Chennai

 Chennai was formerly known as Madras. It is the capital of Tamil Nadu, a state located in the far south of India. Located on the Coromandel Coast, the city is a major metropolitan and cosmopolitan city. It is an important city in the country along with South India from the perspective of business, culture, education and economy. In fact, Chennai is known as the cultural capital of South India. The word Chennai derives from the Tamil word Chennapatnam. In 1639, the British established a city with the same name near St. George Fort. It was only in 1639 that the city was named Chennai when it was sold to Francis Day of the East India Company. The history of Chennai seems to be flourishing, as it has been an integral part of many empires of South India. Chennai has played an important role in the political history of the British Raj and is believed to have its beginnings from the colonial period. In 1644, the British East India Company came to the coast of Chennai and they built the St. George Fort here. This helped them survive the onslaught of the French colonial army and the Kingdom of Mysore. The British completely occupied Chennai and made it their major port. He made Chennai his presidency at the end of the 18th century. The city was called Madras

during the British rule. The name originated from a village called Madrasapatnam, a village located at the northern end of the Fort St. George. However, many believe that the word Madras derives from Mundir-raj. Some people even say that the name Madras is given by the Portuguese, who used to call this place Madre de Dios (Mother of God). Whatever the reason, Chennai continued to be known as Madras for a long time before the Indian government changed its name. The cultural capital of the South - Chennai and the surrounding tourist places arts, crafts, music, dance and all kinds of entertainment have always flourished in Chennai. For a long time, the city has been working for the preservation of many arts. Carnatic music is an integral part of the lives of the people of Chennai. People here do not miss a single opportunity to hear it from famous musicians. The Madras Music Season, a music-based cultural program, is organized every year in Chennai. Hundreds of artists from all over the country take part in this program. The popularity of classical music in the city can be gauged from the fact that Madras University started a Bachelor course in classical music in 1930. The singing of Karol is also very popular during Christmas. You can hear these melodious voices coming from churches, schools, colleges and malls in December. A few days before Christmas, many youngsters form a carol group and sing street-street. A festival called Chennai Sangamam is also organized every year in the city. It gets a glimpse of the art of the entire Tamilnadu. This festival is held in January every year. Classical dance is also held regularly in Chennai, being the main center of Bharatanatyam. The dance originated in Tamil Nadu and is one of the oldest dances in India. Bharatanatyam has received tremendous buzz all over the world. Five Bharatanatyam dancers from Chennai performed for the Indian campaign at the 2012 Olympic Games. Not only this, Chennai Tamil film industry is known for Kollywood. Many film fairs are organized here every year, in which films from not only India but also abroad are screened