 1965 against the compulsory imposition of Hindi and in
support of English in India in the state marked a major shift in the political dynamics of the city and
eventually it had a big impact on the whole state. Because of Madras and its people, English was not
abolished as an official language, and remains an official language of India alongside Hindi.[90] On 17 July
1996, the city known as Madras was officially renamed Chennai, in line with what was then a nationwide trend
to using less Anglicised names.[91] On 26 December 2004, an Indian Ocean tsunami lashed the shores of
Chennai, killing 206 people in Chennai and permanently altering the coastline.[92][93] The 2015 Chennai
Floods submerged major portions of the city, killing 269 people and resulting in damages of ₹86.4 billion
(US$1 billion).[94][95][96]
Environment
Geography
Main article: Geography of Chennai
Cooum River near its mouth in Chennai city
Chennai is located on the south–eastern coast of India in the north–eastern part of Tamil Nadu on a flat
coastal plain known as the Eastern Coastal Plains. Its average elevation is around 6.7 metres (22 ft),[97]
and its highest point is 60 m (200 ft).[98] Chennai is 2,184 kilometres (1,357 mi) south of Delhi, 1,337
kilometres (831 mi) southeast of Mumbai, and 1,707 kilometres (1,061 mi) southwest of Kolkata by road. Two
major rivers flow through Chennai, the Cooum River (or Koovam) through the centre and the Adyar River to the
south. A third river, the Kortalaiyar, travels through the northern fringes of the city before draining into
the Bay of Bengal, at Ennore. The estuary of this river is heavily polluted with effluents released by the
industries in the region.[99] Adyar and Cooum rivers are heavily polluted with effluents and waste from
domestic and commercial sources, the Coumm being so heavily polluted it is regarded as the city's
eyesore.[100][101] A protected estuary on the Adyar forms a natural habitat for several species of birds and
animals.[102] The Buckingham Canal, 4 km (2.5 mi) inland, runs parallel to the coast, linking the two
rivers. The Otteri Nullah, an east–west stream, runs through north Chennai and meets the Buckingham Canal at
Basin Bridge. Several lakes of varying size are located on the western fringes of the city. Some areas of
the city have the problem of excess iron content in groundwater.[103]
Satellite image of Chennai
Chennai's soil is mostly clay, shale and sandstone.[104] Clay underlies most of the city, chiefly Manali,
Kolathur, Maduravoyal, K. K. Nagar, Tambaram, Mudichur, Pallavaram Semmencherry, Alapakkam, Vyasarpadi and
Anna Nagar. Sandy areas are found along the river banks and coasts, and include areas such as Tiruvottiyur,
George Town, Madhavaram, New Washermanpet, Chepauk, Mylapore, Porur, Adyar, Besant Nagar and Uthandi. In
these areas, rainwater runoff percolates quickly through the soil. Areas having hard rock surface include
Guindy, Nanganallur, Pallikaranai, Alandur, Jaladampet, Velachery, Adambakkam and a part of Saidapet and
Perungudi.[105][106] The ground water table in Chennai is at 4–5 m below ground in most of the areas,[106]
which was considerably improved and maintained through the mandatory rain water harvesting system.[107] Of
the 24.87 km coastline of the city, 3.08 km experiences erosion, with sand accretion along the shoreline can
be noticed at the Marina beach and the area between the Ennore Port and Kosasthalaiyar river.[108]
Geology
Chennai is classified as being in Seismic Zone III, indicating a moderate risk of damage from
earthquakes.[109] Owing to the geotectonic zone the city falls in, the city is considered a potential
geothermal energy site. The crust has granite rocks indicating volcanic activities in the past. It is
expected that temperatures of around 200 to 300 C° will be available if the ground were drilled 4 to 5 km
deep. The region has the oldest rocks in the country dating back to nearly a billion years.[110]
Flora and fauna
Main article: Flora and fauna of Chennai
The southern stretch of Chennai's coast from Tiruvanmiyur to Neelangarai are favoured by the endangered
olive ridley sea turtles to lay eggs every winter. A large number of cattle egrets, pond herons and other
waterbirds can be seen in the rivers of Cooum and Adyar. About 75,000 birds migrate to Chennai every
year.[111] Marshy wetlands such as Pallikaranai also play host to a number of migratory birds during the
monsoon and winter.[112] Over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the city and its neighbourhood by
members of Madras Naturalists' Society since its inception in 1978.
Guindy National Park is a protected area within the city limits. Wildlife conservation and research
activities take place at Arignar Anna Zoological Park including olive ridley sea turtle conservation.[113]
Madras Crocodile Bank Trust is a herpetology research station, located 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of
Chennai.[114] The city's tree cover is estimated to be around 64.06 sq km.[115] The most dominant tree
species is the copper pod, followed by Indian beech and Neem. A total of 121 species of trees belonging to
94 genera and 42 families are found in the city.[115] Nearly half of the native plant species in the city's
wetlands have disappeared in recent years. The city, which had 85 percent of its area covered with aquatic
plants until the 1970s, now has only 25 percent of its area covered with such plants.[116]
Environment conservation
Chitlapakkam lake in the southern part of the city
Chennai has three rivers and many lakes spread across the city. Urbanization has led to the shrinkage of
water bodies and wetlands.[117] The quantity of wetlands in the city has decreased from 650 to only 27
currently.[118] The Chennai River Restoration trust set up by the government is working on the restoration
of Adyar river.[119] Environmentalist Foundation of India is a volunteering group working towards wildlife
conservation and habitat restoration.[120][121]
The encroachment of urban development on wetlands has gravely hampered the city's sustainability, and
contributed both to the city's floods in 2015 and water scarcity crisis in 2019.[122][123]
Climate
Chennai has a dry-summer tropical wet and dry climate under the (Köppen climate classification). The city
lies on the thermal equator[124] and is also on the coast, which prevents extreme variation in seasonal
temperature. The hottest part of the year is late May to early June, known regionally as Agni Nakshatram
("fire star") or as Kathiri Veyyil,[125] with maximum temperatures around 35–40 °C (95–104 °F). The coolest
part of the year is January, with minimum temperatures around 19–25 °C (66–77 °F). The lowest recorded
temperature was 13.9 °C (57.0 °F) on 11 December 1895 and 29 January 1905.[126] The highest recorded
temperature was 45 °C (113 °F) on 31 May 2003.[126] The average annual rainfall is about 140 cm (55
in).[127]
The city gets most of its seasonal rainfall from the north–east monsoon winds, from mid–October to
mid–December. Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal sometimes hit the city. The highest annual rainfall recorded is
257 cm (101 in) in 2005.[128] Prevailing winds in Chennai are usually southwesterly between April and
October[129] and north-easterly during the rest of the year. Historically, Chennai has relied on the annual
rains of the monsoon season to replenish water reservoirs, as no major rivers flow through the area.[130]
Chennai has a water table at 2 metres for 60 percent of the year</p>
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