Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal is Chennai, the capital city of the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The city has been given the name of ‘Detroit of India’ because of its automobile industry. One of the oldest cities of India with a rich cultural heritage, Chennai is immensely popular South Indian city with a large urban population. Yes, Chennai is the 4th largest Indian city, the fourth most populous metropolitan of the country and a leading South Indian commercial centre. But that is not all that makes this city so popular. There is a lot more to it!
What is Chennai Known for?
Chennai is a major cultural, economic and educational centre of the South India. In the recent years, the city has seen a major increase in the expatriate population. In fact, it is the third largest city in terms of expatriate population only after Mumbai and Delhi.
Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book publisher in the World, named Chennai in the top 10 list of cities to visit in the world in its 2015 edition also ranking it as the 9th best cosmopolitan city of the world. The city is ranked as a beta-level city in the Global Cities Index and has also been named as among the hottest cities to live in by BBC (2015). National Geographic ranks Chennai in the list of best food cities of the world as the second best; making Chennai the only Indian city to rank in the list.
Chennai has also been selected as one of the 20 cities to be developed as a Smart City under the Smart Cities Mission, a flagship program of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Madras Then, Chennai Now
Chennai completed its 375 years on 22nd August, 2015. The city originated on this day when the British East India Company bought a small strip of land off the Coromandel Coast. The British then approached the then ruler, Damarla Chennappa Nayakudu, the Nayaka of Vandavasi, for permission to build a factory and a warehouse here for their trade. The license was given and the area began to be called as ‘Madrasapatnam’, primarily a fishing village.
Then, began the first ever British settlement in India with the construction of the Fort St. George and then the area began to be called ‘Madras’, the colonial version of Madrasapatnam.
In 1996, when many Indian cities went through a name change, Madras became Chennai. There are multiple explanations on why the city was renamed Chennai. While primarily, the government wanted to give the city a Tamil feel, the origin of the name is linked to the name of the Telugu ruler Damarla Chennappa Nayakudu. Some believe the name is derived from Chenna Kesava Perumal temple.
Facts about Chennai That Will Amaze You
-
The city of the many firsts
Chennai is the first British settlement in India and hence, the beginning of the British Colonization. But Chennai is not just the first city that saw British colonization; it is also the city that saw the first hoisted flag of Independent India. The fort museum in the Fort St. George has this first tricolor.
Chennai is the first city in India to implement the Conditional Access System for cable television and yes, it is also the first city to have Wi-Fi in a rather widespread manner.
Chennai also saw the first English Newspaper, Spectator, owned by an Indian.
Chennai also has the first college of ‘Physical Education’ in Asia. This was established as the YMCA College in 1920.
The Vandalur Zoo of Chennai is the first zoological park in India and is the largest Zoo of South Asia.
-
The city with the second longest beach in the world
The Chennai’s Marina Beach, which runs across 6 kms, is the second largest urban beach in the world.
-
The city is ranked as the second oldest corporation in the world
The corporation of Chennai, started in 1687, is the second oldest in the world only after London.
-
The city has the largest IT park in Asia
Chennai is known for its very popular IT culture and that comes from the fact that the city has seen major development in the IT industry. The city has the largest IT park in Asia, the SIPCOT IT Park (Siruseri).
-
The city has the most number of theatres, next to only Mumbai
Chennai is a major market for the Entertainment Industry. The city is also the birthplace of the South Indian Cinema. It is still a major market for all south Indian film industries including Kollywood and Tollywood. The city has the second largest number of theatres in India, only after Mumbai.
-
The city has a major two-wheeler population
The number of two-wheelers that you will see on the roads of Chennai will actually make you a little jiffy. Well, it ranks in the top three cities of South Asia with the maximum two wheelers.
-
Chennai is also the city of some of the ‘oldest’
The Chennai Central Prison is the oldest in the country. The city also has some rocks which are considered to be the oldest dating back to a billion years. Then, there is the Royapuram Railway Station, which is the oldest operational station in the country.
The Government College of Fine Arts is the oldest art institution of the country.
Chennai is an astounding city of South India and it always is intriguing for anyone who is interested in historical traveling. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the city is quite representative of South India.
