In recent years, Chennai has seen an exciting fashion revolution. Arti Bagdy, is an influential figure in this transformation with her Arti Bagdy Fashion Collezione (ABFC), what started as a personal passion project has blossomed into one of the most awaited events. Reflecting on her journey which started almost two decades ago, Arti shares, I wanted to bring in the concept of having more than eight to ten designers under one roof in Chennai, offering people a chance to choose from a variety of

Comedy serves as a lens through which we can process the complexities of our lives. It allows us to channel our emotions, even those we might not fully understand. For Sabareesh Narayanan, the comedian behind the stand-up special Kooduthal Chinthikkanda, comedy has become a way to confront one of his most personal challenges: overthinking. The title Kooduthal Chinthikkanda, which translates to Dont overthink, reflects Sabareeshs personal battle with overthinking. I have created so many problems

The twirling costumes, painted faces, and pounding drums of Theyyam create an energy that feels almost tangible. At its heart, this art form from Kerala blurs the boundaries between the divine and the downtrodden, the hero and the oppressed. It serves as the backdrop for The Guests of God , a play that tackles caste-based atrocities and societal struggles. Directed by KP Rajeev, a man who merges his love for theatre with his business background, the play is brought to life by his theatre group E

CHENNAI: Strengthening the fight against inter-state crimes, senior police officials from southern states met virtually on Thursday to discuss strategies against criminal gangs, illegal weapons, red sanders smuggling, and contraband trade. DGP Shankar Jiwal, who inaugurated the meeting virtually, called for coordinated efforts and measurable outcomes in tackling organised crime. Officials from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep sh

CHENNAI: A major fire broke out at a private chemical storage facility at Thirumullaivoyal on Thursday afternoon, which also spread to a private school nearby and damaged a portion of the building. Nobody was injured in the fire, police said. An inquiry is under way to ascertain the cause of the fire. The Thirumullaivoyal police have registered a case and a probe is on. According to the fire department, the fire broke out around 12pm at the spot. Black smoke engulfed the locality and workers fro

CHENNAI: Chennais real estate sector is booming, with the citys office space expected to surpass 100 million square feet by 2026, up from the current 89 million sqft, according to a new report. The report, Tamil Nadu: The State of Unlimited Possibilities, jointly released by CBRE South Asia and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Tamil Nadu, highlights how industry-focussed policies are attracting investments and creating jobs, making the state a major business hub. Over the past two years (2

CHENNAI: The iconic Raintree Hotel on Anna Salai got a Rs 100 crore facelift and a swanky new identity. Now officially part of French hospitality giant Accors Pullman Hotels and Resorts, the revamped space promises high-end luxurywith a sprinkle of home-style cooking. C Subba Reddy, Managing Director of Ceebros Group revealed that apart from the building itself, nearly everything else has been swapped out. Theres a special focus on catering to Korean and Japanese guests who like to take control

CHENNAI: The work on the 7.8km underground tunnel under corridor 5 began on Wednesday with the launch of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) Kurinji which will bore a 246m tunnel from Kolathur Ramp towards Kolathur Station (upline) and is expected to finish by June. The TBM will then be retrieved and relaunched from the south shaft to tunnel towards Srinivasa Nagar (1.06 km). The second TBM, Mullai, is expected to arrive by the end of March and will begin tunnelling adjacent to Villivakkam Railway S

CHENNAI: A long-standing demand of the residents of Singaperumal Koil and its surrounding areas has finally been fulfilled with the partial opening of a rail overbridge (RoB) on Wednesday. The RoB was proposed to replace level crossing gate 47 between Singaperumal Koil and Guduvanchery railway stations, thereby decongesting the GST Road. The state highways minister, EV Velu, inaugurated three arms of the rotary-type RoB. These include unidirectional two-lane arms facilitating traffic from Chenga

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said that North Chennai will soon surpass other parts of the city in development, ensuring a better quality of life for its residents. He was speaking during a Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) housing allotment event at Don Bosco School. The CM noted that North Chennai in the past was often neglected in terms of development, but he said the DMK government is committed to transforming it into a hub of progress. The Vada Chennai Val

CHENNAI: Five kg of stale and decayed fish was seized during the inspection by Food Safety and Fisheries Department officials at 12 fish stalls in Elliots Beach, Besant Nagar, on Wednesday. The officials have instructed the fish vendors to obtain a valid Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence or registration. According to officials, during the inspection, more than 11 varieties of fish including red snapper and seer fish samples were taken. The samples were handed over to t

This week, an image and a brief video clip of a uniformed Indian Railway Protection Force constable with a sleeping baby strapped to her chest has made the rounds online and in headlines. Constable Reena was on duty, patrolling the New Delhi Railway Station. She had been asked to return to work despite being on leave in order to manage the crowds at the station: a stampede on February 15, attributed to conflicting announcements regarding a special pilgrimage train to Prayagraj for the Mahakumbh,

Anyone who has watched Indian movies from the eras that preceded the 90s would know that scripts had clear demarcations for every character and they never overlapped. The bad ones remained villains, the hero never lost sight of his nobility, and the women were pretty angels who cooked and loved. So, who took care of the Indian audiences thirst for lust? The vamp, of course! This femme fatale wore bright red lipstick and glittering, provocative clothes and typically appeared for just one jiggly d

median gets up on stage and he is welcomed with hoots and cheers. As he goes on with his set, he makes a joke, rather poses a riddle, taking a dig at persons with disabilities. Whats one thing a paralysed person cannot do? Stand-up comedy. Did you laugh? Did you flinch? Did you immediately check if it was okay to laugh? Thats the thing about dark comedy its not just about pushing boundaries; its about making you laugh at the uncomfortable truths youd rather ignore. But where do you draw the lin

You have the Opera, which carries you through love, revenge, and longing, and the Baul, guiding you through its mystical verses. It is the music and the words they weave together that lift you into a space of pure ecstasy. And here, you have Gabby and Darsana, ready to touch your heart with their gentle words and harmonies. In a city like Chennai, where art and culture often compete for the spotlight, these unique artists have found a way to blend storytelling, music, and raw emotion into someth

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition filed by the Madras Gymkhana Club seeking to restrain the government from damaging the golf course located in the premises of the Madras Race Club (MRC) at Guindy in Chennai. Finding that the petitioner-club does not hold any rights on the said land which was actually leased out to the MRC, Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy dismissed the petition for want of merits. He noted that the application of the club was dismissed already as the land i

CHENNAI: A special court in Chennai on Monday ordered restitution of properties worth Rs 235 crore attached by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering probe against Saravana Stores (Gold Palace) back to the Indian Bank. The PMLA case is being investigated by ED based on an FIR filed by CBI alleging a fraud of Rs 240 crore worth loan given by the bank. The trial is yet to commence in the case. ED had attached assets worth Rs 234.8 crore during the course of the investigation which was a

CHENNAI: Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has directed the Greater Chennai Corporation to handle the maintenance of roads, streetlights, parks, and solid waste management at the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) residential tenements. The decision comes after a high-level review meeting chaired by Udhayanidhi on Tuesday to assess the condition and maintenance strategy for these tenements in Chennai. The meeting comes on the heels of Chennai City Habitat Development Comm

CHENNAI: Two money mules have been arrested in a case where a civil engineer from Mangadu was duped of Rs 1.56 crore in an online trading scam. The cybercrime wing of the Avadi Central Crime Branch (CCB) said the two provided their bank accounts for the fraudulent transactions and for transferring the money abroad. Police have arrested A Ajith Kumar (29) of Sivagangai and P Prakash (41) of Puducherry, and are investigating the money trail to identify the masterminds. According to police sources,

CHENNAI: Two years after the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) registered an FIR into alleged bribes paid by honchos of American IT major, Cognizant, to unknown state government officials, the agency is yet to get any major breakthrough in the case. The details were revealed by the agency while responding to a petition filed before a special court in Chennai seeking a status update on the case and monitoring of the investigation. Recording the agencys stand, the court closed th

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court ordered the demolition of seven floors of a building in T Nagar, Chennai, stating that no leniency can be shown to violators. Unauthorised constructions should not be allowed and government authorities should take action immediately after receiving complaints, the court said. No unauthorised construction shall be allowed to remain and the authorities are bound to initiate appropriate actions on receipt of information or complaint from any person. Since the law has

Earning money in your 20s can feel liberating a relief from being financially reliable, and a freedom from being extremely calculative about spending. From spending a little extra on a box of Ferrero Rocher and splurging on Rare Beauty blushes to planning vacations, the possibilities of spending seem endless. But there is a twist to this easy process of earning and spending every February,the Union Budget is presented, and then in July, we scram to file Income Tax Returns (ITR). Financial jarg

Because no one knows us, our Partition experience or our cuisine. Someone had to tell the story, right? states author Sapna Ajwani, as she narrates the experiences of millions who lived through Partition particularly the Sindhis who lost not just their homeland but also their cultural roots in the process. Sapna, who runs a supper club SindhiGusto in the UK since 2016, questions, Ask people around you and see how many even know where Sindh is, or there is a group of people called Sindhis or t

Marathon running is not just about endurance and mental grit but also about nutrition. Whether recreational or elite, runners invest significant effort, time, and finances in training and racing. To optimise performance and recovery, careful meal planning is essential. The key nutritional goals for marathon runners include: Fueling training sessions and promoting recovery after workouts. Maximising training adaptations in key physiological systems. Attaining optimal body composition while mainta

CHENNAI: Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated modern police assistance booths in the East Zone of the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) alongside GCP Commissioner A Arun. The event was held in the presence of HR&CE minister P Sekarbabu and DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran. The East Zone, which includes Triplicane, Mylapore and Kilpauk police districts, has been allocated 24 modern police assistance booths and 24 special patrol bikes. At the inauguration event held at Border Thottam in Anna Sala

CHENNAI: Works are underway to transform the Chennai Fishing Harbour at Kasimedu under the Rs 127-crore modernisation project. The project, which aims to boost local fishermens livelihood, enhance regional trade and solidify Chennais role in Indias maritime sector, will be completed by mid-2025. Though the project was approved on April 4, 2022, it faced delays due to the need for environmental clearance. The green nod was obtained on May 3, 2024, and the consent for establishment, on May 17, 202

Mata Amritanandamayi Devi attended the Brahmasthanam Temple Fest at Virugambakkam. She was greeted by distinguished guests including Raman, former secretary to the Government of India, Selvam, vice chairman of VIT, Arjun Murthy, a BJP representative, Ponni, deputy head of CRPF Civil Aviation Security Chennai, and Shail Manavi, director of Mosil Lubricants. Clothing and financial assistance were distributed to Amrita SREE women self-help group members. This was followed by sessions of satsang , m

Art isnt something you see on walls or stages it fills everyday moments. From rustling leaves and swirling coffee to the rhythm of footsteps, there is a flair. If one could step back for a moment, stop and look around, they might notice art in the mundane. Students of Dr MGR Janaki College of Arts and Science for Women and Tamil Nadu Government MGR Film and Television Institute capture these less-appreciated moments. I started by observing there is beauty, rather art, in the little dance of her

Wardrobes are the prime storage spaces in every household and they make your day-to-day living hassle-free if designed accurately based on your needs and lifestyle. With the advancement in finishes and technology, wardrobes are no more blocks of storage and an eye sore in the bedrooms. Here is everything you need to know before planning your next wardrobe: Walk-in or built-in The most important detail to start planning is the type of wardrobe that would suit your space. Based on the space availa

A staple in hotels and offices, the Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens) brings an instant tropical feel to any space. With its feathery fronds and air-purifying qualities, its a perfect choice for both aesthetics and indoor air quality. Ideal growing conditions Areca Palms thrive in bright, indirect light but can tolerate some direct sun. Keep the soil moderately moist too much or too little water can cause issues. A well-draining regular soil mix works best. They prefer warm temperatures and are mod

Have you ever thought that pickleball is just a version of tennis with a plastic racket? If you had asked Chennaiites about pickleball a year ago, you would have been met with blank stares or a casual isnt that something Americans play in their retirement homes? Fast forward to today, and were inside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the inaugural Tamil Nadu Pickleball Premier League (TNPPL) has transformed this once-dismissed game into a full-blown spectacle. Eight courts. Sixteen teams. 160

Can you zip across from Chennai to Kolkata on a Rs 600 ticket in just three hours? Yes, believes a startup backed by IIT-Madras' incubation cell. The headline-grabbing claim was made at Aero India 2025 by a co-founder of Waterfly Technologies to the financial news portal moneycontrol . The company is betting on electric seagliders that are Wing-in-Ground (WIG) crafts to achieve this and will use a design that allows them to take off from water and fly at a height of around four meters, the compa

CHENNAI: A man allegedly tried to sexually assault a woman police constable at Palavanthangal Railway Station on Sunday night. The railway police have arrested the man and sent him to judicial remand. According to a source, the incident occurred as the woman deboarded the train and walked towards the exit. The man tried to pin her down to the ground at a secluded spot in the station and tried to sexually assault her. When the woman raised an alarm, other passengers rushed to the spot. The man tr

CHENNAI: The abandoned staff quarters in the Southern Railway East Colony at Tambaram have purportedly become a den for anti-social elements after dark, posing a risk to the safety of commuters and female students of the colleges nearby. According to local sources, the building was evacuated for the construction of new staff quarters and the expansion of the railway yard. However, they are yet to be demolished. The isolated structures are being misused for drug abuse and other activities. The si

CHENNAI: A worker was killed and another sustained burn injuries in an explosion at the control room of Chennai corporations Bio-CNG plant at Chinnasekkadu, on Manali Main Road around 10.15 pm on Saturday. The city corporation has constituted a team to identify the cause of the explosion. The deceased was identified as Saravana Kumar (30), a native of Namakkal, who worked as an operations engineer at the plant. Bhaskar, a 36-year-old driver at the facility, suffered burns on his hands and is cur

Kanchipuram city today is divided as the Siva Kanchi, Vishnu Kanchi and Jaina Kanchi, but its connection to the Shakta cult goes way back to pre-Adi Shankaras times. In fact, he established the Sri Chakra at the Kamakshi Amman temple, in order to refine the divine feminine energy of that region. The imagery of the divine feminine of this region became the vision and inspiration for Shyama Shastri, who composed the Bhairavi swarajathi Kamakshi. The music composition is a masterpiece, a primer for

From the meticulous world of finance to the soulful strains of Carnatic music, Vidya Subramanians journey has been anything but conventional. A Chartered Accountant with an MBA in Finance from Boston College and a CFA charter to her name, Vidya has seamlessly blended her love for music with entrepreneurship, creating a global platform for traditional Indian arts. Today, as the founder of the Vidya Subramanian Academy (VSA) and a recently named Vital Voices Visionaries Fellow, her work stands as

A warm evening, well-wishers and beloved friends gathered to celebrate the prominent journalist Nirmala Lakshmans new book, indeed a stroke of genius. With a breath of fresh air to the genre of history, The Tamils, A Portrait of a Community , is an uncomplicated archival of the bygone days pages that have preserved multiple layers of the past and that have woven inseparable threads connecting the present. A fertile heartland, overlooked by rugged mountain ranges on one side and silhouetted by

Classical. Contemporary. Crossover. Chennais music scene is dynamic one that shifts, grows, and redefines itself with every passing season. From the nostalgia-laden symphonies of Ilaiyaraaja to the grandeur of AR Rahmans orchestrations, Anirudhs viral beats, the city thrums with a rhythm. Here, the sacred chants during the December music season shares stage with Margazhiyil Makkalisais defiant drums, where parai artistes reclaim narratives and rap queens rewrite them. And now, etching a new ver

Bahudari, an organisation founded by eminent violinist Kalaimamani Meera Sivaramakrishnan is setting a platform for young and emerging talents in the world of Carnatic music. The eight-month-old initiative, started in the memory of her mother, Kalaimamani Radha Narayanan, is slowly picking steam. Bahudari stands as a tribute to my guru and mother. Both my son Kaushik and I were trained by my mother, who was a revered name among violinists. At Bahudari, the aim is to provide a platform for artist

CHENNAI: Two young men were arrested by the Greater Chennai Police on Saturday for allegedly murdering a youth in Kodungaiyur over a dispute regarding unsettled payment for funeral arrangements. According to police, Ajithkumar (18) was living with his father B Giri in MGR Nagar, ninth street, Vyasarpadi. On Friday night when Giri returned home, he found the lock on the front door of his house broken and his son lying dead with injuries around his neck and left eye. He filed a complaint at the Ko

CHENNAI: At least three dogs that were left to die with their legs and mouths tied up at DLF IT park, Chennai, were rescued by Blue Cross of India (BCI) on Saturday. The rescue operation was initiated after a job seeker visiting the park alerted the organisation. A complaint has been registered by the Mangadu police in which the complainant named DLF officials, security personnel and a pest control team for their alleged cruelty. Speaking to TNIE, the individual who alerted Blue Cross recounted,

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is set to launch a pilot project aimed at promoting skill development among girl students from classes 7 to 9 in Chennai schools. Funded under the Nirbhaya project at a cost of Rs 45 lakh, the project includes three months of training in tailoring, aari work, and embroidery to 26,570 students from 208 select schools across the city. The programme covers 7,216 students from 71 schools in north Chennai, 5,302 students from 24 schools in the south, and

Mata Amritanandamayi will be in Chennai on February 17 and 18, 2025. During her Chennai visit she will participate in the two-day Brahmasthanam temple festival at Mata Amritanandamayi Math in Virugambakkam. The festival will be celebrated with a series of spiritual and cultural events. This year marks the 35th Anniversary of the Brahmasthanam Temple, consecrated by Amma, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, in 1990. According to a statement issued by Mata Amritanandamayi Math, on February 17, Amma wil

CHENNAI: In a tragic accident, a seven-year-old girl died after the iron gate of her apartment complex broke from its fixtures and fell on her at Nanganallur on Thursday afternoon. The Palavanthangal police said S Aishwarya of MMTC Colony in Nanganallur was a Class 2 student at a private school in Nanganallur. Her father owns a supermarket in the locality. On Thursday evening, Aishwarya returned home from school on her fathers bike. She opened the gate and her father first went inside. Before Ai

CHENNAI: In a significant move to enhance connectivity, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has submitted a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the state government for extending the metro rail from Chennai airport to Kilambakkam bus terminus. The updated proposal, integrating the metro line with an elevated road, comes at an estimated cost of Rs 9,335 crore Rs 5,000 crore higher than the initial projection. CMRL managing director MA Siddique presented the DPR for the 15.46 km stretch, which

Mental illness is a problem that can be cured with medicine, but we must come forward and voice out what we need. Jennifer, a homeless shelter resident from The Banyan, stepped up to share her concerns at Maatram 2025. Hers was among the many voices that resonated at the event organised by The Banyan and HCL Foundation on Wednesday. From the need for more volunteers and suggestions to involve shelter residents in rescue missions, to challenges that transpersons face, the forum discussed the diff

Chennais IT corridor, located along the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), is facing a severe infrastructure crisis due to rapid urbanisation outpacing the development of basic amenities. Despite substantial investments in infrastructure and taxes, a joint inspection of 2,513 buildings by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), Metro Water, and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has exposed serious shortcomings that could lead the area toward an urban disaster. Adding to the problem are

CHENNAI: The nine-kilometre metro rail stretch under the second phase from Poonamallee to Porur, with 10 stations, will be inaugurated by December this year, Chief Minister MK Stalin said on Thursday. The stretch is part of 26.1km corridor-4 from Lighthouse to Poonamallee bypass. The chief minister, who inspected the work of the tunnel boring machine emerging near the Adyar Junction Metro Station, covering a total distance of 1.218 km on Thursday, posted in X platform that he has instructed Chen

CHENNAI: Nearly three years after its first meeting in 2022, the Chennai City Habitat Development Committee (CCHDC) convened its second meeting at the Ripon Building on Thursday. Officials had recently assured a meeting would be held soon following a report published by TNIE on January 22, pointing out that the meeting has not been held for nearly three years even though it is supposed to meet once every two months. Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran (Committee chairperso