T. Nagar
Thyagaraya Nagar (also spelled Tyagaraya Nagar, and abbreviated T.Nagar) is a large, primarily commercial, locality in Chennai, India. It is situated in the middle of the city, south-west of the Anna Flyover. It is named after Sir P. Thyagaraya, who was instrumental in starting the Justice Party, which played an important role in the Dravida Movement in Tamil Nadu. The place is an important centre for shopping and entertainment, and also a major hub for the intra-city bus service. Its PIN code is 600017.
Location
T.Nagar is located about 10 km from the Chennai Airport and about 8 km from Chennai Central and is well connected to both by local train and bus services. It lies to the west of Mount Road (Anna Salai), and is loosely bordered by Saidapet and West Mambalam to the west, Nandanam to the south, and Nungambakkam to the north.
Real estate prices are extremely high (among the highest in the city of Chennai) as space is inadequate. T.Nagar, like many other parts of Chennai, has often experienced an acute water-shortage in the recent years. Other problems include pollution and traffic congestions.
Shopping and Markets
Pondy Bazaar, the main shopping area, stretches for around a kilometre on Thyagaraya Road. Pavement shops found in Pondy Bazaar sell a variety of items, including clothes, toys, and electronics, at cheap rates. Bigger stores often sell both indigenous goods and imported designer brands.
The area around Panagal Park is known for its silk saree shops, notably Nalli Chinnaswamy Chetty, Rmkv, Chennai silks, Pothys and Sri Kumaran Silks. Many prominent jewellery stores like Prince jewellery, Lalitha, Nathella Sampath chetty and Saravana Selvarathinam are also found here. The variety in shopping options makes T.Nagar one of the most crowded areas in Chennai during the festival seasons (usually beginning in October before Deepavali and ending in January after Pongal).
Ranganathan Street, located on the approach to the Mambalam train station, is forbidden to motor traffic as it is crowded with shoppers during the day time.
Lodging and Dining
Hotels
Recent years have seen a spurt of hotel constructions in T.Nagar. Some of them are Residency Towers, GRT Grand Days, The Residency, Benzz Park, and Quality Inn Sabari. A few hotels have restaurants serving international cuisine, and facilities common in big hotel chains.
Restaurants and bars
T.Nagar is known for its large number of affordable eateries. Many of these are located in Pondy Bazaar and most of them are vegetarian.
Food served is typically South Indian, though North Indian dishes are also available. Most restaurants offer meals during lunch hours and during dinner time. There are three typical kinds of meals on offer: Chennai Meals and Andhra Meals.
In a few South Indian restaurants, the food is served on a plantain leaf, the traditional way of serving food in south India. In some places, this leaf is placed on a plate, while in others, the leaf is doled out as such.
Bars are relatively rare, but some hotels have their own bars. Examples are the Hotel Aruna Bar, Hotel Diesel and Raj Palace.
Transport
Bus
T.Nagar is easily accessible from most parts of the city by bus. The T.Nagar bus stand is a hub and is located off Usman Road. Regular services operate to Mylapore, Kodambakkam, Adyar, and other areas.
The buses going through T.Nagar use one of these routes:
- Usman Road — Buses going towards Kodambakkam
- G.N.Chetty Road (routes 11, 13, 13A) — Buses going towards Anna Salai
- Thyagaraya Road (route 12s) — Buses going towards Anna Salai
- Thirumalai Pillai Road (routes 47s, 147s)
Other important bus stops are Panagal Park, Pondy Bazaar, Power House, and Vani Mahal.
Private buses operate from various points in T.Nagar, and connect Chennai to other south Indian cities. There are regular buses to Bangalore, Coimbatore, Trichy, and Madurai.
Train
A railway station is located in Mambalam, off Usman Road. Local electric-trains connect T.Nagar with other parts of Chennai.
Train services available in T.Nagar are good and connect all the places. The frequency of train services are good and are available in very regular intervals from Tambaram to Central (via T.Nagar)
Education
T.Nagar is home to a number of primary and secondary schools, including Karnataka Sangha Hr.Sec.School, Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, Holy Angels, Shrine Vailankanni, Sharada Vidyala, Sri Ramakrishna Mission, Vidyodaya, and Venkata Subba Rao.
There are a number of private libraries with vast collections of books.
Recreation and Entertainment
T.Nagar offers a variety of entertainment options. It has recently grown to become a major hub for the Carnatic music festival-season, with a number of sabhas (such as Vani Mahal and Bharath 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 hosts division IV and V city-league games.
Landmarks
- T. Nagar Bus Stand is located off South Usman Road
- T. Nagar Head Post Office is located off Theyagaraya Road
- Vani Mahal is located at the intersection of G.N.Chetty Road and Dr. Nair Road
- Mambalam Railway Station
Famous Current and Past Residents
Ilayaraja, the music composer
Sivaji Ganesan, the actor
