Thyagaraya Nagar T. Nagar | |
|---|---|
 Busy South Usman Road in T. Nagar | |
  Thyagaraya Nagar T. Nagar, Chennai Show map of Chennai Thyagaraya Nagar T. Nagar, Tamil Nadu Show map of Tamil Nadu Thyagaraya Nagar T. Nagar, India Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:13°02′30″N80°14′03″E / 13.041800°N 80.234100°E /13.041800; 80.234100 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Metro | Chennai |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 600017 |
| Vehicle registration | TN-09 |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Chennai South |
| Assembly constituency | Thiyagaraya Nagar |
Thyagaraya Nagar, commonly known asT. Nagar, and historically known asEast Mambalam,[1] is a very affluent commercial and residential neighbourhood inChennai,Tamil Nadu, India. It is surrounded byNungambakkam in the North,Teynampet in the East,Nandanam in the South-East, C.I.T. Nagar (a part of Greater Nandanam region) in the South andWest Mambalam andKodambakkam in the West. The stretch between Duraiswamy Road and T. Nagar Bus Stand has some of the costliest real estates in Chennai. It was constructed in 1923-1925 by the Madras Presidency government of theRaja of Panagal as a part of town planning activities initiated according to the Madras Town Planning Act of 1920. The town was named afterP. Thyagaraya Chetty. The streets, parks and localities in the new neighbourhood were named after important officials in the provincial government.
T. Nagar is believed to be the first planned urban neighborhood in Chennai created in 1920, conceived in a European style, with thePanagal Park resembling theArc De Triomphe and thePondy Bazaar resembling theChamps-Élysées inParis.[2]Initially built as a residential neighbourhood, it is now considered thelargest shopping district in India by revenue.[3] It is known for its plethora of saree and jewellery retailers, includingPothys,Nalli Silks andSaravana Stores. The neighbourhood is served byMambalam railway station of theChennai Suburban Railway Network. T. Nagar is considered one of the city's majorcentral business districts, the other beingParry's Corner, the centre of the city.Pondy Bazaar serves as a satellite commercial hub for T. Nagar, located around the Thyagaraya Road.
T. Nagar is located about 10 km fromChennai Airport and about 8 km fromChennai Central railway station. It lies to the west of the arterialAnna Salai (Mount Road) and is loosely bordered bySaidapet to the south and southwest,West Mambalam to the west,Kodambakkam to the northwest,Nandanam to the south,Nungambakkam to the north, andTeynampet to the east. T. Nagar is usually associated withMambalam, a common name for the entire area of Thyagaraya Nagar, West Mambalam, C.I.T. Nagar and Pondy Bazaar.Panagal Park is located at the centre of the neighbourhood connecting five vein-roads of the neighbourhood: North Usman Road, South Usman Road, G.N. Chetty Road, Thyagaraya Road and Venkatanarayana Road.
Until the turn of the 19th century, the villages to the west ofMount Road formed a part ofChingleput District. TheLong Tank, which formed the western frontier of the city, was drained out in 1923.[4] That very same year, the administration of the Mambalam zamindari, situated to the west of the Long Tank, was relinquished by its hereditary chief. The region had several paddy fields.[3] During 1923–25, the township of "Thiyagaraya Nagar" named afterSir P.T. Thyagaraya Chetty was carved out of the southern part of the erstwhile Mambalam zamindari. A park was developed at the centre of this new locality and was named in honour of the then Chief Minister, as Panagal Park. Soon afterwards,Pondy Bazaar began to make its appearance. According to historianS. Muthiah, it was initially known as 'Soundarapandia Bazaar' after Justice Party politicianW. P. A. Soundarapandian Nadar.[5] A well-planned residential area was created. Most of the streets in the new locality were named after provincial cabinet ministers, Justice Party bosses or officials in the administration.
The laying of suburban railway line fromEgmore toKancheepuram in 1911 resulted in a station at Mambalam. The first bank of the locality was opened in 1935, followed by a second one, theIndian Bank, in 1937.[5] Retail industry started proliferating in the region with the establishment of Nalli Chinnasami Chetty's textile showroom in 1928,[3] which was upgraded as the first Kancheepuram silk sari shop of the area in 1935.[5] During theSecond World War, the city was evacuated due to the fear of Japanese bombing. All the shops were closed and the economic activity was halted for a few days that followed.[5]
The reason behind the naming of Pondy Bazaar still remains controversial.[6] According to one version, Devaraj Mudaliar ofPondicherry opened 10 shops on Sir Thyagaraya Road and started calling it Pondy Bazaar. Madras historian S. Muthiah, in his bookMadras Rediscovered, claims that the area was originally known as Soundarapandia Bazaar, which the government retained without change. Save for two of the streets, which were named after two workmen, Nagamani and Govindan, who died while digging trenches for the new drainage system in the locality, all the tree-lined streets were named after the stalwarts of the then ruling Justice Party.[5]
Star-rated hotels started appearing in the locality with the opening of a three-star hotel named Residency in 1991. As of 2006, there were seven hotels with over 80 per cent occupancy rates. With the increase in retail activities in the neighbourhood, several famous theatres such as Sun, Nagesh, and Rajakumari have given way to commercial complexes.[5]
From its early days, Thiyagaraya Nagar remained one of the most preferred residential localities in the city. The population grew exponentially during the 1930s. In its early days, film artists such asM. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar,T. R. Rajakumari,N. S. Krishnan,Vyjayanthimala,N. T. Rama Rao,Thangavelu,Manorama,Savitri,Sivaji Ganesan andT. S. Balaiah set up their residences here.[7]
T.Nagar'sbazaars are frequented by a number of shoppers. On a typical weekend, the number of people who move about on Pondy Bazaar, the locality's principal commercial area, might soar up to 500,000. During festival season, because of the discounts and reductions offered by dealers of silk sarees and jewellers, this number might reach 2 million.[8] Even on a lean day, about 200,000 pedestrians traverse the roads aroundPanagal Park, the central part of the neighbourhood.[3]
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Thyagaraya Nagar is one of the busiest shopping districts of Chennai. The neighbourhood is considered to be the biggest shopping district in India by revenue.[3] There are a number ofapparel, jewellery andutensil stores based in Thiyagaraya Nagar. T Nagar is the paradise for jewellery purchase as it contains all leading Jewelers likeGRT, Lalitha, Joy Alukkas and many more in 500 meters stretch. By some estimates, the shops in the neighbourhood together accounts for revenues of nearly₹ 20,000 crores annually. However, official estimates put it much lower at over₹ 10,000 crores, which is still double that of New Delhi'sConnaught Place andMumbai's Linking Road which account for about₹ 4,000 to 6,000 crores annually.[3] The neighbourhood accounts for about 70 to 80% of the gold sold in Chennai, the most important gold market inSouth India.[5]Usman Road is the costliest commercial stretch in Chennai.[9] The area around Panagal Park is known for its high-end textile shops, chiefly dealing with silk sarees, and jewellery stores.[10] As of 2006, the real estate prices were₹ 11,500 per sq.ft.[9] Wardrobes storesNalli Chinnasamy Chetti,Naidu Hall and Instore are based in Theagarya Nagar. Other important wardrobe stores such asPothys,The Chennai Silks,RmKV Silks and Kumaran Silks and also have their showrooms in Theagarya Nagar. Retail giantSaravana Stores has a wardrobe showroom and an utensils showroom in Thiyagaraya Nagar.Ranganathan Street is one of the most crowded roads for pedestrian traffic during day time. The road is full of big name establishments side-by-side smaller and petty shops that sell all sorts of household goods and garments.
It also houses one of the biggest private lending libraries in the city, 'Raviraj Lending Library' on Usman Road.[11][12][13]
T.Nagar offers a variety of entertainment options. It has grown to become a major hub for theCarnatic music festival-season, with a number ofsabhas (such asKrishna Gana Sabha,Vani Mahal andBharath Kalachar) hosting famous performers.
It also has a number of parks, cricket grounds, and other recreational facilities. The RKM Cricket Ground adjoining GN Chetty Road hostsdivision IVandV city-league games.
T. Nagar residents are an unusual mix of the traditional and the modern and this is reflected in the way the neighbourhood has been growing. Several new eateries have come up while at the same time, traditional restaurants are also packed. With the city extending its bed-time more every year, the locality has acquired a reputation of always being in the fast lane. The grand textile showrooms close very late at night, and their hoarding boards constantly illuminate the roads.
Early in the morning, joggers and walkers take full advantage of the empty roads, with the fresh air that's so hard to come by in this area at all other times of the day. Panagal Park, Natesan Park and Jeeva Park all have their regular crowd and their walkers' associations are extremely active. T. Nagar is also a place of musical intellects. A lot of sabhas are very active during the month of December.
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Below is a list of some of the well-known Hindu temples located in T. Nagar:[14]
Shantinath Jain temple on G. N. Chetty Road is one of the most importantSwetambar Jain temples in Chennai.
In theRoman Catholic Church, T. Nagar constitutes aparish, headed by the Holy Cross Church located in South Boag Road (now, Chevalier Shivaji Ganesan Road) under the jurisdiction of theArchdiocese of Madras-Mylapore.[18] There is aMissionaries of Charityconvent named Shishu Bhavan situated opposite to the church. The convent was inaugurated byMother Teresa herself. Located on Thyagaraya Road in Pondy Bazaar, is theFMM Convent of the Holy Angels. This convent houses Our Lady's Nursery andHoly Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School. T. Nagar also hasProtestant churches likeCSI Kingdom of God's church, Canaan Evangelical Church et.c
Some of the notable mosques include the Anjuman Mosque.
Being one of the centrally located neighbourhoods with both residential and commercial activities, T. Nagar has several parks and greeneries, many of which are maintained by theCorporation of Chennai. The 8-acrePanagal Park is the most prominent park in the locality with all the six arterial streets of the neighbourhood, namely, North Usman Road, South Usman Road, G. N. Chetty Road, Sir Thyagaraya Road (Pondy Bazaar), Venkatanarayana Road, and Doraiswamy Road, converging into it. The 4-acreDr. Natesan Park, opened in 1950, is another well-known park located on Venkatanarayana Road. It is the only corporation-maintained park that has a separate tennis court for coaching children.Jeeva Park is another well-maintained park in the neighbourhood. These parks are popular spots for morning walks for the local residents.
T. Nagar is easily accessible from most parts of the city by bus. The T. Nagar bus terminus off Usman Road is a hub for services operating via the commercial district, including routes to Thiruverkadu, Mylapore, Kodambakkam, Avadi, Nungambakkam, Parry's Corner, Ennore, Manali, Tambaram, Poonamallee, Thiruvanmiyur, Ambattur, Pattabiram, Annanagar and Tiruvallur. There are also routes to various places in neighbouring Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur districts.
The T. Nagar bus terminus is spread around 1.95 acres[22] and is located on South Usman road. On a daily basis 58 buses are operated from the terminus, besides 238 buses from other areas that pass through the terminus every day. The average frequency of buses at the terminus is 7 buses per minute.[23]
Other important bus stops in T.Nagar arePanagal Park,Pondy Bazaar,Power House, and Vani Mahal.
T. Nagar is home to the following schools:
There are a number of private libraries with vast collections of books.
Most of the streets, landmarks and bazaars in T. Nagar have been named after administrators and politicians of theJustice Party.
| Year | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 48.6%74,131 | 37.8%57,654 |
| 2001 | 46.5%55,376 | 48.6%57,875 |
| 1996 | 24.1%27,463 | 67.2%76,461 |
| 1991 | 61.2%64,460 | 31.5%33,147 |
| 1989* | 21.5%24,920 | 43.0%49,772 |
| 1984 | 49.3%49,038 | 40.3%40,154 |
| 1980 | 50.6%42,566 | 42.9%36,100 |
| 1977 | 29.6%22,316 | 30.9%23,346 |
T. Nagar is known for voting against the trend, voting against the winning party, on 5 separate occasions, since1962 assembly elections. It has also become a critical swing constituency since it has become increasingly closer in recent years. It is worth noting that in the 2006 election, AIADMK was able to significantly increase their vote share, winning with a margin of 10.8%. This is mostly due to the high satisfaction of theJ.Jayalalithaa government from 2001 to 2006, due to significant development that took place in that time period in the T. Nagar area.
T. Nagar assembly constituency is part ofChennai South (Lok Sabha constituency).[24]
A₹ 338-million pedestrian plaza was planned in 2013 by the city corporation. It involves provision of a pedestrian-friendly footpath on the 1.45 kilometre-long stretch of the Theyagaraya Road between Panagal Park and Anna Salai.[25] It will cover 1,450 metres of Thyagaraya Road from Bashyam Road near Panagal Park toAnna Salai. The plaza will be divided into three stretches with different identities. A 12-metre wide pedestrian space will be developed in the 730-metre stretch from Panagal Park to the Thanikachalam Road junction.[26]
Upon completion, only city buses and motorcycles will be permitted in this area in a 7-metre carriageway. All types of vehicles will be allowed on the 370-m stretch from Thanikachalam Road to the Boag Road junction, where the pedestrian plaza will be only 3.5 metres wide and carriageway will be comparatively wider measuring 15 metres. All vehicles will be permitted on the 350-metre stretch between the Boag Road junction to the Anna Salai junction.[26]
The proposal for a cycle track has been replaced with a plan to introduce battery-operated cars. A multi-level car parking lot has also been planned. Other facilities in the plaza include seating, public toilet and a children's play area.[26]
In 2013, to address the traffic concerns of the neighbourhood,Chennai Corporation tied up with real estate advisory firmJones Lang LaSalle to exercise a proposal to redevelop the area, especially the shopping centres.[3] T. Nagar will also be the site for theSmart City Mission in Chennai as per the Government data.[27]
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