Mylapore is a coastal city in the state of Tamil Nadu and is situated very close to Bay of Bengal. Mylapore is an important religious and cultural hub of Tamil Nadu. It is also one of the important commercial regions of the state and is also considered one of the oldest residential regions. The early name of Mylapore was Vedapuri. The present name "Mylapore" has been derived from the word "Mayil" meaning peacock. Peacock was the traditional vehicle of Lord Muruga. Legend says that Goddess Parvati had performed penance in the form of peacock remaining close to Lord Shiva.

Location of Mylapore
Mylapore is located to the south of Chennai. It extends from Triplicane and Teynampet in the west up to the sea coast. The city of Mylapore is bounded by River Royapettah and River Coovum in the south. To the south of the city there is River Adyar. The city extends around 4 kilometres from north to south and around 2 kilometres from east to west.

History of Mylapore
Various historical and archaeological evidences suggest that Mylapore is one of the oldest cities of the state of Chennai and it existed in the Indian sub-continent long before British rule. The early settlements of Mylapore go back to 1st century BC. The city of Mylapore had come under the control of several foreign rulers namely the Egyptians, the Portuguese; the famous Marco Polo had also travelled to the city of Mylapore. Marco Polo had given a detailed description of the city of Mylapore. In the year 1749 Mylapore had come under the control of British East India Company from the hands of the Portuguese. In the very same year Mylapore was incorporated under Madras Presidency. The city of Mylapore came to lime light in the 19th and 20th century when Mylapore was home to a large number of intellectual lawyers and statesmen. But in the present age Mylapore has become an important hub of commercialization and recent developments.

Demography of Mylapore
The present day population of Mylapore has been estimated around 150,000 to 300,000. There is a plenty of Brahmin population in the city of Mylapore because in the early days Mylapore had been a temple centre. Smartha Brahmins were one of the first settlers of the city. Accurate population statistics of Mylapore is not found because it is not yet a differentiated town by itself but only a part of the Chennai city.

Education of Mylapore
The education facilities of Mylapore are quite developed in all respects. Primary, Secondary as well as Higher Education is much improved in the city of Mylapore. There are several schools and colleges in the city. Some of the well known colleges and schools of the region are Vivekananda College, St.Raphael`s Girls Higher Secondary School, Rosary matriculation higher secondary school and many others. At this juncture it should also be mentioned that the India`s First Digital Media College, Image College of Arts and Animation Technology is located in Mylapore.

Culture of Mylapore
Mylapore is considered the cultural hub of city. Music is also of much importance in the city of Mylapore. Distinguished musicians perform in the city of Mylapore. Several musical performances are held in the city of Mylapore. The last month of every year in Mylapore is set aside for a musical sabha. In fact that part of the year is considered as the musical season of the year. As a result various musical performances are held by distinguished musicians. Carnatic Music is performed by leading vocalists and musicians in the music sabhas which are held in Mylapore in the last month of every year. The Madras Music Academy and the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan are known for organising cultural events in the city of Mylapore.

The well known news paper of Mylapore is "Mylapore Times". It is a weekly news paper of Mylapore neighbourhood and covers important issues and events that take place in Mylapore.

Tourism in Mylapore
The city of Mylapore has no dearth of tourist attractions. It has several temples, mosques and churches.

The well known temples of Mylapore are Kapaleeswarar temple, Kesava Perumal Temple, Srinivasar temple. All the temples in Mylapore had been built long back. The temples in Mylapore have been dedicated to various deities. For instance the Kapaleeswarar temple has been dedicated to Parvati and Lord Shiva. Thousands of visitors are attracted towards the Kapaleeswarar Temple throughout the year and hence can be said that the temple is an attraction of Mylapore.

Santhome Basilica Cathedral is also a major attraction of Mylapore. The church closely reflects the Portuguese style of architecture and it also bears a Portuguese legend along with it. It can be said about Mylapore that the region is famous among people for its vast array of religious places.

Mylapore has a huge option of shopping. In the present age several malls, departmental stores and retail shops have increased manifold. Handicrafts, dance costumes and jewellery are easily found in the city of Mylapore.

How to Reach Mylapore
Mylapore is easily accessible through road, trains and aeroplanes. The nearest airport of Mylapore is the Chennai International Airport which is 11 kilometres away from the city. The Thirumylai Railway Station serves the city. Thus it can be said that visitors can easily reach Mylapore as the city has a number of transport options.