Alliance Française of Madras (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: l'Alliance Française de Madras) is a Franco-Indian non-profit association in

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 ...

, that works to promote the cultural relations between India and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

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 ...

and also with a mission to teach the

French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...

to the people in the region. It was formed in 1953.

History

In 1948, a French Group, consisting mostly of Indian citizens, was formed to spread the

and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

. Four years later, on 10 August 1953, the group officially became an Alliance Française, registered under the Indian Societies Act XXI of 1860 against the number 39/1953. In 1991, the Translation Cell of Alliance Française of Madras was founded.

Institution

Alliance Française of Madras is part of the network of the 14 Alliances Françaises in India, under the jurisdiction of the Embassy of France in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

and of the larger network of Alliances Françaises in 136 countries around the world, which themselves come under the Fondation Alliance Française in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. The Alliance Française of Madras is situated in College Road, Nungambakkam. The premises covers more than and includes a garden, parking spaces and the main building. The building occupies spread over three floors. There are eight classrooms, an exhibition gallery, a library-cum-multimedia centre, an auditorium and a cafeteria (''La Cantine''). The library-cum-multimedia centre situated at the entrance covers 130 sq m and was renovated in 2008. It has four rooms. It is open on all days except Sundays. The Edouard Michelin Auditorium, which can accommodate 180 persons, is used for film projections, plays, lectures and discussions. About 3,000 students enroll at the Alliance Française of Madras every year to learn French. The Alliance française de Madras is only centre in Tamil Nadu to offer DELF and DALF examinations, as well as French language assessment of CCIP (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Paris) such as TEF and DFP. The Alliance Française of Madras also has branches outside Chennai, in

Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...

and

Trichy Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bein ...

Publication

''Prélude'' (Prelude) is a monthly programme published by the Alliance Française of Madras. It provides information about the cultural events and the language courses scheduled for the next two months. The 16-page newsletter in color is made available only to the members of the Alliance, although it is distributed during events at the Alliance or given to occasional visitors.

References

External links

* Homepage o
Alliance Française de Madras
*Homepage o
Alliance Française in India
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alliance Francaise de Madras Cultural centres in Chennai Universities and colleges in Chennai Organisations based in Chennai 1953 establishments in Madras State Alliance Française France–India relations Organizations established in 1953