Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital of Tamil Nadu and India's fourth largest city. It has a long history dating back to ancient South Indian empires and was chosen as a settlement site by the British East India Company in 1639, being renamed Madras. Today, Chennai is a major commercial and industrial center known for its cultural heritage and temples. Key landmarks include the 12 km long Marina Beach, Fort St. George which houses the legislative assembly, Guindy National Park, and the Government Museum established in 1851 containing artifacts from archaeology, zoology, and other fields.

1. History of Chennai

2. INTRODUCTION
• Chennai (formerly known as Madras), is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and is India's fourth largest city,
and is the knowledge hub of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.
• With an estimated population of 7.60 million (2006), the 368-year-old city is the 36th largest metropolitan area in
the world.
• Chennai boasts of a long history from ancient South Indian empires through colonialism to its evolution in the 20th
century as a services and manufacturing hub.
• The name Madras is derived from Madraspatnam, the site chosen by the British East India Company for a
permanent settlement in 1639.
• The Madrasa or the Islam's religious schools patronized by the Arcot Nawabs gave the city Madras its name.
• The city was renamed Chennai in August 1996.
• August 22 is celebrated as Madras day or Chennai Day

4. Ancient Times
• Chennai, originally known as Madras Patnam, was located in the province of Tondaimandalam, an area lying
between Pennar river of Nellore and the Pennar river of Cuddalore.
• The capital of the province was Kancheepuram. Tondaimandalam was ruled in the 2nd century A.D. by Tondaiman
Ilam Tiraiyan, who was a representative of the Chola family at Kanchipuram.
• Chennai is city which has grown by merging numerous villages which are really ancient. The temples of
Thiruvanmiyur, Thiruvotriyur, Thirvallikeni(Triplicane), Thirumyilai(Mylapore) have existed for more than 2000 years.
Thiruvanmiyur, Thiruvotiryur and Thirumyilai are mentioned in Thevarams of Moovar (of the Nayanmars).
(A)Kapaleeshwar Temple (Thiru Mailai ) (B)Parthasarathy Temple (Thiruvalli keni )

5. Arrival Of the British
• In the seventeenth century the British East India Company decided to build a factory on the east coast.
• Francis Day, one of the officers of the company, who was then a Member of the Masulipatam Council and the
Chief of the Armagon Factory, made a voyage of exploration in 1637 down the coast as far as Pondicherry with a
view to choose a new settlement. They chose Chennai.
A map of Chennai during 17
A map of Chennai during 17th
th
century
century

6. Post Independence
• After India became independent, the city became the administrative and
legislative capital of Madras State which was renamed as Tamil Nadu in
1968.
• Modern Chennai is a large commercial and industrial centre, and is known
for its cultural heritage and temple architecture.
• Chennai is the automobile capital of India, with around forty percent of the
automobile industry having a base there and with a major portion of the
nation's vehicles being produced there.
• Chennai has also become a major centre for outsourced IT and financial
services from the Western world.

7. Landmarks of Chennai
Marina Beach
• The Marina Beach is a beach situated along a 12 km shoreline in
the city of Chennai along the Bay of Bengal, part of the Indian
Ocean.
Panoramic view of a stretch of the sandy Marina beach

8. Landmarks of Chennai
Fort St. George
• Fort St George is the name of the first British fortress in India, founded in
1639 at the coastal city of Madras
• Today, the Fort serves as the administrative headquarters for the legislative
assembly of Tamil Nadu state
Fort St. George

9. Landmarks of Chennai
Guindy Park
• Guindy National Park, A 2.82 km² (1 sq mi) Protected area of Tamil Nadu,
located in Chennai, South India, is the 8th smallest National Park of India.
Blackbuck, Guindy's flagship species

10. Landmarks of Chennai
Government Museum
• Government Museum, established in 1851, is located in Egmore, Chennai,
South India.
• The objects displayed in the museum cover a variety of artifacts and objects
covering diverse fields including archeology, numismatics, zoology, natural
history, sculptures, palm-leaf manuscripts and Amravati paintings.

11. Thank You