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Tamil Nadu About Tamil Nadu Places to Visit   Chennai (Madras)   About Chennai Getting there Getting around What to see Hotels Eating Out Bookshelf What to carry Shopping Festivals Weather   About Chennai Chennai is India's fourth largest city and the capital of Tamil Nadu. Formerly known as Madras, the city's history dates back to more than 2000 years. Being a port town it has always attracted traders and merchants and these included the French, the Portuguese, and the British. When the British established their supremacy in the 19th century the city became the Madras Presidency, one of the four divisions of British India. Today, Chennai is one of India's booming cosmopolitan city. It is the center of the Tamil film industry - the slickest in the country. In fact, the hoardings and the billboards in the city are possibly the most gigantic that one will ever come across anywhere in the country. Chennai is also known for its good educational institutions and some of India's hottest retail outlets.