History

Chennai, formerly called Madras, has been present since times immemorial. Whatever is known about the capital city of Tamil Nadu, presently serves as the history of the modern city. Originally Chennai was a cluster of villages, perched amidst paddy fields, bordered by palm trees. The Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas and the Vijaynagar Empire, all the popular dynasties of South India, have had an influence over the city. The origin of the metropolitan city started in 1639, when Francis Day and Andrew Cogan, two merchants of the East India Company, started a factory-cum-trading post here.

A settlement was built to serve as the control centre and it was completed on 23 Apr' 1640, St George's Day and was named as St George's Fort. The native town, officially called George Town, was established outside the ramparts of the Fort. George Town had several crowded lanes and each lane dealt in special trade, serving the British colonists. The Colonial decree made connections with the villages, together with the settlement at San Thome that was established by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

The 7th century Pallava Port, Kapalesvara Temple and Parthasarathi Temple are standing testimony to the fact that Chennai had been present since ages. In 1746, Chennai, along with Fort St George, came under the sway of the French, who ransacked the town and the nearby villages. The British again got command over Chennai in 1749, attributable to the Treaty of Aix-la-Chappell. They fortified the area so that this time no pirate could conquer it. By the late 18th century, they were able to overpower most of the region around Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and founded the Madras Presidency.

During the British rule, Chennai went under drastic changes, to become a prominent city, with strong naval base. With the introduction of railways in the late 19th century, Chennai got linked with other important cities like Mumbai and Kolkata. Facilities of trade and communication in the city boosted, connecting it with the hinterland too. Chennai was the only city of India that was attacked during the World War.

When India became independent in 1947, Chennai city was declared as the capital of Madras State, which was later renamed as Tamil Nadu in 1968. In 1997, the Government of Tamil Nadu officially changed the name of Madras to Chennai. However, it is the colonial rule which developed Chennai into a major commercial center. In the present day, George Town houses most of the pioneer business headquarters, while the State Government has its nerve centre in the Fort St George.

Arts & Crafts

Arts and crafts in Chennai are an integral part of Chennai. It is an important centre of Tamil art, crafts and culture. There are a number of art centers that add to the artistic diversity of arts and crafts in Chennai. Chennai hosts a range of events from classical and contemporary concerts and theatre to art exhibitions and trade shows. Besides the centers of art and crafts, there are numerous tourist attractions in Chennai that are true representation of the arts and crafts in Chennai.

College of Arts and Crafts History

College of Arts and Crafts History is the first ever School of Industrial Arts in 1850, which later became the School of arts and crafts in Chennai. The importance for fine arts gained momentum when Debiprasad Roy Choudhury took over as the first Indian principal in 1929. Because of him many youngsters from Bengal like Gopal Ghosh, Suhil Mukerjee, Paritosh Sen and so on came to the school. Many youngsters from around South India too came here to learn arts and crafts in Chennai. In 1962 the School became a College and around this time the College of Arts and Crafts was established in Kumbakonam.