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Nungambakkam is one of the oldest parts of
Chennai. It formed the western limits of Madras city until the 1960s.
Nungambakkam had been a part of Madras two centuries even prior to that
too.
According to the Madras City records,[citation needed] Nungambakkam is
mentioned as one of three villages (the others being Egmore and Chetput)
purchased by the British East India Company in 1743. Since then, it has
been a part of Madras city. Public buildings and colleges rose in the
1850s.
In the early part of the 20th century, Nungambakkam rose as one of the
higher status European residential areas housing civil servants and top
players in the city administration. The 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica
records the presence of vast empty spaces and parks in Nungambakkam.
Most of Nungambakkam's principal lanes such as College Road, Haddows
Road, and Sterling Road are over 100 years old and appear in a 1909 map
of Madras city.
Nungambakkam is jam-packed with the popular commercial establishments.
The place is dotted with market places, banks, hotels and offices of
reputed enterprises in the city. The region features some important
offices that are rooted in the suburbs. Some foreign offices providing
services in the region include those of France, Greece, Britain,
Srilanka, Austria, Korea, etc. The region also has a flourishing number
of hotels and restaurants. The Taj Coromandel, Park Hotel, Hotel Mars
and Anna Quality Inn are some renowned ones in the list. The Valluvar
Memorial is one of the principal tourist attractions in the city. The
memorial features an imposing structure built in the style of temple
chariot and a grand auditorium. The auditorium is said to be the largest
in Asia.
The region is also famous as a cultural centre in the city. A number of
cultural academies are deeply rooted in the city. The Lalit Kala Academy
is one such popular centre in Nungambakkam.
The central suburbs of Nungambakkam is provided with some well
established schools and college. The Loyola College and Ethiraj Women's
College are some of the distinguished educational institutes in the
region.
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