Madras Day 2024: 7 Interesting Facts About Now Chennai

Madras Day is annually observed on August 22nd to honour the founding of now Chennai. Here are seven interesting facts about the place that you must know

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Facts.net states Chennai as the fourth largest city in India, which reportedly has a population of nearly 7 million people

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One of the oldest public zoos in India is the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai. It was established as the Madras Zoo in the year 1855

Image: Madras Central Prison's Website

Chennai was originally called Madras. The state changed its name to Tamil Nadu in 1968, but the city stayed named Madras until 1996 when it was officially renamed Chennai

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"Bharatnatyam," one of the popular traditional dance forms in India, is renowned in Chennai

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The Madras Central Prison in Chennai, built-in 1837 during British rule, was one of India's first prisons. It operated for over a century before being demolished in 2009

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Spencer Plaza, located in Anna Salai, is one of India's oldest shopping malls, started in 1863 during British rule

Image: Tripadvisor

Lastly, the place is famous for its beautiful coastline, especially Covelong Beach, which is over 20 kilometres long and is the second-largest beach in the world

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