31 Chennai Facts About This South Indian City That Will Amaze You!

Chennai, which is known as Madras and the 'Gateway of South India,' is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, a South Indian state.

Most people in India and around the world know Chennai for only a few things like the marina beach, Chennai Central Station, South Indian cuisine, and maybe a few temples. But that's not even a fragment of what Chennai actually is! There is a lot more than what most people know.

Now Chennai is one of the most popular travel destinations in South India. And becoming a popular destination is not an easy job; there must be something special about the city that every person visiting the South of India includes this city in the travel list.

Most importantly, people must learn about the city before visiting to squeeze the most out of the travel. So, here are the most amazing facts that you should know before you visit this place.

History Of Chennai

Chennai as a city is known to be hundreds of years old. But the history of Chennai is a lot more in the past, that is, thousands of years. The city, on the whole, has a very valued and interesting history.

• Pallavaram, a locality in Chennai, is a megalithic cultural establishment, and the Archeological Survey of India shows that multiple prehistoric communities used to inhabit the area.
• Several dynasties and empires were present in this area, and the few of the most important include the Pallava Dynasty, Chera Dynasty, Chola Dynasty, Pandya Dynasty, and the Vijayanagar Empire. Several ancient coins dating back to these empires have been dug out from this city.
• Chennai, specifically the Mylapore area, is the home place of India's well-known poet and philosopher, Tiruvalluvar. He is known for writing Tirukkural, a cherished work based on ethics, politics, economics, and love.
• The first British settlement, Fort St. George, was made on a strip of land that Francis Day of the East India Company could obtain in the year 1639, and the area was known by the name Madraspatnam. This region was a fishing village.
• Madras city was the only one in India attacked during World War I, where a German light cruiser attacked an oil depot in 1914, which caused significant disturbance to ship routes on the Indian Ocean.
• In 1844, Abel Joshua Higginbotham, a librarian, bought a non-paying book store on Mount Road in Chennai and started selling publications, which are today known as Higginbotham's book stores and publishers. Today, the Higginbotham book store on Mount Road is the oldest standing book store in India.
• After independence, Madras was declared as the capital city of Madras State, and Madras State was known by the name Tamil Nadu after 1969.
• In 1996, Madras was renamed, and Chennai was declared the new official name by Tamil Nadu.
• The name Chennai comes from the name Damarla Mudirasa Chennappa Nayakudu, and it was from the son of this ruler the British acquired the first piece of land in 1639.

Population, Culture, And Traditions Of Chennai

In India, Chennai is one of the fastest-growing cities in multiple aspects, starting from population, culture, economy, and Chennai is also a very good example of the diverse traditions of Tamil Nadu.

• The city limits of Chennai were expanded in 2011 by almost two folds, after which the name Chennai municipal corporation was changed to Greater Chennai Corporation. This also led to an increase in population, which according to Census 2011, is estimated to be almost 7.1 million.
• The Tamil language is the most used language by the residents of Chennai, followed by Telegu, Urdu, Malayalam, and many more. The English language is spoken by the majority of white-collar workers. Chennai is also home to thousands of foreigners; thus, many foreign languages are spoken in the city.
• Almost 98% of the population follow the religion of either Hinduism, Islam, or Christianity, with Hinduism covering the highest that is more than 80% population. In India, Chennai is one of the very few cities home to ethnoreligious communities.
• In India, Chennai holds the Madras Music Season every year, which is one of the most significant cultural events in the world.
• Chennai is also the birthplace of Bharatnatyam, The oldest Indian classical dance. Kalakshetra, an important cultural academy, is located in Chennai which is completely dedicated to the education of Bharatnatyam, Gandharvaveda music, and various Indian arts and crafts.
• One of the south Indian Cinema industries, Kollywood, makes over 100 Tamil movies a year and is the second-largest movie industry in India. In India, Chennai has few of the most technologically advanced studies, and Tamil movies and soundtracks have achieved worldwide recognition.
• Chennai is one of the cosmopolitan cities in modern India, so this city celebrates almost all local and major festivals, including Pongal, Deepavali, Eid, and Christmas.
• Tamil Nadu cuisine is one of the best in India; Chennai local food mainly includes Idly, Dosa, Pongal, Vada, Paniyaram, Parotta, Kothu Parotha, Chili Parotha, and many more.
• Since most residents of Chennai are Hindus, there are hundreds of temples established in the city. As per tradition, people take baths, wear clean traditional clothes, wear beautiful and colorful flowers on their hair, and then visit temples.

Environment Of Chennai

Chennai is situated on the Coromandel Coast and is home to a few rivers and lakes. The city is also considered a good place for numerous flora and fauna, mainly during winter.

• There are three major rivers, the Cooum river, Adyar river, Kosasthalaiyar river, that passes through the city.
• Cooum river is considered to be extremely polluted. The river has almost no oxygen desolvation due to the pollution, and it has been found that fish were able to survive no more than a few hours in the river.
• In India, Chennai is considered to have the oldest rocks, estimated to be around a billion years old.
• The city coordinates are 13.0827° N, 80.2707° E, and the crust under the city has granite rocks that indicate past volcanic activities. The temperature deep under the ground of Chennai has been estimated to be around 392-572 F (200-300 C).
• The olive ridley sea turtles favor the Southern coast of Chennai for laying eggs, and they are among the endangered species list.
• The marshy wetlands of Chennai attract numerous migratory birds during monsoon and winter, and the city in itself is home to over 300 species of birds.
• Chennai is dependent on the northeast monsoons for most of the rains, and the monsoon winds also result in cyclones hitting the coast of Chennai.
• Chennai city has experienced record-breaking cyclonic rains like the 2015 floods resulting in massive floods and extensive damage.

Famous Places In Chennai

It is for a fact that Chennai was popular during the British settlement and now. Although it was only a fishing village, in the beginning, Chennai has come a long way, and currently, the city holds a few of the most popular locations both from the East India Company era and now.

• Chennai is known as the automobile hub of India; almost 40% of the country's automobile manufacturing is done in this city.
• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has consistently ranked in the top charts nationally and internationally for education, research, and innovation.
• Madras cricket club has existed since it was a new growing colonial city, and today it still stands and is considered one of the oldest cricket clubs in India.
• The Royapuram railway station in Chennai is the oldest railway station structure in India which is still standing.
• George town is called the black town of Portuguese is a very popular spot to find buildings dating back to the colonial era, a few important structures include Fort st. George, Armenian church, and the Madras high court building.
• Fort st. George was the first structure established by the British in India and now fort st. George is a fort museum open for tourists.
• Marina beach should never miss the list of places to visit in Chennai because it is beautiful, and not to forget Marina beach is the longest beach in India and the second-longest in the world.
• Chennai is a historic place, and it has some of the oldest places; Madras boat club is one of them. This is one of the oldest rowing centers in India, situated right beside the Adyar river.
• The Great Banyan Tree in the Theosophical Society of Chennai is one of the oldest banyan trees in the world, and it is told to be older than the city itself.
• Valluvar Kottam is a monument in Chennai made in memory of the well-known poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar; the monument consists of a chariot with a life-size statue of Thiruvalluvar, and all the murals have been inscribed at the bottom of the chariot.