Chennai, now the capital of Tamil Nadu, was previously known as Madras until the name change in 1996. This official change occurred through the City of Madras (Alteration of Name) Act, 1996. The legislation noted that Chennai was already the common local designation. Tamil serves as the primary language in the area, where Chennai had long been used informally alongside the official Madras. Like Bombay, Madras functioned as a British Presidency city, along with Calcutta. The renaming aligned with efforts to adopt indigenous names. Nevertheless, certain longstanding entities, including the Madras High Court and the University of Madras, continue to use the former designation.
