Growth of city chennai

introduction
Chennai , formerly known as Madras (help·info), is the fourth largest metropolitan area of India and the capital city
of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai had a population
of 4.2 million in the 2001 census within its municipal corporation.[2] The urban agglomeration of Chennai has an
estimated population over 8 million,[3] making it one of the largest urban agglomerations in India.The city was
established in the 17th century by the British, who developed it into a major urban centre and naval base. By the 20th
century, it had become an important administrative centre, as the capital of the Madras Presidency.Chennai's economy
has a broad industrial base in the automobile, technology, hardware manufacturing, and healthcare industries. The city
is India's second largest exporter of software, information technology (IT) and information-technology-enabled services
(ITES). A major chunk of India's automobile manufacturing industry is based in and around the city.[4][5] Chennai Zone
contributes 39 per cent of the State’s GDP. Chennai accounts for 60 per cent of the country’s automotive exports and is
sometimes referred to as "the Detroit of India".[6][7][8]

Historical populations

Year Pop. %±

1871 367,552 —

1881 405,848 10.4%

1891 452,518 11.5%

1901 509,346 12.6%

1911 518,660 1.8%

1921 526,000 1.4%

1931 645,000 22.6%

1941 776,000 20.3%

1951 1,416,056 82.5%

1961 1,729,141 22.1%

1971 2,420,000 40.0%

1981 3,266,034 35.0%

1991 3,841,398 17.6%

2001 4,216,268 9.8%

Administration and utility services

Chennai city is governed by the Corporation of Chennai. Established in 1688, it is the oldest corporation in India. It
consists of 155 councillorswho represent 155 wards and are directly elected by the city's residents. From among
themselves, the councillors elect a mayor and a deputy mayor who preside over about six standing
committees.[37] Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state, houses the state executive andlegislative headquarters
primarily in the Secretariat Buildings on the Fort St George campus but also in many other buildings scattered
around the city. The Madras High Court, whose jurisdiction extends across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, is the
highest judicial authority in the state and is also in the city. Chennai has three parliamentary constituencies—
Chennai North, Chennai Central and Chennai South—and elects 18 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to
the state legislature. The Corporation of Chennai and municipalities of the suburbs provide civic services. Garbage
in most zones is handled by Neel Metal Fanalica Environment Management, a private company, and by
the Chennai Corporation in the other zones. Water supply and sewage treatment are handled by the Chennai
Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewage Board, popularly referred to as CMWSSB. Electricity is supplied by
the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.[40] The city's telephone service is provided by six mobile phone companies and
four landline companies,[41][42] which also provide broadband Internet access, along with Sify and Hathway.

Transport
Chennai serves as a major gateway to South India and the Chennai International Airport, comprising the Anna
international terminal and the Kamaraj domestic terminal, is the third busiest airport in India.[91][92] The city is
connected to major hubs in South Asia,South East Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North
America through more than 30 national and international carriers. The airport is the second busiest cargo
terminus in the country. The existing airport is undergoing further modernisation and expansion, and a new
greenfield airport is to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore in Sriperumbudur.[93] The city is
served by two major ports, Chennai Port, one of the largest artificial ports, and Ennore Port. The Chennai port is
the largest in Bay of Bengal and India's second busiest container hub, handling automobiles, motorcycles and
general industrial cargo. TheEnnore Port handles cargo such as coal, ore and other bulk and rock mineral
products.[94] A smaller harbour at Royapuram is used by local fishing boats and trawlers. Vans, popularly known
as Maxi Cabs and 'share' auto rickshaws ply many routes in the city and provide an alternative to buses. Metered
call taxis, tourist taxis and auto rickshaws are also available on hire. Chennai's transportation infrastructure
provides coverage and connectivity, but growing use has caused traffic congestion and pollution. The government
has tried to address these problems by constructing grade separators and flyovers at major intersections, starting
with theGemini flyover, built in 1973 over the most important arterial road, Anna Salai.[101][102]

media

Newspaper publishing started in Chennai with the launch of a weekly, The Madras Courier, in 1785.[103] It was followed by the
weeklies The Madras Gazzette and The Government Gazzette 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.[104] The first Tamil
newspaper, Swadesamitran, was launched in 1899.[103]The major English dailies published in Chennai are The Hindu, The New
Indian Express, The Deccan Chronicle and The Times of India recently joined the list. The evening dailies are, The Trinity
Mirror and The News Today. As of 2004, The Hindu was the city's most read English newspaper, with a daily circulation of
267,349.[105] The major business dailies published from the city are The Economic Times, The Hindu Business Line, Business
Standard, and The Financial Express. The major Tamil dailies include the Dina Thanthi, Dinakaran, Dina Mani, Dina Malar, Tamil
Murasu, Makkal Kural and Malai Malar and major Telugu dailies include Eenandu, Vaartha, Andhra Jyothi and Sakshi
.[106] Neighbourhood newspapers such as The Annanagar Times and The Adyar Times cater to particular localities. Magazines
published from Chennai include Ananda Vikatan, Kumudam, Kalki, Kungumam, "Thuglak",Swathi (Telugu
magazine), Frontline and Sportstar.

Education
Schools in Chennai are either run publicly by the Tamil Nadu government or privately, some with financial aid from
the government.[111] The medium of education is either English or Tamil. Most schools are affiliated with the Tamil
Nadu State Board, the Matriculation Board or the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).[112] A few schools
are affiliated with the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) board, Anglo-Indian board or
the Montessori system. Schooling begins at the age of three with two years of kindergarten followed by ten years
of primary and secondary education. Students then need to complete two years of higher secondary education in
either science or commerce before being eligible for college education in a general or professional field of
study.[113][114] There are 1,389 schools in the city, out of which 731 are primary, 232 are secondary and 426 are
higher secondary schools.[115]

Monumemts of chennai

Fort St George

Fort St. George

One of the most famous tourist destinations of Chennai is Fort St. George. Built in 1640 AD, by the British East India Company under
the direct supervision of Francis Day and Andrew Cogon, it achieved its name from Saint George, the patron saint of England. The
fort also houses Saint Mary's Church the oldest Anglican Church built in1680.

Light House

You cannot miss Marina Beach when in Chennai and the massive tall structure situated at south end of the Marina Beach. The Light
House beckons the visitors in the evening and adds glory to the golden sands. It offers panoramic view of the harbor and George
Town. The All India Radio (AIR) broadcast station is located opposite to the light house.
High Court

The Madras High Court was built in 1892. This Indo-Saracenic architectural monument is believed to be the second largest judicial
complex in the world. It is a major landmark of the city.

Anna Memorial high court

anna memorial
This is a memorial for Arinzar Annadurai - leader of the Dravidian movement, affectionately called Anna. His speech in Tamil has won
millions of hearts in the state.
The memorial of Dr. M.G. Ramachandran leader of AIADMK movement lies adjacent to this memorial. Both these leaders still live in
the hearts of Tamil Nadu people
 War Memorial Hall

The War Memorial Hall is a circular rock and marble structure built in memory of those who laid down their lives for the country's
honour during World War I. The hall is situated on Beach Road near Island Grounds.

Chennai architecture
Chennai architecture is a confluence of many architectural styles. From ancient Dravidian temples built by
thePallavas, to the Indo-Saracenic style (pioneered in Madras) of the colonial era, to 20th century steel and
chrome of skyscrapers. Chennai has a colonial core in the port area, surrounded by progressively newer areas as
one travels away from the port, punctuated with old temples, churches and mosques
Styles of architecture
Indo-Saracenic and colonial style
In the city, one can notice the British influence in the form of old Cathedrals and the mix of Hindu, Islamic and Gothic
revival styles that resulted in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. Many of the colonial era buildings are designed in this Indo-
Saracenic style. The colonial legacy of Chennai is most apparent in the vicinity of the Chennai port. South of the port is Fort St
George. The stretch between the Fort and the port is occupied mostly by the High Court buildings and several clubs, some of
which have existed since the British era. A little south of the Fort, across the Cooum River, is the Chepauk cricket stadium,
another British staple, dating from 1916. North and west of the port isGeorge Town, where dockyard workers and other manual
labourers used to live. George Town is now a bustling commercial centre, but its architecture is significantly different from areas
closer to the Fort, with narrower roads and tightly packed buildings. Most of the colonial style buildings are concentrated in the
area around the Chennai port and Fort St George. The remaining parts of the city consist of primarily modern architecture in

concrete, glass and steel.

Tamil style
Some residential areas like Tiruvallikeni (Triplicane) and Mylapore have several houses dating from the early 20th century,
especially those far removed from arterial roads. Many of them were built in the traditional Tamil style, with four wings surrounding
a square courtyard, and tiled sloping roofs. In sharp contrast, the apartment buildings along the larger roads in the same areas
were built in 1990 or later.

Fort St. George

Built in 1639, Fort St George, houses the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and Secretariat. Tipu Sultan's cannons
decorate the ramparts of the Fort's museum. The Fort has the country's tallest flagstaff at a height of 150 feet.

[edit]Madras High Court

The Madras High Court is the largest judicial building in the world after the Courts of London. It is a good example
of the Indo-Saracenic style and was completed in 1892.
Valluvar Kottam from the terrace of the exhibition hall.
[edit]Valluvar Kottam
The Valluvar Kottam, constructed in 1976, is an auditorium in memory of the poet-saint Thiruvalluvar. All 1330
verses of the poet's epic - theThirukkural, are inscribed on the granite pillars that surround the auditorium. There
is a 101-feet high temple chariot structure with a life-size image of the poet in it. The base of the chariot shows in
bas-relief the 133 chapters of the Thirukkural.

[edit]Railway stations
There are a number of railway stations of interest in Chennai, primarily built throughout the colonial era. These
include the Egmore Railway Station, the Royapuram Station dating from 1856, the Chennai Central Station dating
from 1873 and the Southern Railway Headquarters built in 1922.

[edit]Other interesting buildings

The Government Museum (designed by Henry Irwin and completed in 1896), the Senate House of the Madras
University and the College of Engineering, Guindy are some more examples of the Indo-Saracenic style of
architecture.

Other buildings of architectural significance are the Presidency College, built in 1840, the Ripon Building (now
housing the Chennai Corporation) dating from 1913, The War Memorial, Vivekanandar Illam, The Museum Theatre
and the Ramakrishna Math temple. Adjoining the Governor's residence (Raj Bhavan) at Guindy, there are
five mandapams (or memorials) dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, the first Indian Governor General C
Rajagopalachari, former Chief Ministers of the state Kamaraj and Bhaktavatsalam and one to Martyrs in general.

Among the Churches are the 'Cathedral', 'St. Andrew's Church' (referred to as "the Kirk"), St. Thomas Mount
Church.
Map pertaining to this period,…………..

growth of Chennai and the reasons

Among the four metropolitan cities in India, the port city of Chennai has a distinct advantage of a major corridor
to Southern India. Traditionally the city is catering to the leading off shore industries but with time Chennai is
becoming lucrative destination for IT and ITeS industries.

The higher level of literacy and the finest English language pronunciation of the people here have attracted
number of multinational companies to set up their campuses in Chennai. In addition, Chennai real estate value is
comparatively cheaper because of the availability of large tracts of unutilized land.
Chennai is also gaining advantage over neighboring cities such as Hyderabad and Bangalore owing to the
availability of space and manpower. The low operational cost and cheaper accommodation is the other reason
fetching interest of foreign industries. Not only has this increased the capital and rental values of commercial
property, it has also fuelled a demand for housing for its workforce. There has been an active demand for flats
and apartments. Residential land prices in Chennai have showed a significant upward trend in the last quarter.

Moreover, considering the inroads of multinationals into the city the hospitality industry is also upbeat. In order to
attract the business traveler several up-market hotels have been established at Chennai in the last decade.
International hotel chains like JW Marriott, Radisson has constructed hotels in the city. This has further enhanced
the real estate activities in the city. Cashing on the trend most of the upcoming projects are catering to the needs
of higher class end user. These properties are usually located on the IT corridor (Old Mahabalipuram Road) to
make the commuting less time consuming for the residents.

Although, the land and real estate values have gone through the roof for some Chennai natives but in comparison
to other metro cities, Chennai Real Estate market is still has a long way to go.

IMPORTANCE OF CHENNAI
Festivals

Bullock cart race in Theni district

Pongal, also called as Tamizhar Thirunaal (festival of Tamils) is a four-day harvest festival is the most celebrated
festival of Tamil Nadu. The Tamil language saying Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum — literally meaning, the birth of
the month of Thai will pave way for new opportunities — is often quoted with reference to this festival. The first
day, Bhogi Pongal, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials by setting them on
fire to mark the end of the old and emergence of the new. The second day, Surya Pongal, is the main day which
falls on the first day of the Tamil month Thai (January 14 or January 15 in western calendar). The third
day, Maattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cattle, as they provide milk and are used to plough the
lands. Jallikattu, a violent taming the wild bull contest, marks the main event of this day. During this final
day, Kaanum Pongal — the word "kanum", means'to view' in Tamil — youths used to gather at river banks to
view and select their future life partners, but that practice has declined.

Film industry
Main article: Kollywood

Tamil Nadu is also home to the Tamil film industry, the second largest film industry in India
alongside Bollywood (Hindi films) and Tollywood (Telugu films). Chennai has often been referred to as Kollywood, a
conflation of Hollywood and Kodambakkam, the section of Chennai that houses cinema-related facilities.

Culture
Drawing the kolam figures is an important part of the Tamil Nadu culture and landscape
Main articles: Tamil people and Temples of Tamilnadu
Tamil Nadu state in India has a long tradition of venerable culture. Unique cultural features like Bharatanatyam
(dance), Tanjore painting, and Tamil architecture were developed and continue to be practised in Tamil Nadu.

Arts and dance

culture(picture)

Tanjore painting

Tamils have a large number of folk dances. These are performed for every possible occasion, to celebrate the
arrival of seasons, birth of a child, weddings and festivals. Tamil dance is closely intertwined with the Tamil
theatrical tradition. The most celebrated of these is karakattam. In its religious form, the dance is performed in
front of an image of the goddess Mariamman. The dancer bears on his or her head a brass pot filled with
uncooked rice, decorated with flowers and surrounded by a bamboo frame, and tumbles and leaps to the rhythm
of a song without spilling a grain. Karakattam is usually performed to a special type of song known
as temmanguppāṭṭu or thevar pāṭṭu, a folk song in the mode of a lover speaking to his beloved, to the
accompaniment of a nadaswaramand melam. Other Tamil folk dances include mayilāṭṭam, where the dancers tie a
string of peacock feathers around their waist; ōyilāttam, danced in a circle while waving small pieces of cloth of
various colours; poykkāl kuthiraiyaaṭṭam, where the dancers use dummy horses; mān̲āṭṭam, where the dancers
imitate the graceful leaping of deer; par̲aiyāṭṭam, a dance to the sound of rhythmical drumbeats,
and thīppandāṭṭam, a dance involving playing with burning wooden torches