Unlike many other cities around India, Chennai is neither truly ancient nor outwardly appealing. It is one of those large, sprawling urban centres that lack cohesion and any particularly memorable charm. Madras, as it was once known, is the capital of Tamil Nadu and a political and commercial powerhouse in its own right. Its 350-year history has left it with a handful of impressive Raj-era buildings, a British fort and colonial old town and a unique Tamil culture.