CHENNAI and COLONIAL MADRAS INDIA

1975 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai Chennai (Tamil: சென்னை), formerly known as Madras), is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and is India's fourth largest metropolitan city. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. With an estimated population of 6.96 million (2006),the 368-year-old city is the 34th largest metropolitan area in the world. Chennai is a large commercial and industrial centre, and is known for its cultural heritage and temple architecture. It is also a hub for south Indian classical music and dance performances. Chennai is considered the automobile capital of India, with a major percentage of the automobile industry having a base here and a major portion of the nation's vehicles being produced here. This has led to Chennai being referred to as the Detroit of South Asia. It has also become a major centre for outsourced jobs from the West. The 12-kilometre long Marina Beach forms the city's east coast and is one of the longest beaches in the world. The city is known for its sport venues and hosts an ATP tennis event, the Chennai Open.