Avadi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Avadi
Municipal Corporation
TIDEL Park Avadi
Nickname(s):  Chennai's Western Gateway
Avadi Location in Chennai Show map of Chennai Avadi Location in Tamil Nadu Show map of Tamil Nadu
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Tiruvallur
Metro	Chennai
Government
• Type	Municipal Corporation
• Body	Avadi Municipal Corporation
Area
• Total	61.57 km2 (23.77 sq mi)
Elevation	26.85 m (88.09 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	345,996
• Density	5,619.6/km2 (14,554.6/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	TN 12(Poonamallee)

Avadi is a busy area located west of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. It's about 22 kilometers from Chennai Central Railway Station. Avadi is one of the four main city councils (called municipal corporations) in the Chennai Metropolitan Area. The Avadi Municipal Corporation manages the city.

This area is special because it has many important defense factories and military bases. It's also home to several universities and colleges. Avadi is well-connected by the Avadi Railway Station and will soon be closer to the Chennai Metro Rail system. In 2011, Avadi had a population of 345,996 people, making it one of the most populated places in Tamil Nadu.

What's in a Name?

The exact meaning of the name 'Avadi' isn't fully known. One idea is that it comes from two Tamil words: "Aa" (meaning cow) and "Adi" or "Gudi" (meaning place). This would suggest it was a place with many cows.

Another popular idea is that 'Avadi' is a short form for "Armoured Vehicles and Ammunition Depot of India." However, this is probably not true. Old British records from the 1800s show the name "Avady" was used even before the defense factories were built there. The railway station, for example, has been called "Avadi" since 1873. This was before the military moved its supplies to Avadi after 1870. So, the "Armoured Vehicles" idea is likely a story made up later.

A Look Back in Time

Avadi became an important part of the "auto belt" in Madras (now Chennai). This happened after World War II when many car factories started in the western and northern parts of the city.

A very important meeting of the Indian National Congress took place in Avadi on January 10, 1955. At this meeting, leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru talked about the importance of socialism. They declared that creating a society with a "socialistic pattern" was their main goal. This meant working towards a fairer society where everyone has equal opportunities.

Where is Avadi?

Avadi is located at 13°07′N 80°06′E / 13.12°N 80.1°E / 13.12; 80.1. It covers an area of about 65 square kilometers and is about 17 meters above sea level.

Avadi Lake: A Green Space

A view of the Avadi lake before renovation

Avadi has a lake called Paruthipattu Lake. It's quite large, covering 200 acres and stretching 2.64 kilometers long. This lake used to provide water for farms. Many birds visit the lake throughout the year.

Over the years, parts of the lake were lost due to building and other activities. But in 2019, the lake area was beautifully renovated and turned into an eco-park. This project cost a lot of money and added fun things like a 3-kilometer walking track, a central meeting area, and lots of plants. The renovation also helped clean up the lake from pollution.

Keeping Avadi Clean

Avadi produces about 150 metric tonnes of garbage every day. To handle this, the city has built many small composting plants. These plants turn biodegradable waste (like food scraps and garden waste) into useful manure. This helps keep the city clean and also creates something helpful for farming.

Tech and Defense Hub

Avadi is becoming a major center for technology and defense industries.

New Technology Park

Tidel Park Avadi (Pattabiram) graphic representation

A big new technology park called Tidel Park is being built in Avadi–Pattabiram. It will be a huge building covering 5,57,000 square feet on 10 acres of land. This park is expected to create jobs for 30,000 people. Construction started in August 2020. Big companies like Dell Technology and Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) have shown interest in moving there.

Defense Industries

Avadi is a very important place for India's defense industry. It's a major "defense industrial corridor" and leads in defense exports from the state. Many important defense factories are located here, including:

• Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF)
• Armoured Vehicles Nigam
• Engine Factory Avadi
• Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE)
• DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation)
• Ordnance Depot

These factories make many things for the Indian military. For example, the Heavy Vehicles Factory produces main battle tanks like the Arjun and the T-90S Bhishma tanks. The CVRDE does research on battle tanks and other combat vehicles.

Other important defense groups in Avadi include parts of the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Indian Navy. The Indian Air Force has a training institute here for vehicle repair.

People of Avadi

In 2011, Avadi had a population of 345,996 people. For every 1,000 males, there were 970 females. About 36,091 children were under the age of six. The average literacy rate (people who can read and write) in Avadi was 81.76%, which is higher than the national average.

Avadi is home to people of different religions. In 2011, most people were Hindus (84.23%), followed by Christians (10.69%) and Muslims (4.56%). There are also smaller numbers of Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains.

Places of Worship

Avadi has many places for people to worship. There are many Hindu temples, including famous ones like Karumari Amman temple and Perumal temple. Nearby, in Thirumullaivoyal, there's an ancient Lord Shiva temple called Masilamaniswara Temple.

There are also several mosques for the Islamic community and many churches, some of which are over 50 years old. St Antony's Shrine is a well-known Catholic church. For Sikhs, there is a Gurudwara in the HVF estate, and there is a Jain temple called Vasupujiya Jain Temple. Avadi is known for its mix of cultures and religions, showing a long history of people living together peacefully.

Getting Around Avadi

Trains

Avadi railway station is a very important station for local trains in the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. It's on the main line that connects Chennai to Jolarpettai. Some long-distance express trains also stop at Avadi. Many people use Avadi as a transfer point because the bus station is very close to the railway station. More than 75,000 people use Avadi railway station every day, making it one of the busiest in Southern Railways.

Local Train Services

Avadi is very well connected to the rest of Chennai by local electric trains (EMU trains). There are frequent trains from Avadi to Chennai Central, Chennai Beach, and other nearby towns. It takes about 45 minutes to reach Chennai Central from Avadi by train. Avadi also has a special shed for EMU trains, which helps manage many of the local train services.

Roads

Chennai–Tiruttani Highway

The main road connecting Chennai to Tiruttani is being made wider to 6 lanes. This will make travel much easier. The first part of the project will widen the road to 4 lanes. The Avadi Checkpost is an important road junction that connects different areas. The Chennai Outer Ring Road also passes through the western part of Avadi.

Avadi Bus Terminus

The main bus station in Avadi is very close to the railway station. It's on the Chennai - Thiruvallur High Road. Avadi has good bus connections to different parts of Chennai and nearby rural areas. The main bus service is run by the state-owned Metropolitan Transport Corporation. Buses also go to other cities like Tirupathi and Bangalore.

Share Autos

Share Autos are a popular way to get around Avadi. These shared taxis are often found near the bus station and Checkpost junction. They usually travel between Avadi and nearby areas like Poonamallee and Koyambedu.

Schools and Colleges

Avadi has many educational institutions for students.

Schools

• Holy Immanuel Matriculation School
• Air Force School, Avadi

Colleges

• Murugappa Polytechnic College
• Veltech Rangarajan Sangunthala Arts College
• Nazareth College of Arts and Science

Local Government

Avadi is a state assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu. This means it's an area that elects a representative to the state government. It includes areas like Pattabiram, Thirunindravur, Tiruverkadu, and Avadi itself. It is part of the Thiruvallur parliamentary constituency.

Fun and Entertainment

Movie Theaters

Avadi has a few movie theaters where you can watch the latest films:

• Meenakshi Cinemas
• Remy Cinemas
• A new 5-screen multiplex from Carnival Cinemas is also planned to open near Avadi soon.

See also

In Spanish: Avadi para niños