Chennai is the fourth largest metropolis in India and the hub of South India. On your Chennai Tour you can explore the beaches, historic churches and monuments of Chennai, like Fort St George on the Coromandel Coast. Enjoy the South Indian flavor of Chennai
Chennai in South India, is a vibrant city ever growing, expanding and changing every year. On your Chennai tour you will discover that Chennai's culture is distinct from that of north India. Explore the music, dance and other art forms of the South, on tours to Chennai. Chennai is a city where the traditional and the modern blend in life everywhere. From traditional vegetarian fair to fast food, from nine-yard saris to the latest in fashion, from ancient temple architecture to modern high-rises, from classical music and dance to discos throbbing to heady beats, Chennai has them all and many more vivid contrasts that you can discover on your Chennai tour.
The region of Chennai was called Tondaimandalam in earlier days and had its military headquarters at Puzhal, which is now a small and rather insignificant village on the outskirts of the city. Modern Chennai grew out of a small village, when in 1639 a fishing hamlet called Chennaipatnam was selected by early English merchants of the East India Company as a site for their settlement. Chennai has attracted a vast assortment of people right from seafarers, spice traders and cloth merchants over the period.
The sixteenth century saw the arrival of the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch trading companies. The Portuguese established a fort, Sao Tome or San Thome in 1522, pushing back the ancient Pallava port of Mylapore. By 1612 the Dutch established themselves in Pulicat to the North. Founded in 1639 on land given by the Raja of Chandragiri, the last representative of the Vijayanagar rulers of Hampi to British traders, a small fort was built at a fishing settlement in 1644 and a town, which subsequently came to known as George Town, grew in the area of Fort St. George.
Population: 6.4 Million
State: Tamil Nadu
Area: 174 sq. km
Latitudinal parallels: 13 deg North
Longitudinal meridians: 80 deg East
Temperature
Summer: 37ºC (Max) 21.10ºC (Min)
Winter: 32ºC (Max) 19.81ºC (Min)
Rainfall: 1,272 mm
Monsoon: Chennai monsoon period is from October to mid-December.
Season: Tropical throughout the year.
Altitude: 60 m above sea level
Languages Spoken: Tamil, English, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam are widely spoken and understood.
Main Attractions: Marina Beach, Snake Park, St. George Fort, Kapaleeshwar Temple, Santhome Cathedral, National Art Gallery, etc.
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