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Coordinates 13.09° N 80.27° E
Area - Elevation 1,180 km²
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Population (2005) - 6.9 million
Density - 5,847/km² (4th)
Chennai formerly known as Madras is the largest city in southern India located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is fourth largest city of India and capital of Tamil Nadu. Its name was officially changed to Chennai in 1996, but the older name Madras is still widely used.
The city is a leading commercial and industrial center in India, and has a diverse cultural heritage. From traditional vegetarian fair to fast foods, from nine-yard sarees to the latest in fashion, from ancient temple architecture to modern high-rise - with Indo-Saracenic and Victorian as stops along the way - from classical music and dance to discos throbbing to heady beats, Chennai has them all and many more vivid contrasts that are a pleasant surprise. And perhaps the most striking of them all is that here is a modern metropolis with beaches, parks and even sanctuaries in the heart of the City. Chennai offers a wealth of nature and a rich historic past to visitors in the ambience of a city with every modern facility.
Chennai is a gracious city that has a clear skyline, long sandy beaches, parks, historic landmarks and tourist facilities which make it a convenient entry point or base to start your tour of Tamil Nadu and South India. Where religion is concerned, history has certainly left its mark on this city, which is believed to have been the place of St. Thomas, in the out skirt of the city. There are a number of churches in Chennai that are connected with the life and times of this apostle. There are also several ancient temples around the city, and within the city itself are two magnificent temples - a temple in Triplicane and another in Mylapore.
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