CHENNAI INTRODUCTION

Chennai, formerly known as Madras, ishe capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu in India, and is the country's fourth-largest city. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. With an estimated population of 7.45 million (2005), the 367 year old city is the 34th largest metropolitan area in the world. Madras was founded in 1639 when the company (Represented by Francis Day and Andrew Cogan and aided by a local Translator (AKA Dubash) Beri Thimappa) was granted land to build a trading settlement by the local ruler (Nayak) of the suburb of Vandavasi, Damerla Venkatapathy Nayak. The document of the land grant is dated Aug 22nd 1639 and hence Madras celebrates its Birthday on Aug 22nd each year as Madras day. Madras was one of the first outposts of British East India Company. Colonel William Lambton, superintendent of the great Trigonometrical Survey of India, started his journey of triangulating India from St. Thomas Mount. The British built Fort St. George (today the legislative and administrative seat of the state). Fort St George was completed on St George's day in 1640(April 23rd) and hence was named after the Patron Saint. George Town then developed becoming the modern city of Madras, absorbing several nearby boroughs. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles is associated with Chennai. He is said to have come to India as an evangelist and died in what is now Chennai. Two suburbs, Santhome and St. Thomas Mount, are named in his memory. In 1996, the Tamil Nadu government renamed Madras to Chennai providing the reason that 'Chennai' was the city's traditional name while Madras was one derived during colonial rule. The reason for this name change is somewhat ambiguous as by no means clear that "Madras" is of foreign origin.

Culture
Chennai, being the capital of Tamil Nadu, is home to a host of Tamil culture art forms including dance, literature, sculpture, music and cinema. The season for Bharatnatyam and Carnatic Music draws visitors and aficionados from the world over. Being the capital of Tamil Nadu, the preferred language of communication amongst the local population is Tamil. However, English is widely spoken as the language of commerce and hence visitors should have no problem getting around. The city also has a fair number of people that speak Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi.

Climate
Chennai has mainly two seasons - summer and monsoon. It does not enjoy the south-west monsoon, but gets its bountiful rains from the north-east monsoon from October through December, thus amounting to about 125-150 cm of rainfall annually. December to February are the mildest months temperature-wise. Climate is humid pretty much throughout the year because the city is on the coast. Summers are very hot and humid.

By plane
Chennai International Airport (IATA: MAA) is the forth busiest in India. All international flights arrive at Anna Terminal, while the domestic flights arrive at Kamraj Terminal. The two terminals are on the same road and are 150 meters away from each other.

Talk
Tamil is the official language in Chennai, and is very popular. Almost all people speak Tamil, and picking up some knowledge of the language is useful to get by in

Chennai. English education is widespread in Chennai, thanks to an excellent network of well-known schools throughout the city. Most educated people in Chennai can speak English. In most schools, the medium of instruction and communication is English. All important signboards are in English.

Do
During summers it becomes too hot and humid to venture out during the day. So go out for a stroll during the night (7-9pm) on the Marina beach and Elliots Beach (Besant Nagar). It's a nice idea to pack dinner and have a picnic on the beach as most locals do. If you happen to drive a car you can also consider taking along a few foldable chairs. Beyond 10pm, no one is permitted to be on the beach. There are policemen on the beach to ensure people follow this rule, and on some occasions they tend to shoo people out by 9pm. Stroll along the over crowded Pondy Bazaar and Ranganathan Street and try your skills in bargaining for stuff and knick-knacks. Be warned that it is an intensely crowded place, where you have elbow your way through. However, if you do enjoy local flavour in all its madness, you must visit these two places.

Music and Dance

Chennai is famous for its concerts and performances that take place in various auditoriums and temples throughout the year, which are announced in the Hindu and other local newspapers. During the Tamil month of Maargazhi (December January) there is a series of classical Carnatic music concerts and classical dance performances in various parts of the city, but the best are organized in various

Sabhas (loosely translates to "concert house"). You will see mostly older celebrities, although occasionally there will be some world-class young virtuosos.

Learn
Chennai has literally dozens of different insitutes of higher learning from arts to engineering. The city also offers plenty of opportunities to learn Yoga, Bhartanatyam, Carnatic music and The Bhagavad Gita.

Eat
Tamil Nadu is famous for its hospitality and its deep belief that serving food to others is a service to humanity, so eating-out in its capital city Chennai, is a great experience and provides a glimpse of the unique lifestyle of the city.