Madras which is the short form of Madrasapattinam is the old name of Chennai , the capital city of the state of Tamilnadu. The city was one of the
important early holds of the British
East India Company who purchased a fishing village of Chennapattinam or Madrasapattinam in 1639 and built the Fort St. George there , around which the city of Madras grew. It has three rivers , the Adyar , the Cooum and the Kosasthalaiyar flowing through it in addition to the Manmade Buckingham Canal. Post
independence , it became the capital city of the state of Tamilnadu. August 22 every year is celebrated as 'Madras day'.