Chennai is a city which is located in the state of Tamil Nadu, which means "Tamil Country". So, the main language spoken in Chennai is Tamil. Tamil is the oldest language in the world and is spoken by most people here. Because Chennai is a big city (like New York City) many people also speak English, and most signs and menus and documents are written in English. You can also hear Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi, since people from different parts of India live and work here, too.
The money used in Chennai is called the Indian rupee (₹). About 90 rupees equals one U.S. dollar, so prices look much higher at first! The rupee has been used in India for hundreds of years, and the symbol ₹ comes from an old Indian letter and the lines of the Indian national flag. Each coin and bill also shows famous leaders and important places from India’s history. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi is pictured on every single paper bill in India.
