Chengalpattu

Chengalpattu, previously known as Chingleput, is a city and the headquarters of Chengalpattu district of the state Tamil Nadu, India. The town is located near to the industrial and IT hub. It is the headquarters of the district and is away from the state capital, Chennai on the National Highway 45. It is an important commercial center. It has a medical college and other colleges affiliated with the University of Madras. Etymology The city is believed to have been named after a lily called 'chenkazhuneer poo' (செங்கழுநீர் பூ) which is found aplenty in the region. It is near the banks of Palar River about 56 km southwest of Chennai city (Madras) and thus Chengapattu is called the "Gateway of Chennai". History Chengalpattu dates from the early Chola dynasty of the 2nd century BCE. Chengalpattu was formerly a capital of the kings of Vijayanagara, after their defeat by the Deccan sultanates at Battle of Talikota in 1565. The fortress at Chengalpattu, built by the Vijayanagara kings in the 16th century, was of strategic importance, owing to its swampy surroundings and the lake that flanked its side.