George Town

George Town is a busy commercial zone in the city of Chennai , in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu . It comprises of numerous colonial-era buildings (such as - the 17th-century Fort St. George, which is the seat of the state government).

During the colonial period (around 1911 AD), the area in and around Muthialpet in Madras city (now Chennai) was named as "George Town" by the British, in honour of King George V when he was crowned as the Emperor of India during that time.

As the city of Madras started growing around that time, this area became the base for development and various new construction activities began. The British built many of India's major ports today in the area, and as a result, Madras became an important naval base.

In 1733, the weaving community in Tamil Nadu began moving near this area since abundant space was available for weaving, and set up their shops here.

Eventually, the community of washermen, potters etc. in the area also moved around here, and the market kept expanding. George Town is one of the names used for Muthialpet area in Chennai now.

George Town commercial area extends from near Chennai’s Central railway station in the western part of the city to the Bay of Bengal coast in the eastern part.

The Prakasam Salai Broadway in the city divides George Town into two parts –

• the eastern part of which was historically known as Muthialpet
• the western past, known as Peddanaickenpet

The market is situated close to Chennai Central railway Station, which can be reached easily from any other cities in the country, and from here people can literally walk to the area. Within Chennai, people can take a public or private road transport to reach the market area.