India is full of Nature's Colour
Rajasthan have four national park and wildlife sanctuaries named- Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary, Ranthambore National Park, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and Desert National Park. Ranthambore National Park and Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary are known worldwide for their tiger population and considered by wild lovers and photographers as the best places in India to spot tigers.
CHENNAI TOURISM
Chennai formerly known as Madras, is the fourth largest metropolitan area of India and the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai had a population of 4.2 million in the 2001 census within its municipal corporation.The urban agglomeration of Chennai has an estimated population of 7.5 million, making it the fourth largest agglomeration in India.
History
The city was established in the 17th century by the British, who developed it into a major urban centre and naval base. By the 20th century, it had become an important administrative centre, as the capital of the Madras Presidency.
The name Chennai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Chennapattinam or Chennapattanam, the name of the town that grew up around Fort St. George, built by the British in 1640. There are different versions about the origin of the name. When the British landed here in 1639 A.D. it was said to be part of the empire of the Raja of Chandragiri. The British named it Chennapatnam after they acquired it from Chennappa Nayaka, a Vijayanagar chieftain. Gradually, the name was shortened to Chennai. The first instance of the use of the name Chennai is said to be in a sale deed dated August 1639 to Francis Day, an agent for the British where there is a reference to Chennaipattinam.
The city was officially renamed Chennai in 1996,1 about the same time that many Indian cities were undergoing name changes. Madras was seen as a Portuguese name.
Geography and Climate
Chennai is on the southeast coast of India in the northeast of Tamil Nadu on a flat coastal plain known as the Eastern Coastal Plains. Its average elevation is around 6.7 metres and its highest point is 60 m. The Marina Beach runs for 12 km along the shoreline of the city. Two rivers meander through Chennai, the Cooum River (or Koovam) through the centre and the Adyar River to the south. A third river, the Kortalaiyar, flows through the northern fringes of the city before draining into the sea at Ennore.
Chennai lies on the thermal equator and is also coastal, which prevents extreme variation in seasonal temperature. For most of the year, the weather is hot and humid. The hottest part of the year is late May and early June, known locally as Agni Nakshatram ("fire star") or as Kathiri Veyyil, with maximum temperatures around 38–42 °C. The coolest part of the year is January, with minimum temperatures around 19–20°C. The lowest temperature recorded is 15.8°C and highest 45°C. The average annual rainfall is about 1,300 mm. The city gets most of its seasonal rainfall from the north-east monsoon winds, from mid-September to mid-December. Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal sometimes hit the city. Highest annual rainfall recorded is 2,570 mm in 2005. The most prevailing winds in Chennai are the South-westerly between May and September and the North-easterly during the rest of the year.
Economy
The city is base to around 30% of India's automobile industry and 35% of its auto components industry. A large number of automotive companies including Hyundai, Ford, BMW, Mitsubishi, The TVS Group (TVS), Ashok Leyland, Nissan-Renault, TI Cycles of India, TAFE Tractors, Royal Enfield, Caterpillar Inc., Caparo and Madras Rubber Factory (MRF), have manufacturing plants in and around Chennai. The Integral Coach Factory manufactures railway coaches and other rolling stock for Indian Railways. Chennai contributes more than 50% of India's leather exports.
The city is an electronics manufacturing hub where multinational corporations like Dell, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Flextronics and Foxconn have set up electronics and hardware manufacturing plants, mainly in the Sriperumbudur Special Economic Zone(SEZ). Many software and software services companies have development centres in Chennai, which contributed 14% of India's total software exports. Chennai is home to three large national level commercial banks and many state level co-operative banks, finance and insurance companies. Some of India's well-known healthcare institutions such as Apollo (the largest private healthcare provider in Asia), Sankara Nethralaya and Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre are based in the city, making it one of the preferred destinations for medical tourists from across the globe. Telecom giants Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent, pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and chemicals giant Dow Chemicals have research and development facilities in Chennai. Chennai has a fully computerised stock exchange called the Madras Stock Exchange.
Culture
Chennai's culture reflects its diverse population. The city is known for its classical dance shows and Hindu temples. Every December, Chennai holds a five-week long Music Season celebrating the 1927 opening of the Madras Music Academy. It features performances (kutcheries) of traditional Carnatic music by hundreds of artists in and around the city. An arts festival called the Chennai Sangamam, which showcases various arts of Tamil Nadu is held in January every year. Chennai is also known for Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu. An important cultural centre for Bharatanatyam is Kalakshetra, on the beach in the south of the city.
Chennai is the base for the large Tamil movie industry, dubbed Kollywood after Kodambakkam, home to most of the movie studios. The industry makes more than 150 Tamil movies a year, and its soundtracks dominate the city's music. Chennai's theatres stage many Tamil plays; political satire, slapstick comedy, history, mythology and drama are among the popular genres. English plays are also staged in the city.
Among Chennai's festivals, Pongal is celebrated over five days in January, is the most important. Tamil New Year's Day, signifying the beginning of the Tamil year, usually falls on April 14. Almost all major religious festivals such as Deepavali, Eid and Christmas are celebrated in Chennai. Tamil cuisine in Chennai includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Many of the city's restaurants offer light meals or tiffin, which usually include rice-based dishes like pongal, dosa, idli and vadai, served with steaming hot filter coffee.
Places of Interest
Media
Newspapers
Newspapers which are published in Chennai, the prominent are:
The Times of India, The News Today, The New Indian Express, The Hindu, Financial Express, Business Standard, The Hindu Business Line, Dinkaran, etc.
FM Channels
FM channels in Chennai :
Radio City (91.1)
Aahaa FM (91.9)
Big FM (92.7)
Suryan FM (93.5)
Radio One (94.3)
Radio Mirchi (98.3)
AIR FM Rainbow (101.4)
AIR FM Gold (102.3)
Gyan Vani (104.2)
Chennai Live (104.8)
Hello FM (106.4)
MOP FM (107.8)
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