Mambalam
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West Mambalam (from Maha Vilvam) Mambalam |
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 West Mambalam
West Mambalam
West Mambalam
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| Coordinates: 13°02′29″N 80°13′59″E / 13.0414°N 80.2330°ECoordinates: 13°02′29″N 80°13′59″E / 13.0414°N 80.2330°E | |
| Country | India |
| Union Territory | Chennai |
| District | Chennai |
| Taluk | Mambalam |
| Metro | Chennai |
| Zone | Kodambakkam |
| Ward | 133,135,140 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| PIN | 600033 |
| Vehicle registration | TN-09 |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Chennai South |
| Legislative Assembly constituency | T. Nagar Saidapet |
West Mambalam is a residential and commercial area in the heart of Chennai (Madras), India. It is best known for its shops, bazaars and Hindu temples. It is bounded by Kodambakkam to the north and Saidapet to the south. T. Nagar and Nandanam stretch all along its eastern frontiers while Ashok Nagar lies to its west. The Ayodhya Mandapam is an important landmark.
Mambalam is believed to have derived its name from the existence of Maha vilvam trees in the locality, which in due course become Mavilam and then Mambalam
In ancient times it was known as mylai mel ambalam(place located on the west of mylai). Then it changed to mel-ambalam. Then mel(top) changed into west and ambalam changed into mambalam. Therefore, now it is known as West Mambalam.
Prior to its inclusion in the then city of Madras, Mambalam was a village in the Saidapet taluk of Chingleput district. The oldest surviving reference to Mambalam is believed to be in a 1726 stone plaque commemorating the construction of the Marmalong Bridge (now known as Maraimalai Adigal Bridge) across the Adyar river by the merchant Coja Petrus Uscan. The bridge is believed to have been named after the village of Marmalong or Marmalan identified with Mambalam. The village was, then, a zamindari administered by zamindars belonging to a Telugu-speaking Reddi family.
Urbanisation of Mambalam was started in 1911 with the construction of the Mambalam railway station on the Madras-Kanchipuram railroad. The Long Tank, which formed the western frontier of Madras city, was drained out in 1923. The same year, the administration of Mambalam was handed over to the British by its zamindar. The township of Theagaraya Nagar, popularly known as T. Nagar, was constructed in the southern part of the zamindari during 1923-25. The townships of Mambalam and Theagaraya Nagar covering an area of 1.008 sq. miles were included in the Mambalam division of Madras city. These outlying residential suburbs were connected to the rest of the city by an effective bus service. The areas surrounding Arya Gowda Road (originally the Ari Gowder Road) were obtained from Badaga leader and politician H. B. Ari Gowder. In its early days, Mambalam was affected by sanitation issues and was notorious for its filaria epidemics. This area was annexed to Chennai in 1946.
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Wikipedia