Chennai Travel Information

Often called the cultural capital of India for its deep rooted traditions and heritage, Chennai is a city younger than its image.

More than any other city in India, it is a true reflection of this country's diversity. In a time span of ust over 350 years, Chennai has blossomed into a charming city which has a large heart. So described because it is a city which encourages all forms of development, whether modern echnology or traditional arts and crafts, and embrace within itself a series of paradoxes which merge peacefully into one. It was in 1639 that Francis Day and Andrew Cogan, Agents for the East India Company, acquired a strip of land on lease from the Vijayanagar King. They built on this land Fort St. George, one of the city's important landmarks today. It was built to set up a factory which served as a nucleus for British settlements. Surrounding villages likeTriplicane, Puraswalkarn, more and Chetput slowly merged with the new developments, to form Chennapatnam, as it was known then. The city was called Madras till 1996 and then renamed. This buoyant metropolis is a blend of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern.

Where else but in Chennai can you find women clad in nine-yard sarees for a function at home and wearing jeans and T-shirts for a visit to a friends place?

Spread over 200 square kilometres with one side straddled by the Bay of Bengal, the city is the gateway to South India. It is airy and spacious, with verdant green patches found amidst high-tech, high rise buildings

With a population of around six million, it is India's fourth largest city. From before Independence to modern days, natives of Chennai have played an important role in shaping the country's political destiny.

The state's innovative and industry friendly policy has brought in investment in several sectors.

Chennai's Pride
Chennai's newest pride is Tide! Park, a comfy and efficient home for the Information Technology Industry. Spread over 1.28 million sq.ft. built up area, Tidel Park is an architectural marvel of hese times. Availing the benefits of Tide! Park gives industries a 30 to 40% cost benefit annually compared to other centres in international cities. As important is Chennai's new avatar as the "Detroit of the South" International brands of cars roll out of factories located near Chennai and grace the roads of all India's cities and towns.