Chennai (formerly called Madras) is the capital of Tamil Nadu state in southern India.
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St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles is associated with Chennai. He visited India and died in Chennai. The names of two suburbs in Chennai, Santhome and St. Thomas Mount, have cemented this link.
A majority of people are Tamils (whose mother tongue[?] is Tamil), but people of other languages/cultures stay here as well. English is widely spoken, and is used almost exclusively in business and education.
There are a number of film halls, amusement parks and shopping malls in and around the city. The Beach in Chennai is a popular pastime and tourist spot.
Chennai is known for traditional South Indian cuisine. Food from various restaurants is usually cheap for the quality that it offers. Familiar Dishes include Dosas(pancakes), Idli(rice cake), Sambhar(gravy made of lentils, chillies, coriander seeds and other spices). A special form of coffee known as 'Filter Coffee' is consumed by a lot of people.
Chennai is also a major cultural hub. Chennai is famous for the classical music called Carnatic music and classical dance called Bharata Natyam. Thousands of individuals and schools teach music and dance. A lot of people visit Chennai during the months of December-January. This is the time of Carnatic music festival, popularly known as 'Music Season'.
The Jawaharlal_Nehru Stadium, Periamet seats 40,000 and hosts soccer, athletic and volleyball competitions.
Egmore Stadium, for field hockey, seats 4,000 spectators and has an astro turf field.
Tennis Stadium, Nungambakkam seats 7,000 spectators and has 6 courts.
Aquatic Complex, Velachery Road seats 4,000 spectators.
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