Chennai, along with Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, is one of the few Indian cities that are home to a diverse population of ethno-religious communities.[2] According to the 2011 census Chennai then had a total population of 67,48,026 at a density of 15,840 per square kilometre spanning across an area of 426 km²; the sex ratio was 1025 and literacy rate was 90.33%.[3] The most widely spoken languages are Tamil and English. Hinduism is followed by a majority of the populace followed by Islam and Christianity. Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism are other religions practiced.
Based on the revenue comparisons for the years 1639 and 1648, the population of Madras in 1639, the year of its founding have been calculated as 7,000.[4] Captain Thomas Bowrey in his 1670 book Countries around the Bay of Bengal gives one of the earliest estimates for the population of the city.[4] According to him, Madras had a population of 30,000 including 300 Englishmen and 3,000 Portuguese.[11] Alexander Hamilton in New Account of the East Indies and Persia (1718) wrote,
The colony is well peopled, for there is computed to be 80,000 inhabitants in the towns and villages; and there is generally about 4,500 Europeans residing there...[11]
The idea of taking a census of Madras city was first mooted during the presidency of Elihu Yale. After being shelved for a time, the question was raised again in 1801 when the United Kingdom decided to organise an all-India census. The first census of any part of the city was taken in 1795 when the population of Blacktown (presently Georgetown) was determined as 60,000.[4] According to an 1822 estimate, Madras had a population of 462,051 while an 1863 report by Charles Trevelyan to the Royal Sanitary Commission records that there were not less than a million people in Madras city.[11] There have also been population estimates by other individuals, notable among them being Sir William Langhorne and Elihu Yale.While an Indian census was not organised until 1871, minor population headcounts of the city were taken by the Madras government on 4-year gaps from 1851–52 to 1866–67.
However, these early estimates and the methods used have been criticized by later enumerators. According to population scientist Christophe Guilmoto, the early enumerations were not censuses but "simple headcounts providing little information beyond the sub regional sex distribution". W. R. Cornish, who was the Madras Superintendent of the 1871 Census, the first organised census in British India, wrote
... the estimates of the population of Madras prior to 1867 have been so various and the direct Censuses of 1822 and 1863 were so evidently untrustworthy that it had long been found utterly impossible to any satisfactory conclusion as to the actual number of people living in the city
The first organized census of Madras city and its environs was undertaken in 1871 as a part of the India Census. Madras had a total population of 397,552 in 1871 making it India's third most populous city after Calcutta and Bombay.[11]It was also the fifth largest city in the British Empire.
Population growth
The first census of India taken in 1871 gave a population of 397,552. The city was acutely affected by the great famine of 1876–77, with 1877 alone accounting for 40,500,[7] and maintained a steady growth rate throughout the last decades of the 19th century. Between 1901 and 1921, however, the population growth rate was slow.
Hindus form the majority of Chennai's population but the city also has substantial Muslim and Christian minorities. As per the 2001 census, Hindus formed 81.3 percent of the total population while Muslims made up 9.4 percent and Christians, 7.6 percent.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the majority faith in Chennai. The temples towns of Mylapore, Triplicane, Thiruvottiyur, Saidapet and Thiruvanmiyur, which are now part of Chennai city, had been visited by the Saivite saints called Nayanars. The saint Vayilar Nayanar was born and brought up in Mylapore. Sambandar gives a physical description of Mylapore in his hymns
In Mylapore of beautiful groves, The waves creep up to the shore and then dance on it As do the fisherfolk who spear the many fish in the waters, Kapaleeswaram in its plenty celebrates the Thiruvadhirai festival, Is it done for you to miss this excitement, Poompavai?
The early dubashes or Indian merchants who worked for the British East India Company were devout Hindus. The Chennakesava Perumal Temple, considered to be the chief Hindu temple of Madraspatnam and first to be built since the founding of the city in 1640, was constructed by the dubashBeri Thimmanna in 1646. Chennai is also an important centre of the Ramakrishna Order whose oldest institution the Sri Ramakrishna Math was founded in Chennai in May 1897. Since 1882, Chennai has been the headquarters of the Theosophical Society, a spiritual organisation dedicated to the study of world religions and inter-faith dialogue. According to a 1981 estimate, there were about 600 Hindu temples in Chennai city. The important among them are the Chennakesava Perumal Temple, Chenna Mallesvarar Temple Kapaleeswarar Temple, Parthasarathy Temple, Vadapalani Andavar Temple, Ashtalakshmi Kovil, Kalikambal Temple and the Thiruvalluvar Temple.
Islam
There has been a recorded presence of Muslims in Chennai from the 9th century CE onwards. The oldest known mosques in Madras - the ones at Pulicat and Kovalam were built in the 10th century CE. Marco Polo in the 13th century and Duarte Barbarosa in the 16th century, both record that St. Thomas was venerated by Christians as well as Muslims of Madras.
Christianity
The city also has one of the highest population of Christians among major Indian cities, accounting for 7.6% of the city's population.
Languages
Census
Mother-tongues of Chennai (as percentage of the total population)
Tamil
Telugu
Urdu
Malayalam
Hindi
Gujarati
Kannada
Marathi
English
Other
1901
61.2
21.3
10.1
0.2
0.1
0.3
0.4
1.2
3.1
0.71
1911
62.3
20.7
10.3
0.3
0
0.5
0.6
1.3
2.9
1.03
1921
63.9
19.8
8.8
0.8
0
0.6
0.6
1.3
2.7
1.59
1931
63.6
19.3
9.7
1.4
0.4
0.5
0.7
1.2
2.1
1.1
1941
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
1951
67.9
19.3
6.3
2.8
1.6
0.6
1.1
0.8
1.3
1.1
1961
70.9
14.1
5.9
3.3
0.9
0.7
0.9
0.8
1.0
1.33
1971
73.7
12.0
5.7
3.7
1.3
0.8
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.68
1981
74.5
12.0
5.2
3.2
1.6
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.5
1.24
1991
76.7
10.5
4.8
3.2
2.1
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.3
0.58
Source: Census of India
Tamil is the most common language, being the mother tongue of about 76.7% of Chennai inhabitants, followed by Telugu (10.5%), Urdu (2.8%), Malayalam (2.2%) and Hindi (2.1%). English is commonly used as a second language by white-collar workers.[13] In 1891, the percentage of people who speak Tamil was 60.4% followed by Telugu 22.25% and the percentage of people who speak Tamil as their mother tongue had increased from 61.2 in 1901 to 76.7 in 1991 while those who speak Telugu had fallen from 21.3 in 1901 to 10.5 in 1991 and those of Urdu from 9.1 in 1901 to 2.8 in 1991 and English from 3.1 in 1901 to 0.3 in 1991. On the contrary, the percentage of people who speak Malayalam as their mother tongue has increased from 0.2 in 1901 to 2.2 in 1991 and Hindi, from 0.3 in 1901 to 2.1 in 1991.[14]
The fall in the Telugu-speaking population has been attributed to the mass migration of Telugu-speakers from the city upon the formation of Andhra State in 1953 while the decrease in the proportion of people who spoke English as their mother tongue has been attributed to the departure of most Europeans and Anglo-Indians for the United Kingdom following India's independence in 1947. Only a handful of Hindi speakers appear to have lived in Chennai in 1901 and they did not have a notable presence till the inauguration of the Republic of India in 1950. However, since 1950, their numbers have increased rapidly.
Ethnicities
Jains
There are both North-Indian and Tamil Jains in the city, although the former outnumber the latter. There are about 100 Jain temples in the city built by the North Indian Jains, whereas there are only 18 Tamil Jain temples catering to roughly 1,500 Tamil Jain families.[15]
Sikhs
There is no known official record of the first arrival of Sikhs in the city. However, it is believed that the migration has been consistent before, during, and post partition of India. As of 2012, there were about 300 Sikh families residing in the city. Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha, established in 1949, is a centre for social, religious and spiritual activities and is a common point for the Sikh families in the city to converge during special occasions and festivals.[16]
Zoroastrians
The first Parsis came to Madras in 1809 from Coorg when the ruling King's brother sent a deputation to the Governor of Fort St. George to deliver a picture. Hirijibhai Maneckji Kharas was the first Parsi to land in the city, who was accompanied by five other Parsis and two priests who bought land at Royapuram opposite the Catholic Church. By the 1900s, the Parsis were generally a prosperous lot, dealing in cars, cycles, perfumes and dyes. The first Iranis came to Madras around 1900 and soon became known for their Irani cafes and also established or managed theatres. There was no official priest in the community for over 100 years till 1906. There was no place of worship till the Royapuram fire temple was built in 1909.[17]
As of 2010, there were about 250 Parsis in Chennai. Many of them live in Royapuram.[18]
Japanese
As of 2013, there were about 700 Japanese in the city.[19]
Chennai is the earliest hub of the Korean community in India, owing to Hyundai's decision to open factories in the city in 1995. Koreans concentrated largely in the Kilpauk township, which has acquired the nickname of "Little Korea" as a result.[20] The Korean community in the city continued to grow in the following years, and by 2009, there were about 3,000 Koreans in the city, up from about 700 in 2006.[21][22] Since then, Koreans make up the largest number of expatriates in Chennai.[23] As of 2013, there are over 4,000 Koreans in the city. According to the Korea Trade Centre, the city has over 150 Korean companies, including Hyundai Motors, Samsung, LG, and Lotte.[19] Several small and medium enterprises, mainly automobile spare parts, logistics and engineering companies, such as Hwashin, Dong-Sung and Doowon, have their operations to support these large firms.[23]
Many Koreans in Chennai work for Hyundai Motors and its suppliers.[22] Some expatriates have also opened Korean restaurants, aimed largely at their co-ethnics rather than local Indians.[24] Koreans have also formed a number of Christian churches in India, including two in Chennai; others include two in New Delhi and one in Mumbai.[25]
Nepalis
Around 5-6 lakh Nepali speaking people live in Chennai since a long time, half of them are Indian originated from various parts of North East and Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Duars part of West Bengal and also from Sikkim, rest are from Nepal, the Nepali speaking people are engaged in various professions like beauty and salon, hotel and services, guard for houses and also in IT and teachings.[citation needed]
1 2 Muthiah, S. (2008). Madras, Chennai: A 400-year Record of the First City of Modern India, Volume 1. Association of British Scholars, Chennai. p.77. ISBN978-81-8379-468-8.
↑ "Area and Population"(PDF). Chennai District Statistical Handbook. District Administration, Chennai. Archived from the original(PDF) on 30 August 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
↑ "기타 정보" [Other information], 인도 투자핵심가이드[India Core Investment Guide], Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, 2006, retrieved 29 April 2009[permanent dead link]
Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is the state's primate city and is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most populous city in India and forms the fourth-most populous urban agglomeration. Incorporated in 1688, the Greater Chennai Corporation is the oldest municipal corporation in India and the second oldest in the world after London.
Tamil Jains are ethnic-Tamils from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, who practice Jainism,. The Tamil Jain is a microcommunity of around 85,000 .They are predominantly scattered in northern Tamil Nadu, largely in the districts of Tiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Villupuram, Ranipet and Kallakurichi. Early Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions in Tamil Nadu date to the third century BCE and describe the livelihoods of Tamil Jains. Samaṇar wrote much Tamil literature, including the important Sangam literature, such as the Nālaṭiyār, the Cilappatikaram, the Valayapathi and the Civaka Cintamani. Three of the five great epics of Tamil literature are attributed to Jains.
Mylapore, or Thirumayilai, is a neighbourhood in the central part of the city of Chennai, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the celebrated Tamil philosopher Valluvar, and the Hindu saint and philosopher, Peyalvar. It is also believed by Christians to be the place of martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle, who preached along the Malabar Coast, and established the Malankara Nasrani community.
Vandavasi is a major town and a municipality in the Tiruvannamalai district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The town is well known in the Carnatic history for the Battle of Wandiwash. Vandavasi town is also the largest manufacturer of kora artefacts including mats, shawls and vessels. As of 2011, the town had a population 74,320.
Avadi is a western suburb of Chennai, and the headquarters of Avadi taluk located within the Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, India. Situated at about 22 kilometres (14 mi) from Chennai Central Railway Station, it is one of the four municipal corporations in the Chennai Metropolitan Area and is governed by the Avadi Municipal Corporation. It is surrounded by major defence establishments and is home to various universities and engineering colleges. The neighborhood is served by Avadi Railway Station of the Chennai Suburban Railway and just 7 km from the upcoming Karayanchavadi Metro of Chennai Metro Rail. As of 2011, Avadi had a population of 345,996, which is 10th most populous place in Tamil Nadu. It is home to the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Ordnance Factory Board (ODF) which houses Engine Factory and Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE). The lake in Avadi was known as Paaleripattu, which is now found only in very old land documents.
Tambaram is a city located within the Chennai Metropolitan Area in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The city is governed by Tambaram City Municipal Corporation.
Tiruvallur is a Grade I municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of Coovum river about 46 km (29 mi) from downtown Chennai (Madras) and just 5 km from megacity border, in the western part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). It is a satellite town of Chennai and is the administrative headquarters of Tiruvallur District. The town is known for the Veeraraghava Swamy Temple, one of the 108 sacred shrines of Vaishnavites. The tank festival is held at a pond near this temple. A Shiva temple near this shrine which is popular among the locals. There is also a 40-foot (12 m) tall Viswaroopa Panchamukha Hanuman temple, where the murti is made of a single green granite stone.
Walajapet is a town or first municipality of Tamil Nadu and a part of Ranipet district, Vellore Metropolitan Area, in the state of Tamil Nadu. The streets in the town form a square shape which is a unique feature of the town. It will be easy for you to reach any part of the town with this kind of infrastructure. The streets are wide and nicely structured. As of 2024, the town had a population of 64,000. It is a Tri-City with adjacent municipalities of Ranipet and Arcot.
The culture of Chennai, popularly called the "Gateway to the South India", is distinct from that of any other Indian city. Being a cosmopolitan hub, the city's culture reflects its diverse population that has resulted in a unique blend. Though a modern metropolis, Chennai continues to be traditional and conventional in certain ways. Traditional music, dance and all other art forms of Tamil Nadu are very popular in the city. One can find a peculiar cultural blend in city, from traditional foods to fast foods, from ancient temple architecture to modern high-rises, and from classical music and dance to the growing nightlife.
Royapuram is a locality in the northern part of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is best known for its beach, and for Royapuram Railway Station. The station is the first railway station of South India, opening in 1856, and is today the oldest surviving railway station of the Indian subcontinent.
Tiruttani is a historic temple town situated in the Tiruvallur district and serves as a suburb of Chennai within the Chennai Metropolitan Area in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The town is famous for the Tiruttani Murugan Temple, an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Kartikeya, also known as Murugan, the Hindu god of war. This temple is one of the Arupadaiveedu, a group of six significant abodes of Murugan. Tiruttani was officially incorporated into the Chennai Metropolitan Area in October 2022, signifying its growing importance and influence within the region..
George Town is a neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is near the Fort Saint George, Chennai. It is also known as Muthialpet and Parry's corner. It is an historical area of Madras city from where its expansion began in the 1640s. It extends from the Bay of Bengal in the east to Park town on the west. The Fort St. George is on the south, to Royapuram in the north. The Fort St. George houses the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat. The High court of Tamil Nadu at Chennai, Dr. Ambedkar Law College, Stanley Medical College and Hospital are located here.
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the States of Puducherry, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is the tenth-largest state in India and the seventh most populous state.
Royapuram railway station is a railway station at Royapuram, on the Chennai Beach–Walajapet section of the Chennai Suburban Railway network in Chennai, India. It is the second oldest railway station currently operational in India after Howrah railway station situated in Howrah, West Bengal and the first railway station of South India. The first train of South India started operating in June 1856 from Royapuram railway station. The station also remained the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway till 1922, when the headquarters was shifted to Egmore. Since the original structures of Bombay and Thane stations no longer exist, Royapuram station remains the oldest railway station in the entire subcontinent.
This is a timeline of major events in the history of Chennai.
Chennai, with historically rich records dating at least from the time of the Pallavas, houses 2,467 heritage buildings within its metropolitan area (CMA), the highest within any metropolitan area limit in India. Most of these buildings are around 200 years old and older. Chennai is home to the second largest collection of heritage buildings in the country, after Kolkata. The official list of heritage buildings was compiled by the Justice E. Padmanabhan committee. The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed the Heritage Commission Act in 2012 to preserve old heritage structures.
Tiruchirappalli is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the fourth most populous city and is the densest regional urban area in the state. According to the 2001 census, Tiruchirappalli had a population of 752,066 with in the city limits and an extended urban agglomeration population of 866,354. According to the 2011 census, Tiruchirappalli had a population of 847,387 within the city limits The city's sex ratio of 1025 is among the best for any city in India which has a population of one million or more.
Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar E Meher, popularly known as the Royapuram fire temple, is a Zoroastrian fire temple at Royapuram, Chennai, India. It was built in 1910 and donated to the Madras Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman by philanthropist Phiroj M. Clubwala. The temple is one of the 177 odd fire temples in the world, of which some 150 are in India. It is the only Parsi fire temple in Tamil Nadu and surrounding region, including Puducherry and Kerala. The flame in the temple is burning continuously ever since the temple was built and is stoked five times a day by the priest.
Chennai is religiously cosmopolitan, with its denizens following various religions, chief among them being Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism. Chennai, along with Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, and Kolkata, is one of the few Indian cities that are home to a diverse population of ethno-religious communities.
Culture of Coimbatore is based on the culture of the Kongu Nadu region and is distinctly unique. Being a cosmopolitan city, the culture of the city reflects its diverse population which has resulted in a unique blend. Though it is generally considered a traditional city, Coimbatore is more diverse and cosmopolitan than other cities in Tamil Nadu. Traditional music, dance and all other art forms of Tamil Nadu are very popular in the city. One can find a unique blend of culture from traditional foods to fast foods, from ancient temple architecture to modern high-rises and from classical music and dance to the growing nightlife in the city. Popularly called as the Manchester of South India, the city is known for its industries and has developed a reputation for entrepreneurship.
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