The Dravidians founded the beautiful State of Tamil Nadu 5,000 years ago. Today it is home to some of the most magnificent sculptures and architectural wonders of the world.
About 350 years ago, Tamil Nadu's capital city Chennai was created by the East India Company. The last king of the vanishing Vijayanagar Empire, Rajah of Chandragiri offered Francis Day, an East India Company trader, a three-mile long strip of land. In july 1639 Francis Day and his superior built a factory, which was named Fort St. George.
When the British were in complete control of the city, after a decade's feud with the French, they expanded the city by encompassing the neighbouring villages of Triplicane, Egmore, Purasawalkam and Chetput to form the city of Chennapatnam, as it was known then.
Besides being Britain's first bastion from which flourished an empire, Chennai, formely known as Madras retains a harmonious blend of the old and the new. Elaborate pujas are part of every home. Women still wear flowers in their hair and young girl pratice the age-old Bharatanatayam Dance everyday. In this charming city modernization has not dampened the rich heritage handed down from generation to generation.
