India Host Community

The modern city of Chennai is home to Global Volunteers' service programs. The name "Chennai" is a shortened form of Chennapattanam, from the Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple. "Chenni" in Tamil means face, and the temple was regarded as the face of the city. The city name was changed in 1996 from "Madras," which was the colonial name given by the British. Chennai is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with a population nudging 6.5 million. Aside from being the transportation hub of southern India, Chennai also is a major music, art and culture center. The city is known for its classical dance shows and Hindu temples, and is the base for the Tamil movie industry, known as Kollywood.

India's extraordinary history and geography are inextricably interrelated. A meeting ground between the East and West, it was routinely invaded, while at the same time its natural isolation and magnetic religions allowed it to adapt to and absorb many of the peoples who penetrated its mountain passes. The exact origins of the Indian people are impossible to determine, because of the large variety of cultures that have invaded and been assimilated into the subcontinent. It is indisputable, however, that some of the world's most influential thinkers were Indians. In the 20th century, Mohandas Gandhi instituted basic and unprecedented literacy and community-improvement programs. But more than expert leadership in the complex struggle of home rule, Gandhi gained international respect by leading his country in peaceful resistance to the oppression of civil liberties and political rights for common people. Another Indian visionary of the 20th century was Rabindranath Tagore, who received international recognition for establishing an international college (Visva-Bharati) at Bìrbhum in an effort to bridge the cultural gap between East and West. He was awarded the 1913 Nobel Prize in literature, and in 1915 he was knighted by the British king George V.

Regardless of the many Persians, Greeks, Chinese nomads, Arabs, Portuguese, British and other raiders who conquered the land, local Hindu kingdoms survived the inquisitions. In the 5th century BC, Siddhartha Gautama founded the religion of Buddhism, a profoundly influential work of human thought still espoused by much of the Asian continent. Read more about India's culture and people.