CHENNAI: The Water Resources Department (WRD) submitted a proposal last week to the Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNCZMA) seeking Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for building a drinking water reservoir in the Kovalam sub-basin between East Coast Road (ECR) and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR). The project, announced by the government in the 2025-26 state budget, will require 4,375 acres of coastal wetlands to build what will be the sixth major reservoir in and around Chennai.

On September 20, an Instagram post that read Hold your ground. November is about to roar! surfaced the Internet. The account that posted this announcement was of the Jewellers and Diamond Traders Association Madras. The association presented a cricket league titled Jewellers Champion League (JCL) season 1.0. Cricket is a religion in India and that is why jewellers were called on to participate in a one of its kind competition, says Balaji, publicity and marketing at Challani Jewellers. Backed b

CHENNAI: The Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (CPRR), which is already under construction, is set to be reinforced by a proposed fifth orbital ring aimed at easing pressure on the fast-growing western and southern edges of the Chennai metropolitan region, according to I Jayakumar, the special officer of Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA). This is a part of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) in the long run, as we expect the city to widen towards the west with the proposed ai

Across generations, India has expressed itself through its cultural traditions some preserved, some forgotten, but always resurfacing with renewed meaning. From court musicians and temple sculptors to folk storytellers and community performers, the arts have been a way of inheriting memory, passing down wisdom, and finding collective meaning. Even today, the pulse of art continues to shape everyday life, quietly insisting that creativity belongs not to a select few, but to everyone who seeks it

How many of you have visited the new Ayodhya temple? The ongoing construction, featuring intricate depictions of the Ramayana in its Shri Ram Darbar Hall, isnt just about architecture. Its about physically manifesting the very heart of Indian cultural identity: bhakti (devotion). I recently had the chance to catch the perspective of artist Vasudeo Kamath, known for his deep involvement, composing 85 episodes for the Darbar Hall. His approach highlights how genuine artistic interpretation can off

In the world of classical music, Ranjani and Gayatri are RaGa, the Carnatic collective name that has come to define the genre through their musical eloquence and their stance against accusations of exclusivity. Their journey is one of steadily rising into the higher realms the art form offers, while standing firm on the sanctity they believe it must hold. From their childhood as violinists to their evolution as vocalists, the Chennai-based duos path has been marked by fidelity to both art and he

CHENNAI: A 55-year-old woman living alone in Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district was murdered on Friday by a 25-year-old youth who had been helping her with household work for years. Police said the accused, S Venkatesan, an auto driver and ITI graduate from the same locality, was arrested on Saturday from Koyambedu. The deceased, S Saraswathi, a resident of Choolaimeni in Uthukottai taluk, lived in a single-storey independent house while her two sons worked in Chennai. Venkatesan, whose mother is

CHENNAI: A recent survey by civic groups, including the Chennai Climate Action Group (CCAG), Vyasai Thozhargal, and the Youth Climate Resilience Movement (YCRM), has highlighted the flooding in Vyasarpadi, a recurring threat year after year, severely impacting the residents lives, livelihoods, and health. The survey of 120 residents found that over the years, 99.2% had been affected by flooding, 95% reported loss of income, and 37.5% suffered waterborne or vector-borne diseases, often with littl

CHENNAI: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has made a major breakthrough by arresting two people who are allegedly the masterminds behind a nationwide online trading scam that duped investors of more than Rs 100 crore. The accused Srinath Reddy (49) and his associate Anitha (40) were arrested and remanded in judicial custody from a guest house in Mugalivakkam on Thursday. Police seized two computers, four mobile phones, 12 ATM cards, 33 SIM cards, 10 cheque books, six seals and a car from them. Wit

CHENNAI: A quiet apartment in Nesapakkam turned out to be the hub for a document forgery racket as the Central Crime Branch (CCB) uncovered a hidden room packed with printers, fake rubber stamps, and forged paperwork used to facilitate property fraud across the city. Two men running the operation were arrested on Wednesday. The accused Bharathiraja (44) of Kolathur, and Jahabar Sadiq (42) of Nesapakkam, had allegedly been supplying forged pattas and other documents for years. The racket surfaced

CHENNAI: Velammal Nexus School felicitated Indian womens cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur for leading India to a historic victory in the Womens Cricket World Cup. The event was held at Velammal Nexus School, where president of the school MVM Velmohan presided, in the presence of deputy president Ram Velmohan and director Shivani Velmohan. As part of the event, Velammal Nexus honoured other sportspersons: Chess prodigy Sarvanika received a cheque for Rs 5 lakh, while badminton player Deeksha Sudh

CHENNAI: CM MK Stalin on Friday inaugurated the renovated Periyar Nagar Library and the newly established Mudalvar Padaipagam, both in Kolathur assembly constituency, developed at a cost of Rs 5.24 crore by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) department. The Periyar Nagar Library is one of seven public libraries functioning in the Kolathur zone, collectively serving over 28,000 registered users and housing more than 3.3 lakh books. The Periyar Nagar branch alone has 17,886 memb

CHENNAI: The Madras High court has granted permission to sanitary workers of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to hold indefinite fast, but with certain conditions including only four workers will be allowed to protest at a time, confining the stir within the four walls of the office of Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam at Ambattur in Chennai, and not allowing more than 50 persons to visit them. Justice AD Jagadish Chandira passed the orders on Friday in this regard on the petition filed by E Mohan, trea

Recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, Koodiyattam is often described as Indias oldest surviving form of theatre. But beyond its grand lineage, the Sanskrit drama tradition is also a living record of social history. For centuries, Koodiyattam unfolded inside the dimly lit wooden theatres of Keralas temples, the koothambalams , where a single act could stretch across days and an entire play might take 40 days to complete. Audiences arrived knowing t

Every November 14, we wake up to a wave of nostalgia. Parents posting cute and often embarrassing childhood photos on their WhatsApp status, family and friends spamming groups with messages like Happy Childrens Day to the adults who are still kids at heart, children heading to school without the heavy bags that usually weigh them down, and young adults quietly envying that carefree sight. But nostalgia isnt reserved only for those who grew up in the 70s. It hits harder for Millennials, and mor

CHENNAI: Paving an end to their 40-year struggle, 12 Adi Andhra (scheduled caste) families of permanent sanitary workers employed by the Sriperumbudur town panchayat will soon get land titles for the plots they are living on. The Kancheepuram district administration in a letter to an activist last week said the state revenue and disaster management on October 6 had communicated their approval and passed a decree to regularise the land and issue the land title (patta). The 12 families concerned w

CHENNAI: The time being taken for the peak-hour journey of Chennaites is likely to see a cut by a third bringing average travel in the core city down from 60 to 40 minutes and household transport spending reduced from 15% to 10% of income. This is what the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) cleared by the state government aims to achieve over the next 23 years. Not just that, by 2048, every household in the old metropolitan zone is expected to be within 500 metres of areas covered by frequent p

CHENNAI: Justice MS Ramesh of the Madras High Court has been honoured with the Sir Thomas Strange Legacy of Justice Award for 2025. The award has been instituted in the name of Sir Thomas Andrew Lumisden Staange, who had served as the first chief justice of the Madras High Court between 1798 and 1817, for honouring jurists who uphold courage, fairness and compassion in justice delivery. According to the official citation, Justice Ramesh is a jurist whose integrity and compassion upholds constitu

CHENNAI: GCC Mayor R Priya on Tuesday said Chief Minister M K Stalin will inaugurate the free one-meal-a-day scheme for sanitary workers within the city corporation limits on November 15. Speaking to reporters after inspecting development works in Royapuram and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar Assembly constituencies along with Minister P K Sekarbabu, Priya said the scheme aims to provide nutritious meals to sanitary workers daily and extend support to those working in rotational shifts. Priya also said that w

CHENNAI: Book a bus, train or metro ticket for just Rs 1 from Thursday! Yes, you read it right, commuters can travel by just buying an MTC, Metro or suburban train ticket for just Rs 1 when they purchase it on the Chennai One app and make the payment online. The offer can be redeemed once per registered user during the campaign period. Commuters can access the offer by selecting their route on the Chennai One app and completing payment through BHIM or Navi UPI. Surprise cashbacks are also being

The children of today will make the India of tomorrow - Jawaharlal Nehru. A nation that understands the value of childhood also ensures its future. Throughout history, artists have depicted childhood to explore varied themes. The image of a child in art has conveyed far stronger messages than those with a hundred painted adults. As we celebrate Childrens Day, heres a look at some impactful artworks. The Fearless Girl This little girl, standing tall and confident, is one of the most powerful symb

At the end of October, it emerged that women sanitation workers at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) in Rohtak, Haryana, had been forced to show photographic evidence of their menstruation products and/or menstruating bodies by three men they reported to: supervisorsVitenderKumar andVinodHooda, and assistant registrar Shyam Sundar. The former two are contractual workers who have since been suspended following a complaint by three of the workers, and the university has launched an internal probe

The Varnam stands as the central and most elaborate piece in Bharatanatyam, embodying a perfect synthesis of nritta (pure dance) and abhinaya (expressive storytelling). Traditionally composed in a format blending arudhi , sansari , and jathi usually three or more the dancers will alternate between rhythmic precision and deep emotional interpretation, portraying the devotees yearning for the divine. As the longest and most demanding segment of the repertoire, the Varnam tests a performers stami

CHENNAI: The Special Court for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases in Poonamallee, Chennai on Wednesday convicted Vinoth alias Karukka Vinoth for his involvement in throwing petrol bombs on the gate of Raj Bhavan in October 2023. The court sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.5,000. According to special public prosecutor N Baskaran, the case stems from a violent incident in which the accused hurled two petrol bombs at the premises of Raj Bhavan Gate-I

CHENNAI: The Tiruvallur district police have arrested two more persons Prathap (27) of Tirupattur and Mohammad Afrath (23) of Kanyakumari near the Chennai-Bengaluru highway on Sunday and seized 75 grams of methamphetamine from them as part of their ongoing investigation into the drug trafficking. These arrests follow the November 8 arrest of Bende, a 43-year-old Senegal national suspected to be the kingpin of an interstate drug trafficking network. He was tracked for 10 days and picked up from

CHENNAI: Two separate snatching incidents in the city on Monday left a couple and an elderly woman injured, prompting police to intensify surveillance and deploy special teams to trace the perpetrators. According to police sources, D Baskar (65) and his wife B Malarkodi (53) of Old Washermenpet were attacked while riding their electric two-wheeler on Dr Radhakrishnan Salai near the police headquarters. The couple was returning home after visiting their daughter in Mylapore when two men on a moto

CHENNAI: Hoax bomb threats have become a nagging issue for the police personnel as Greater Chennai Police (GCP) Commisioner A Arun said the city has received a total of 342 such emails since April this year. Speaking in a media interaction, the commissioner said every threat mail was registered either under a Community Service Register (CSR) entry or an FIR. As of now, the cases have been handed over to the Anti Terror Squad (ATS), and they are probing the cases, he said. The commissioner said t

Mumbais culinary gem Ekaa will land in Chennai for the people to explore the different tangents of tastes. Founded by chef Niyati Rao and Sagar Neve, Ekaa is synonymous with oneness where ingredients, people and craftsmanship, and stories shape the countrys culinary identity. Niyati, the head chef says, Its not just dining, but every single thing about it the storytelling, the drama, all of it. This restaurant and its diverse cuisines have transcended the boundaries, blending differences, reim

In a country that celebrates every cuisine that comes its way, the Jain cuisine always stands apart. Not just in the way of preparation but in the ideology and principle of aiming to minimise harm to all living beings. On Monday, that philosophy found a contemporary echo at E Hotel, Express Avenue, where the Terapanth Mahila Mandal hosted the finale of its first-ever MasterChef Jain Cooking Competition. The air buzzed with the beeps of kitchen appliances and the aroma of sizzling spices, as part

Somewhere between the years when they planned every detail of their childrens summer vacations and now when their children plan their own a new pastime has found its way into many parents calendars. The parents most of whom are now retirees, with a phone full of group chats buzzing with good morning wishes, motivational messages, and travel plans are the OGs of turning WhatsApp conversations into travel itineraries, adding stamps and pages to their passports. Between our childs education, lo

CHENNAI: A couple was arrested for murdering their 31-year-old son, an autorickshaw driver, at his home in Kalyanapuram, Ambattur, on Saturday night. Police said the suspects C Manmadhan (57) who works at a meat shop in Ambattur, and his wife M Kalyani (54) were upset over their sons drug abuse, his failure to support them financially, and recurring incidents of domestic violence. The police said the deceased, identified as M Sridar, living separately from his wife, had no steady employment, a

CHENNAI: The National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Chennai, will be upgraded into a centre of excellence at a cost of `200 crore under the Prime Ministers Scheme for Empowerment through Technology Upgradation (PM Setu), Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary said on Monday. Addressing faculty and students, Chaudhary said the PM Setu scheme, with a total outlay of Rs 60,000 crore, aims to modernise 1,000 ITIs across the country. As part of the init

CHENNAI: Granting relief to two city residents, a consumer court in Chennai ordered a builder to give them Rs 8.5 lakh each as compensation for the inordinate delay in the redevelopment of their property in Nungambakkam into flats. In addition to that, the court also ordered the builder, Bhoomi & Buildings Pvt Ltd, to pay Rs 30,000 to each of the complainant for deficiency in service. The case pertains to a complaint filed by CK Sampath and K Sudarsanam of Nungambakkam in central Chennai, allegi

CHENNAI: Following the car blast in New Delhi , security has been stepped up at key locations across Chennai. The police personnel have launched intensive checks at railway stations, shopping malls, markets, and bus stands. The Greater Chennai Police (GCP) have intensified night patrol and vehicle inspections across all 12 police districts. Teams of officers and constables are maintaining heightened surveillance, covering major junctions and public areas. As part of the drive, patrol units were

CHENNAI: The newly renovated Tholkappia Poonga (Adyar Poonga), constructed in 2011 in order to protect the fragile ecosystem of the Adyar estuary, has witnessed nearly 1,400 visitors in the first weekend since its reopening on October 24. The number is 10 times the strict limit of 100 visitors for a guided tour, raising concerns of the delicate ecological balance taking a hit due to the crowd. Trustee of Nizhal and Chennai District Green Committee member TD Babu said the park has rapidly shifted

CHENNAI: A new study has sounded the alarm on what scientists are calling a new air pollutant inhalable microplastics. These are microscopic plastic fragments, less than 10 micrometres wide, small enough to slip deep into human lungs. While attention has long focused on fine dust such as PM2.5, researchers say its plastic equivalent polymer dust is now floating freely in the air we breathe. Published in Environment International, the study is the first systematic investigation of airborne mic

As a child, school breaks meant trips across southern India to visit relatives. If I was lucky, it was a getaway. Sometimes these were temple trips, with a stop at a beach or scenic spot to keep me happy. While not always excited, I enjoyed them by marvelling at tall trees, reading comics, or just soaking in everything. I was a traveller on a journey financed and planned by my parents. Years later, these temple runs continue now, as vacations with a side of spirituality, and I steer the plans.

Entryways are usually an afterthought or neglected zone for most homeowners. Whether you have a grand foyer or a fine corridor leading to the living room, entryways deserve as much design consideration as any other space in your house. Its the space that receives everyone coming in and sets the tone for the rest of the interiors. Entryways also determine how you feel every time you walk in. This zone of any home holds more scope for creativity than one can imagine. Chalk out time and bandwidth,

CHENNAI: A 26-year-old man was killed after two lorries collided near RK Pet on the Chennai-Tirupati National Highway late on Saturday night. The man had hitched a ride and was travelling in one of the lorry. According to the Kanakamma Chatram police, the deceased, Gopi, a resident of Rajanagaram village near Motur in RK Pet, worked at a private automobile spare parts factory in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. On Saturday night, Gopi had finished his shift and hitched a ride home on a lorry transporti

CHENNAI: The states power generation corporation has drawn up plans to strengthen the Cheppakkam ash pond near North Chennai to handle the increasing quantity of fly ash from upcoming thermal power units. According to Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited (TNPGCL) officials, they had carried out a detailed study with technical assistance from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) to ensure the ash pond operates safely and without causing pollution. Following this, TNPGCL is

CHENNAI: The India Meteorological Department has forecasted light to moderate rain in some areas in Chennai on Monday. Heavy rain is expected in parts of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday and Thursday. Heavy rain is likely at isolated places over Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Theni, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari, Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai and Thanjavur districts On Wednesday, according to the weather bulletin said on Sunday. Similarly, on Thursday, isolated places over

Life behind the wheels in Chennai is a story of endless motion. Even as dawn creeps over the city, autorickshaw and cab drivers find themselves out and about. They, as always, arrive, pick us up, and drop us off at our destination, while we retreat into our own worlds. Most of us barely notice them anymore as our ears are plugged with earphones and our eyes fixed on glowing screens. The rides are silent, efficient, and fleeting. Its a stark contrast to the rides of not-so-long ago, when autorick

Every day, the walls of Lalit Kala Akademi in Thousand Lights witness a rotation of creative expressions paintings, sculptures, and photographs by novices and veterans alike, displayed for enthusiasts to see, experience, and sometimes, even take home. But over the weekend, the gallery carried the lingering soul of nature through 50-plus mixed-media canvases created by Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik. The three-day exhibition, Natures Rhythm: Sand and Sublime, was inaugurated by Dr Ezhilan

I was at a school event recently, when a young mother dismissed a couple of games as there was nothing, in her belief, to be learned from them. She called it a waste of time. A grandmother told me recently, There are no backyards anymore, or large verandahs...and the children go from the confinement of the classroom to the confinement of the tuition room or are bundled off to practise another competitive sport. With time for games slowly disappearing, games, with their oral tradition of rules an

Weeks after Deepavali, the night sky has returned to its quiet state. For many of us, the festival is a memory of bursting crackers, for others, it was a week of anxiety, hushing terrified pets and waiting for the noise to pass. This year, while cities echoed with celebration, an entire village in the state was enveloped in an unsettling silence. Kamatchi Ramans documentary, Muted Diwali , released this festive season, ventures into this quiet to amplify the inequalities faced by the workers who

CHENNAI: A 43-year-old man was arrested on Friday for allegedly cheating more than 15 people of Rs 1.25 crore by offering fake rental and lease agreements for properties in and around Porur. The suspect, Srivaths of Gerugambakkam, was picked up by the Moulivakkam police after the victims traced him using CCTV footage and vehicle details. Police said Srivaths uploaded listings for rent, lease and sale on various online portals, using photographs of an apartment he owned in Moulivakkam to make the

CHENNAI: A team of doctors along with other officials transported lungs for transplantation from NIMHANS, Bengaluru to Apollo Hospital on Greams Road on Chennai Metro Rail on Saturday. Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) on Saturday posted the information about facilitating the transportation of donor lungs for transplantation on its X handle. In the post, CMRL said the organ which was harvested in Bengaluru was brought to Chennai by flight. It was transported from Meenambakkam Metro Station to AG

CHENNAI: Two youth including a college student, were arrested on Saturday for the murder of a 33-year-old autorickshaw driver who was found dead with head injuries on Marina Beach late Thursday. Police said the murder was linked to the victims personal relationship with the mother of one of the accused. The deceased, Anthony of Kilpauk, was spotted lying unconscious on the sand opposite Nochikuppam by morning walkers. He was taken to the Royapettah Government Hospital, where he died on Friday. A

CHENNAI: The Tiruvallur district police have arrested a 43-year-old foreign national, identified as Bende, a native of Senegal, who allegedly headed a major inter-state synthetic drug cartel. He was arrested from an apartment in Delhi after 10 days of surveillance and brought to Tiruvallur on a transit warrant on Thursday. Multiple mobile phones containing data on drug networks in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and the North East were seized from him. The investigation began on Oct

CHENNAI: In view of the monsoon, the Water Resources Department (WRD) on Friday began releasing surplus water from Chennais major drinking water reservoirs in order to maintain safe storage levels. A senior WRD official told TNIE that 2,000 cusecs of water was discharged from Poondi reservoir, while 300 cusecs was released from Chembarambakkam and 200 cusecs from Red Hills. He said according to safety rules, the water level in Poondi must be maintained at 33 feet even though its full capacity is