About Chennai Chennai (formerly known as Madras), is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. It is the fourth largest metropolis in India. Modern Chennai grew out of a small fishing village called Madraspatnam, when the East India Company chose the location for a new settlement way back in 1639. There are 3 Taj hotels in Chennai. Fisherman’s Cove, once an impressive Dutch Fort, is now one of the finest beach resorts in Southern India. The Taj Connemara is the only heritage hotel in Chennai and the Taj Coromandel situated in the heart of the city offers the best business and leisure facilities. It is also a member of the exclusive "Leading Hotels of the World". Quick Facts Average temperature in Chennai in Celsius. Jan-25°c, Mar-28°c, May-33°c, Jul-30°c, Sep-28°c, Nov-27°c, Dec-26°c.   Area: 174 sq km Population: 7 mn Altitude: Sea Level Language: Tamil,Telugu, Malayalam,Hindi, English Taj Hotels in Chennai » Fisherman’s Cove » Taj Connemara » Taj Coromandel » Taj Mount Road Best Buys The Kanchipuram Silk Saree is hand-woven, interleaved designs made with 'Jari' - a Silk thread twisted with a thin Silver wire and then gilded with pure Gold.