In the past Chennai, a desolate, isolated coastal sandy beach, was selected as a trading center for the East India Company run by the British merchants during the 1630s. The British, to a large extent, are responsible for the present shape and structure of the city.
Andrew Cogan and Francis Day, two officers of the East India Company, recommended the area be developed as the future headquarters of the East India Trading Company in South India.Cogan and Day identified a large area where a plantain garden was flourishing under the stewardship of a Portuguese family for the company fort. The plantain garden and the surrounding area were occupied and cultivated by a Catholic, named Madarasan. In the negotiations with Madarasan to secure the lease for this place, Madarasan demanded that the place where they planned to build the factory town should be named after him (Madarasan Patanam).Thus the land where Fort St. George was built was called Madarasan and later Madaras and then Madras.

Even though Madarasan had the lease of the land, the land was actually owned by a ruling family of that area known as Vinayaks. The company needed to get the permission of the Vinayaks before starting the construction for the headquarters and the Vinayaks, in turn, wanted to call the area Chinna Patanam after their father, Chinnappa. So the people living in the newly developing area of Fort St. George called it Madras while the Tamil purists called it Chennai, a short version of Chinnappa Patanam.Then a fortified factory is built. This is christened Fort St George (after the patron saint of England, on whose feast day the construction was completed - April 23rd, 1640).The Fort becomes Britain's gateway to India. And its establishment marks the birth of the city we know today as Chennai.

Chennai is the fourth largest city in India and the capital of Tamil Nadu. Retaining much of its traditional charm, this 350 year old city is the gateway to the south, providing many a fascinating vignette of southern heritage.

Guindy National Park
This is the countries only Wildlife Sanctuary within a city's limits. This park spread over an area of 27.6 sq. km. Raj Bhavan, the Governor's mansion, occupies one end of the park, and at the other is the beautiful forest - girt campus of Chennai's famous Indian Institute of Technology. The nearest rail head, airport and town is Chennai, at a distance of 5km. The park was set up in 1976.

Anna Zoological Park
The sprawling 1,265 acre Anna Zoological Park is the biggest in South Asia. It contains a superb collection of tropical mammals and bird.

Snake Park
It is at Sardar Vallabbai Patel Road.There are more than 40 species of common snakes of India here. The crocodiles, chameleons, monitor lizards and tortoises can also be seen in their natural setting.

DakshinaChitra Amusement Parks
It is a unique Heritage village situated at Muttukadu on the new Mamallapuram Coastal Road, 20 Km from Chennai. It offers the visitor an unforgettable and authentic insight into the lifestyles of the diverse people of South India. The Arts and Crafts village, Dakshinachitra narrate the story of the South Indian Culture. The Tamil history, language and way of life can be experienced with a guided tour. Architecture of the past 200 years is represented in the real rural setting. Every house is typical of its own professional group. Traders, potters, weavers, and others working in the traditional way make exquisite pottery, baskets, and carved stone items, some of which are for sale. The center is now developed to include the cultural replicas from all four states of South India. The folk and classical dance performances can be seen here.

MGR Film City
Near to Taramani, Adyar. Several sets of artificial sceneries like forest, water falls, market place etc., are built here to serve as background for the shooting of films.

Birla Planetarium
Built in memory of B.M. Birla, the well known industrialist and visionary, the Planetarium is considered to be the most modern in the country. It is located at Kottur near Anna University.