Tom_DiaryEntry+4

Today i decided to have a look at the culture that makes the city of Chennai. Chennai's culture reflects its diverse population. The city is known for its classical dance shows and Hindu temples. Every December, Chennai holds a five week-long //Music Season//, which has been described as one of the world's largest cultural events. The Music Season encompasses performances of traditional Carnatic music by hundreds of artists in and around the city. Chennai is also known for the classical Indian dance, Bharatanatyam, which is also the official dance of Tamil Nadu. An important cultural centre for Bharatanatyam is Kalakshetra (Sanskrit for "place of the arts"), located on the beach in the south of the city. Chennai is the base for the large Tamil movie industry, dubbed //Kollywood// after the locality of Kodambakkam where most of the movie studios are located. The industry makes about 300 Tamil movies a year, and its film soundtracks dominate the music scene in the city. A traditional [|Bharata natyam] performance Chennai has a vibrant theatre scene, with a large number of Tamil plays being performed. In general, Tamil theatre is divided into the sabha-oriented theatre which are parodies on political issues or trends supported by slapstick comedy and the non-sabha oriented theatre which include serious plays and historical plays. English theatre is also popular. School and college cultural festivals play an important role by providing platforms for the city's youth to indulge in art and culture. Also present is an established and growing culture of bands in western and other styles. Chennai celebrates a number of festivals. Pongal, celebrated in the month of January, is the most important festival of and is celebrated over a period of five days. Tamil New Year's day signifying the beginning of the Tamil Calendar usually falls on April 14 and is celebrated widely. Being a cosmopolitan city, almost all major religious festivals like Thai Poosam, Deepavali, Eid and Christmas are celebrated here. Chennai is famous for its numerous restaurants that offer light meals or tiffin which usually include rice-based dishes like pongal, dosai, idli and vadai, served with steaming hot filter coffee, a very popular beverage consumed in Chennai. This unique cuisine is replicated in many a //Madras Cafe// in other parts of India and the world.