Tambaram is a southern suburb of

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Located in the

Chengalpattu district Chengalpattu District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu, in India. The district headquarters is located at Chengalpattu. Chengalpattu district came into existence on 29 November 2019 when it was carved out of Kanchipuram district after ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

, it is governed by

Tambaram City Municipal Corporation Tambaram City Municipal Corporation is the civic body administering Tambaram, a southern suburb of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It covers an area of 87.64 sq. km and has an estimated 2021 population of 960,887. It is one of the thre ...

and is a part of the

Chennai Metropolitan Area The Greater Chennai Metropolitan Area, or simply the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), is the third-most populous metropolitan area in India, the 22nd-most in Asia, and the 40th-most in the world. The CMA consists of the core city of Chennai, wh ...

Etymology

Tambaram is an ancient town referred to as Taamapuram in an inscription of the 13th century. The word was inscribed on the walls around the

sanctum sanctorum The Latin phrase ''sanctum sanctorum'' is a translation of the Hebrew term ''קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים'' (Qṓḏeš HaQŏḏāšîm), literally meaning Holy of Holies, which generally refers in Latin texts to the holiest place of th ...

Marundeeswarar temple Marundeeswarar Temple is a temple dedicated to Hindu deity Shiva, located in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai adjacent to the beach of Bay of Bengal. It is one of the 275 ''Paadal Petra Sthalams'' where two of the most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints), ...

in Tirukachur village, near Chengalpattu.

History

The earliest mention of Tambaram dates back to the 13th century when the word 'Taamapuram' was inscribed on the walls around the

in Tirukachur village, near Chengalpattu.

Old Stone Age

The oldest locality in Tambaram City is Pallavapuram which is considered one of the oldest inhabited places in South Asia. Pallavapuram consists of the present-day neighbourhood of

Chromepet Chromepet is a suburban neighbourhood of Chennai, India. Located in the southern Chennai Metropolitan Area, it is governed by the Tambaram Municipal Corporation. Chromepet is located 22 km from the Chennai Central Railway Station, and lie ...

and

Pallavaram Pallavaram (originally Pallava Puram) is a residential neighborhood of Chennai, India. Pallavaram was a part of Alandur until August 2015 and since then a new taluk with headquarters at Pallavaram was created. The town is known for its canto ...

. On May 13, 1863,

Robert Bruce Foote Robert Bruce Foote (22 September 1834 – 29 December 1912) was a British geologist and archaeologist who conducted geological surveys of prehistoric locations in India for the Geological Survey of India. For his contributions to Indian archaeolog ...

, a British geologist with the

Geological Survey of India The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is a scientific agency of India. It was founded in 1851, as a Government of India organization under the Ministry of Mines, one of the oldest of such organisations in the world and the second oldest survey ...

(GSI), discovered a hand axe belonging to the Lower Palaeolithic Age at Pallavaram (Pallavapuram).

Muthiah Deshabandu Muttiah Muralitharan ( si, මුත්තයියා මුරලිදරන්, ta, முத்தையா முரளிதரன், also spelt Muralidaran; born 1972) is a Sri Lankan cricket coach, former professional ...

, Pg 129 Since then, several Stone Age artefacts have been discovered. Most of these artefacts are currently lodged in the Egmore museum.

Early Medieval Period

Pallava Dynasty

The oldest locality in the city, Pallavapuram, existed during the reign of

Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as fe ...

king

Mahendravarman I Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) was a Pallava emperor who ruled the Southern portion of present-day Andhra region and Northern regions of what forms present-day Tamil Nadu in India in the early 7th century. He was a scholar, painter, architect ...

(that is, 600–630 CE). The Pallavas have left titles in early Pallava script at the cave temple in Pallavaram neighbourhood which dates back to 600 CE. The remains of a cave shrine constructed by the Pallava ruler have been found at Asthana-E-Moula Ali Dargah.

Chola Dynasty

During the reign of

Later Cholas The Later Chola dynasty ruled the Chola Empire from 1070 C.E. until the demise of the empire in 1279 C. E. This dynasty was the product of decades of alliances based on marriages between the Cholas and the Eastern Chalukyas based in Vengi, and ...

, from ninth to twelfth century CE, the region was called Churathur Nadu. Churathur Nadu was named after Thiruchuram, the present-day Trisulam. The Churathur Nadu extended from Tambaram in the south to

Adambakkam Adambakkam is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India. It is primarily a residential locality situated in South Chennai . Adambakkam area comes under Velachery taluk and Alandur taluk, Chennai District of Chennai Corporation. Adambakkam is surrounded ...

and

Alandur Alandur is a zone of Chennai corporation, and an urban node in Chennai district in Guindy division in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is Surrounded by Guindy in the North and East, Adambakkam in the South, Pazhavanthangal in the South-Wes ...

in the north. The region included the city neighborhood⁠— Pammal, Pallavaram, and Thiruneermalai.

Colonial Period

During the

Carnatic wars The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century in India's coastal Carnatic region, a dependency of Hyderabad State, India. Three Carnatic Wars were fought between 1744 and 1763. The conflicts involved n ...

in the late 17th century, Tambaram was an entrenchment camp for the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

. During the 17th century, Pallavaram remained dependent upon the Portuguese colony of

San Thome San Thome Church, officially known as St Thomas Cathedral Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Thomas, is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church in India, at the Santhome neighbourhood of Madras (Chennai), in Tamil Nadu. The present structure ...

. Later, the British established a cantonment at Pallavaram, supplementary to the one at

St. Thomas Mount Parangimalai (known in English as St. Thomas Mount) is a small hillock in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, near the neighbourhood of Guindy and very close to Chennai International Airport. The ancient Syrian Christian community of India trace t ...

. A wireless station was established in the early years of the 20th century. The Madras Aerodrome was opened at Pallavaram in 1929.

Post-Independence

Before 1964, Tambaram was a small

panchayat The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical ment ...

. In 1964, it was constituted as a Grade III Municipality comprising the Village Panchayats of Pulikoradu, Kadapperi, Tambaram, Irumbliyur, and Selaiyur. Due to rapid development and growth of the town commercially and residentially, the Municipality was classified as a 'Selection Grade Municipality'. The extent of the municipality was . The revenue villages under this municipality are Pulikoradu, Kadapperi, Tambaram, Irumbliyur, and Selaiyur. The number of households is 26,333, the number of notified slums is 17 and the number of unnotified slums is 7. The Tambaram range comprises forest lands in Nanmangalam, Madurapakkam, Tambaram, Pulikoradu, Kumili, Vandalur, Onnamancherry, Erumaiyur, Vattampakkam and Vadakupattu. In 2009, Tambaram taluk was trifurcated into Tambaram, Sholinganallur and Alandur taluks. Clubbing all the three taluks, a new revenue division with Tambaram as headquarters was formed.

Creation of the Municipal Corporation

The increasing population and rapid urbanisation increased the need for town planning, improved administration structure and human resource planning. These demands drove the creation of

. The announcement to establish the Tambaram City Municipal Corporation was made by Minister for Municipal Administration K. N. Nehru in the state Assembly, on August 24, 2021 by merging five municipalities, five town panchayats and fifteen village panchayats. Following a supreme court ruling to conduct rural local body elections by October 2021, the village panchayats elections for

Pozhichalur Pozhichalur (also commonly spelled as Polichalur) is a census town in Chennai metropolitan city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a suburb of Chennai and is located close to the Chennai Airport at Tirusulam on its south west side. It li ...

Cowl Bazaar Cowl Bazaar is a suburb of Chennai located in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is a Gram panchayat, village panchayat in St. Thomas Mount, St.Thomas Mount Block located north of Polichalur, Pozhichalur and west of Chennai Inte ...

Tirusulam Tirusulam is a neighbourhood in Chennai, India. For administrative purposes, it is a census town in Chennai. The Chennai International Airport is located here opposite the Tirusulam Railway station, with the cargo terminal located at the adja ...

, Moovarasampattu, Kovilambakkam, Nanmangalam,

Medavakkam Medavakkam is a southern suburb of Chennai in Tambaram taluk of Chengalpattu district, which is adjacent to the neighbourhood of Sholinganallur, Madipakkam, Selaiyur, Keelkattalai, Velachery and Tambaram and it is center place to the develop ...

, Vengaivasal,

Perumbakkam Perumbakkam is a suburb of the southern Indian city of Chennai in Chengalpattu district. Location It is bound by Sholinganallur to the east, Semmencherry to the south, Medavakkam to the north and Sithalapakkam to the west. It is only a few ...

Sithalapakkam Sithalapakkam is a residential locality of south Chennai, India. It is about 3 km away from Medavakkam. Sithalapakkam is surrounded by two lakes and a hill. Some portion of this hill is cutout for sand and stone. Wild birds can be seen at ...

, Ottiyambakkam, Madurambakkam, Agaramthen, Thiruvancheri,

Mudichur Mudichur is a Residential Locality in Chennai Metropolitan Area in Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth ...

of the St.Thomas Mount panchayat union were held. As a result, the 15 village panchayats were excluded from the Government order issued by the State

Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...

on September 11, 2021. The five municipalities—

Anakaputhur Anakaputhur is a suburban neighbourhood of the Chennai Metropolitan Area in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located next to Pammal on the western side. Anakaputhur was once famous for its traditional weaving business, which has declined du ...

Pammal Pammal is a suburban neighbourhood of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located 22 kilometers from Chennai Central Railway Station. It is located next to Pallavaram on the western side. It lies on the western side of the Grand Southern Trunk ...

Sembakkam Sembakkam is a residential locality in Tambaram City in Tamil Nadu State, India. It is located between Tambaram and Medavakkam and belongs to Tambaram Taluk Region. It falls under the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) as notified in 1974. It is l ...

and Tambaram, and five town panchayats—

Chitlapakkam Chitlapakkam is a residential locality in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is well known for its small, perennial lake and adjoining ecosystems. Overview Chitlapakkam is a fast-developing town panchayat, coming under Tambaram Taluk in Chengalpat ...

Madambakkam Madambakkam () is a residential locality present in Tambaram Corporation located south Chennai, India. It borders Selaiyur in the west, Sembakkam in north and Vengaivasal in north east and Sithalapakkam in east. The town is well known for its ...

, Perungaluthur, Peerkangaranai and Tiruneermalai, were merged to form the Tambaram City Municipal Corporation. After the tenure of existing village panchayats ends in 2026, the proposed village panchayats may get annexed into corporation limits, and may accordingly be converted into urban wards.

Geography

Climate

Tambaram features a

tropical wet and dry climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...

. Tambaram lies on the

thermal equator The thermal equator (also known as "the heat equator") is a belt encircling Earth, defined by the set of locations having the highest mean annual temperature at each longitude around the globe. Because local temperatures are sensitive to the geogr ...

and is also coastal, which prevents extreme variation in seasonal temperature. For most of the year, the weather is hot and

humid Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depen ...

. The hottest part of the year is late May and early June, known locally as ''Agni Nakshatram'' ("fiery star") or as ''Kathiri Veyyil'', with maximum temperatures around . The coolest part of the year is January, with minimum temperatures around . The lowest temperature recorded is and highest (30 May 2003) both being recorded at the nearby Chennai city observatory at IMD Numgambakkam. The average annual

rainfall Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

is about . The city gets most of its

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

al rainfall from the north-east

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

winds, from mid-September to mid-December.

Cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...

s in the Bay of Bengal sometimes hit the city. Highest annual rainfall recorded is in 2005 for IMD Nungambakkam. The most prevailing winds in Tambaram is the Southwesterly between the end of May to end of September and the Northeasterly during the rest of the year.

Water Bodies

Some of the notable lakes in the city are Chitlapakkam Lake,

Pallavaram Lake Pallavaram Lake, also known as Periya aeri (Big lake) or Pallavaram aeri, is situated along Pallavaram Thuraipakkam Radial Road. It used to be a large lake, but it dried up and was polluted by industrial wastewater and garbage. A burial site re ...

(locally known as Periya eri), Thiruneermalai Lake, Thirupananthal Lake, Peerkankaranai Lake, and Perungalathur Lake.

Governance

Tambaram City is governed by the

, which was established on November 3, 2021.

Administration Divisions

When Tambaram City Municipal Corporation was established, it consisted of 70 wards under 5 zones.

Executive Branch

The executive authority in Tambaram City Municipal Corporation is vested in Corporation Commissioner.The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation Act of 1981, Tamil Nadu Act XXV OF 1981 (1981) The current Corporation Commissioner is M. Elangovan, who has held the position since November 3, 2021.

Legislative Branch

The legislative branch of Tambaram City Municipal Corporation consists of a council of elected

councillors A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...

from each ward. The Legislative body is presided over by the Mayor who is indirectly elected by the councillors. The Mayor is the head of the municipal corporation, but the role is largely ceremonial as executive powers are vested in the Corporation Commissioner. The office of the Mayor combines a functional role of chairing the Corporation meeting as well as a ceremonial role associated with being the First Citizen of the city. Deputy Mayor is appointed by the Mayor for a five-year term. At the present, the corporation is governed by

Secular Progressive Alliance Secular Progressive Alliance, formerly known as Democratic Progressive Alliance, is an alliance of Indian political parties formed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). History The alliance was known as the ''Democratic Progressive Allian ...

which collectively holds 53 out of 70 seats in the council. The opposition is led by

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian regional political party with great influence in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former chief mini ...

which holds 9 seats in the council. The current Mayor is Vasanthakumari Kamalakannan, who assumed the position on 4 March 2022. The current Deputy Mayor is G Kamaraj, who assumed the position on 4 March 2022.

Law and order

In September 2021, the government revealed its plans of reforming the Greater Chennai City Police and setting up two new commissionerates in Tambaram and Avadi. Subsequently, Additional Director Generals of Police (ADGPs) M. Ravi was deputed as special officers to form the Commissionerates. The new Police Commissionerates in Tambaram was formally inaugurated by the Chief Minister

M. K. Stalin Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin ( , born 1 March 1953), often referred to by his initials MKS, is an Indian Tamil politician serving as the 8th and current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The son of the former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, Stalin ...

on 1 January 2022. The Tambaram police commissionerate will function with two police districts⁠— Tambaram and Pallikaranai, comprising 20 police stations. For ease of administration, Somangalam and Manimangalam police stations from Kancheepuram district along with Otteri, Guduvanchery, Maraimalai Nagar, Thalambur and Kelambakkam police stations from Chengalpattu district have been attached to the Tambaram Police Commissionerate.

Urban Planning

The

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), formerly known as the Madras Metropolitan Development Authority (MMDA), is the nodal planning agency of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The CMDA administers the Chennai Metropol ...

(CMDA) is the nodal agency responsible for planning and development of the city. It is responsible for all the three

Municipal Corporation A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally owne ...

in the

—

Avadi Municipal Corporation Avadi City Municipal Corporation is the civic body governing the suburb of Avadi in Chennai, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Municipal Corporation mechanism in India was introduced during British Rule with formation of municipal corporation in Madras ...

and

Greater Chennai Corporation The Greater Chennai Corporation, formerly known as the Corporation of Madras (1688-1996) and Corporation of Chennai (1996-2016), is the civic body that governs the city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Inaugurated on 29 September ...

Demographics

The 2021 population estimates project the population of Tambaram at 960,887.

Economy

When established, Tambaram City Municipal Corporation was estimated to earn 3 billion in revenue approximately through local bodies connected to it.

Madras Export Processing Zone

Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) is a

special economic zone A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...

located on

GST Road Grand Southern Trunk Road (or) National Highways 45 is an arterial road in Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Chennai–Trichy Highway. The Road starts from Kathipara Junction in St Thomas Mount, Chennai towards Tiruchirappalli. It branches out from ...

, south of

Chennai International Airport Chennai International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu and its metropolitan area. It is located in Tirusulam, southwest of the city centre. Chennai International Airport is the sixth busiest air ...

. It is one of the seven export processing zones in the country set up by the central government. It was established in 1984 to promote

foreign direct investment A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country. It is thus distinguished from a foreign portfolio investment by a notion of direct co ...

, enhance

foreign exchange The foreign exchange market (Forex, FX, or currency market) is a global decentralized or over-the-counter (OTC) market for the trading of currencies. This market determines foreign exchange rates for every currency. It includes all as ...

earnings, and create greater employment opportunities in the region. The zone is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries and caters to the needs of units within the SEZ, in addition to monitoring the functions of 100-percent export-oriented units (EOUs) located in

Pondicherry Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...

, and

Andaman & Nicobar Islands The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 37 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated f ...

. The zone is headed by a development commissioner. Spread over an area of 265 acres (109 hectares), MEPZ SEZ is a multi-product zone housing 117 functional units. In addition, another 27 units are under various stages of implementation. The zone employs over 26,000 people. In the manufacturing front, there are 110 SME units in the zone. MEPZ's manufacturing sector employs nearly 20,000 people. IT companies housed in the zone include

Cognizant Technology Solutions Cognizant is an American multinational information technology services and consulting company. It is headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, United States. Cognizant is part of the NASDAQ-100 and trades under CTSH. It was founded as an in-hous ...

, Computer Sciences Corporation, CSS and HTC Global Services among others. About 50 container trucks arrive at and leave the zone every day.

Culture

Architecture

Dravidian

= Medieval Cholas

Dhenupureeswarar Temple

Dhenupureeswarar Temple is also known as Dhenupurisvara, and Thiripureeswarar temple. These names are colloquial name of

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

deity

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. The temple is located in

neighbourhood of the city and it was built during the reign of

Parantaka Chola II Parantaka Chola II (Tamil: இரண்டாம் பராந்தக சோழன்) (r. 958 – 973 CE) was a Chola emperor. He is also known as Sundara Chola as he was considered an epitome of male beauty.''Early Chola temples:Parantak ...

(r. 962–980 CE). The

garbhagriha A ''garbhagriha'' or ''sannidhanam'' is the ''sanctum sanctorum'', the innermost sanctuary of a Hindu and Jain temples where resides the ''murti'' (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple. In Jainism, the main deity is known as the ''M ...

, which is Sanskrit equivalent of

, houses the primary deity Dhenupureeswara in linga form. The main

is apsidal in shape and this is a characteristic feature of Shiva Temples built during

Chola Period The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE ...

. This type of

are known as gajaprishta

vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentio ...

, where "gajaprishta" literally means "back of an elephant" in Samskrit. This type of

here is a separate south-facing

for the Dhenupureeswarar's Consort Goddess Dhenukambal adjacent to the main

. The epigraphs in the temple date to the reign of

Kulottunga Chola III Kulothunga III was a Chola emperor who ruled from 1178 to 1218 CE, after succeeding his elder brother Rajadhiraja II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war against the Hoysalas, ...

and

Rajaraja Chola III Rajaraja Chola III succeeded Kulothunga Chola III on the Chola throne in July 1216 CE. Rajaraja came to the throne of a kingdom much reduced in size as well as influence. With the rise of the Pandya power in the south, the Cholas had lost most ...

Chola Dynasty The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...

;

Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I Jatavarman Sundara I, also known as Sadayavarman Sundara Pandyan, was a emperor of the Pandyan dynasty who ruled regions of Tamilakkam (present day South India) between 1250–1268 CE.Sethuraman, p124 He is remembered for his patronage of the ...

of Pandya Dyanasty; Kampana Udaiyar and Devaraya II of

Sangama dynasty The Sangama dynasty was a dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire founded in the 14th century by two brothers: Harihara I (also called ''Vira Harihara'' or ''Hakka Raya'') and Bukka Raya I. They were the sons of Bhavana Sangama, members of a pastora ...

and

Sadasiva Raya Sadasiva Raya (1542–1570) was a ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, a powerful Southern Indian empire based in the Deccan region in the 16th century India. When the Vijayanagara ruler Achyuta Raya, who was the younger brother of Krishnadevara ...

Tuluva dynasty Tuluva is the name of the third Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. The dynasty traces its patrilineal ancestry to Tulu-speaking who are Bunt Nagavamshi Kshatriyas () Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, a powerful warlord from the westerly Tulu speaking regi ...

. These epigraphs and expansions shows the continued patronage of the temple under various dyanastic rule. The temple is one of the 163 megalithic sites in the state of Tamil Nadu. The temple has been declared a monument of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (amendment and validation) 2010 Act. The temple has been conserved and restored by

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...

Infrastructure

Transportation

Rail

The inter-state railway service is provided by Southern Railway of

Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tot ...

. The inter-city railway service is provided by

Chennai Suburban Railway The Chennai Suburban Railway is a commuter rail system in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, operated by the Southern Railways branch of Indian Railways. It is the second largest suburban rail network in terms of route length and the third ...

operated by

= Inter-state

= The

Tambaram Railway Station Tambaram, is one of the railway terminals of the Chennai Beach–Tambaram section of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. It is situated at a distance of from the centre of Tambaram. It is situated in South Chennai and located from Chennai B ...

is one of the four main terminals located in the

. The other three terminals are

Chennai Central Chennai Central (station code: MAS, short for ''Madras''), officially known as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the busiest railway ...

Chennai Egmore Chennai Egmore, formerly known as Madras Egmore, also known as Chennai Elumbur (station code: MS), is a railway station in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Situated in the neighborhood of Egmore, it is one of the four intercity railway terminals in t ...

Chennai Beach Chennai Beach (formerly known as Madras Beach) (station code: MSB) is a railway terminus of the Southern Railway network in Parry's Corner, Chennai, India. Built on reclaimed land, the station serves the suburban services of the Chennai Suburb ...

. Similar to Chennai Egmore Station,

provides access to destinations primarily within Tamil Nadu; however, it also handles a few interstate trains.

= Inter-city

Chennai Suburban Railway

The

is a

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...

system in the city of

, India, operated by the

. Every day, 160 train services are operated between Chennai Beach and Tambaram, 70 between Tambaram and Chengalpet and 16 between Tambaram and Kancheepuram. The city is served by the South Line of

which runs between

Chengalpattu Chengalpattu, previously known as Chingleput, is a city and the headquarters of Chengalpattu district of the state Tamil Nadu, India. The town is located near to the industrial and IT hub. It is the headquarters of the district and is away fro ...

. There are five stops within the City—

Tambaram Sanatorium Tambaram Sanatorium is a locality between Chromepet and Tambaram, in Chennai, India. The neighbourhood is served by Tambaram Sanatorium railway station on the Chennai Beach–Villupuram section via Tambaram of the Chennai suburban railway. Go ...

Tambaram Tambaram is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Located in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, it is governed by Tambaram City Municipal Corporation and is a part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area. Etymology Tambaram is an ancient town ...

, and

Perungalathur Perungalathur () is a southern suburb of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. A residential locality in southern part of the metropolitan area of Chennai, the town is served by Perungalathur Railway Station of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. Peru ...

. The South Line connects Tambaram with seven major interchange stations out of the eight in Chennai Suburban Railway Network. The longest circular train in India runs through Tambaram, connecting the city with

Egmore Egmore is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India. Situated on the northern banks of the Coovum River, Egmore is an important residential area as well as a commercial and transportation hub. The Egmore Railway Station was the main terminus of the Madr ...

Kanchipuram Kanchipuram ('; ) also known as ''Conjeevaram,'' is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its temple ...

Takkolam Thakkolam is a panchayat town in Ranipet district, Tamil Nadu, India. In Thakkolam there is a famous Siva temple, named Jalanatheeswarar Temple, the main lord is Jalanaatheeshwaran. It is one among 276 'Paadal Petra Sthalam''. The temple is t ...

Arakkonam Junction Arakkonam () is a railway town and suburb of Chennai within Chennai Metropolitan Area limit, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with a population of 78,395 per the census 2011. It is in the newly created Ranipet district, about from Ranipet head ...

Tiruvallur Tiruvallur is a Grade I municipality and a fast developing city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of Coovum river about from downtown Chennai (Madras) and just 5 km from megacity border, in the western pa ...

Avadi Avadi () is a suburb of Chennai within Chennai Metropolitan Area limit, located in the Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is a municipal corporation west of Chennai, about from Chennai Central Railway Station. It is surrounded by majo ...

Ambattur Ambattur is located in northwestern part of Chennai City, in Ambattur taluk of the Chennai District, surrounded by Avadi, Anna Nagar, Padi, Mogappair, Kallikuppam, Surapet, Korattur, Ayappakkam, and Thiruverkadu. It covers an area of . The n ...

Vyasarpadi Jeeva Vyasarpadi Jiva railway station is one of the railway station of the Chennai Central–Arakkonam section of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. It serves the neighbourhood of Vyasarpadi. It is located 4 km to the northwest of Chennai Cen ...

Washermanpet Vannarapettai (English: Washermenpet) is a northern neighbourhood of Chennai, India. It is also known as Pazhaya Vannarapettai (English: Old Washermenpet), sometimes shortened as Vannai. It is located north of Parrys Corner and adjacent to Roy ...

and

Royapuram Royapuram is a locality in the northern part of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is best known for its beach, and for Royapuram Railway Station. The station is the first railway station of south India, opening in 1856, and is today ...

Notable places

* Embassy splendid IT Park, Pallavaram. *

Madras Institute of Technology Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) is an engineering institute located in Chromepet, Chennai, India. It is one of the four autonomous constituent colleges of Anna University. It was established in 1949 by Chinnaswami Rajam as the first self-f ...

, Chromepet, Pallavapuram. Former President

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (; 15 October 193127 July 2015) was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied phy ...

was a student of this institute. *

Madras Christian College Madras Christian College (MCC) is a liberal arts and sciences college in Chennai, India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. The college is affiliated to the University of Madras but functions as an autonomous institu ...

, East Tambaram. *

Tambaram Air Force Station Tambaram Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force airfield in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Located in the neighborhood of Tambaram, this Air Force station is primarily involved in the training of pilots as Qualified Flying Instructors and Mecha ...

, Selaiyur. *

Ranganatha Temple, Thiruneermalai Ranganatha Temple is a Hindu temple in Thiruneermalai, a suburb of Chennai, India. While the Sthalathipadi (presiding deity) is Neervanna Perumal, all utsavams (Celebrations) are for Lord Ranganatha. The complex is in two parts one at the base ...

, one among the 108 Divya desams. * Rettai Pillayar Koil, Pammal. *

National Institute of Siddha National Institute of Siddha is an institute for study and research of Siddha medicine. It was established in 2005 at Tambaram, Chennai, India. It is one of the eight national institutes established across nation, for training and research in ...

, Kadapperi, Tambaram. * Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine, Tambaram Sanatorium, Chitlapakkam. * Government Hospital, Chromepet, Pallavapuram. * Airport Authority of India Signal Office, Iyyappa Nagar, Pammal. * Dhenupureeswarar Temple, Madambakkam. * Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, East Tambaram. * Sankara Eye Hospital, Pammal. * Sri Sankara Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Pammal. * PKS Fishmarket, Nagalkeni, Pammal. * Holy Family Convent Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Keelkattalai, Pallavapuram. *

Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies (VISTAS) is an institute of higher education located in Pallavaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established in 1992 and granted Deemed University status in 2008 by University Gr ...

, Pallavaram, Pallavapuram. * Gateway office IT park, New Perungalathur. * Anakaputhur Jute Weavers Association, Anakaputhur is an internationally renowned place for natural fibre fabrics. * Velco Cinemas, Anakaputhur. * Ganesh Cinemas Hall, Anakaputhur. * Varadharaja Theatres, Chitlapakkam. * Vettri Theatres, Chromepet, Pallavapuram. * National Theatre, Tambaram. * Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, Chromepet, Pallavapuram. * Royal Balaji Hospital, Chromepet, Pallavapuram. * Sembakkam EB children's Park, Sembakkam. * Sooriyamman Temple Pond and Park, Pammal. * Alavattamman Kovil Park, Kamarajapuram, Sembakkam.