|
Chennai is the largest city in Tamil Nadu and is located on the southeastern coast of India. The city was formerly known as Madras and was established by the British. They developed it into a significant urban center and naval base. Around 20th century, Chennai became an important administrative headquarter and the capital of Madras Presidency. The growth and expansion of British Empire led to development of the city. It has been endowed with the rich heritage of art and culture.
It is for this reason that Chennai is also called as the 'Gateway to South India'. The city been blessed with the wealth of arts and literature. It is famous for its various cultural events, showcasing the performing arts such as Dance, Music and Drama at its best. Tamil literature is very rich in content and preaches ancient morals and values. Chennai is also popular for the glitz and glamour of Kollywood, the 'Tamil film industry'. Many Tamil films have won acclaim in the international film festivals and have brought fame to India.
Today, the city has gone through a tremendous change and is developing rapidly. There are a number of industries here such as automobile, technology, hardware manufacturing, and healthcare industries. The Automobile industry in Madras is one of the leading industries in the country. It is also the second largest exporter of Information Technology, after Bangalore. Apart from this, the city is a leading player in the fields of education and sports. There are a number of reputed educational institutions and stadiums here which mark the significance of the two in Chennai.
Chennai is known as the 'Gateway to South India'. It is located on the south east coast of India, in the northeastern corner of Tamil Nadu. The flat plains on which it is located are known as the Eastern Coastal Plains. The latitude and longitude of the city is 13.04° N 80.17° E, respectively. Madras has five administrative divisions, namely, the Egmore-Nungambakam, Fort Tondiarpet, Mambalam - Guindy, Mylapore-Triplicane, and Perambur - which is further divided into four parts: North, Central, South, and West.
The city is splashed by two rivers. One is the Cooum or Koovam River, which flows through the center. The second is the Adyar River which flows towards south. Apart from this, there is the Buckingham Canal; running parallel to the coast and linking the two rivers. The Otteri Nullah, an east-west stream, flows through north Chennai and meets the Buckingham Canal at Basin Bridge. There are many lakes located on the western fringes of the city. Red Hills, Sholavaram and Chembarambakkam Lakes supply Chennai with drinkable water.
Located on the Bay of Bengal, the city is divided, majorly into four regions. North Chennai is mainly the industrial area. The Central Chennai can be called the commercial hub of the city and houses one of the important business zones, Parry's Corner. South and West Chennai are mostly residential areas. However, with fast developmental activities taking place in the city, a number of information technology firms, financial companies and call centers are opening in the later mentioned areas.
Chennai is the known as the doorway to South India. This verifies the rich cultural heritage it boasts of. Having a cosmopolitan attribute, it is the mirror of all the diverse cultures, which are nourishing within its boundaries. But the beauty of it is that all the people reside in complete harmony with each other. During festival time, Chennai is swept by the waves of celebration and joy. People practice all the religious ceremonies and rites with utmost devotion. The glorious pat of the city shines by the means of monuments of the yore located here. Apart from this, Madras also preserves the traditional art forms of the past and still practices them in order to keep the tradition alive. This explains the spirit of Chennai, which by all means is a significant part of the Indian Heritage.
History Chennai, formerly called Madras, has been present since times immemorial. Whatever is known about the capital city of Tamil Nadu, presently serves as the history of the modern city. Originally Chennai was a cluster of villages, perched amidst paddy fields, bordered by palm trees.
People Chennai is a metropolitan city in the southern region of India. Due to the fast paced development taking place in the urban area, it has become the hub of all the major activities. This has attracted a huge influx of the people to Chennai for various purposes, such as employment, business, education etc.
Religions Being a metropolitan city, Chennai houses a number of people from different religion and cultures. There is such a wide variety present here that it can be called one of the best examples of unity in diversity, in India. The most admirable feature of the city of Madras is that all the people live in perfect harmony.
Languages Chennai is one of the fourth metropolitan cities of India and is also the capital of Tamil Nadu. This has brought many people to the city, from the all the corners of the nation. This influx can be attributed to the cosmopolitan character of the city which has given rise to a number of different languages being spoken.
|
|