Saidapet

Saidapet is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India situated about 12.20 kilometres (7.58 miles) from kilometre zero of Chennai city. Historically, an important suburban town of Madras city, Saidapet served as the southern gateway to the city for long by virtue of its strategic location on the Mount Road stretch of the Grand Southern Trunk Road until its inclusion in the limits of the then Corporation of Madras city in 1946. Saidapet functioned as the administrative headquarters of Chingleput District and the residence of its District Collector from 1859 to 1968. The Saidapet Court is located in Saidapet and also the taluk offices from 1798 onwards until 1997, though Saidapet town, itself, had been transferred from Chingleput District to Madras district in 1946.

Saidapet is named after Sayyid Khan, a cavalry officer in service of the Nawab of Carnatic who owned lands here in the second half of the 18th century though there had been settlements in the area long prior to Sayyid Khan's time. Christian pilgrims from Fort St. George to the shrine at St. Thomas Mount had to pass through Saidapet and the Marmalong Bridge was constructed for their convenience across the Adyar River at Saidapet by the Armenian merchant Coja Petrus Uscan in 1726. In 1780, the British East India Company acquired possession of Saidapet along the rest of the jaghire of Chingleput and made it an important administrative centre. Saidapet was the location of the Government Model Farm where experiments were carried out in the late 19th century for growing genetically modified varieties of wheat.