Ashok Nagar, Chennai
Encyclopedia
Ashok Nagar is a residential locality situated at southern part of Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It was established in 1964. At the heart of this colony, stands the Ashoka Pillar. This four lion head stump, resembles the one erected by king Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...

 during the 3rd Century BC at Sanchi
Sanchi
Sanchi is a small village in Raisen District of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is located 46 km north east of Bhopal, and 10 km from Besnagar and Vidisha in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the location of several Buddhist monuments dating from the 3rd...

.

To promote this sub urban locality, the Tamil Nadu Housing Board constructed flats during 70s for Middle Income Group. The next major infrastructure was shopping complex constructed near Pillar in 1974. Banks, Ration shop, Grocery stores, urban development office were started functioning here. Followed by it was inauguration of Anna Community hall and sports club. In late 80s Udhayam Theatre complex and ESI hospital emerged. More government schools and additional transport facilities added credits to this colony and now Ashok Nagar established as well connected sub urban with great institutions, commercials, banks, luxury flats, bungalows, parks, hotels, restaurants, worship places, entertainment halls and more.

Location

Ashok Nagar is located west of Mambalam
Mambalam
Mambalam is a working class residential and commercial area in the heart of Chennai , India. It is best known for its shops, bazaars and Hindu temples. It is bounded by Kodambakkam to the north and Saidapet to the south. T. Nagar and Nandanam stretch all along its eastern frontiers while K. K....

 (T. Nagar
T. Nagar
Theagaraya Nagar , popularly known by its abbreviated form T. Nagar, is a neighbourhood in the city of Chennai, India. Though originally conceived as a residential locality, it is presently one of the principal shopping districts of the city....

), Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.
It is surrounded by KK Nagar on the West, Vadapalani on the North and Saidapet on the South.




Transportation

Distance From

Anna International Airport: 8 km, Egmore
Egmore
-Main places:* Chennai Egmore railway station.* Office of the commissioner of Greater Chennai Police department.* Government Museum, Chennai.* Connemara Public Library, one of the biggest libraries in India.* National Art Gallery...

 / Chennai Central
Chennai Central
Chennai Central , erstwhile Madras Central, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai . It is the home of the Southern Railway and the most important rail hub in South India. The other major railway hub stations in the city are Chennai Egmore and Tambaram...

 stations: 12 km.

Mambalam
Mambalam
Mambalam is a working class residential and commercial area in the heart of Chennai , India. It is best known for its shops, bazaars and Hindu temples. It is bounded by Kodambakkam to the north and Saidapet to the south. T. Nagar and Nandanam stretch all along its eastern frontiers while K. K....

 sub-urban train station: 3 km., Koyambedu bus terminus: 5 km.

Anna Nagar Round Tana: 9 km., Gemini Flyover: 8 km.

Dakshinchitra
Dakshinchitra
Dakshinchitra is an attempt to preserve some of the traditional south Indian ways of life by constructing a "living" village containing some of the various traditional homes of south India....

:29 km., Mogappair
Mogappair
Mogappair is a fast-developing residential neighborhood in north-western Chennai, India. This suburb located west of the Jawaharlal Nehru Road is part of the Ambattur Municipality...

:11 km.


There is good intracity connectivity from Ashok Nagar. Government city buses and share autos commutes to North, Mid and South Chennai.
Share Autos are available from Vadapalani
Vadapalani
-Murugan Koyil:Built about 125 years back, this much-hallowed and regularly frequented Lord Muruga sannidhi has emerged from a thatched shed, an unostentatious one enshrining a Murugan picture only, and established for itself a name on par with ancient places of worship...

/Koyambedu
Koyambedu
Koyambedu is a locality in the South Indian city of Chennai. The Koyambedu area has become a major hub of activity in Chennai City after the inauguration of the market and the bus terminus...

/Guindy
Guindy
Guindy is one of the important neighbourhoods of Chennai , Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in the South-Western part of the city. It is the entry point or the gateway to Chennai city from the Southern parts of Tamil Nadu and the South Western suburbs of Chennai...



Bus routes passing by Ashok Pillar: 170, 114, D70, G70, 570, 568C, 49A, 11G, 11H, 17D, 37D, 12G, 5T, 5E and few more.

17D, 37D, D17(AC Bus), connect both Egmore and Central railway station and takes about an hour for the commute. AC Buses 570 and 568C from Koyembedu bus terminus passes via Ashok Pillar. Route 570 destinates to Kelambakkam, while 568C destinates to Mamallapuram. Bus services available every 40 minutes at peak hours. This route covers most IT firms lined up at OMR. 49A destinates at T.Nagar from Poonamallee. D70, D70 (AC bus) from Ambattur Industrial Estate via Ashok Pillar, takes you to Velachery.

G70, 172 connects Tambaram and Kooduvancheri. 114 from Vandaloor Zoo, Perungulathur passes via Ashok Pillar to Thirumangalam, Kavangarai and Red Hills.

5T destinates to Taramani via Saidapet, While 5E to Besant Nagar via Adayar.

12G via Pillar tracks through West Mambalam, Pondy Bazar, Teynampet, Mylapore, Luz, City Centre, Marina Beach, Triplicane and destinates at Anna Memorial, while 11G and 11H touches Mount Road or Anna Salai from Teynampet.

Buses to Koyembedu routes via Vadapalani, Pudhur, MMDA.

For more information on Chennai Bus Routes visit http://www.mtcbus.org/Routes.asp . Ashok Pillar bus stop is named as "JN OF III AND 1st AVE" in this site.

Public Services

Post Office:

Post Office located at Pillar junction serves public with postage requirements, pension schemes, money order, small savings, Governments bonds, speed post and telephone bill payments.

R3 Police Station:

R3 police station located at intersection of 2nd Avenue and 4th Avenue.
Emergency control room No: 100, Emergency roadways helpline No: 108

Tamil Nadu State Transport:

Tamil Nadu intercity mofussil buses stops at 11th Avenue. All state transport buses connecting south Tamil Nadu like Madurai, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Pondicherry or which passes via Tambaram, stops over here. The private route buses take Koyembedu-Thambaram by-pass. Bus stops at 11th Avenue only of few seconds. Passengers with heavy luggages are advised to take bus at CMBT depot at Koyembedu for safe boarding.

Library:

Library is located at 3rd Avenue. It opens except Fridays and 2nd Saturdays. Working hours are from 8am till 11:30am and evening 4pm till 7pm. Membership amount is Rs.100 for lending books. They have good collections of Tamil books for kids and young. It is free for public to read daily/monthly magazines.

Tamil Nadu Electricity Board:

Household and Commercial electricity bills has to be paid once in two months. Meter readings are recorded by EB staff by last week of the month. Entries are made with total rate at EB card issued. The bills has to paid at TNEB office located at KK Nagar, near KK nagar bus depot (Opposite to Hotel Saravana Bhavan, KK Nagar Branch). Bills can be paid from 1st till 15th of payable month. There are 14 counters for collection. It functions from 8:30am till 1:00pm. Bills can also be paid online at http://www.tnebnet.org/awp/TNEB/

Property Tax:

Property tax for house, land and commercial offices can be paid at Tax office located at 9th Avenue. It is open on Saturdays too. Cash and Cheques are accepted here. Usually property tax are paid in two terms for a year. Online status check and service available at http://www.chennaicorporation.gov.in/online-civic-services/editPropertytaxpayment.do?do=getCombo

Telephone Exchange:

BSNL telephone exchange is located at Jawaharlal Nehru Road, K.K. Nagar. New connections, customer service, Land line and Mobile complaints, Cellone & Landline bill payments are handled here. Opens on Saturday too. Bills payments are accepted by cash, credit card or cheque. Duplicate bills are issued at free of cost. Office opens from morning 10am till 4pm.
Bills can also be paid by online at http://billchn.bsnl.co.in/index.html
Sub Registrar Office:

Registrar office for land, house, commercial registrations in Ashok Nagar, are done at Sub Registrar Office located at No.1 S.V.Chidambaram Salai, Jafferkhanpet. Location: Take service line Opposite to Kasi theatre, beneath the bridge and take left. The land value for all Streets and Avenues are listed at their official website http://www.tnreginet.net/test1/gvaluemainpage2007.asp

Educational institutions

01. Kendriya Vidyalaya Ashok Nagar

02. Velankanni Matriculation Higher Secondary School

03. Police Training College

04. Jawahar Vidyalaya

05. Dr.K.K.Nirmala Girls Higher Secondary School

06. Lotte Lemke School of arts and crafts

07. Vidya Niketan

08. Govt. Girls High School

09. Pudur High School

10. Brindavan Institute for Commerce

11. GRT Matriculation School

12. St. John's Matriculation School

13. Little Flower Matriculation Higher Secondary School

14. Jawahar Higher Secondary School

15. A School

16. JRK Matriculation Higher Sec School

17. Vidhayaniketan Matriculation Higher Sec School

18. Simple Labs - Hands-On Education in Electronics & Aeromodelling

19. Insight Coaching Center - For engineering and school coaching.

Worship

CSI Church of Victorious Cross

Sri Anjaneya Bhaktha Sabai (Hanumanthavanam)

Sri Karumari Amman Kovil

Sri Navasakthi Vinayagar Aalayam

Sri Navasakthi Kaaliamman Thirukkovil

Sri Sidhthi Vinayagar Thirukkovil

Sri Nagathamman Kovil

Ashok Nagar Islamic Mosque

Sri Mallikeshwarar Temple



Apart from above major temples, there are many Amman (Durga devi) temples interior within streets. Tamil Aadi month (August) is special for Amman. Many rituals are followed during this month. Free Raagi soup is served on Sundays during Aadi festival season.
Since nagar has more dead-end and curved streets, we can find many small Ganesh idols ( Vinayagar temples ) in front of apartments and house gates.

Entertainment

Udhayam Multiplex with 4 screens situated at Pillar junction. Reservation counters open between 8:30am and 10:00am and at evening between 8:30pm and 9:00pm. Major new releases are screened at Udhayam complex. Limited car parking facility. Ticket are computerized to avoid black market.


Also close by at Vadapalani are the Kamala, AVM Rajeswari, SSR Pangajam theatres. Kasi theatre is at Ekattuthangal, about 5 min walk from Udhayam.

Lakshman Shruthi Musicals located at intersection of 2nd Avenue and 100 ft road is an exclusive showroom for musical instruments. They have recording studio at basement where, private recordings are done. You can add music to your own video at that studio.
Lakshman Shruthi have their own music band. They can be booked for marriage or any special occasions.
Sangamam, is 10 days music & dance festival conducted across Chennai during the month of January. Ashok Nagar corporation park is one of the venue that hosts this festival.

Takeaways / Restaurants

Here is a partial list of restaurants at Ashok Nagar.
  • Hotel Saravana Bhavan
    Saravana Bhavan
    Hotel Saravana Bhavan is a vegetarian restaurant chain founded in 1981 offering south Indian cuisine. ]. They have more than 20 outlets in Chennai and several outside India including USA, Canada, London, Paris, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Middle East.saravana bhavan is leading veg...

    : A branch of this multi-city chain restaurant is located near Ashok Pillar.
  • Hot Chips: A branch of this Chennai chain restaurant is located near McRennett.
  • Hotel Sangamam - Chettinad Restaurant
  • Hotel Karaikudi - Chettinad Restaurant

Sport Clubs

The corporation park is situated near pillar junction. This park has track for walking and a small play area for kids. It is well maintained with cleanliness and toilet facilities. Visitors should park their vehicles outside. Park timings are morning between 5am and 9am, evening between 4pm and 9pm.



Kids play park at 12th is a compact play area for kids below 10. Park timings are morning between 5am and 9am, evening between 4pm and 9pm.



The Manthope Colony Cricket ground located near Manthope Colony has many unofficial sports clubs. A Tennikoit and Badminton courts are there. Elders and Youths team up for match early mornings and weekends.



Pudhur High School Ground is another spot where many cricket pitches are made on weekends. Broken compound wall at west-side of the school leads to unsafe and unclean environment.


Location in Context

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