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LOC Church, PER Francis Day, PER God, PER Mãe de Deus, LOC Vijayanagara Empire, LOC Chennakesava Perumal Temple, LOC Madraspattinam, ORG Madras Veterinary College, LOC Mundir - raj, ORG Government of Tamil Nadu, ORG IIT Madras, ORG Madras Christian College, LOC Nayak, ORG University of Madras, ORG St. Mary, PER de Dios, LOC Fort St George, LOC Mādarasanpattanam, LOC Royapuram, PER Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak, LOC Madre, LOC Chennai, PER Damarla Mudirasa Chennappa Nayakudu, ORG East India Company, PER Venkata III, LOC India, LOC Madras, LOC Mundiraj, ORG Madras Medical College, LOC Mudiraj, ORG Madras Institute of Technology

The name Chennai was derived from the name of 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. As such, the city's name is of Telugu language origin. 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 the Chennakesava Perumal Temple was built in 1646, while some scholars argue to the contrary.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. 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. According to some sources, Madras is derived from Madraspattinam, a fishing village north of Fort St George. However, it is uncertain whether the name was in use before the arrival of Europeans. 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.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.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. However, the name Madras continues in occasional use for the city, 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.

Chennai Etymology

LOC Chandragiri, PER Francis Day, LOC Cholas, LOC Madraspatnam, LOC Vijayanagara Empire, LOC Fort St. George, LOC Pandyas, LOC Pallavaram, LOC Mahabalipuram, LOC Pulicat, PER St. Thomas, LOC Kanchi, LOC São Tomé, PER Nayak, LOC South India, PER Kalahasti Damarla Chennappa Nayakudu, PER Peda Venkata Raya. Day, LOC Cheras, ORG Archaeological Survey of India, PER Thiruvalluvar, LOC Mylapore, LOC Chennai, LOC Tamil Nadu, ORG East India Company, ORG ASI, LOC Poonamallee, PER Mahendravarman I, LOC Coromandel, PER Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka, LOC India, PER Aiyappa Nayaka, PER Vijayanager

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.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). From the 1st–12th century the region of present Tamil Nadu and parts of South India was ruled by the Cholas.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. 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.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.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. 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 km (6 mi) long and 1.6 km (1 mi) inland in return for a yearly sum of five hundred lakh pagodas. On 22 August, he secured the land grant from local Nayak (Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka and his younger brother Aiyappa Nayaka of Poonamallee). The region was then formerly a fishing village known as "Madraspatnam". A year later, the Company built Fort St. George, the first major English settlement in India, which became the nucleus of the growing colonial city and urban Chennai, grew around this Fort. 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.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. 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. They resisted a French siege attempt in 1759. 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. 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. Gradually, the city grew into a major naval base and became the central administrative centre for the British in South India. The city served as the baseline for the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India started on 10 April 1802. 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. Sir Arthur Lawley was Governor of Madras from 1906 to 1911 and promoted modern agriculture, industry, railways, education, the arts and more democratic governance. 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. In the First World War as Red Cross Commissioner in Mesopotamia, he looked after the welfare of Indian soldiers. Madras was the only Indian city to be attacked by the Central Powers during World War I, 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.After India gained its independence in 1947, the city became the capital of Madras State, which was renamed as Tamil Nadu in 1969. 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. 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. On 26 December 2004, an Indian Ocean tsunami lashed the shores of Chennai, killing 206 people in Chennai and permanently altering the coastline. The 2015 Chennai Floods submerged major portions of the city, killing 269 people and resulting in damages of ₹86.4 billion (US$1 billion).

Chennai History

LOC Adambakkam, LOC Chepauk, LOC Vyasarpadi, LOC Otteri Nullah, LOC Maduravoyal, LOC Ennore, LOC Buckingham Canal, LOC Delhi, LOC Alapakkam, LOC Madhavaram, LOC New Washermanpet, LOC Uthandi, LOC Tiruvottiyur, LOC Manali, LOC Mumbai, LOC Velachery, LOC Kolathur, LOC Jaladampet, LOC Coumm, LOC Adyar River, LOC Kortalaiyar, LOC Eastern Coastal Plains, LOC George Town, LOC K. K. Nagar, LOC Anna Nagar, LOC Mudichur, LOC Besant Nagar, LOC Pallikaranai, LOC Mylapore, LOC Cooum River, LOC Chennai, LOC Tamil Nadu, LOC Cooum, LOC Kolkata, LOC Koovam, LOC Tambaram, LOC Porur, LOC India, LOC Guindy, LOC Nanganallur, LOC Pallavaram Semmencherry, LOC Adyar, LOC Bay of Bengal, LOC Basin Bridge, LOC Alandur

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 m (22 ft), and its highest point is 60 m (200 ft). Chennai is 2,184 km (1,357 mi) south of Delhi, 1,337 km (831 mi) southeast of Mumbai, and 1,707 km (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. 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. A protected estuary on the Adyar forms a natural habitat for several species of birds and animals. 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. Chennai's soil is mostly clay, shale and sandstone. 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. The ground water table in Chennai is at 4–5 m below ground in most of the areas, which was considerably improved and maintained through the mandatory rain water harvesting system. 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.

Chennai Geography

LOC Chennai

Chennai is classified as being in Seismic Zone III, indicating a moderate risk of damage from earthquakes. 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.

Chennai Geology

LOC Tiruvanmiyur, LOC Pallikaranai, LOC Adyar, LOC Guindy National Park, LOC Chennai, LOC Neelangarai, LOC Cooum, ORG Madras Naturalists ' Society, ORG Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, LOC Arignar Anna Zoological Park

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. Marshy wetlands such as Pallikaranai also play host to a number of migratory birds during the monsoon and winter. 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. Madras Crocodile Bank Trust is a herpetology research station, located 40 km (25 mi) south of Chennai. The city's tree cover is estimated to be around 64.06 sq km. 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. 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.

Chennai Flora and fauna

ORG Environmentalist Foundation of India, ORG Chennai River Restoration trust, LOC Chennai, LOC Adyar

Chennai has three rivers and many lakes spread across the city. Urbanization has led to the shrinkage of water bodies and wetlands. The quantity of wetlands in the city has decreased from 650 to only 27 currently. The Chennai River Restoration trust set up by the government is working on the restoration of Adyar river. Environmentalist Foundation of India is a volunteering group working towards wildlife conservation and habitat restoration.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.

Chennai Environment conservation

LOC Orissa, LOC Bengal, LOC Myanmar, LOC Coromandel Coast, LOC India, LOC Bangladesh, LOC NE, LOC Bay of Bengal, LOC Chennai

Chennai has a dry-summer tropical wet and dry climate under the (Köppen climate classification). The city lies on the thermal equator 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, 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. The highest recorded temperature was 45 °C (113 °F) on 31 May 2003. The average annual rainfall is about 140 cm (55 in).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. Prevailing winds in Chennai are usually southwesterly between April and October 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. Chennai has a water table at 2 metres for 60 percent of the year. The city of Chennai is located on the east coast of India, which is also known as the Coromandel Coast. Chennai is largely dependent on NE monsoon, since 65% of rains are received in this season. Cyclones and depressions are common features during the season. Cyclones, in particular, are especially unpredictable. They may even move towards Orissa, west Bengal, Bangladesh, and also Myanmar. The season between October and December is referred as the NE monsoon period. Floods are common during this period. In 2015, Chennai received record-breaking rains since 1918, which caused massive floods.

Chennai Climate

ORG World Health Organization

As of 2018, the city had a green cover of 14.9 percent, against the World Health Organization recommendation of 9 square metres of green cover per capita in cities. The city had a built-up area of 71 percent. Waterbodies cover an estimated 6 percent of the total area, and at least 8 percent of the area has classified as open space. As of 2017, the total volume of water harvested was 339 mcft and groundwater recharge was 170 mcft.

Chennai Land usage

ORG Corporation of Madras, LOC South, LOC Kanchipuram, LOC Mahabalipuram, LOC Chennai Central, LOC Secretariat Buildings, LOC North, LOC Central, ORG Madras High Court, LOC Chennai South, LOC Chennai North, LOC Fort St George, LOC Tiruvallur, ORG CMDA, LOC Chengalpattu, LOC Sriperumpudur, ORG Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, LOC Chennai, LOC Tamil Nadu, LOC Maraimalai Nagar, LOC Puducherry, LOC Chennai Metropolitan Area, LOC India, ORG Chennai Corporation, LOC Arakkonam, ORG Legislative Assembly, ORG Greater Chennai Corporation, PER Priya Rajan

Chennai city is governed by the Greater Chennai Corporation (formerly "Corporation of Madras"), which was established in 1688. It is the oldest surviving municipal corporation in India and the second oldest surviving corporation in the world. In 2011, the jurisdiction of the Chennai Corporation was expanded from 174 km2 (67 sq mi) to an area of 426 km2 (164 sq mi), dividing into three regions—North, South and Central, which covers 200 wards. The corporation is headed by a mayor, an office presently occupied by Priya Rajan. The Mayor and councillors of the city are elected through a popular vote by the residents. While the city limit was expanded in 2011, the revised population is yet to be officially announced. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is the nodal agency responsible for planning and development of Chennai Metropolitan Area, which is spread over an area of 1,189 km2 (459 sq mi), covering the Chennai district and parts of Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu districts. The larger suburbs are governed by town municipalities and the smaller ones are governed by town councils called panchayats. Under the gamut of the CMDA are 5 parliamentary and 28 assembly constituencies. The CMDA has drafted an additional Master Plan that aims to develop satellite townships around the city. The city's contiguous satellite towns include Mahabalipuram in the south, Chengalpattu and Maraimalai Nagar in the southwest, and Sriperumpudur, Arakkonam, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur to the west.Chennai, as the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu, houses the state executive and legislative headquarters primarily in the Secretariat Buildings in the Fort St George campus. The Madras High Court, is the highest judicial authority in the state, whose jurisdiction extends across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Chennai has three parliamentary constituencies—Chennai North, Chennai Central and Chennai South—and elects 24 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the state legislature.

Chennai Administration

LOC North Chennai, ORG Greater Chennai Police, ORG Chennai Metropolitan Police, LOC India, ORG Chennai Corporation, LOC Central Chennai, ORG CMDA, LOC Puzhal Central Prison, ORG Tamil Nadu Home Ministry, ORG Chennai City Traffic Police, ORG Madras Central Prison, ORG Chennai Police Commissionerate, ORG CCTP, LOC Kanchipuram, LOC Thiruvallur, LOC Chennai, ORG Tamil Nadu Police, LOC South Chennai

The Greater Chennai Police is the main law enforcement agency in the city, with a jurisdiction of over 745 km2 (288 sq mi) catering to over 8.5 million people. It consists of 121 police stations and is headed by a commissioner of police. The Greater Chennai Police is a division of the Tamil Nadu Police, and the administrative control lies with the Tamil Nadu Home Ministry. Chennai City Traffic Police (CCTP) is responsible for the traffic management in the city. The metropolitan suburbs are policed by the Chennai Metropolitan Police, headed by the Chennai Police Commissionerate, and the outer district areas of the CMDA are policed by the Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur police departments. As of 2011 (prior to the expansion of Chennai Corporation area), Chennai city has a sanctioned strength of 14,000 police personnel. With a population density of 26,903 persons per square kilometre, the city had 1 policeman for every 413 people. The Chennai suburban police had about 4,093 police personnel and a ratio of 1:1,222. In 2010, the crime rate in the city was 169.2 per 100,000 people, as against an average of 341.9 in the 35 major cities of India. In 2011, North Chennai zone had 30 police stations and 3 police out posts, Central Chennai zone had 28 police stations and 3 police out posts, and South Chennai zone had 30 police stations.In 2009, Madras Central Prison, one of the oldest prisons in India, built over 11 acres (4 ha) of land, was demolished; the prisoners were moved to Puzhal Central Prison.

Chennai Law and order

ORG Tamil Nadu Congress, ORG Congress Party, ORG Hindi, PER E. V. Ramasami, ORG Indian National Congress, PER Anna, PER A. O. Hume, ORG Congress, LOC Deccan, PER C. N. Annadurai, ORG Justice Party, ORG South Indian Welfare Association, ORG Indian Union, ORG Dravidar Kazhagam, LOC Chennai, LOC Tamil Nadu, ORG Periyar, LOC Dravida Nadu, ORG DMK, LOC India, ORG DK, LOC Madras Province, ORG Theosophical Society, LOC Avadi, PER Periyar

Since the 19th century, when Western scholars proposed that Dravidian languages, which dominated the southern region of India, formed a different linguistic group to that of the Indo-Aryan languages that are predominant in the north of the subcontinent, the aspects of Tamil nationalism gained prominence. This resulted in the Anti-Hindi agitations in the city and across the state. However, the post-Independence re-organisation of Indian states according to linguistic and ethnic basis has moderated Tamil nationalism, especially the demand for separation from the Indian Union. The Anti-Hindi agitations in mid-1960s made the DMK more popular and more powerful political force in the state. The agitations of the 1960s played a crucial role in the defeat of the Tamil Nadu Congress party in the 1967 elections and the continuing dominance of Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu politics. Being the capital of the Madras Province that covered a vast area of the Deccan region, Chennai remained the centre of politics in the southern region of India during the British colonial era. After Independence, it remained the centre of political activities of the state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the birthplace of the idea of the Indian National Congress, commonly known as the Congress Party. Founded by Indian and British members of the Theosophical Society movement, most notably A.O. Hume, the idea was originally conceived in a private meeting of 17 men after a Theosophical Convention held in the city in December 1884. During the first 50 years of the Indian National Congress, the city played host to its conferences seven times in 1887, 1894, 1898, 1903, 1908, 1914 and 1927, becoming one of the strong bases for the Indian independence movement. After independence, the city hosted the Congress in 1955 in its suburb of Avadi.Chennai is also the birthplace of several regional political movements since the British era. South Indian Welfare Association, one of the earliest regional parties, was founded in 1916, which later came to be known as the Justice Party, which was the main opposition party to the Indian National Congress in the state. In 1944, the party was renamed Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) by E. V. Ramasami (popularly known as 'Periyar'). The party was a non-political party that demanded the establishment of an independent state called Dravida Nadu. However, due to the differences between its two leaders Periyar and C. N. Annadurai, the party was split. Annadurai left the party to form the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The DMK decided to enter into politics in 1956.

Chennai Politics

LOC Red Hills Lake, LOC Chennai City, LOC Chembarambakkam Lake, ORG Chennai MetroWater Supply and Sewage Board, LOC Chembarambakkam, LOC Minjur, ORG Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, LOC Veeranam, LOC Kilpauk, ORG Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited, LOC Pallikaranai, LOC Telugu Ganga, ORG Corporation, ORG Corporation of Chennai, LOC Puzhal, LOC Chennai, ORG Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services, LOC Krishna River, LOC Kodungaiyur

The city's water supply and sewage treatment are managed by the Chennai MetroWater Supply and Sewage Board. Water is drawn from Red Hills Lake and Chembarambakkam Lake, the primary water reservoirs of the city, and treated at water treatment plants located at Kilpauk, Puzhal, Chembarambakkam and supplied to the city through 27 water distribution stations. The city receives 530 million liters per day (mld) of water from Krishna River through Telugu Ganga project, 180 mld of water from the Veeranam lake project and 100 mld of water from the Minjur desalination plant, the country's largest sea water desalination plant. However, Chennai is predicted to face a huge deficit of 713 mld in 2026 as the demand is projected at 2,248 mld and supply estimated at only 1,535 mld. The city's sewer system was designed in 1910, with some modifications in 1958. There are 714 public toilets in the city managed by the city corporation, and 2,000 more have been planned by the corporation. The corporation also owns 52 community halls across the city.The Corporation of Chennai provides civic services to the city. Garbage collection in some of the wards is contracted to Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited, a private company, while the Corporation looks after the removal and processing of solid waste in the others, with a superintendent engineer managing the channels. As of 2011, eight transfer stations exist within the city for treating the waste. Garbage is dumped in two dump-yards in the city—One in Kodungaiyur and another in Pallikaranai, with a major portion of the latter covering the Pallikaranai marshland. In market areas, the conservancy work is done during the night. Electricity is distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. Fire services are handled by the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services. The city, along with the suburbs, has 33 operating fire stations.The Chennai City region has 568 post offices, of which nearly 460 operate from rented premises.

Chennai Utility services

LOC Triplicane, LOC Southern Railway, LOC Marina Beach, LOC Victoria Public Hall, LOC Senate House, LOC Mamallapuram, LOC Fort St. George, PER Henry Irwin, ORG College, LOC Parthasarathy Temple, ORG Engineering, LOC Tiruvanmiyur, LOC Sathyavedu, LOC National Art Gallery, LOC Government Museum, ORG University of Madras, LOC Bharat Insurance Building, LOC Madras High Court, LOC Madras Museum, PER Arthur Lawley, LOC Mylapore, LOC Amir Mahal, LOC Chennai, LOC Kolkata, LOC Chepauk Palace, LOC Kapaleeshwarar Temple, PER Robert Fellowes Chisholm, LOC India, PER Paul Benfield, LOC Madras, LOC Vijayanagara, LOC of, LOC Ripon Building

With the history of many neighbourhoods of the city such as Mylapore, Triplicane, and Tiruvanmiyur antedating that of the city itself, the architecture of Chennai ranges in a wide chronology. The oldest buildings in the city date from the 7th and 8th centuries CE, which include the Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore and the Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane, built in the Dravidian architecture. This architecture includes various styles, such as those of the Pallavas, the Cholas, and the Vijayanagara empires. The associated Agraharam architecture, which consists of traditional row houses surrounding a temple, can still be seen in these areas. The heritage temples at Mamallapuram at the outskirts of the city are some of the examples of the Pallava architecture. Chennai ranks second to Kolkata in having the largest collection of Indian heritage buildings in the country. With the advent of the Mugals and the British, the city saw a rise in a blend of Hindu, Islamic and Gothic revival styles, resulting in the distinct Indo-Saracenic architecture. The architecture for several early institutions such as banking and commerce, railways, press and education, chiefly through the colonial rule, followed the earlier directions of the Neo-Classical and the Indo-Saracenic. The Chepauk Palace in the city, designed by Paul Benfield, is said to be the first Indo-Saracenic building in India. Since then, many of the colonial-era buildings in the city were designed in this style of architecture, which is most apparent around the Fort St. George built in 1640. Most of these were designed by English architects Robert Fellowes Chisholm and Henry Irwin. The best examples of this style include the Madras High Court (built in 1892), Southern Railway headquarters, Ripon Building, Government Museum, Senate House of the University of Madras, Amir Mahal, Bharat Insurance Building, Victoria Public Hall and the College of Engineering. The Triumph of Labour, also known as the Labour statue, at the Marina Beach is an important landmark of Chennai. The construction of the National Art Gallery in Madras was completed in 1909. The new building, with a distinct façade, was built of pink sandstone brought from Sathyavedu, and formed part of the Madras Museum campus. It was opened, on 23 January 1909, by the Governor of Fort St. George, Sir Arthur Lawley, and called the Victoria Memorial Hall after the Queen-Empress Victoria. The residential architecture in the city was based on the bungalow or the continuous row house prototypes. Gothic revival style buildings include the Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore railway stations. The Santhome Church, which was originally built by the Portuguese in 1523 and is believed to house the remains of the apostle St. Thomas, was rebuilt in 1893 in neo-Gothic style.By the early 20th century, the art deco too made its entry upon the city's urban landscape. From the 1930s onwards, many buildings in George Town were built in this style, including the United India building (presently housing the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)) and the Burma Shell building (presently the Chennai House), both built in the 1930s, and the Dare House, built in 1940. Other examples include the Bombay Mutual building (presently housing LIC) and the South Indian Chamber of Commerce building. After Independence, the city witnessed a rise in the Modernism style of architecture. The completion of the LIC Building in 1959, the tallest building in the country at that time, marked the transition from lime-and-brick construction to concrete columns in the region. The presence of the weather radar at the Chennai Port, however, prohibited the construction of buildings taller than 60 m around a radius of 10 km for several decades that followed. In addition, the floor-area ratio (FAR) in the central business district is also 1.5, much less than that of smaller cities of the country. This resulted in the city expanding horizontally, unlike other metropolitan cities where vertical growth was prominent. On the contrary, the peripheral regions, especially on the southern and south-western sides, began experiencing vertical growth with the construction of buildings up to 60 floors. Within the downtown area, the 48-storied Highliving District Tower H remains the tallest building at 161 metres.

Chennai Architecture

ORG Greater Chennai Corporation, ORG Chennai Municipal Corporation, ORG Municipal Corporation, LOC Chennai

A resident of Chennai is called a Chennaite. According to 2011 census, the city had a population of 4,646,732, within an area of 174 square kilometres administered by the Municipal Corporation, working out a population density of 26,705 persons per square kilometre; that had 11 lakh households, with 51% of them living in rented houses. The city's limits were expanded later in 2011 to 426 square kilometres and its population reached 7,088,000, resulting in a population density of 16,639 persons per square kilometre, with Chennai Municipal Corporation being renamed as Greater Chennai Corporation.As of 2019, 712,000 families live below poverty line, which is about 40 percent of the 1.788 million families in the city.

Chennai Population

LOC Chennai, LOC India

Tamils form the majority of Chennai's population. English is spoken largely by white-collar workers, often mixed into Tamil. In 2001, out of the 2,937,000 migrants (33.8% of its population) in the city, 61.5% were from other parts of the state, 33.8% were from rest of India and 3.7% were from outside the country. As per the 2001 census, the number of speakers mother tongue wise are as follows, Tamil is spoken by 3,424,107 (78.8%), followed by Telugu by 419,209 (9.7%), Urdu by 180,245 (4.1%), Malayalam by 113,828 (2.6%), Hindi by 104,084 (2.4%), and Kannada by 22,250 (0.5%). Korean, Japanese, French, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, German and Spanish are some of the languages spoken by the 250,000 foreign expatriates residing in the city.

Chennai Languages

LOC Mumbai, LOC Delhi, LOC Bengaluru, LOC Chennai

Chennai, along with Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi, is one of the few Indian cities that are home to a diverse population of ethno-religious communities. Minorities include Telugus, Marwaris, Gujaratis, Parsis, Sindhis, Odias, Goans, Kannadigas, Anglo-Indians, Bengalis, Punjabi, and Malayalees. As per the religious census of 2011, Chennai's population was 80.73% Hindu, 9.45% Muslim, 7.72% Christian, 1.11% Jain, 0.06% Sikh, 0.06% Buddhist, <0.04% followed other religions and 0.83% followed no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.

Chennai Religion and ethnicity

LOC Asia Pacific, LOC Tiruvallur, ORG Supreme Court, LOC Kancheepuram, LOC Chennai

In a 2013 survey titled 'Emerging trends in real estate in Asia Pacific 2014', Chennai emerged in the top 25 real estate destinations list in the Asia Pacific region. The city ranked 22nd in the list. There are about 1,240 slums in Chennai home to about 900,000 people.Per 2011 census, there are 1.1 million households in the city and the residential housing stock available is 1,150,000 – a surplus of about 50,000 houses. About 43,700 of them are kept vacant. In the suburbs of Chennai located in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts, the figures of vacant houses 56,000 and 71,000, respectively. Of the existing housing stock in the city, about 200,000 houses are not in good condition, necessitating either to rebuild or build new units. About 26,000 households live in houses without any room and another 427,000 families (with an average size of five members) live in small dwelling units with only one room. An earlier estimate shows that there is a need to generate about 420,000 units for low-income groups by 2016.As of 2012, an estimated population of 11,116 (0.16 percent) were homeless. Per Supreme Court guidelines, the city needs 65 shelters for the homeless. However, it has only 15, of which eight are functioning and two are under renovation.As of 2017, there are more than 2.2 million households, with 40 percent of the residents not owning a house.

Chennai Housing

LOC Fort St George, LOC India, ORG Archaeological Survey of India, LOC Fort Museum, LOC Chennai, LOC Fort St. George, LOC National Art Gallery, LOC Government Museum

Chennai is home to many museums, galleries, and other institutions, many of which are free of admission charges and are major tourist attractions as well as playing a research role. The city also has one of the oldest museums and art galleries in the country – Government Museum, Chennai and The National Art Gallery (Chennai), established in the early 18th century.The city also hosts two art festivals annually. The "Fort Museum" inside the premises of Fort St. George is an important museum having a noteworthy collection of objects of the British era in its collection. The museum is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India and has in its possession, the first Flag of India hoisted at Fort St George after the declaration of India's Independence on 15 August 1947.

Chennai Museums and art galleries

LOC North Chennai, ORG Madras Music Academy, ORG UCCN, LOC Kalakshetra, LOC India, ORG Bharatha Natyam, ORG Bharata Natyam, LOC Kerala, ORG Madras University, ORG UNESCO Creative Cities Network, LOC Chennai, LOC Tamil Nadu, ORG of Chennai Sangamam, LOC Onam

Chennai is a major centre for music, art and culture in India. The city is known for its classical dance shows. In 1930, for the first time in India, Madras University introduced a course of music, as part of the Bachelor of Arts curriculum. The Madras Music Season, initiated by Madras Music Academy in 1927, is celebrated every year during the month of December. It features performances of traditional Carnatic music by many artists in and around the city. The main folk music in Chennai is Gaana, a combination of various folk musics sung mainly sung in the working-class area of North Chennai.An arts festival called the Chennai Sangamam, which showcases not only various art of Tamil Nadu, but also from the neighbouring states, like kalari (from Kerala), which is a major attraction, is held in January every year. The Speciality of Chennai Sangamam is that the various programmes are held near or at the various famous landmarks in the city so that everyone in the city has access to the programmes and there is no fee charged for entry for any of the programmes. Pookolam, a form of art that uses coloured flour to create patterns and designs, comes from Kerala, but can be seen in abundance at the time of Onam.The city has a diverse theatre scene and is one of the important centres for Bharata Natyam, a classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu and is the oldest dance of India. An important cultural centre for Bharata Natyam is Kalakshetra, on the beach in the south of the city. In 2012, a group of five Bharatha Natyam dancers from Chennai performed at the India Campaign during the 2012 Summer Olympics. Chennai has been featured in UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) list since October 2017 for its century-old musical tradition. Chennai is also home to some choirs, who during the Christmas season stage various carol performances across the city in Tamil and English.

Chennai Music and performing arts

LOC North Chennai, LOC GST Road, LOC North, LOC Sriperumbdur, LOC Grand Southern Trunk Road, LOC Central, LOC Central Chennai, LOC Old Mahabalipuram Road, LOC West, LOC South, LOC West Chennai, LOC Koyambedu, LOC Chennai, LOC Ambattur

Chennai is broadly divided into four regions: North, Central, South, and West. North Chennai is primarily an industrial area, with a higher population density and narrower roads. South and West Chennai, previously mostly residential, are rapidly becoming commercial, home to a growing number of information technology firms, financial companies and call centres. The city is expanding quickly along the Old Mahabalipuram Road and the Grand Southern Trunk Road (GST Road) in the south and towards Ambattur, Koyambedu and Sriperumbdur in the west. Central Chennai comprises residential elements, but is primarily home to the downtown area, and surrounding areas, the most visited by travellers to the city.

Chennai Cityscape

ORG India, LOC Delhi, LOC Gateway, LOC Detroit, LOC Mumbai, LOC France, LOC South India, ORG Euromonitor, ORG Forbes magazine, LOC Mylapore, LOC Chennai, ORG GaWC, LOC Kolkata, ORG Madras Stock Exchange, ORG SEBI, LOC India, ORG Confederation of Indian Industry, ORG National Stock Exchange, ORG Bombay Stock Exchange

Recent estimates of the economy of the entire Chennai Metropolitan Area range from $78.6 to $86 billion (PPP GDP), ranking it from fourth- to sixth-most productive metro area of India. Chennai has a broad industrial base in the automobile, computer, technology, hardware manufacturing and healthcare sectors. As of 2012, the city is India's second-largest exporter of information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. A major part of India's automobile industry is located in and around the city thus earning it the nickname "Detroit of India". Known as the "Gateway of South India", Chennai is the third-most visited city in India by international tourists according to Euromonitor. The city is also called the Cultural Capital of South India. The city was home to the Madras Stock Exchange, India's fourth stock exchange, one of four permanently recognised by SEBI, and India's third-largest by trading volume, ranked behind the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India.Industrialisation in the city dates back to the 16th century, when textile mills manufactured goods which were exported to British during its war with France. According to Forbes magazine, Chennai is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world and is ranked among the "Forbes-Top 10 Fastest Growing Cities in the World". It is ranked 4th in hosting the maximum number of Fortune 500 companies of India, next only to Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. It also is home to 24 Indian companies having a net worth of more than US$1 billion. As of 2012, the city has about 34,260 identified companies in its 15 zones, of which 5,196 companies have a paid-up the capital of over ₹ 50 lakh. Chennai has a diversified economic base anchored by the automobile, software services, hardware manufacturing, health care and financial services industries. According to the Confederation of Indian Industry, Chennai is estimated to grow to a US$100 billion economy, 2.5 times its present size, by 2025. As of 2012, with ₹ 1 lakh crore investment in the pipeline over 5 years, the city is poised for major industrial investment. Chennai is classified as a global city by GaWC, with a ranking of Beta based on the extent of global reach and financial influence. It is estimated that about 400 financial industry businesses are headquartered in the city, half of which are located in the areas of Mylapore, R. A. Puram, Nungambakkam and T. Nagar.The city is base to around 40 percent of India's automobile industry and 45 percent of auto components industry. A large number of automotive companies including Royal enfield, Hyundai, Renault, Robert Bosch, Nissan Motors, Ashok Leyland, Yamaha Motor, Daimler AG, Caterpillar Inc., Komatsu Limited, BharatBenz, Ford, BMW, Citroën and Mitsubishi have manufacturing plants in Chennai. The Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi produces military vehicles, including India's main battle tank: Arjun MBT. The Integral Coach Factory manufactures railway coaches and other rolling stock for Indian Railways. The Ambattur–Padi industrial zone houses many textile manufacturers, and a special economic zone (SEZ) for apparel and footwear manufacturing has been set up in the southern suburbs of the city. Chennai contributes more than 50 percent of India's leather exports.Many software and software services companies have development centres in Chennai, which contributed 14 percent of India's total software exports of ₹ 14,42,140 lakh during 2006–07, making it the second largest Indian city software exporter following Bangalore. The Tidel Park in Chennai was billed as Asia's largest IT park when it was built. Major software companies have their offices set up here, with some of them making Chennai their largest base. Prominent financial institutions, including the World Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, ABN AMRO, Bank of America, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, HSBC, ING Group, Allianz, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Asian Development Bank, Credit Suisse, BNP Paribas Fortis, Irevna, Deutsche Bank and Citibank have back office and development centre operations in the city. Chennai is home to the national level commercial banks Indian Bank and Indian Overseas Bank and many state level co–operative banks, finance and insurance companies. Telecom and Electronics manufacturers based in and around Chennai include Samsung, Nokia Siemens, Motorola, Lenovo, Dell, Force10, Wipro, Flextronics and Siemens among others. Chennai is currently the largest electronics hardware exporter in India, accounting for 45% of the total exports in 2010–11. Telecom giants Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent, pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and chemicals giant Dow Chemicals have research and development facilities in Chennai. The TICEL bio–tech park at Taramani and Golden Jubilee bio–tech park at Siruseri houses biotechnology companies and laboratories. The World Trade Center complex is located at Perungudi on the southern side of the city. According to Jones Lang LaSalle, demand for investment-grade buildings in Chennai is high from IT companies. The average annual gross demand in Chennai is 4.5 million square feet. A study conducted by the National Housing Bank on the residential price index of Indian cities showed that Chennai experienced the highest growth after the financial crisis of 2007–2008. Medical tourism is an important part of Chennai's economy with 45 percent of total medical tourists to India making to Chennai. The Tamil film industry and the Tamil television industry are also significant parts of Chennai's economy. The city also has a permanent exhibition complex in Nandambakkam called the Chennai Trade Centre. It hosted the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet in 2019 which was a business summit organised by the Government of Tamil Nadu. With 385 ultra-rich living in the city as of 2013, Chennai is positioned in the sixth place among Indian cities that are home to the country's super-rich. The city is the third largest market in India for luxury cars.

Chennai Economy

ORG Bank of Bombay, ORG Government Bank, LOC DC, ORG General Bank of India, ORG British Finance Committee, ORG Reserve Bank Staff College, ORG Indian Overseas Bank, ORG Bank of Bengal, ORG Indian Bank, ORG British Bank of Madras, ORG Bharat Overseas Bank, LOC George Town, ORG Bank of Hindustan, ORG Reserve Bank of India, ORG Madras Bank, ORG State Bank of India, LOC Chennai, ORG World Bank, ORG Nattukottai Chettiars, ORG Nagarathars, LOC India, ORG Asiatic Bank, LOC Rajaji Road, ORG Carnatic Bank, ORG Imperial Bank of India, LOC Washington, ORG Bank of Madras

The Reserve Bank of India ranked Chennai as third-largest deposit centre and third-largest credit centre nationwide as of June 2012. Prior to the advent of modern commercial banks, the banking services in the city were offered to the public by Nattukottai Chettiars or Nagarathars, chiefly in and around the neighbourhood of George Town, who offered loans as well as accepted money deposits from the public, in addition to offering loans to the agricultural labourers. Even today, many of the banking offices are housed in heritage structures belonging to the colonial era that are chiefly clustered around Rajaji Road in George Town. Chennai is home to the first European-style banking system in India with the establishment of the 'Madras Bank' on 21 June 1683, almost a century before the establishment of the first commercial banks, such as the Bank of Hindustan and the General Bank of India, which were established in 1770 and 1786, respectively. Upon the recommendation of the British Finance Committee on the formation of a government bank, the Madras Bank, then known as the 'Government Bank', started functioning again from 1806. In 1843, the bank merged with the Carnatic Bank (1788), the British Bank of Madras (1795) and the Asiatic Bank (1804) and became the Bank of Madras, which was one of the three Presidency banks of India, the other two being the Bank of Bengal and the Bank of Bombay. In 1921, the three Presidency banks merged to form the Imperial Bank of India, which later became the State Bank of India in 1955.Chennai is the headquarters of the Indian Bank, the Indian Overseas Bank and the erstwhile Bharat Overseas Bank, which merged with the Indian Overseas Bank in 2007. The city is home to the south zonal office of the Reserve Bank of India, the country's central bank, along with its zonal training centre and Reserve Bank Staff College, one of the two colleges of the bank. The city also houses the permanent back office of the World Bank, which is one of the largest buildings owned by the bank outside its headquarters in Washington, DC. The Chennai office handles corporate financial, accounting, administrative and IT services of the bank, in addition to several value-added operations of the bank that were earlier handled only in its Washington, DC office, including the bank's analytical work in bond valuation which is estimated to be US$100 billion. Several foreign banks have established their branches in the city. The first Sri Lankan Bank in India was established when the Bank of Ceylon opened its branch in Madras on 31 October 1995.

Chennai Banking and finance

ORG MTS, LOC Russia, LOC Sri Lanka, LOC Car Nicobar, LOC Andaman, ORG BSNL, LOC Tuticorin, ORG Vodafone, LOC UAE, ORG Airtel, LOC Great Nicobar, LOC Middle East, LOC Brazil, LOC Mumbai, LOC Little Andaman, LOC China, LOC Port Blair, ORG Tata Docomo GSM, ORG Tata Docomo CDMA, ORG BRICS, ORG Reliance GSM, LOC Western Europe, LOC Kamorta, ORG Idea, LOC South Africa, ORG Aircel, ORG Reliance CDMA, LOC Chennai, LOC Sultanate of Oman, LOC Southeast Asia, LOC Nicobar Islands, LOC India, LOC Kochi, LOC Singapore, LOC Havelock, LOC Long Island, LOC Malaysia, LOC Rangat, LOC Hutbay, ORG Gulf Bridge International

Chennai is one of four Indian cities connected to the rest of the world by undersea fibre-optic cables, the other three being Mumbai, Kochi, and Tuticorin. The city is the landing point of major submarine telecommunication cable networks such as SMW4 (connecting India with Western Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia), i2i (connecting India with Singapore), TIC (connecting India with Singapore), BBG (connecting India with the Sultanate of Oman, Malaysia, the UAE, and Sri Lanka), Gulf Bridge International, and BRICS (connecting India with Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa). The 3,175-km-long, 8-fiber-paired i2i has the world's largest design capacity of 8.4 terabits per second. Work to lay a 2,300-km undersea optical submarine cable connecting Andaman and Nicobar Islands to mainland India through Chennai, carrying 100 Gbit/s optical waves, is slated to begin in December 2019 and completed by March 2020. It will connect Port Blair and the islands of Havelock, Little Andaman (Hutbay), Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island and Rangat with Indian mainland.As of 2013, eight mobile phone service companies operate seven GSM networks including Airtel, Aircel, BSNL, Vodafone, Tata Docomo GSM, Idea, Reliance GSM and three CDMA networks including MTS, Reliance CDMA, Tata Docomo CDMA in the city. 2G Mobile internet connections are provided by all the operators, and 3G and 4G mobile broadband are provided by few operators in the city. There are four land line companies providing commercial and domestic broadband Internet services. Chennai was the first Indian city to deploy Wi-Fi internet access in a widespread manner. As of 2010, there were 9.8 million mobile phone users in Chennai. In 2010, Chennai had the fourth highest number of active Internet users in India, with 2.2 million users. As of 2018, the city topped in broadband speed among Indian cities, with a recorded download speed of 32.67 Mbit/s.

Chennai Communication

LOC Diesel, LOC Plant, LOC Basin Bridge Gas Turbine Power Station, ORG GMR Vasavi, LOC North Chennai Thermal Power Station, LOC Madras Atomic Power Station, ORG TANGEDCO, ORG Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited, LOC Vallur Thermal Power Project, ORG Power, LOC Tamil Nadu, LOC Ennore Thermal Power Station

Major power plants in the city include North Chennai Thermal Power Station, GMR Vasavi Diesel Power Plant, Ennore Thermal Power Station, Basin Bridge Gas Turbine Power Station, Madras Atomic Power Station and Vallur Thermal Power Project. According to the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO), as of 2013, the city consumes about 20 percent of the electricity in the state of Tamil Nadu. The peak evening demand of the city is 1,500 MW which is about 50 percent of the state's peak evening demand of 3,000 megawatt. This includes 37 percent consumption by the industrial sector, 30 percent by the domestic sector, 18 percent by the agricultural sector, and 11.5 percent by the commercial sector. The peak power consumption is for four months between May and August, with the city consuming the highest during June because it is when the summer peaks. On 20 June 2013, the city consumed the highest of 52,785 MU.As of 2014, the city consumes around 3.83 crore units of power a day or 1,400 crore units annually. Hourly consumption of power in the city is about 2,000 to 3,000 MW. Availability of power in the city has become a concern in recent years due to increasing demand and slow-paced addition of power plants, due to which scheduled power cuts have become increasingly common. However, this situation was eradicated by the end of 2014. As of 2016, the total electricity consumption by the street lamps in the city is 27 MW, costing about ₹ 60,000,000 per month. The 426 sq km of the city has over 248,000 streetlights, including 88,000 in the newly expanded areas.

Chennai Power

LOC Dr Mehta, LOC Lifeline, ORG College, LOC MIOT, LOC Global, LOC General Hospital, LOC Chettinad Health City, ORG National Institute of Siddha, LOC Sankara Nethralaya, ORG World Health Organization, ORG Institute, LOC TB Sanatorium, ORG Vijaya Medical & Educational Trust, LOC Research Centre, LOC Chennai, LOC SRM Medical College, LOC Apollo Hospitals, LOC Apollo Speciality Hospital, ORG Adyar Cancer, LOC India, LOC Research, LOC Fortis Malar Hospital, LOC Vasan Healthcare, LOC Sri Ramachandra Medical, LOC Institute

Chennai is known for its advanced medical facilities, including both government-run and private hospitals. The government-aided hospitals include General Hospital, Adyar Cancer Institute, TB Sanatorium, and National Institute of Siddha. The National Institute of Siddha is one of the seven apex national-level educational institutions that promote excellence in Indian system of medicine and Ayurveda. Major hospitals in Chennai include Apollo Hospitals, Apollo Speciality Hospital, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Chettinad Health City, MIOT Hospitals, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Fortis Malar Hospital, Lifeline Hospitals, Vasan Healthcare, Dr Mehta Hospitals, Global Hospitals & Health City, Sankara Nethralaya and Vijaya Medical & Educational Trust. Chennai attracts about 45 percent of health tourists from abroad and 30 percent to 40 percent of domestic health tourists. The city has been termed India's health capital.The city has more than 12,500 beds in its hospitals, including about 5,000 in multi-specialty hospitals in the private sector and over 6,000 beds in the public sector. This works to 2.1 beds per 1,000 population against the national average of less than one bed per 1,000 population and the World Health Organization's norms of three beds per 1,000 persons, higher than any other city in the country.

Chennai Health care

LOC Perungudi, LOC Kuthambakkam, LOC Malaipattu, LOC Pallikaranai, LOC Vallur, LOC Minjur, LOC Kodungaiyur

The city generates 4,500 tonnes of garbage every day of which 429 tonnes are plastic waste. The city has three dumpyards, one each at Perungudi, Kodungaiyur, and Pallikaranai. The corporation has planned to close these yards and create four new dumpyards at Malaipattu, Minjur, Vallur and Kuthambakkam villages, ranging in size from 20 acres (8 ha) to 100 acres (40 ha). The civic body also spends ₹ 400 crore a year on solid-waste management.

Chennai Waste management

LOC Sri Lanka, LOC India, LOC France, LOC Singapore, LOC Delhi, LOC Malaysia, LOC Chennai, LOC United Kingdom, LOC Mahabalipuram, LOC Mumbai, LOC United States

With temples, beaches and centres of historical and cultural significance, including the UNESCO Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram, Chennai is one of the most-visited cities in India. The city serves as the gateway to the southern part of India with tourists landing in the city and then visiting the rest of the region. Chennai was the most-visited Indian city by foreign tourists in 2009 and issued the third-highest number of visas on arrival in 2014. In 2011, Chennai was ranked the 41st most visited city, with 3,174,500 tourists, a 14-percent increase from 2010. About 830,620 domestic tourists arrived in Chennai in March 2011. Chennai's leading tourist countries-of-origin are Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France and the United States. In 2015, the city received 4,243,700 foreign tourists, making it the third-most-visited city in India after Delhi and Mumbai and 43rd-most visited city in the world by foreign tourists. As of 2012, the city had 21 luxury hotels in the five-star category, with over 4,500 rooms in the inventory. The collective luxury room inventory across four- and five-star categories as of 2018 is around 7,000. About 85 percent of the room demand in Chennai comes from business travellers.

Chennai Tourism and hospitality

LOC Mayajaal, LOC Escape, LOC Kodambakkam, LOC India, PER Jayalalithaa, ORG Kollywood, PER C. N. Annadurai, PER M. Karunanidhi, LOC Chennai, PER M. G. Ramachandran, ORG AVM Productions, LOC Sathyam, LOC Devi

Chennai is the base for Tamil cinema, sometimes nicknamed as Kollywood, alluding to the neighbourhood of Kodambakkam where a number of film studios are located. Many film personalities have gone on to become politicians including C. N. Annadurai, M. Karunanidhi, M. G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. Chennai hosts major film studios, including AVM Productions, the oldest surviving studio in India. As of 2012, there are 120 cinema screens and multiplexes. Major multiplexes include Sathyam Cinemas, Escape cinemas, Devi and Mayajaal. Chennai's expansive theatre network stages many Tamil plays of many genres: political satire, slapstick comedy, history, mythology and drama. English plays are popular in the city, along with the more common Tamil-language plays.

Chennai Entertainment

ORG Boat Club, LOC Tholkappia Poonga, LOC Covelong Beach, ORG Central Zoo Authority of India, LOC Semmoli Poonga, LOC Arignar Anna Zoological Park, LOC Elliot ' s, LOC Queen ' s Land, LOC Guindy National Park, LOC Chennai, LOC Tamil Nadu, LOC Cooum, ORG Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, LOC Elliot ' s Beach, LOC Marina, LOC Gymkhana Club, LOC India, LOC Madras, LOC Adyar, LOC Coromandal Coast, ORG Wonderla, LOC MGM Dizzee World

The zoo, beaches and wildlife parks form the primary recreation areas of the city. Chennai has a 19+ km coastline with its corporation limits. The city boasts two popular beaches, the Marina and the Elliot's. The Marina spans 13 km (8.1 mi) between the deltas of Cooum and Adyar, and is the second-longest urban beach in the world. Elliot's Beach lies south of the Adyar delta. Covelong Beach lies along the Coromandal Coast. Madras Crocodile Bank Trust is a reptile zoo located 40 km (25 mi) south of the city covering an area of 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) and had over 450,000 visitors in 2007. The center has one of the world's largest collections of reptiles and has bred 14 of the 23 existing species of crocodiles and alligators. The Arignar Anna Zoological Park, one of the largest zoological parks in the world, annually attracts nearly 2 million visitors. Guindy National Park, a protected area of Tamil Nadu, has a children's park and a snake park, which gained statutory recognition as a medium zoo from the Central Zoo Authority of India in 1995. Chennai is one of the few cities in the world to accommodate a national park, the Guindy National Park, within its limits. An estimated 4.5 percent of the city's area is under green cover. This enables birding. The seven zones of the old corporation limits have about 260 parks, many of which suffer poor maintenance. The city has a per capita park space of 0.41 sq m, which is the least among all metros in India. The eight zones in the newly added areas of the city have about 265 locations that have been identified for development of new parks. The largest park is the 358-acre Tholkappia Poonga, developed to restore the fragile ecosystem of the Adyar estuary. The horticulture department-owned Semmoli Poonga is a 20-acre downtown botanical garden.Chennai houses several theme parks, namely MGM Dizzee World and Queen's Land. However, several fatal accidents have occurred in the theme parks. Wonderla plans to open an amusement park in 2017. Other important recreation centres include Madras Boat Club, which is over 140 years old, and Gymkhana Club, which is famous for its 18-hole golf courses. Built in 1867, Madras Boat Club is the second-oldest surviving Indian rowing club.

Chennai Recreation

LOC Spencer Plaza, LOC Forum Vijaya Mall, LOC India, ORG Cushman & Wakefield, LOC Khader Nawaz Khan Road, LOC Nungambakkam, LOC Abirami, LOC Citi Centre, LOC Phoenix Market City, LOC Ampa Skywalk, ORG World Gold Council, LOC Chennai, LOC T. Nagar, LOC Express Avenue, LOC EA

Chennai is home to several malls, due to its status as an IT hub. Major ones include Express Avenue (EA), Citi Centre, Abirami mega mall, Spencer Plaza, Ampa Skywalk, Phoenix Market City and Forum Vijaya Mall. Chennai is an important gold market in India contributing to 45 percent of the 800-tonne annual national gold uptake. The city is also the base to the World Gold Council's India operations. The city's retail industry is majorly concentrated in T. Nagar which accounts for major share jewellery and clothes sold in Chennai. According to the 2012 report by property consultant Cushman & Wakefield, Main Streets Across the World, Khader Nawaz Khan Road at Nungambakkam ranked 10th position in the list of 'Top 10 Global Highest Retail Rental Growth Markets 2012', with 36.7 percent jump in rents.

Chennai Shopping

LOC Indira Gandhi International Airport, LOC Africa, LOC Bengaluru, LOC India, LOC Chennai International Airport, LOC Delhi, LOC Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, LOC Sriperumbudur, LOC Chennai, LOC Middle East, LOC New Delhi, LOC Europe, LOC Mumbai, LOC Asia

The Chennai International Airport is the fourth-busiest in India in terms of passenger traffic behind New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. It handled about 15.2 million passengers in 2013–2014; in terms of international passengers, Chennai is the third-busiest airport behind Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, and Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. Chennai handles 400 flights a day, again placing it fourth among Indian airports. The city is connected to major hubs across Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa through more than 30 national and international carriers.The existing airport is undergoing modernisation and expansion with an addition of 1,069.99 acres (433.01 ha), while a new greenfield airport is to be constructed at an estimated cost of ₹ 2,000 crore in Sriperumbudur on 4,200 acres (17 km2) of land. The new airport is said to be likely to handle cargo spillover traffic from the existing one.

Chennai Air

LOC Tambaram, LOC Tamil Nadu, LOC Chennai Beach, ORG Southern Railway, LOC Chennai, LOC Chennai Egmore, LOC Chennai Central, LOC Velachery

Chennai hosts the headquarters of the Southern Railway. The city has four main railway terminals. Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Chennai Beach and Tambaram. Chennai Central station, the city's largest, provides nationwide access, whereas Chennai Egmore provides access to destinations primarily within Tamil Nadu; however, it also handles a few inter–state trains. A fifth terminal has been proposed to decongest Chennai Central. The Chennai suburban railway network, one of the oldest in the country, facilitates transportation within the city. It consists of four 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge sectors terminating at two locations in the city, namely Chennai Central and Chennai Beach. While three sectors are operated on-grade, the fourth sector is primarily an elevated corridor, linking Chennai Beach to Velachery and is connected with the rest of the rail network.

Chennai Rail

LOC Thiruvottiyur, LOC Chennai International Airport, LOC Central, ORG State, ORG Chennai Metro, ORG Metro, ORG CMRL, LOC Koyambedu, LOC Washermanpet, ORG Chennai Metro Rail Limited, LOC Chennai, LOC Chennai Central, LOC Alandur

Chennai Metro is a rapid-transit system serving the city and was partially commenced on 29 June 2015. To improve the city's public transportation system and prepare the city for the future commuting needs, the Chennai Metro was planned and approved by the state cabinet during 2007 for which construction began on 2009. Phase I of the Chennai Metro network consists of the Blue Line and the Green Line covering a length of 45.1 kilometres (28.0 mi) consisting of 40 stations with Alandur and Chennai Central serving as interchanges. 55% of the corridors in Phase I are underground and the rest are elevated. The first stretch of Phase I, covering seven stations from Koyambedu to Alandur over a distance of 10 km (6.2 mi), began operation on 29 June 2015. As of March 2019, the entire Phase 1 stretching from Chennai Central to Alandur on the Green line and Washermanpet to Chennai International Airport on Blue line are commercially operational, bringing the total operational network over 45 km. With this, the entirety of Phase I is operational. In December 2016, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) announced the Phase-2 of Chennai Metro for a length of 104 km consisting of 104 stations, subject to approval from the State and Central governments. The Phase 2 was subsequently approved in late 2018, with certain provisos, and soil testing for the various stations are in full swing with construction set to begin in late 2019/ early 2020. As of April 2019 ridership has risen considerably to around 100,000 daily commuters, post the inaugural of the entire Phase I. Phase I-A, which is an extension of the Blue line from Washermanpet to Thiruvottiyur is expected to be inaugurated by June 2020.

Chennai Metro rail

LOC GST Road, LOC Tiruchirapalli, LOC Perungalathur, LOC CTH Road, LOC Mumbai, LOC Bangalore, LOC Villupuram, LOC Kathipara, LOC Theni, LOC NH, LOC Anna Salai, ORG Transport Department, LOC Nemilicherry, LOC Trichy, LOC Nazarathpet, LOC Inner Ring Road, LOC Hosur, ORG Metropolitan Transport Corporation, LOC Chennai, LOC Tirupati, LOC Vellore, LOC GWT Road, LOC Outer Ring Road, LOC Kolkata, LOC Pune, LOC Madanapalle, ORG MTC, LOC Th, LOC Union Territory of Puducherry, LOC Dindigul, LOC Bhubaneswar, ORG Volvo, ORG Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, LOC Pondicherry, ORG Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, ORG CMBT, LOC Visakhapatnam, LOC Asia

As of 2019, the city corporation maintains about 471 bus route roads and 33,0000 interior roads. The Chennai–Mumbai and Chennai–Kolkata prongs of the Golden Quadrilateral system of National Highways start from the city. In addition, four major National Highways (NH), namely, NH 4 to Mumbai (via Bangalore and Pune), NH 5 to Kolkata (linked via NH 6) (via Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar), NH 45 to Theni (via Villupuram, Tiruchirapalli and Dindigul) and NH 205 to Madanapalle (via Tirupati) originate in the city, connecting it to other Indian cities. Chennai is connected to other parts of the state and the Union Territory of Puducherry by state highways.The government has constructed grade separators and flyovers at major intersections, and built Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Road. The Gemini flyover, built in 1973, crosses over the arterial road, and eases the traffic movements towards Anna Salai and towards the Kathipara Flyover. As of 2011, according to the Transport Department, there were 25.8 lakh two–wheelers and 5.6 lakh four–wheelers in the city, and the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus fleet were 3,421, equaling 0.1% of all vehicles in the city.When opened, the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) was the largest bus station in Asia. It is the main intercity bus station of Chennai, administered by seven government-owned transport corporations, which operate intercity and interstate bus services. There are many private bus companies. The MTC provides an exclusive intracity bus service, consisting of 3,421 buses on 724 routes, which provides transportation to 55.2 lakh passengers daily. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates Volvo air-conditioned services from Chennai to nearby Pondicherry, Vellore, Hosur and Trichy.The other means of road transport in the city include vans, regionally known as Maxi Cabs, auto rickshaws, on-call metered taxis and tourist taxis.Chennai outer ring road is 62.3 km long connecting NH 45 (GST Road) at Perungalathur, NH 4 (GWT Road) at Nazarathpet, NH 205 (CTH Road) at Nemilicherry (Thiruninravur), NH 5 (GNT Road) at Nallur and TPP road at Minjur under the process by Chennai Metropolitan Area.

Chennai Road

LOC Royapuram, LOC India, LOC Ennore Port, ORG Kattupalli Shipyard, LOC Bay of Bengal, LOC Chennai Port

The city is served by two major ports, Chennai Port, one of the largest artificial ports in India, and Ennore Port. Chennai Port is the largest in the Bay of Bengal, with an annual cargo tonnage of 61.46 million (2010–2011), and the second-largest container-hub in India, with an annual container volume of 1.523 million TEUs (2010–2011). The port handles transportation of automobiles, motorcycles and general industrial cargo. The Ennore Port with an annual cargo tonnage of 11.01 million (2010–2011), handles coal, ore and other bulk and rock mineral products. Royapuram fishing harbour is used by fishing boats and Kattupalli Shipyard near Ennore Port was inaugurated in January 2013.

Chennai Sea

ORG The Hindu, ORG The Hindu Business Line, ORG The Deccan Chronicle, ORG Eenadu, ORG The Shopping Express, ORG Sun TV, ORG Dinakaran, ORG The Hindu Tamil, ORG Malayala Manorama, ORG Kumudam, ORG Kalki, ORG Kungumam, ORG The Spectator, ORG Frontline, ORG Jaya TV, ORG Sportstar Doordarshan, ORG T. Nagar Times, ORG Mathrubhumi, ORG Kalaignar TV, ORG Sakshi, ORG The Madras Courier, ORG Andhra Patrika, ORG Captain TV, ORG Mint, ORG PuthiyaThalaimurai TV, ORG Vasanth TV, ORG Business Standard, ORG Chrompet Times, ORG Dina Malar, ORG Satya Doota, ORG Sun Network, ORG Puthiya Thalaimurai, ORG The Times of India, ORG Zee Tamizh, ORG Pillar Times, ORG Tamil Murasu, ORG Dina Thanthi, ORG Vaartha, ORG Raj TV, ORG Star Vijay, ORG Dina Mani, ORG The Government Gazette, ORG Arcot Road Talk, ORG Malai Malar, ORG Thuglak, ORG The Financial Express, LOC Chennai, ORG The Economic Times, ORG Rajasthan Patrika, ORG Andhra Jyothi, ORG The Trinity Mirror, ORG Ananda Vikatan, ORG Makkal TV, LOC India, LOC Madras, ORG Swadesamitran, ORG News Today, ORG The New Indian Express, ORG The Madras Gazette, ORG Makkal Kural

Newspaper publishing started in Chennai with the launch of a weekly, The Madras Courier, in 1785. It was followed by the weeklies The Madras Gazette and The Government Gazette in 1795. The Spectator, founded in 1836, was the first English newspaper in Chennai to be owned by an Indian and became the city's first daily newspaper in 1853. The first Tamil newspaper, Swadesamitran, was launched in 1899. First Telugu journal printed from Madras was Satya Doota in 1835 and Andhra Patrika found in 1908 was the most successful Telugu newspaper from Madras. The major English dailies published in Chennai are The Hindu, The New Indian Express, The Deccan Chronicle and The Times of India and many more. The evening dailies are, The Trinity Mirror and News Today. As of 2004, The Hindu was the city's most read English newspaper, with a daily circulation of 267,349. The major business dailies published from the city are The Economic Times, The Hindu Business Line, Business Standard, Mint and The Financial Express. The major Tamil dailies include the Dina Thanthi, Dinakaran, Dina Mani, Dina Malar, The Hindu Tamil, Tamil Murasu, Makkal Kural and Malai Malar. Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhumi are the major Malayalam dailies while major Telugu dailies include Eenadu, Vaartha, Andhra Jyothi and Sakshi. The one and only Hindi Newspaper published from Chennai is the Rajasthan Patrika. The Local weekly Newspapers circulated to residents are T. Nagar Times, Pillar Times, Arcot Road Talk, Chrompet Times. Chennai's First Corporate Leisure Newspaper, The Shopping Express. Magazines published from Chennai include Ananda Vikatan, Kumudam, Kalki, Kungumam, Puthiya Thalaimurai, Thuglak, Frontline and Sportstar Doordarshan runs two terrestrial television channels and two satellite television channels from its Chennai centre, which was set up in 1974. Private Tamil satellite television networks such as Sun TV, Raj TV, Zee Tamizh, Star Vijay, Jaya TV, Makkal TV, Vasanth TV, Kalaignar TV, Captain TV and PuthiyaThalaimurai TV broadcast out of Chennai. The Sun Network one of India's largest broadcasting companies is based in the city. While the cable TV service is entirely controlled by the state government, direct–to–home (DTH) is available via DD Direct Plus, Dish TV, Tata Sky, Videocon DTH, Sun direct DTH, Reliance Big TV and Digital TV. Chennai is the first city in India to have implemented the Conditional Access System for cable television. Radio broadcasting began in 1924 by the Madras Presidency Radio Club. The radio station at the Rippon Buildings complex was founded in 1930 and was then shifted to All India Radio in 1938. The city has four AM and 11 FM radio stations operated by All India Radio, Anna University and Suryan FM, Radio Mirchi, BIG FM, Hello FM, Radio City, Radio One among others.

Chennai Media

ORG NIOS, ORG CBSE, ORG Tamil Nadu State Board, LOC Anna Centenary Library, ORG Central Leather Research Institute, ORG Indian Institute of Technology Madras, LOC Asia, ORG Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India, ORG College of Engineering, ORG Central Board of Secondary Education, ORG CSIR, ORG IIT Madras, ORG BAPASI, ORG University of Madras, LOC American Library, ORG Structural Engineering Research Centre, ORG Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education, LOC British Council Library, LOC Chennai, ORG Anna University, ORG Guindy, LOC India, ORG Chennai Corporation, ORG National Institute of Open Schooling, ORG Officers Training Academy, ORG Indian Army, ORG Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, LOC Connemara Public Library

Chennai is home to some of the best educational institutions in the country. The city ranks second among Indian metropolitan city centres with a 90.33 percent literacy rate. Chennai has a mix of public and private schools, some of which also receive financial support from the government. The public school system is managed by the Chennai Corporation with an enrollment of 142,387 students in over 330 schools. Tamil and English are the primary medium of instruction, though some schools also use Telugu and Urdu as medium of instruction in their schools. Public schools run by the Chennai Corporation are all affiliated with the Tamil Nadu State Board, while private schools may be affiliated with either of the Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education or the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). A few schools are affiliated with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) board or the Montessori system. Education in Chennai starts with two years of Kindergarten from age three onward and then follows the Indian 10+2+3 plan, ten years of school, two years of higher secondary education, and three years of undergraduate education.English is the medium of instruction in the majority of institutions for higher education. The University of Madras, founded in 1857, is one of India's first three modern universities. Colleges for science, arts, and commerce degrees are typically affiliated with the University of Madras, which has six campuses in the city. The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and the College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University are two well-known centres for engineering education in the city. The Indian Army's Officers Training Academy is also headquartered in the city. Chennai has a plethora of libraries, including British Council Library, American Library, Connemara Public Library, and Anna Centenary Library. The Connemara Public Library is one of four National Depository Centres in India that receive a copy of all newspapers and books published in the country. The Anna Centenary Library is the largest library in Asia.Chennai has two CSIR research institutions namely Central Leather Research Institute and Structural Engineering Research Centre. Chennai Book Fair, an annual book fair organised in Chennai by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI), is the largest exhibition for Tamil book publishers to display their books. The fair is typically held for about 10 days between the last week of December and the third week of January.

Chennai Education

ORG UBA Pro Basketball League, LOC Chemplast Cricket Ground, ORG MRF Pace Foundation, PER Glenn Mcgrath, ORG Chennaiyin FC, ORG FIFA, ORG Madras Cricket Club, LOC Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, ORG Chennai Super Kings, ORG Asian Football Federation, PER Somdev Devvarman, ORG Chennai Slam, LOC Velachery Aquatic Complex, PER Francis Spring, ORG Chennai Cheetahs, LOC M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, PER T. A. Sekhar, ORG Madras Boat Club, PER S. Venkataraghavan, LOC Chennai, ORG Royal Madras Yacht Club, PER Kris Srikkanth, PER Vijay Amritraj, PER Mahesh Bhupathi Ramesh Krishnan, LOC Pune, LOC Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, LOC India, LOC Madras, LOC Marina Arena, ORG IIT

Cricket is the most popular sport in Chennai. It was introduced in 1864 with the foundation of the Madras Cricket Club. The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium established in 1916 is among the oldest cricket stadiums in India. The stadium was also one of the venues of the 1987,1996 and 2011 ICC Cricket World Cups. Chemplast Cricket Ground located at the IIT Madras campus is another important venue for cricket matches. Prominent cricketers from the city include former cricket captains S. Venkataraghavan and Kris Srikkanth. A cricket fast bowling academy called the MRF Pace Foundation, whose coaches include T. A. Sekhar and Glenn Mcgrath, is based in Chennai. Being home to the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Chennai Super Kings, the city hosted the finals of the IPL's 2011 and 2012 series. The city's professional football club Chennaiyin FC competes in Indian Super League, the country's top tier association football league associated with Asian Football Federation and recognized by FIFA. The club uses the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium nicknamed the Marina Arena as their home ground and are champions of the Indian Super League in 2015 and 2018. Chennai was the venue of the 1995 South Asian Games. Chennai is home to a World Series Hockey (WSH) team, the Chennai Cheetahs. The Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium is associated with hockey and was venue for the international hockey tournament the 2005 Men's Champions Trophy and the 2007 Men's Asia Cup. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is associated for hosting Football and athletic competitions, it also houses a multi–purpose indoor complex for competition in volleyball, basketball and table tennis. Water sports are played in the Velachery Aquatic Complex. Tennis sport is popularising among the city youths, Since 1997 Chennai has been host to the only ATP World Tour event held in India, the Chennai Open which has been shifted to Pune as Maharashtra Open from 2017. Vijay Amritraj, Mahesh Bhupathi Ramesh Krishnan and Somdev Devvarman are tennis players from Chennai. Chennai is home to Chennai Slam, two-time national champion of India's top professional basketball division, the UBA Pro Basketball League. Madras Boat Club (founded in 1846) and the Royal Madras Yacht Club (founded by Sir Francis Spring in 1911) promote the sailing sports in Chennai, and organise national and international sailing events. Automobile racing in India has been closely connected with Chennai since its beginnings shortly after independence. Motor racing events are held on a special purpose track in Madras Motor Race Track, Sriperumbudur, which has also been the venue for several international competitions. Formula One driver Karun Chandhok was born in Chennai.Horse racing is held at the Guindy Race Course, while rowing competitions are hosted at the Madras Boat Club. The city has two 18-hole golf courses, the Cosmopolitan Club and the Gymkhana Club, both established in the late nineteenth century. The city has a rugby union team called the Chennai Cheetahs. Home to the country's first international chess master, the first grandmaster, the first female grandmaster, the first international arbiter, and 12 of the 34 world chess grandmasters from India, Chennai is often dubbed "India's chess capital". Former world chess champion Viswanathan Anand grew up and resides in Chennai. Other sports persons of repute from Chennai include table tennis players Sharath Kamal and two–time world carrom champion, Maria Irudayam. Chennai was the host of the World Chess Championship 2013 match between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen. In 2022, Chennai hosted the 44th Chess Olympiad, in which 1,400 players from across 187 countries will participate.

Chennai Sports and recreation

LOC Haddows Road, ORG Foreigners Regional Registration Office, ORG FRRO, PER William Abbott, LOC Chennai, LOC Shastri Bhavan, LOC US, LOC South India

The consular presence in the city dates back to 1794, when William Abbott was appointed US consular agent for South India. As of 2012, there were 43 foreign representations in Chennai, including consulates general, deputy high commissions and honorary consulates. The American Consulate in Chennai is one of the top adjudication posts in the world and the number one in processing employment-based visas. It was ranked among the top globally in issuing 'L' and 'H' category visas for workers and professionals and was ranked eighth globally in terms of all category of visas being issued.The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which is the office of the field officers in charge of immigration and registration activities in the city, is located at Shastri Bhavan at Haddows Road.

Chennai Foreign missions

LOC Chennai

Chennai has sister city relationships with the following cities of the world:

Chennai Twin towns – Sister cities

LOC India Chitrakoot Colony, LOC Madhya Pradesh Chitrakoot, LOC Chitrakut, LOC Chhattisgarh, LOC Madhya Pradesh, ORG Indian Railways, LOC Indravati River, LOC India Chitrakoot, LOC Chittor Fort, LOC Karwi, ORG Chitrakoot Express, LOC Chitrakoot, LOC Rajasthan, LOC Uttar Pradesh, LOC Chitrakoot Airport Chitrakoot Falls, LOC India, ORG a, LOC Jaipur, LOC Chitrakoot Dham

Chitrakoot may refer to: Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, a municipality in Madhya Pradesh, India Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh Assembly constituency, Madhya Pradesh Chitrakoot division, a division in Uttar Pradesh, India Chitrakoot district Chitrakoot Dham (Karwi), district headquarters Chitrakoot Airport Chitrakoot Falls, a waterfall on the Indravati River, Chhattisgarh, India Chitrakoot Colony, a neighbourhood in west Jaipur, Rajasthan, India Chitrakoot Express, a mail/express train of Indian Railways Chittor Fort (formerly Chitrakut(a)), Rajasthan

Chitrakoot Introduction

PER Akbar, PER Bahadur Shah, PER Rani Padmini, LOC Mewar, LOC Gambhiri, PER Panna Dai, LOC Berach River, PER Alauddin Khalji, LOC Chittor Fort, LOC Medapata, LOC Chittorgarh, LOC Banas, LOC Rajasthan, LOC Gujarat, LOC Chittor, PER Meera, LOC India, LOC Rajput State, LOC Berach, LOC Chittorgarh District, LOC Asia, LOC Chittaurgarh

Chittorgarh pronunciation (also Chittor or Chittaurgarh) is a major city in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgarh District. It was a major stronghold of the Rajput State of Medapata. (modern Mewar) The city of Chittorgarh is located on the banks of river Gambhiri and Berach. Chittorgarh is home to the Chittor Fort, the largest fort in India and Asia. It was sacked thrice; first in 1303 by Alauddin Khalji, again in 1535 by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, and lastly by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1568. Its Hindu Rajput rulers fought fiercely to maintain their independence. On all three occasions when faced with a certain defeat, the men fought to death, while the women committed suicide by jauhar (mass self-immolation). Chittor also has been a land of worship for Meera. It is also known for Panna Dai and Rani Padmini.

Chittorgarh Introduction

PER Alauddin Khilji, ORG Guhila, LOC Chitrakuta, ORG Guhilas, PER Akbar, LOC Delhi Sultanate, PER Bahadur Shah, PER Chitranga, PER Rana Kumbha, LOC Mewar, PER Ratnasimha, LOC Mughal, PER Maharana, PER Bappa Rawal, LOC Chittor Fort, ORG British Indian Empire, LOC Chittorgarh, PER Amar Singh I, PER Rana Sanga, LOC Gujarat, LOC Chittor, PER Jahangir, PER Hammir Singh, LOC Gahlot, PER Humayun, ORG Sisodia, PER Allata

Originally called Chitrakuta, the Chittor Fort is said to have been built by Chitranga, a mori king.The Guhila (Gahlot) ruler Bappa Rawal is said to have captured the fort in either 728 CE or 734 CE. However, some historians doubt the historicity of this legend, arguing that the Guhilas did not control Chittor before the reign of the later ruler Allata.In 1303, the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khilji defeated the Guhila king Ratnasimha, and captured the fort. The fort was later captured by Hammir Singh, a king of the Sisodia branch of the Guhilas. Chittor gained prominence during the period of his successors, which included Rana Kumbha and Rana Sanga. In 1535, Bahadur Shah of Gujarat besieged and conquered the fort. After he was driven away by the Mughal emperor Humayun, the fort was given back to Sisodias by him. In 1567–68, the Mughal emperor Akbar besieged and captured the fort. In 1615, as part of a peace treaty between Akbar's successor Jahangir and the Maharana of Mewar, Amar Singh I, Mewar accepted Mughal suzerainty and the fort as well as the areas surrounding Chittorgarh were given to Mewar. However, due to the military danger presented by the fort, it was never to be fortified or even repaired. Later, it was occupied by the British Indian Empire. The fort was refurbished in 1905 during British Raj.

Chittorgarh History

LOC India, LOC Rajasthan, LOC Gambhiri River, LOC Chittorgarh, LOC Rajasthan State

Chittorgarh is located at 24.88°N 74.63°E / 24.88; 74.63. It has an average elevation of 394 metres (1292 ft).Chittorgarh is located in the southern part of the state of Rajasthan, in the northwestern part of India. It is located beside a high hill near the Gambhiri River. Chittorgarh is located between 23° 32' and 25° 13' north latitudes and between 74° 12' and 75° 49' east longitudes in the southeastern part of Rajasthan state. The district encompasses 350.8 square km (3.17 per cent of the Rajasthan State) area of land.

Chittorgarh Geography

LOC Indore, LOC Ratlam, LOC Kota, LOC Rewa, LOC Bilaspur, LOC Udaipur, LOC Jodhpur, LOC Delhi, LOC Jhansi, LOC Chittaurgarh Junction, ORG Western Railway, ORG Rajasthan Roadways, ORG Indian Railways, LOC Mumbai, LOC Dabok Airport, LOC Ajmer, ORG RSRTC, LOC Chittorgarh, LOC Hyderabad, LOC New Delhi, LOC Mandsaur, LOC Khajuraho, LOC Yeshwantpur, LOC Surat, LOC Mysore, LOC Haridwar, LOC Vadodara, LOC Ratlam Division, LOC Rameswaram, LOC Chittorgarh City, LOC Bundi, LOC Bhopal, LOC Chennai, LOC Kolkata, LOC Pune, LOC India, LOC Nagpur, LOC Jaipur, LOC Ahmedabad, LOC Gwalior, LOC Agra

The completed Golden Quadrilateral highway system passes through Chittorgarh, connecting it to most of India. The East-West Corridor (Express Highway) also crosses it. Chittorgarh is situated on National Highway No. 76 & 79. National Highway 76 connects to Kota with a 2 hour drive. Chittaurgarh Junction is a busy junction of Western Railway of Indian Railways, Ratlam Division. It has direct rail links with all major Indian cities including Ajmer, Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Agra, Delhi, Haridwar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai, Rameswaram, Yeshwantpur, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Indore, Ratlam, Gwalior, Bhopal, Mandsaur, Jhansi, Khajuraho, Rewa, Nagpur, Bilaspur, Kota, and Mysore. Chittorgarh is well connected to all parts of India by roads. The Golden Quadrilateral Road Project and North-South-East-West corridor expressways pass through Chittorgarh City. The bus stand (bus depot) of Chittorgarh is located between the old and new cities. There are good bus services (private as well as state-owned) available for Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Bundi, Kota, Udaipur, and other major cities. Rajasthan Roadways (RSRTC) provides a service for visiting areas around Chittorgarh. Rajasthan Roadways also has premier services called Pink Line, Silver line and Sleeper Coaches (Grey Line). The nearest airport is Udaipur (Dabok Airport). The airport is located 70 kilometres from Chittorgarh and linked by daily air service from New Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Mumbai.

Chittorgarh Transport

PER Pancha Pandavas, PER Badal, PER Patta, LOC Chittor Fort, PER Maharana Pratap, PER Jaimal, PER Rana Kumbha, PER Bhima, PER Gora

The Chittor Fort is seated on a 180-metre hill, covers an expanse of 700 acres (2.8 km2). It was constructed by the Mauryans in the 7th century CE. There is also a belief that it was constructed by Bhima of the Pancha Pandavas. This fort was the citadel of many great rajput warriors such as Gora, Badal, Rana Kumbha, Maharana Pratap, Jaimal, Patta, etc.

Chittorgarh Chittorgarh Fort

PER Kali, LOC Kalika Mata Temple, PER Sun God

Kalika Mata Temple was originally built in the 8th century for Sun God and was later converted to a temple for mother Goddess, Kali in the 14th century. During the festival days of Navaratri, fairs are organised and pilgrims from different places come here to pay obeisance at the temple.

Chittorgarh Kalika Mata Temple

LOC Malwa, PER Maharana Kumbha, LOC Gujarat, PER Vijay Stambha

Vijay Stambha, is a huge nine storey tower which was built by Maharana Kumbha to commemorate his victory over the rulers of Malwa and Gujarat in 1440. The tower is 122 ft (37 m) high and stands on a 10 ft (3.0 m) high base. There are sculptures and carvings on the exterior walls of the tower. The tower is visible from any section of the town below. To reach the top of the tower top one has to climb 157 steps, it offers great view of the surroundings from the top. The inside walls of the tower are carved with images of Gods, weapons, etc.

Chittorgarh Vijay Stambha

LOC Kirti Stambh, PER Rishabha, PER Adinathji, PER Biherwal Mahajan Sanaya, LOC Chittorgarh, LOC Tower of Fame

Kirti Stambh (Tower of Fame) is a 22-metre-high (72 ft) tower built in the 12th century CE. Kirti Stambh is built inside Chittorgarh fort. It is dedicated to Rishabha, the first Tirthankara of Jainism. It was built by a merchant and is decorated with figures from the Jain pantheon. It is a seven storied pillar which was built by Biherwal Mahajan Sanaya of Digambar Jain sect. On its four corners are engraved idols of Shri Adinathji in Digambar style which each are five feet (about 1.5 meters) high and elsewhere are engraved several small idols consecrated to Jain lineage of deities.

Chittorgarh Kirti Stambh

PER Maharana Udai Singh, LOC Rana Kumbha, LOC Udaipur, LOC Vijay Stambh, PER Rani Padmini, PER Banbir, PER Rani Meera Bai, PER Panna Dhay, LOC Palace

Rana Kumbha's Palace is near the Vijay Stambh. This is the birthplace of Maharana Udai Singh, the founder of Udaipur. His life was saved by the heroic act of the maid Panna Dhay, who replaced her son in place of the prince, with the result that her son was killed by Banbir. She carried the prince away to safety in a fruit basket. Rani Meera Bai also lived in this palace. This is the place where Rani Padmini committed jauhar with the other ladies in one of the underground cellars.

Chittorgarh Rana Kumbha's Palace

PER Rawal Ratan Singh, LOC Rani Padmini, PER Alauddin Khalji, LOC Delhi Sultanate, PER Khalji, PER Rani, LOC Palace

According to legend, Rani Padmini's Palace is from which the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji was allowed to watch a reflection of the Rani by replacing the mirror at such an angle that even if he turned back he could not see the room. Khalji had been warned by the Rani's husband Rawal Ratan Singh that if he turned back they would cut his neck.

Chittorgarh Rani Padmini's Palace

PER Maharana, LOC Rajasthan, PER Maharana Udai Singh II, PER Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara, PER Maharana Pratap, LOC Kumbhalgarh, LOC Rajsamand

The legendary Maharana Pratap was a true patriot who initiated the first war of independence. Maharana was born on May 9, 1540, in Kumbhalgarh in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan to Maharana Udai Singh II and Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara. Maharana Pratap has gained amazing respect and honor as he is seen as an epitome of valor, heroism, pride, patriotism and the spirit of independence. His birth anniversary (Maharana Pratap Jayanti) is celebrated as full-fledged festival every year on the 3rd day of Jyestha Shukla phase. Special puja and processions are held in his remembrance on Maharana Pratap Jayanti day everywhere. Several cultural programs such as debate are also organized.

Chittorgarh Maharana Pratap Jayanti

PER Mirabai, PER Bhoj Raj, LOC Rajasthan, PER Ratan Singh, PER Rao Duda, LOC Medta, LOC Jodhpur, PER Rathore, PER Mira Bai, PER Meera Smrithi Sansathan, LOC Chittorgarh, PER Meera Bai, PER Lord Krishna, LOC Chittor, PER Meera, ORG Meera Memorial Trust

Meera Bai (1498–1547) was a devout follower of Lord Krishna. Meera Bai was one of the foremost exponents of the Prema Bhakti (Divine Love) and an inspired poet. Mira Bai was a Rajput princess who lived in the north Indian state of Rajasthan. Meera was Rajput princess born in about 1498 in Medta, Rajasthan. Her father, Ratan Singh, was the youngest son of Rao Duda, ruler of Medta, and son of Rao Duda ruler and founder of Jodhpur. Ratan Singh belonged to the Rathore clan. She was married to Bhoj Raj, ruler of Chittor. Meera Smrithi Sansathan (Meera Memorial Trust) along with the Chittorgarh district officials organise Meera Mahotsav every year on Sharad Purnima day (On Mirabai's birth anniversary) for 3 days. Many famous musicians and singers get together for singing bhajans in this celebration. The 3 days celebration also features puja's, discussions, dances, fireworks.

Chittorgarh Meera Mahotsav

PER Shiva, LOC Chittorgarh, PER Parvati

Teej is one of the major festivals in Chittorgarh which is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Teej is the festival of swings. It marks the advent of the monsoon month of Shravan (August). The monsoon rains fall on the parched land and the pleasing scent of the wet soil rises into the air. Swings are hung from trees and decorated with flowers. Young girls and women dressed in green clothes sing songs in celebration of the advent of the monsoon. This festival is dedicated to the Goddess Parvati, commemorating her union with Lord Shiva. Goddess Parvati is worshipped by seekers of conjugal bliss and happiness.

Chittorgarh Teej

PER Shiva, LOC Rajasthan, LOC State, PER Gan, PER Gaur, PER Parvati, PER Gauri, PER Lord Shiva

The Gangaur Festival is the colourful and most important local festival of Rajasthan and is observed throughout the State with great fervour and devotion by womenfolk who worship Gauri, the consort of Lord Shiva during July–August. Gan is a synonym for Shiva and Gaur which stands for Gauri or Parvati who symbolises saubhagya (marital bliss). Gauri is the embodiment of perfection and conjugal love which is why the unmarried women worship her for being blessed with good husbands, while married women do so for the welfare, health and long life of their spouses and happy married life.

Chittorgarh Gangaur

LOC Chittorgarh Fort, LOC Chittorgarh, PER Padmini

The fort and the city of Chittorgarh host the biggest Rajput festival called the "Jauhar Mela". It takes place annually on the anniversary of one of the jauhars, but no specific name has been given to it. It is generally believed that it commemorates Padmini's jauhar, which is most famous. This festival is held primarily to commemorate the bravery of Rajput ancestors and all three jauhars which happened at Chittorgarh Fort. A huge number of Rajputs, which include the descendants of most of the princely families, hold a procession to celebrate the jauhar. It has also become a forum to air one's views on the current political situation in the country.

Chittorgarh Jauhar Mela

PER Mother Earth, LOC Mewar, LOC Chaitra

Rang Teras is a popular tribal fest of Mewar celebrated on the 13th moon night of the month of Chaitra. A big colorful fair and huge gathering of tribal to rejoice the harvest of wheat has been celebrating Rang Teras is customary since 15th century. It is a thanksgiving festival of farmers. Farmers pay their honor to Mother Earth for providing them food for next year.

Chittorgarh Rang Teras – The Tribal Fair

ORG Chanderiya, ORG Chanderiya Lead - Zinc Smelter

Chanderiya Lead-Zinc Smelter is one of the largest zinc-lead smelting complexes in the world. Its current metal production capacity is 610,000 tonnes per annum (525,000 tonnes per annum of zinc and 85,000 tonnes per annum of lead). In the year ended March 2013, Chanderiya produced 443,000 MT of zinc and 60,000 MT of lead. The main products are special high grade (SHG) zinc, continuous galvanising grade (CGG) zinc, prime western (PW) zinc and pure lead. It also produces a number of valuable by-products including silver and cadmium.

Chittorgarh Industries

ORG Presidency, LOC Vijayanagara Empire, LOC Palakkad Gap, LOC Coimbatore City, LOC Rajakesari Peruvazhi, ORG Kovai, LOC Koyamputhur, LOC Madurai, ORG Kingdom of Mysore, PER Tipu Sultan, LOC Arikamedu, LOC Muziris, LOC South India, LOC Cheras, ORG Coimbatore Municipal Corporation, LOC Chennai, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Tamil Nadu, LOC Noyyal River, ORG Cholas, ORG British East India Company, PER Dheeran Chinnamalai, LOC India, LOC Kovai, ORG Government of India, LOC Madras, LOC Coimbatore District, LOC Podanur Junction, LOC Manchester, LOC Kongu Nadu, LOC Western Ghats, ORG Coimbatore

Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (Tamil pronunciation: [koːjambʊt̪ːuːɾ]), sometimes shortened as Kovai (IPA: [koːʋaj]), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbatore is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu after Chennai in terms of population and the 16th largest urban agglomeration in India as per the census 2011. It is administered by the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation and is the administrative capital of Coimbatore District. In 1981, Coimbatore formed as the third municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu after Chennai and Madurai. Podanur Junction is the oldest railway station in Coimbatore City. The city is one of the largest exporters of jewellery, wet grinders, poultry and auto components; the "Coimbatore Wet Grinder" and the "Kovai Cora Cotton" are recognised as Geographical Indications by the Government of India. Being a hub of textile industry in South India, the city is sometimes referred to as the "Manchester of South India". It was ranked the 7th best city in India in the Ease of Living index 2020.The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the Cheras during the Sangam period between the 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the west coast and Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore was located along the ancient trade route Rajakesari Peruvazhi that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu in South India. The medieval Cholas conquered the Kongu Nadu in the 10th century CE. The region was ruled by Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century followed by the Nayaks who introduced the Palayakkarar system under which Kongu Nadu region was divided into 24 Palayams. In the later part of the 18th century, the Coimbatore region came under the Kingdom of Mysore and following the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the British East India Company annexed Coimbatore to the Madras Presidency in 1799. The Coimbatore region played a prominent role in the Second Poligar War (1801) when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai. In 1804, Coimbatore was established as the capital of the newly formed Coimbatore district and in 1866, it was accorded municipality status with Robert Stanes as its chairman. 24 November used to be Coimbatore Day, say those familiar with the history of Coimbatore. The city experienced a textile boom in the early 19th century due to the decline of the cotton industry in Mumbai. Post – Independence, Coimbatore has seen rapid growth due to industrialisation including the introduction of 3 malls in major locations. Coimbatore was ranked the best emerging city in India by India Today in the 2014 annual Indian city survey. The city was ranked fourth among Indian cities in investment climate by Confederation of Indian Industry and 17th among the top global outsourcing cities by Tholons. Coimbatore has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission. Coimbatore regularly features among the top 10 best cities to live in India. Coimbatore was rated as one of the safest cities in India for women according to National Crime Records Bureau report in 2015.

Coimbatore Introduction

LOC Kovanpudhur, PER Kovaiamma, LOC Coimbatore, PER Koyan, PER Koniamma, LOC Koyampuththoor, LOC Kovan, PER Koyamma

There are multiple theories regarding the origin of the name Coimbatore. According to one theory, "Coimbatore" is a derivation of Kovanpudhur (literally 'new town of Kovan'), after chieftain Kovan or Koyan, evolved into Koyampuththoor and later anglicised as Coimbatore. Koyamma, the goddess worshipped by Koyan evolved into Koniamma and later Kovaiamma. Another theory states that the name could have been derived from Kovaiamma.

Coimbatore Etymology

LOC Vijayanagara Empire, LOC Palakkad Gap, PER Madurai Nayak, LOC Rajakesari Peruvazhi, LOC Mumbai, PER R., PER Madurai Nayaks, LOC Chola, PER Tipu Sultan, LOC Arikamedu, PER Silappathikaram, LOC Muziris, ORG Coimbatore City Council, LOC Kingdom of Mysore, PER Mahatma Gandhi, LOC Cheras, ORG Dheeran Chinnamalai, LOC Vijaynagara Empire, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Tamil Nadu, ORG British East India Company, ORG Kosar, ORG Madurai Nayaks, PER S. P. Narasimhalu Naidu, LOC Madras, PER Robert Stanes, LOC Kongu Nadu

The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the Cheras during Sangam period between c. 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the west coast and Tamil Nadu. The Kosar tribe mentioned in the 2nd century CE Tamil epic Silappathikaram and other poems in Sangam literature is associated with the Coimbatore region. The region was located along an ancient Roman trade route that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu. The medieval Cholas conquered the Kongu Nadu in the 10th century. A Chola highway called Rajakesari Peruvazhi ran through the region. Much of Tamil Nadu came under the rule of the Vijayanagara Empire by the 15th century. In the 1550s, Madurai Nayaks, who were the military governors of the Vijaynagara Empire, took control of the region. After the Vijayanagara Empire fell in the 17th century, the Madurai Nayaks established their state as an independent kingdom. They introduced the Palayakkarar system under which Kongu Nadu region was divided into 24 Palayams(towns). In the latter part of the 18th century, the region came under the Kingdom of Mysore, following a series of wars with the Madurai Nayak dynasty. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the British East India Company annexed Coimbatore to the Madras Presidency in 1799. The Coimbatore region played a prominent role in the Second Poligar War (1801), when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai. In 1804, Coimbatore was established as the capital of the newly formed Coimbatore district and in 1866 it was accorded municipality status. Sir Robert Stanes became the first chairman of the Coimbatore City Council. The region was hard hit during the Great Famine of 1876–78 resulting in nearly 200,000 famine related fatalities. The first three decades of the 20th century saw nearly 20,000 plague-related deaths and acute water shortage.The decline of the cotton industry in Mumbai fuelled an economic boom in Coimbatore in the 1920s and 1930s. The region played a significant role in the Indian independence movement with Mahatma Gandhi visiting the city three times. Coimbatore was the base of operations for such political figures as S. P. Narasimhalu Naidu, R. K. Shanmukham Chetty, C.S. Rathinasabapathy and C. Subramaniam during the independence movement. Post independence, Coimbatore has seen rapid growth due to industrialisation and in 1981 it was constituted as a municipal corporation. On 14 February 1998, the radical Islamist group Al Ummah bombed 11 places across the city killing 58 people and injuring more than 200.

Coimbatore History

LOC Bengal, LOC Kumaraswami, LOC Anaimalai, LOC Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, LOC Coim, ORG Bureau of Indian Standards, LOC Ukkadam Periyakulam, LOC Singanallur, LOC Kerala, LOC Valankulam, LOC Selvampathy, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Tamil Nadu, LOC Noyyal River, LOC Selvachinthamani, LOC Munnar, LOC India, LOC Palghat Gap, LOC Nilgiris, LOC Nilgiri, LOC Krishnampathi, LOC Narasampathi, LOC Western Ghats

Coimbatore lies at 11°1′6″N 76°58′21″E in south India at 427 metres (1401 ft) above sea level on the banks of the Noyyal River, in northwestern Tamil Nadu. It covers an area of 642.12 km2 (247.92 sq mi). It is surrounded by the Western Ghats mountain range to the west and the north, with reserve forests of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve on the northern side. The Noyyal River forms the southern boundary of the city, which has an extensive tank system fed by the river and rainwater. The eight major tanks and wetland areas of Coimbatore are namely, Singanallur, Valankulam, Ukkadam Periyakulam, Selvampathy, Narasampathi, Krishnampathi, Selvachinthamani, and Kumaraswami. Multiple streams drain the waste water from the city.The city is divided into two distinctive geographic regions: the dry eastern side which includes majority of the urban area of the city and the western region which borders the Nilgiris, Anaimalai and Munnar ranges. Palghat Gap, a mountain pass which connects the neighbouring state of Kerala to Tamil Nadu, lies to the west of the city. Because of its location in the biodiversity hotspot of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city is rich in fauna and flora. The Coimbatore urban wetlands harbours around 116 species of birds, of which 66 are resident, 17 are migratory and 33 are local migrants. The spot-billed pelican, painted stork, openbill stork, ibis, Indian spot-billed duck, teal and black-winged stilt visit the Coimbatore wetlands on their migration. Apart from the species common to the plains, various threatened and endangered species such as Indian elephants, wild boars, leopards, Bengal tigers, gaurs, Nilgiri tahr, sloth bear and black-headed oriole are found in the region.The northern part of the city has a rich tropical evergreen forest with commercially significant trees such as teak, sandalwood, rosewood and bamboo. The soil is predominantly black, which is suitable for cotton cultivation, but some red loamy soil is also found. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, Coimbatore falls under the Class III/IV Seismic Zone, having experienced an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 on the Richter scale on 8 February 1900.

Coimbatore Geography

LOC Pilloor, LOC Palghat, LOC Siruvani, LOC Coimbatore

Under the Köppen climate classification, the city has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh), with a wet season lasting from September to November due to the northeast monsoon. The mean maximum temperature ranges from 35.9 °C (96.6 °F) to 29.2 °C (84.6 °F) and the mean minimum temperature ranges from 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) to 19.8 °C (67.6 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded is 42.6 °C (108.7 °F) on 22 April 1976 while the lowest is 12.2 °C (54.0 °F) on 12 January 1957.Coimbatore has a tropical wet and dry climate. It experiences hot and humid summers from March to June with temperatures ranging from 25°C to 38°C. The monsoon season starts from July and lasts till October. The city receives moderate rainfall from the south-west monsoon and occasional heavy rainfall from the north-east monsoon. The winter season starts from November and ends in February. The temperatures during this season range from 20°C to 30°C. Due to the south-west monsoon winds passing through the Palghat gap, elevated regions of the city receive rainfall in the months from June to August. After a warm and foggy September, the north-east monsoon starts from October, lasting until early November. The average annual rainfall is around 600 mm (23.6 in) with the northeast and the southwest monsoons contributing to 47% and 28% respectively to the total rainfall. This periodic rainfall does not satisfy the city's water requirements throughout the year and water supply schemes like Siruvani and Pilloor maintain its availability during low rainfall months.

Coimbatore Climate

LOC India, LOC Chennai, LOC Coimbatore

Coimbatore has a population of 1,601,438. As per the 2011 census based on pre-expansion city limits, Coimbatore had a population of 1,050,721 with a sex ratio of 997 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. It is the second largest city in the state after capital Chennai and the sixteenth largest urban agglomeration in India. A total of 102,069 were under the age of six, comprising 52,275 males and 49,794 females. The average literacy of the city was 82.43%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. There were a total of 425,115 workers, comprising 1,539 cultivators, 2,908 main agricultural labourer, 11,789 in house hold industries, 385,802 other workers, 23,077 marginal workers, 531 marginal cultivators, 500 marginal agricultural labourer, 1,169 marginal workers in household industries and 20,877 other marginal workers.As per the 2001 census, Coimbatore had a population of 930,882 within the municipal corporation limits. The population of the urban agglomeration as per 2011 census is 2,136,916 with males constituting 50.08% of the population and females 49.92%. Coimbatore has an average literacy rate of 89.23%, higher than the national average of 74.04%. Male literacy is 93.17% and female literacy is 85.3% with 8.9% of the population under six years of age. The sex ratio was 964 females per 1000 males. In 2005, the crime rate in the city was 265.9 per 100,000 people, accounting for 1.2% of all crimes reported in major cities in India. It ranked 21st among 35 major cities in India in the incidence of crimes. In 2011, the population density in the city was 10,052 per km2 (26,035 per mi2). Around 8% of the city's population lives in slums.

Coimbatore Demographics

LOC Kurichi, LOC Vedapatti, LOC Sarcarsamakulam, LOC Veerapandi, LOC Chettipalayam, LOC South, LOC Perur, LOC Goundampalayam, LOC Narasimhanaickenpalayam, LOC Ettimadai, LOC Karumathampatti, LOC Sulur, LOC Kuniyamuthur, LOC Irugur, LOC North, LOC Central, LOC Alanthurai, LOC Arasur, LOC Kurudampalayam, LOC Madukkarai, LOC Neelambur, LOC Idikarai, LOC Vellalur, LOC Somayampalayam, LOC Malumichampatti, LOC Kaniyur, LOC Mopperipalayam, LOC Pooluvapatti, LOC East, LOC Ashokapuram, LOC West, ORG Coimbatore City Police, ORG Coimbatore Municipal Corporation, LOC Kannampalayam, LOC Pallapalayam, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Thondamuthur, LOC Uliyampalayam, LOC Thenkarai, LOC Gudalur, LOC Othakalmandapam, LOC Thirumalayampalayam, LOC Muthugoundan Pudur, LOC Selvapuram, LOC Periyanaickenpalayam, LOC Chinniampalayam

Coimbatore is a municipal corporation administered by the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation and is the administrative headquarters of Coimbatore district. Coimbatore was established as the capital of Coimbatore district in 1804 and in 1866, it was accorded municipality status. In 1981, Coimbatore was elevated as a municipal corporation. The city is divided into five administrative zones – East, West, North, South and Central, each further subdivided into 20 wards. Each ward is represented by a councillor who is elected by direct election and the Mayor of Coimbatore is elected by Councillors. The executive wing of the corporation is headed by a Corporation Commissioner and maintains basic services like water supply, sewage and roads. The district itself is administered by the district collector and the district court in Coimbatore is the highest court of appeal in the district. The Coimbatore City Police is headed by a Commissioner of Police and there are 18 police stations in the city. A large part of the Coimbatore urban agglomeration falls outside the Municipal corporation limits. These suburbs are governed by local bodies called Village Panchayats and Town Panchayats. Besides the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation, the Coimbatore urban agglomeration comprises the Town Panchayats of Vellalur, Irugur, Pallapalayam, Kannampalayam, Veerapandi, Periyanaickenpalayam, Narasimhanaickenpalayam, Idikarai, Vedapatti, Perur, Madukkarai, Ettimadai, Thondamuthur, Uliyampalayam, Thirumalayampalayam, Othakalmandapam, Alanthurai, Pooluvapatti, Thenkarai, Karumathampatti, Sarcarsamakulam, Mopperipalayam and Gudalur, census towns of Ashokapuram, Kurudampalayam, Malumichampatti, Selvapuram, Chettipalayam, Sulur, Chinniampalayam, Somayampalayam, Muthugoundan Pudur, Arasur, Kaniyur, Neelambur and municipalities of Kuniyamuthur, Kurichi and Goundampalayam. These local bodies are in turn split into wards each electing a councillor through direct election. The head of the local body, known as the President, is elected by the councillors from among their number.Coimbatore has traditionally been a stronghold of the Dravidian party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) with national parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) also having a significant presence. The city elects ten members to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and one member to the Indian Parliament. The six legislative assembly constituencies in the city are Coimbatore North, Coimbatore South, Kaundampalayam, Singanallur and Thondamuthur and Kinathukadavu which form a part of the Coimbatore Parliamentary Constituency. Part of the urban agglomeration comes under the Nilgiris and Pollachi constituencies. In the Indian general election held in 2019, CPI (M) candidate P.R. Natarajan defeated C. P. Radhakrishnan of the BJP in the Lok Sabha constituency. In the last legislative assembly election held in 2021, the AIADMK led front won in all five assembly constituencies.

Coimbatore Administration and politics

ORG TIDEL Park Coimbatore, ORG TIDEL Park, ORG Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles & Management, ORG COINDIA, ORG Robert Stanes, ORG CICR, ORG South, ORG SITRA, LOC ELCOT SEZ, ORG Tholons, ORG South India Textile Research Institute, ORG Cora, LOC Chennai, ORG Central Institute for Cotton Research, LOC Tamil Nadu, LOC Coimbatore, LOC India, LOC Kovai, ORG CODISSIA, LOC Manchester, ORG COJEWEL

A major hub for manufacturing, education and healthcare in Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore is among the fastest growing tier-II cities in India. It houses more than 25,000 small, medium and large industries with the primary industries being engineering and textiles. Coimbatore is called the "Manchester of South India" due to its extensive textile industry, fed by the surrounding cotton fields. TIDEL Park Coimbatore in ELCOT SEZ was the first special economic zone (SEZ) set up in 2006. In 2010, Coimbatore ranked 15th in the list of most competitive (by business environment) Indian cities. Coimbatore also has a 160,000 square feet (15,000 m2) trade fair ground, built in 1999 and is owned by CODISSIA.Coimbatore region experienced a textile boom in the 1920s and 1930s. Though, Robert Stanes had established Coimbatore's first textile mills as early as the late 19th century, it was during this period that Coimbatore emerged as a prominent industrial centre. In 2009 Coimbatore was home to around 15% of the cotton spinning capacity in India. Coimbatore has trade associations such as CODISSIA, COINDIA and COJEWEL representing the industries in the city. Coimbatore houses a number of textile mills and is the base of textile research institutes like the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles & Management, Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) and the South India Textile Research Institute (SITRA). Kovai Cora Cotton saree is a recognised Geographical Indication.Coimbatore is the second largest producer of software in the state, next to capital Chennai. TIDEL Park Coimbatore and other Information technology parks in the city has aided in the growth of IT and Business process outsourcing industries in the city. It is ranked at 17th among the top global outsourcing cities by Tholons. Software exports stood at ₹7.1 billion (US$89 million) for the financial year 2009–10 up 90% from the previous year. Coimbatore has a large and diversified manufacturing sector and a number of engineering colleges producing about 50,000 engineers annually. Due to huge demand from IT Companies for space at Coimbatore, TIDEL Park Coimbatore-Phase-II is planned to be built within ELCOT SEZ on an additional 9 acres of land with 5 Lakh sq.feet space at ₹ 250 crores. TICEL Bio-Park III, a Bio-Technology Park is being constructed in 10 acres of land at Somayampalayam, Coimbatore. Coimbatore is a major centre for the manufacture of automotive components in India with car manufacturers Maruti Udyog and Tata Motors sourcing up to 30%, of their automotive components from the city. G.D. Naidu developed India's first indigenous motor in 1937. India's first indigenously developed diesel engine for cars was manufactured in the city in 1972. The city is also a major centre for small auto component makers catering to the automobile industry, from personal to commercial and farm vehicles. The city contributes to about 75% of the 1 lakh total monthly output of wet grinders in India. The industry employs 70,000 people and had a yearly turnover of ₹2,800 crore (US$350 million) in 2015. The term "Coimbatore Wet Grinder" has been given a Geographical indication.Coimbatore is also referred to as "the Pump City" as it supplies nearly 50% of India's requirements of motors and pumps. Coimbatores largest pump manufacturer CRI pumps, contributes a lot towards the "pump city" status of coimbatore. The city is one of the largest exporters of jewellery renowned for diamond cutting, cast and machine made jewellery. There are about 3,000 jewellery manufacturers employing over 40,000 goldsmiths.Coimbatore has a large number of poultry farms and is a major producer of chicken eggs. The city contributes to nearly 95% of processed chicken meat exports. Coimbatore has some of the country's oldest flour mills and these mills which cater to all the southern states, have a combined grinding capacity of more than 50,000 MT per month. The hospitality industry has seen a growth in the 21st century with new upscale hotels being set up. Coimbatore is the largest non-metro city for e-commerce in South India.

Coimbatore Economy

LOC Coimbatore

Coimbatore and its people have a reputation for entrepreneurship. Though it is generally considered a traditional city, Coimbatore is diverse and cosmopolitan. The World Classical Tamil Conference 2010 was held in Coimbatore. The heavy industrialisation of the city has also resulted in the growth of trade unions.

Coimbatore Culture

LOC Coimbatore

Tamil is the official language and Kongu Tamil (also called Kangee or Kongalam), a dialect, is predominantly spoken. Coimbatore also has a significant number of Telugus, Kannada, Malayalis, and North Indians, mainly Gujaratis. As per the 2011 census, Tamil is the most spoken language with 710,326 speakers, followed by Telugu (173,136), Kannada (102,000), Malayalam (76,485). Other languages spoken in the city include Urdu (15,484) and Hindi (13,608). During the 1970s the city witnessed a population explosion as a result of migration fuelled by increased economic growth and job opportunities.

Coimbatore Language

LOC Koniamman Temple, LOC Thandu Mariamman Temple, LOC Karamadai Ranganathaswamy Temple, LOC Oppanakara Street, LOC Marudamalai Murugan Temple, LOC Naga Sai Mandir, LOC Loga Nayaga Shaniswara Temple, LOC Sikh Gurudwaras, LOC Masani Amman Temple, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Ashtamsa Varadha Anjaneyar Temple, LOC Eachanari Vinayagar Temple, LOC Perur Patteeswarar Temple, LOC Big Bazaar Street

The city's population is predominantly Hindu with minority Muslim and Christian population. Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists are also present in small numbers. According to the religious census of 2011, Coimbatore has 83.31% Hindus, 8.63% Muslims, 7.53% Christians, 0.28% Jains, 0.05% Sikhs, 0.02% Buddhists and 0.01% Others. 0.17% of the respondents did not state their religion.The Mariamman festivals at the city's numerous Mariamman temples are major events in summer. Major Hindu temples in the city include the Perur Patteeswarar Temple, Naga Sai Mandir, Koniamman Temple, Thandu Mariamman Temple, Eachanari Vinayagar Temple, Karamadai Ranganathaswamy Temple, Marudamalai Murugan Temple, Loga Nayaga Shaniswara Temple, Ashtamsa Varadha Anjaneyar Temple, Masani Amman Temple. The mosques on Oppanakara Street and Big Bazaar Street date back to the 18th century CE. Christian missions date back to the 17th century when permission was granted by the Nayak rulers to set up churches in the region. Sikh Gurudwaras and Jain temples are also present in Coimbatore.

Coimbatore Religion

LOC Coimbatore

Coimbatore cuisine is predominantly south Indian with rice as its base. Most local restaurants still retain their rural flavor, with many restaurants serving food over a banana leaf. Eating on a banana leaf is an old custom and imparts a unique flavor to the food and is considered healthy. North Indian, Chinese and continental cuisines are also available. Idly, dosa, paniyaram and appam are popular dishes.Coimbatore has an active street food culture and various cuisine options for dining. Arisi paruppu sadam and sambar sadam, made from a mixture of dal and rice, is a recipe that existed from the 4th century CE that is unique to the area. Ariseemparuppu or arisi paruppu satham (literally translated as Rice and dal) originated from Coimbatore and the people of the city celebrate January 8 as national Aruseemparuppu day, after given light by a popular influencer and food consultant. Kaalaan is a popular dish prepared by simmering deep-fried mushrooms (usually chopped) in a spicy broth until it reaches a porridge-like consistency; the dish is served sprinkled with chopped onions and coriander leaves. Chaats made from potatoes and a mix of other vegetables and spices are also popular.

Coimbatore Cuisine

PER Swamikannu Vincent, ORG Pakshiraja Studios, LOC Kasthuri Srinivasan Art Gallery, LOC India, LOC Kadhi Gandhi Gallery, ORG Central Studios, LOC H A Gass Forest Museum, LOC G. D. Naidu Museum & Industrial Exhibition, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Government Museum, LOC Textile Museum, PER S. M. Sriramulu Naidu

Swamikannu Vincent, who had built the first cinema of south India in Coimbatore, introduced the concept of Tent Cinema in which a tent was erected on an open land to screen the films. Central Studios was set up in 1935 while S. M. Sriramulu Naidu established Pakshiraja Studios in 1945. The city conducts its own music festival every year. Art, dance and music concerts are held annually during the months of September and December (Tamil calendar month – Margazhi). Coimbatore also houses a number of museums and art galleries like G.D. Naidu Museum & Industrial Exhibition, H A Gass Forest Museum, Government Museum, Kadhi Gandhi Gallery and Kasthuri Srinivasan Art Gallery and Textile Museum.

Coimbatore Arts

ORG Indian Airlines, LOC Sri Lanka, ORG PlanetX Aerospace, LOC Coimbatore Airport, LOC Coimbatore International Airport, ORG Airports Authority of India, ORG Union Cabinet, LOC Coorg, LOC Sharjah, LOC Karnataka, ORG Air Carnival, ORG Sarang, LOC Sulur AFS, LOC Kerala, LOC Coimbatore, ORG Indian Air Force, PER Manmohan Singh, ORG Sukhoi, LOC Munnar, LOC India, LOC Sulur Air Force Station, LOC Kangayampalayam, LOC Singapore, LOC Peelamedu

The city is served by the Coimbatore International Airport at Peelamedu 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city centre. The airport commenced operations in 1940 as a civil aerodrome with Indian Airlines operating Fokker F27, Douglas DC-3 and later Hawker Siddeley HS 748 aircraft. The then Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh declared the government's intention to upgrade the Coimbatore Airport to International status in a meeting with senior ministers on 6 June 2012 and it was granted the status of international airport by the Union Cabinet on 2 October 2012. The airport is operated by Airports Authority of India and caters to domestic flights to major Indian cities and international flights to Sharjah, Singapore and Sri Lanka. As of 2014-15, the airport was the 15th largest airport in India in terms of total aircraft movement, 18th largest in terms of passengers handled and 13th largest in terms of cargo handled. It has a single runway, which is 9,760 feet (2,970 m) in length and is capable of handling large aircraft. Air Carnival, a private airline commenced its operations in 2016 with the Coimbatore International Airport as its hub. PlanetX Aerospace operates private helicopter rides from Coimbatore to popular tourist hotspots nearby including Munnar in Kerala and Coorg in Karnataka.Sulur Air Force Station, located at Kangayampalayam is an air base operated by the Indian Air Force and accommodates Antonov An-32 heavy air lifter aircraft, Mil Mi-8 transport helicopters and the HAL Dhruv helicopters of the Sarang helicopter display team. The first squadron of ingeniously built HAL Tejas will be inducted at Sulur AFS and Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft were stationed at the base by 2016.

Coimbatore Air

LOC Irugur Junction, LOC Sulur, LOC Chennai Central, ORG Indian Railways, LOC Ooty, LOC Nilgiri Mountain Railway, LOC Coimbatore –, LOC Madukkarai, LOC Somanur, LOC Singanallur, ORG Southern Railway, LOC Kerala, LOC Chennai, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Perianaikanpalayam, LOC Coimbatore Junction, LOC Salem, LOC India, LOC Coimbatore North Junction, LOC Madras, LOC Podanur Junction, LOC Podanur, LOC Peelamedu

Train service in Coimbatore started in 1861, upon the construction of the Podanur – Madras line connecting Kerala and the west coast with the rest of India. Coimbatore lies on the Coimbatore – Chennai 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge railway line and the city falls under the Salem division of the Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways. The major railway station is the Coimbatore Junction which is the second-largest income generating station in the Southern Railway zone after Chennai Central and is amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railways. Other major railway stations catering to the city include Coimbatore North Junction, Podanur Junction and minor stations at Peelamedu, Singanallur, Irugur Junction, Perianaikanpalayam, Madukkarai, Somanur and Sulur. The city is located near the railhead for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World heritage site and mountain railway which goes to the hill station of Ooty.

Coimbatore Rail

ORG Central Government, ORG Nadu, LOC Tamilnadu, ORG Government, LOC Kaniyur, LOC India, LOC Tamil, ORG Coimbatore Railway Struggle Committee, LOC Karunya Nagar Ukkadam, ORG CMRL, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Bilichi Karanampettai, ORG Systra, PER E. Sreedharan, LOC Thaneer Panthal Ganeshapuram

The Central Government proposed a metro rail system for 16 tier-2 cities in India including Coimbatore in 2010. While the Government of Tamilnadu in 2011, shelved in favour of a monorail. Coimbatore Railway Struggle Committee has also protested to implement metro rail project in Coimbatore. In 2013, E. Sreedharan made survey and announced metro rail as suitable transport for Coimbatore In 2017, the Tamil Nadu Government proposed a metro for the city of Coimbatore. The Systra group was involved to do the feasibility and finalize the routes in the proposed metro rail. The CMRL proposed five corridors in Coimbatore Metro. Ukkadam Bus Terminus to Kaniyur Ukkadam Bus Terminus to Bilichi Karanampettai to Thaneer Panthal Ganeshapuram to Karunya Nagar Ukkadam Bus Terminus to Coimbatore Integrated Bus Terminus

Coimbatore Metro rail

LOC Ukkadam, LOC Palakkad Road, ORG Tamil, LOC Mettupalayam Road, LOC Pollachi Road, LOC Thadagam Road, LOC Nadu, LOC Trichy Road, ORG Government, LOC Neelambur, LOC Madukkarai, LOC Mettupalayam road, LOC South India, ORG State Highways, LOC Tamil Nadu, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Athupalam, LOC Sathy Road, LOC Avinashi Road, LOC Peelamedu

There are six major arterial roads in the city: Avinashi Road, Trichy Road, Sathy Road, Mettupalayam Road, Palakkad Road, Pollachi Road and Thadagam Road. The Coimbatore bypass is a series of bypasses connecting the various National Highways and State Highways passing through and originating from Coimbatore. The first section of the bypass, a 28-kilometre (17 mi) stretch from Neelambur to Madukkarai on National Highway 544 opened for traffic in 2000. It was the first road privatisation project to be implemented on a build–operate–transfer model in South India. In 2008, the State Highways department came up with a proposal to create a Ring road to help de-congest the main arterial roads and the 12 km road would extend from Peelamedu to Mettupalayam road. In 2011, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu announced the construction of two new flyovers at Ukkadam and Athupalam to help de-congest the Palakkad Road. In 2012, the Government of Tamil Nadu decided in favour of an eastern road that connected Mettupalayam Road with Avinashi Road and the existing bypass. The city municipal corporation is undertaking the construction of six rail-over-bridges in the city. There are five National Highways passing through the city: Apart from State and National Highways, the city corporation maintains a 635.32 kilometres (394.77 miles) long road network.

Coimbatore Road

LOC Ukkadam, LOC South, LOC Avinashi, LOC Mettupalayam, ORG Uber, ORG Coimbatore BRTS, ORG Avis, LOC North, LOC Central, ORG Ola Cabs, LOC Singanallur, LOC West, ORG RedTaxi, LOC Chennai, LOC Coimbatore, ORG GoTaxi, LOC TN, ORG Zoomcar, LOC Saibaba Colony, LOC Gandhipuram Central, LOC Vellalore, ORG Government of India, ORG Coimbatore

Town buses started operating in 1921 and serve most parts of the city, as well as other towns and villages in the district. The number of inter-city routes operated by Coimbatore division is 119 with a fleet of more than 500 buses. It also operates town buses on 257 intra-city routes. The intra-city buses operate from major bus stations in Gandhipuram Central Bus Terminus, Singanallur Bus Terminus, Ukkadam Bus Terminus and Saibaba Colony Bus Terminus to other parts across the city. Inter-city and intra-city buses that connect Coimbatore operate from different bus stands: The Coimbatore Integrated Bus Terminus planned at Vellalore is under construction. The proposed terminus will be built at a cost of ₹ 168 crores. Coimbatore BRTS is a proposed bus rapid transit project under the JNNURM scheme of the Government of India. It is planned along a 27.6 kilometres (17.1 mi) stretch connecting Avinashi road and Mettupalayam road. The city is also served by auto rickshaws and radio taxi services like Uber, Ola Cabs, RedTaxi, GoTaxi, Zoomcar, Avis. Coimbatore has four Regional Transport Offices viz. TN 37 (South), TN 38 (North), TN 66 (Central), TN 99 (West).Coimbatore to Chennai Bus route is very busy and there are buses plying at regular intervals. The distance between the two cities is approximately 500 km.

Coimbatore Bus

ORG Bharathiar University, ORG Anna University Coimbatore, ORG Tamil Nadu State Board, ORG Government Arts College, ORG Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, ORG Government, ORG Coimbatore Medical College, ORG Coimbatore Institute of Technology, ORG Sugarcane Breeding Research Institute, ORG Government College of Technology, ORG Tamil Nadu Institute of Urban Studies, ORG C. S. I. Boys High School, ORG Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, ORG Arthur Hope College of Technology, ORG Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, ORG Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, ORG PSG College of Technology, LOC Coimbatore, PER G. D. Naidu, ORG Indian Air Force, ORG St. Michael ' s Higher Secondary School, ORG Central Institute for Cotton Research, ORG Tamil Nadu Anglo Indian School Board, ORG Government of India, ORG St. Francis Anglo - Indian Girls School, ORG Stanes, ORG St Francis, ORG IFGTB, ORG Air Force Administrative College, ORG Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, ORG ESIC Medical College, ORG Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education

Coimbatore is a major educational hub. The earliest educational institutions established in the city date back to more than a century with C.S.I. Boys High School (1831), St. Michael's Higher Secondary School (1860), Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School (1862) and St. Francis Anglo-Indian Girls School (1898) being the oldest. In 1867, the first group of students appeared for the SSLC Examinations from Coimbatore.The first college of Coimbatore, Government Arts College, was opened in 1875. The first engineering college in the city, the Arthur Hope College of Technology (now known as the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore), was started by G.D. Naidu in 1945 followed later by private engineering colleges PSG College of Technology, and Coimbatore Institute of Technology in the 1950s. The Air Force Administrative College, established in 1949, is the oldest training institute of the Indian Air Force. Coimbatore Medical College was opened in 1966 and also city has another Government run ESIC Medical College, Coimbatore. The Government law college started functioning from 1978. The agricultural school established in 1868 was converted into a full-fledged agricultural university. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in 1971 and the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History was opened in 1990.As of 2010, the district is home to seven universities, 78 engineering colleges, 3 medical colleges, 2 dental colleges, 35 polytechnics and 150 arts and science colleges. The city houses three government run universities Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Bharathiar University, Anna University Coimbatore and four private universities. The city houses headquarters of renowned multi-campus, multi-disciplinary private deemed university, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. The city houses Government research institutes including the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Sugarcane Breeding Research Institute, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and Tamil Nadu Institute of Urban Studies. In 2008, Government of India announced a plan to establish a world class university in the region.Three types of schools operate in Coimbatore: government run schools, schools funded by the government but run by private trusts (aided schools) and schools funded completely by private trusts. Schools were following Tamil Nadu Anglo Indian School Board like Stanes and St Francis, Tamil Nadu State Board, Matriculation, CBSE or ICSE / ISC syllabus. Samacheer Kalvi (Tamil: சமச்சீர் கல்வி) or Tamil Nadu Uniform System of School Education or Equitable education system was introduced by the Tamil Nadu Uniform System of School Education Act 2010 to integrate the various school educational systems within the state. Several schools in the city have moved on from Anglo Indian and Matriculation systems to CBSE and ICSE/ISC syllabus. The city falls under the purview of Coimbatore Education District. In 2013, 45,863 students appeared for SSLC examinations and the pass percentage was 94.12%.

Coimbatore Education

ORG Dinamalar, ORG The Hindu, ORG Dinakaran, ORG Malayala Manorama, ORG Dinamani, LOC Delhi, ORG All India Radio, ORG Hello FM, ORG Mathrubhumi, ORG Lotus News, ORG The Times of India, ORG Tamil Murasu, ORG Dina Thanthi, ORG Rainbow FM, ORG Suryan FM, ORG Radio Mirchi, ORG Maalai Malar, LOC Coimbatore, ORG Radio City, ORG Deccan Chronicle, LOC Madras, ORG Doordarshan, ORG Business Line, ORG The New Indian Express, LOC Kodaikanal

Four major English newspapers The Hindu, The Times of India, Deccan Chronicle and The New Indian Express bring out editions from the city. Business Line, a business newspaper also brings out a Coimbatore edition. Tamil newspapers which have Coimbatore editions include Dinamalar, Dina Thanthi, Dinamani, Dinakaran, Tamil Murasu and Maalai Malar (both evening newspapers). Two Malayalam newspapers – Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhumi also have considerable circulation in the city. Lotus News is headquartered in Coimbatore.A Medium wave radio station is operated by All India Radio, with programs in Tamil, English and Hindi. Five FM radio stations operate from Coimbatore – Rainbow FM, Suryan FM, Radio Mirchi, Radio City and Hello FM. All these private radio stations air exclusively Tamil based programs, including film music. Television relay started in 1985 from Delhi Doordarshan and in 1986, after inception of the repeater tower at Kodaikanal, telecast from Madras commenced. In 2005, Doordarshan opened its studio in Coimbatore. Television services are accessible through DTH or digital cable.

Coimbatore Media

ORG MTS, ORG Reliance Jio, ORG Bharti Airtel, ORG Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, ORG ACT, LOC Tamil Nadu, ORG Tata Teleservices, ORG BSNL, ORG Tata Communications, LOC Coimbatore, ORG Reliance Communications

Coimbatore has a well-connected communications infrastructure. Till the 1990s the state owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was the only telecommunication service provider in the city. In the 1990s, private telecom companies too started offering their services. As of 2019, BSNL, Reliance Communications, Bharti Airtel, Tata Communications, Tata Teleservices, Reliance Jio and ACT offer broadband service and fixed line services. MTS offers mobile broadband services. Cellular telephony was first introduced in 1997 and mobile telephone services available. Coimbatore is the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu circle of cellular service providers.

Coimbatore Telecommunication

LOC Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, ORG The Eye Foundation, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Kerala, LOC ESI Hospital, ORG Aravind & Sankara Nethralya

As of 2010, the size of the health care industry in Coimbatore is estimated at ₹1,500 crore (US$190 million). There are around 750 hospitals in the city with an in-patient capacity of 5,000 beds. These hospitals include Single Speciality institutions like eye care clinics such as The Eye Foundation, Aravind & Sankara Nethralya, kidney center, ortho center, etc. and also multi special hospitals. The first health care centre in the city was started in 1909. In 1969, it was upgraded to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and also city has government run ESI Hospital, which was renovated recently at Rs. 5.20 billion with 500 beds. A government run tertiary care hospital with 1020 beds and provides free health care. The city corporation maintains 16 dispensaries and two maternity homes. People from nearby districts and the state of Kerala visit Coimbatore for medical tourism due to the availability of hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Coimbatore Healthcare

ORG CDCA, LOC Coimbatore Golf Course, PER S. Karivardhan, LOC India, ORG Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club, PER J. Anand, PER Narain Karthikeyan, PER Nirupama Vaidyanathan, ORG Coimbatore District Chess Association, ORG Coimbatore Flying Club, ORG F3, LOC Coimbatore Airport, ORG Super Speeds, ORG MRF, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Kari Motor Speedway, PER V. R. Naren Kumar, LOC Nehru Stadium

Coimbatore is often referred to as "India's Motorsports Hub" and the "Backyard of Indian Motorsports". S.Karivardhan designed and built entry – level race cars and the Kari Motor Speedway, a Formula 3 Category circuit, is named after him. Tyre manufacturer MRF assembles Formula Ford cars in Coimbatore in association with former F3 Champion J. Anand and racing company Super Speeds designs Formula cars. Rallying is another major event with rallies conducted in closed roads around Coimbatore. Narain Karthikeyan, India's first Formula One driver hails from the city, and other motorsport drivers from Coimbatore include J. Anand and V. R. Naren Kumar.Nehru Stadium, built originally for football, also hosts athletic meets. The stadium has been renovated with Korean grass for the field and a synthetic track around it for athletics. Apart from the stadium, other sporting venues include the Coimbatore Golf Course, an 18 – hole golf course and Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club, which is more than 100 years old. Coimbatore Flying Club is located in the Coimbatore Airport premises. The city hosts its own annual marathon called Coimbatore Marathon as an event to raise cancer awareness. Retired tennis player Nirupama Vaidyanathan, who became the first Indian woman in the modern era to feature and win a round at a main draw Grand Slam in 1998 Australian Open hails from Coimbatore. Coimbatore District Chess Association (CDCA), established in 1940, is the oldest chess association in the country.

Coimbatore Sports and recreation

LOC Brookefields Mall, LOC Miraj, LOC Fun Republic Mall, LOC Perur, ORG INOX, LOC Mettupalayam, LOC The Cinema, LOC Black Thunder water, LOC KG, LOC Singanallur Lake, LOC Race Course Children ' s Park, LOC Neelambur, LOC Maharaja Theme Park, ORG SPI, LOC VOC Park, LOC Bharathi Park, LOC Coimbatore Zoo, LOC Saibaba Colony, LOC Kovai Kondattam, LOC Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Park, LOC Prozone Mall, LOC Cinépolis

There are several amusement parks around the city: Black Thunder water theme park near Mettupalayam, Kovai Kondattam amusement park at Perur and Maharaja Theme Park at Neelambur. Since the 1980s, the city has had a few small shopping complexes and major shopping malls include Prozone Mall, Brookefields Mall and Fun Republic Mall. The city also has a number of parks including the VOC Park, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Park, Race Course Children's Park and Bharathi Park in Saibaba Colony. Coimbatore Zoo houses a number of animals and birds and is located near VOC Park. The grounds are used for conducting fairs and events including the annual Independence day and Republic day celebrations. Singanallur Lake is a popular tourist place and bird watcher destination. Popular cinemas include KG Cinemas, The Cinema by SPI Cinemas, Cinépolis, INOX and Miraj Cinemas.

Coimbatore Recreation

LOC Ukkadam, ORG Siruthuli, LOC Noyyal, ORG Environment Conservation Group, LOC Coimbatore, LOC Noyyal River

Air pollution, lack of proper waste management infrastructure and degradation of water bodies are the major environmental issues in Coimbatore. There is a sewage treatment plant at Ukkadam with the capacity to process 70 million litres of sewage water per day. Garbage is collected by the corporation and sewage is pumped into the water tanks and the Noyyal River through streams. This along with garbage dumping and encroachments has led to degradation of the water bodies and depletion in the groundwater table. The tanks are renovated by the city's environmental groups with their own fund-raising and the corporation. The corporation is responsible and involved in clearing encroachment of the tanks. Siruthuli, an environmental organisation founded by the city's industrial houses, undertakes de-silting of tanks and cleaning of the Noyyal river. Environment Conservation Group based out of the city is also involved in conservation of trees and wetlands, monitoring wildlife crime and conducting awareness sessions for students.

Coimbatore Environmental issues

PER Suriya, PER Sathyaraj, PER Tiruvadi Sambasiva Venkataraman, PER Narain Karthikeyan, PER Kovai Gnani, PER K. G. Lakshminarayan, PER Sivakumar, PER D. Sreeram Kumar, ORG Army, ORG Indian, PER Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, PER Vishnu Jejjala, PER Mohammed Saleem

Kovai Gnani, Tamil writer Vishnu Jejjala (born 1975), Indian-American physicist Narain Karthikeyan (born 1977), formula racing driver Mohammed Saleem, Environmental Activist K. G. Lakshminarayan (born 31 March 1953), former cricket umpire Tiruvadi Sambasiva Venkataraman (born June 1884), botanist Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev (born 3 September 1957), author, spiritual leader Sivakumar (born 1941), Indian visual artist and former actor D. Sreeram Kumar (born 1981), Indian Army officer Suriya ( born 1975), Indian actor, producer, television presenter Sathyaraj (born 1954), Indian actor, producer, director and a media personality

Coimbatore Notable people

LOC Ohio, ORG Alliance Française de Madras, LOC India, LOC Toledo, ORG PSG Institute of Management, LOC Esslingen, LOC Coimbatore

Coimbatore has sister city relationship with Toledo, Ohio. The relation has enabled exchange in the fields of arts and education between the cities. A twin city pact with the German city of Esslingen was signed in July 2016 enabling the two cities to collaborate on areas of mutual interest, health, education, culture and social development. Alliance Française de Madras, a Franco-Indian non-profit association promoting the growth of French in India has a centre at PSG Institute of Management in Coimbatore.

Coimbatore International relations

LOC HOW, LOC dal, LOC Dalhousie

Dalhousie ( dal-HOW-zee) may refer to:

Dalhousie Introduction

LOC Montreal, LOC Alberta, LOC Singapore Dalhousie Station, LOC Bonnyrigg, LOC Calgary, LOC Quebec Dalhousie, LOC Dalhousie Castle, LOC Empress Place, LOC Scotland Dalhousie

Dalhousie Castle, a castle near Bonnyrigg, Scotland Dalhousie Obelisk, a monument in Empress Place, Singapore Dalhousie Station (Montreal), a former passenger rail station in Montreal, Quebec Dalhousie station (Calgary), a LRT station in Calgary, Alberta

Dalhousie Buildings

LOC Mumbai, ORG Dalhousie University, ORG INS Angre, LOC Scotland, LOC India, LOC Halifax, LOC Nova Scotia, ORG INS, ORG HMIS, LOC Dalhousie, ORG Dalhousie Hilltop School, ORG Dalhousie School, ORG Dalhousie

Dalhousie Hilltop School, Dalhousie, India Dalhousie School, a former prep school in Scotland Dalhousie University, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia HMIS (later INS) Dalhousie, the initial name of INS Angre, the naval base at Mumbai, India

Dalhousie Institutions

ORG Dalhousie

Dalhousie, later name of HMS Hearty (1885)

Dalhousie Ships

PER George Ramsay, PER James Broun - Ramsay, PER Marquess of Dalhousie, ORG Clan Ramsay, LOC India, LOC Nova Scotia, ORG Peerage of Scotland, PER Dalhousie, LOC British North America, PER Earl of Dalhousie, ORG Dalhousie

Clan Ramsay (Dalhousie), a branch of the main line of Scottish Ramsays Earl of Dalhousie, a title created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1633 James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie, (1812–1860) a Governor-General of India George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, a Governor of Nova Scotia and of British North America

Dalhousie People and clans

LOC County of Dalhousie, LOC Victoria, LOC Dalhousie Station, LOC South Australia, LOC Dalhousie Springs

County of Dalhousie, Victoria County of Dalhousie (South Australia) Dalhousie Springs, South Australia, a group of natural artesian springs Dalhousie Station (South Australia), a pastoral lease in the far north of South Australia

Dalhousie Australia

LOC Nova Scotia Dalhousie Road, LOC Restigouche County Dalhousie Parish, LOC Ontario, LOC Nova Scotia, LOC St. Catharines West Dalhousie, LOC Dalhousie, LOC Calgary, LOC New Brunswick Dalhousie, LOC Quebec, LOC New Brunswick, LOC Quebec Port Dalhousie

Dalhousie, New Brunswick, a town in Restigouche County Dalhousie Parish, New Brunswick Dalhousie, Calgary, a neighbourhood in the northwest area of the city Dalhousie, Quebec, a small town in south-western Quebec Port Dalhousie, Ontario, a community in St. Catharines West Dalhousie, a community in Nova Scotia Dalhousie Road, Nova Scotia, a community

Dalhousie Canada

LOC B. B. D. Bagh, LOC India, LOC Himachal Pradesh, LOC Dalhousie, LOC Dalhousie Square, ORG Dalhousie Cantonment, LOC Himachal Pradesh Dalhousie, LOC Kolkata

Dalhousie, India, a town in Himachal Pradesh Dalhousie Cantonment, a cantonment town in Himachal Pradesh Dalhousie (Vidhan Sabha constituency), which includes the previous two towns Dalhousie Square, former name of the B. B. D. Bagh central business district of Kolkata

Dalhousie India

LOC Dalhousie Mains, LOC Dalkeith, LOC Edinburgh, LOC Bonnyrigg

Dalhousie Mains, near Dalkeith and Bonnyrigg, former terminus of the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway

Dalhousie Scotland

LOC Nuwara Eliya District, LOC Sri Lanka, LOC Dalhousie

Dalhousie, Sri Lanka, a town in Nuwara Eliya District

Dalhousie Sri Lanka

LOC Daman

Daman may refer to: place

Daman Introduction

LOC Saudi Arabia Damaan Valley, LOC Nagar Haveli, LOC Dadra, LOC Daman, LOC India, LOC Pakistan, LOC Diu, LOC Afghanistan, LOC India Daman District, LOC Afghanistan Daman, LOC Dammam, LOC India Daman, LOC Nepal, LOC Diu Daman

Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, a union territory in India Daman and Diu, former union territory of India, now part of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Daman district, India Daman, India, a city in India Daman District, Afghanistan Daman, Afghanistan, a village Daman, Nepal, a village Dammam, a city in Saudi Arabia Damaan Valley (Daman valley), a valley in Pakistan

Daman Places

PER Ustad Daman, PER Daman Hongren, PER William Daman, PER Damara, PER Heshana Khan, PER Chiragh Deen, LOC England, PER Rick Daman, LOC Namibia, PER Ashina Daman

Saint Daman, Irish Christian saint Damara people, also known as the Daman, an ethnic group in Namibia Heshana Khan (died 619), personal name Ashina Daman, a khan of the Western Turkic Khaganate Daman Hongren (601-674), Chinese Buddhist patriarch Rick Daman, Dutch sprint canoer Ustad Daman (1911-1984), real name Chiragh Deen, Punjabi poet and mystic William Daman (died 1591), musician in England

Daman People

LOC Kuwait, LOC India, LOC Daman, PER Raveena Tandon, PER Dipanwit Dashmohapatra, PER Babushaan Mohanty, ORG National Health Insurance Company, LOC United Arab Emirates, LOC Abu Dhabi, LOC Dasman Palace

Daman Indo-Portuguese language, spoken in Daman, India Daman (2001 film), Indian Hindi-language film starring Raveena Tandon Daman (2022 film), Indian Odia-language film starring Babushaan Mohanty and Dipanwit Dashmohapatra Daman, National Health Insurance Company, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Battle of Dasman Palace, also called the Battle of Daman, fought on August 2–3, 1990, during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait Cyclone Daman, December 2007 Daman, a term used in some Bible translations for the rock hyrax

Daman Other uses

ORG Railway, LOC British India, LOC India, LOC Kingdom of Sikkim, LOC Kingdom of Bhutan, LOC Eastern Himalayas, LOC Bangladesh, LOC Kangchenjunga, LOC China, LOC Darjeeling Himalayan, LOC Sikkim, LOC West Bengal, LOC Darjeeling, ORG East India Company, LOC Nepal, LOC Tibet Autonomous Region

Darjeeling (, Bengali: [ˈdarˌdʒiliŋ], Nepali: [darˈd͡ziliŋ]) is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of 2,045 metres (6,709 ft). To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Nepal, to the east the Kingdom of Bhutan, to the north the Indian state of Sikkim, and farther north the Tibet Autonomous Region region of China. Bangladesh lies to the south and southeast, and most of the state of West Bengal lies to the south and southwest, connected to the Darjeeling region by a narrow tract. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain, rises to the north and is prominently visible on clear days.In the early 19th century, during East India Company rule in India, Darjeeling was identified as a potential summer retreat for British officials, soldiers and their families. The narrow mountain ridge was leased from the Kingdom of Sikkim, and eventually annexed to British India. Experimentation with growing tea on the slopes below Darjeeling was highly successful. Thousands of labourers were recruited chiefly from Nepal to clear the forests, build European-style cottages and work in the tea plantations. The widespread deforestation displaced the indigenous peoples. Residential schools were established in and around Darjeeling for the education of children of the domiciled British in India. By the late-19th century, a novel narrow-gauge mountain railway, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, was bringing summer residents into the town and carrying a freight of tea out for export to the world. After India's independence in 1947, as the British left Darjeeling, its cottages were purchased by wealthy Indians from the plains and its tea plantations by out-of-town Indian business owners and conglomerates. Darjeeling's population today is constituted largely of the descendants of the indigenous and immigrant labourers that were employed in the original development of the town. Although their common language, the Nepali language, has been given official recognition at the state and federal levels in India, the recognition has created little meaningful employment for the language's speakers nor has it increased their ability to have a significantly greater say in their political affairs. The tea industry and tourism are the mainstays of the town's economy. Deforestation in the region after India's independence has caused environmental damage, affecting the perennial springs that supply the town's water. The population of Darjeeling meanwhile has exploded over the years, and unregulated construction, traffic congestion and water shortages are common. Many young locals, educated in government schools, have taken to migrating out for the lack of jobs matching their skills. Like out-migrants from other regions of northeastern India, they have been subjected to discrimination and racism in some Indian cities. Darjeeling's culture is highly cosmopolitan—a result of diverse ethnic groups intermixing and evolving away from their historical roots. The region's indigenous cuisine is rich in fermented foods and beverages. Tourists have flocked to Darjeeling since the mid-19th century. In 1999, after an international campaign for its support, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In 2005, Darjeeling tea was given geographical indication by the World Trade Organization as much for the protection of the brand as for the development of the region that produces it.

Darjeeling Introduction