CHENNAI: One of the busiest stretches of GST Road lies between Guindy and the Kathipara flyover. Motorists heading to the Alandur Metro station, the airport, St Thomas Mount and the flyover use the corridor, keeping it busy throughout the day. During peak hours, the stretch becomes severely congested, often resulting in tailbacks that affect not just commuters but also emergency services such as ambulances. K Ben (33) of Ramapuram, who works in a private firm on Anna Salai, said, Almost on all w

CHENNAI: Following searches across Chennai, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu, the enforcement directorate seized and froze cash, bullion, bank balances and shares totalling Rs 18.10 crore on Wednesday, the agency said in a release. The raids were part of a probe into a large-scale fraud involving forged land records and inflated compensation claims in acquisitions carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT). ED

CHENNAI: Following a complaint of sexual harassment by a woman, a retired District Consumer Court judge Subbaraj was booked by the TP Chatrom police. He is yet to be arrested. According to the police, the complainant, a woman from Koyambedu, had worked briefly as domestic help at Subbarajs residence in September when he allegedly attempted to behave inappropriately with her. The police registered the case after completing a two-month preliminary inquiry. Further probe is under way. The police sa

CHENNAI: The Sunguvarchatram police on Thursday arrested Murugan, a load van driver, for the murder of Rani, a 70-year-old woman whose body was found last week in a bushy stretch off the ChennaiBengaluru NH near Sunguvarchathiram. Rani had gone missing after leaving home, and was found dead with injuries to her neck and face, prompting the Sunguvarchathiram police to launch an inquiry. CCTV footage from the area showed Murugan following her shortly before she disappeared, leading police to pick

CHENNAI: Sixteen children were rescued from the Koyambedu market on Wednesday during a crackdown by the District Task Force consisting of officials from the Labour, Police and Child Welfare deparmtents. The boys, found working at vegetable, fruit, flower and grain sections, were first taken to the Koyambedu police station, and later shifted to the government-run shelter in Royapuram for counselling. Sources said, of the 16 children, 14 are from Bihar and the other two from TN and West Bengal. Th

RANIPET: A 26-year-old man was electrocuted to death after stepping on a snapped live wire in Arakkonam on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Vignesh J of Pudukesavaram. According to a relative of the victim, the incident occurred on Wednesday night when the youth had stepped out of his house in search of his cow. As Vignesh failed to return, we searched the surrounding areas. Around 6 am (Thursday), we turned off the power supply and checked the nearby field, where he was found dead, the

A Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore, Chennai dismissed a protest petition filed by one A Esakkiammal against deputy mayor M Mahesh Kumar, minister K R Periyakaruppans relative P Gunasekaran, K Balamurugan, K Divakar, N Selvarajan and district register officer Sathya Priya. The court dismissed the petition seeking further investigation into allegations of forgery and cheating related to the partnership firm M/s. Mars Mines after the death of her husband, Late S.R. Mohan. Esakkiammal challen

This week, quashing a case in which a petitioner had taken her ex to court after the end of a long-term relationship, alleging breach of promise, Justice B Pugalendhi of the Madras High Court, Madurai Bench, ruled that private discord arising from consensual acts cannot be converted into criminal misconduct. Other courts in India have recently taken the same decision, including the Odisha High Court in a case in February and the Delhi High Court in a case in September. Cases heard in the Supreme

Thiruvallur is well known as being home to the famous Veeraraghava Perumal temple, which his one of the 108 Divya Desams (places sacred to God Vishnu, praised by the Azhvars or important Vaishnava devotees). This deity is also known as Vaidya Veeraraghava Perumal, the word vaidya indicating that this God cures devotees of various diseases. A few Tamil inscriptions have been discovered in various parts of this Vishnu temple, which testify to the antiquity of Thiruvallur. The earliest of these was

The entire point of playing videogames is to be transported to a time and place that no longer exists or has never existed at all. Whatever Keeper is, it certainly succeeds in doing exactly that. It introduced a universe with no humans. With vast expanses of colourful grasslands, a few helpful birds, and a sentient lighthouse. No evil enemies out to get me. A cool breeze drifts by as I gently press the buttons. And then my phone buzzed. The illusion shattered. Im home again, and my cat is screa

CHENNAI: The Ambattur Estate police on Tuesday arrested a 31-year-old doctor, K Hassarudin, after an inquiry by the revenue divisional officer of Thirumangalam revealed that dowry harassment was the reason behind the death by suicide of his wife M Irul Sameera (29), also a doctor, in August. Police sources said that both Sameera and Hassarudin hailed from Arakkonam in Ranipet district. The couple had graduated from the Government Vellore Medical College and Hospital in 2016 and got married in Se

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has reportedly removed 19 stray dogs, including puppies, from the Madras High Court premises early on Tuesday morning, triggering criticism from a section of animal welfare volunteers. According to sources, the dogs were removed in the wee hours. Volunteers say they were not informed in advance, breaking from the usual routine followed during such drives. Corporation officials reportedly carried out the removal, citing the recent Supreme Court direc

CHENNAI: DigiArivu, a new digital and STEM learning initiative backed by Samsung, was launched in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The programme, developed with the UN Global Compact Network India, will initially cover 10 government schools in Kancheepuram and Ranipet districts, benefiting more than 3,000 students. It aims to overhaul digital infrastructure, strengthen STEM pedagogy and support career guidance in tier-2 and tier-3 regions that continue to lag in access to technology-based learning. Laun

CHENNAI: Southern Railway and Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) along with the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA)are preparing for high-level discussions on an ambitious plan to convert Tambaram into a fully-integrated mobility hub, as multiple rapid-transit corridors including the proposed Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) converge on one of the states busiest suburban nodes. CUMTA special officer I Jayakumar said that a joint meeting with Southern Railway, CUMTA and

An American professor, Arlie Russell Hochschild, once said, ...Most women work one shift in the office or factory and a second shift at home. Most women around us follow this drill. They wake up early, tend to household needs, get minimal to no time for themselves, and rush to their workplaces. It was one such day in the life of S Valli, a weaver from Anakaputhur, Chennai. After completing all her household chores, Valli carried her wire koodai containing her lunch and other essentials to reach

The documentary Dalit Subbaiah: Voice of the Rebels opens with the rituals of his passing, but very quickly, the singer returns to us. In the songs he left behind, in the laughter of his family, in the memories held by his community, Subbaiah steps back into the spotlight. His presence moves softly through the film, as if he never really left. It shows him not only as a singer, but as a man who lived by conviction. Subbaiah never sang for wealth; he sang for justice. His voice rose against caste

CHENNAI: The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) has issued detailed operating procedures for conductors, inspectors and transport officials ahead of the roll out of fully digital monthly passes for MTC buses. The new passes, available on the Chennai One app, are priced at Rs 1,000 for the gold tier and Rs 2,000 for the diamond tier. Special Officer I Jayakumar said the passes will be launched within the next two weeks. MTC currently issues passes at 54 locations. Now, commu

CHENNAI: Though the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has launched electoral helpdesks for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, booth level officers (BLOs) said a prolonged server outage in the Election Commission of Indias BLO app on Tuesday left hundreds of forms pending, as they were unable to upload the details even after voters submitted their filled-in forms. According to the BLOs, the helpdesks saw better turnout in the morning but dropped as the day progressed, likely due to

CHENNAI: A 53-year-old junior engineer of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) ended his life on Monday, hours after he sent an e-mail to the office of the Director General of Police accusing two of his senior officials of workplace harassment. Yuvaraj, a long-time MTC employee from Guduvanchery who had worked at the Tambaram workshop for over two decades, alleged in the mail that he faced sustained humiliation and was denied basic service entitlements. He stated that his request for med

When writer Chital Mehta learned that her forthcoming novel Have You Seen Romit? had won the 2025 James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel, she sighed deeply and cried. For an author whose work has been shaped by displacement, migration, and the resilience of people, the recognition felt like an affirmation of the stories she has spent years trying to bring into the world. Speaking to CE from her home in Delaware, USA, she reflects on a journey that began far from where she lives today. Raised i

The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract is far more than a digestive organ; it is a central regulator of immunity, metabolism, and even emotional well-being. As the bodys largest interface with the external environment, the gut constantly balances two critical roles: protecting us from harmful pathogens while remaining tolerant to harmless substances such as nutrients and commensal bacteria. This delicate balance forms the foundation of what we now call the gut-brain axis. Although the gut-brain c

CHENNAI: With the completion of civil works and load tests on the 5-km MRTS extension from Velachery to St Thomas Mount, Southern Railway has begun preparatory activities ahead of the safety trial to be carried out by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS). These preparations are being undertaken for the inspection by the Electrical Inspector General (EIG) of Southern Railway. According to official sources, Ganesh, principal chief electrical engineer (PCEE) of the zone, is functioning as the d

CHENNAI: The District Election Officer (DEO) cum Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran announced that electors help desks will function at all 947 polling stations across the district from November 18 to 25 as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the states electoral roll. As per the directions of the Election Commission of India, the SIR exercise is being currently carried out across all 16 Assembly constituencies in the city. Booth Level Officers a

CHENNAI: Four woman sanitary workers from the Royapuram and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar zones began an indefinite hunger strike on Monday at the Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam (UUI) office in Ambattur, demanding that they be reinstated as direct employees of the Greater Chennai Corporation and not under the Chennai Enviro Solutions Private Limited (CESPL), which has taken up the solid waste management operations in these two zones. The workers Bharathi, Jenova, Geetha and Vasanthi have vowed to continue the p

While Indians in the chess scene are taking strides in the ongoing FIDE chess World Cup in Goa, Raahul VS of Chennai achieved a feat that he had been trying for years a Grandmaster title in the ASEAN Championship in the Philippines with a round to spare. As a result, he became Indias 91st Grandmaster. To become a Grandmaster is no mean feat. One needs three GM norms, a FIDE rating of 2500, and to play a plethora of tournaments. However, there are select international tournaments recognised by F

Draupadi, also known as Panchali, is one of the most powerful and tragic figures in the Mahabharata . Her life was marked by profound injustice humiliation in the Kaurava court after being gambled away by her husbands, and the relentless trials she endured as a woman navigating a world shaped by male honour, ego, and war. Over time, Draupadis story has been retold through countless texts, poems, and performance traditions ranging from classical dance and theatre to modern feminist reinterpreta

This Deepavali, amid the Hindi-speaking meme trendsetters in Swiggy Indias advertisement, appeared a small burst of Tamil storm. With her two neatly folded braids tied in bright yellow ribbons, the three-foot-tall figure that hopped in and out of the frame was none other than Siva Dharshini. The believe yourself fame gained widespread attention when classroom reels of her, shot in a government school in Madurai, started circulating online. Her confident expressions and joyful engagement won over

CHENNAI: A major fire broke out in a locked second-floor apartment of Mangala Villa on Ramachandra Street in T Nagar late on Saturday, with plumes of smoke spreading through the three-storey complex. Upon alert, the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) personnel rushed in with six fire engines and used a skylift to contain the flames after a three-hour operation. As many as 20 residents, including a child, were rescued and shifted to safety. Though many suffered breathing difficulty, no c

CHENNAI: Over 2,500 pet dogs were microchipped at seven pet clinics run by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) across the city. Around 600-700 dogs were microchipped at each of the clinics on Sunday, a GCC source said. With Sunday being a holiday, a large number of pet parents rushed to the clinics, causing some confusion in accommodating the people and the animals. The dogs were microchipped from 8 am to 5pm. Whoever had arrived within the time frame were allowed inside but those who came aft

CHENNAI: While hundreds of vital village roads remain neglected as muddy, pothole-ridden tracks, a 30-foot-wide bituminous road has been laid along the ecologically sensitive shorelines of the Periya Eri and Chitteri lakes in Unamancheri village near Vandalur in Chengalpattu district. The road built on land officially classified both as a water body and reserve forest provides access to a film producers 300-acre property, allegedly proposed to be developed into a film city. The legitimacy of t

CHENNAI: A routine drinking water delivery turned fatal in Senchiamman Nagar near Ponneri on Saturday when a two-year-old girl was crushed under the rear wheel of a tractor-mounted tanker. The victim, Vijitha, was the youngest daughter of Suresh Kumar and Sathya, police said. The family live in an area where residents largely depend on privately operated tractors that sell drinking water. Police said the incident occurred on Saturday when Devan (53), a water supplier from Pazhaverkadu Sivan Koil

CHENNAI: A 34-year-old woman died in Reddipalayam near Avadi on Sunday after her husband, who was learning to drive, accidentally reversed their car into her while attempting to park it at their residence, police said. The victim, Indhumathi, suffered severe internal injuries and was declared brought dead at KMC Hospital. Police said Raja (37), a bank employee, had purchased a second-hand car on November 5 and was still practising with a learners licence. The couple, parents of two children, had

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