State of Chennai
State of Chennai
Tamil Nadu in South India is one of the most rapidly industrialising and urbanising State of
India. As per Census 2011, 48.4% of the State’s population lived in urban areas, an increase of
over 27% from 2001. The Capital city of Tamil Nadu is Chennai. The old name ‘Madras’ was
officially changed to Chennai in 1996. The State language is Tamil. Other languages such as
Telugu, English, Malayalam, Urdu and Hindi are widely spoken in Chennai. As per the 2001
census, Hindus formed 81.3 per cent of the total population, Muslims made up 9.4 per cent and
Christians 7.6 per cent.
Chennai is one of the 32 districts in Tamil Nadu which is fully urban (100%) in character.
Chennai is well connected by all means of transportation. It is one of the cities in India that is
connected by the Golden Quadrilateral system of National Highways. Chennai hosts
the headquarters of the Southern Railway. The International Airport in Chennai is the third
busiest airport and the second busiest cargo terminus in India. The city is also served by three
major ports – Chennai Port, one of the largest artificial ports in India; Ennore Port designed as
Asia’s energy port is the 12th major and first corporatised port in India and the third Kattupalli
Shipyard cum Captive Port Complex which is a private-sector backed development.
Topography
Chennai is a low-lying flat coastal plain with an average elevation around 6.7 metres (22 ft.), and
its highest point is 60 metres (200 ft.). Two major rivers meander through Chennai, the Cooum
river through the centre and the Adyar river to the south. A protected estuary (Poonga) on the
Adyar forms a natural habitat for several species of birds and animals. A third river,
the Kortalaiyar, flows through the northern fringes of the city before draining into the Bay of
Bengal, at Ennore. The Buckingham Canal, 4 km (2.5 miles) 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.
History
Many areas of modern Chennai like Mylapore, Triplicane, Saidapet and Thiruvanmiyur go back a
long way before 1600s. But the history of Chennai City under the British starts with Mr. Francis
Day, the founder of Madras. Mr. Day secured a Grant of the village of Madrasapattinam in
August 1639 from the Nayak brothers, local chieftains under the Rajah of Chandragiri, a
descendant of the Rayas of Vijayanagar. The Grant was for a period of two years empowering
the English to build a fort and castle in that place. Settlers were attracted and encouraged to
build houses with a promise of exemptions from import taxes for a period of thirty years. The
settlement grew steadily. Soon efforts were made to regulate and administer the town. During
the time of Governor Streynsham Master (1678-81) an attempt had been made for conservancy
of the streets.
Art, Architecture and Culture
