Avadi

Avadi (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Tamil: [aːʋaɖi]) is a western suburb of Chennai, and the headquarters of Avadi taluk located within the Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, India. Situated at about 22 kilometres (14 mi) from Chennai Central Railway Station, it is one of the four municipal corporations in the Chennai Metropolitan Area and is governed by the Avadi Municipal Corporation. It is surrounded by major defence establishments and is home to various universities and engineering colleges. The neighborhood is served by Avadi Railway Station of the Chennai Suburban Railway. As of 2011, Avadi had a population of 345,996, which is 10th most populous place in Tamil Nadu. It is home to the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Ordnance Factory Board (ODF) which houses Engine Factory and Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE). The lake in Avadi was known as Paaleripattu, which is now found only in very old land documents. The exact origin of the name 'Avadi' is not known. One version has it that it is the combination of "Aa" (meaning cow) and "Adi or gudi (kudi)" (meaning place in Tamil), indicating that the place had many cows.[citation needed] One of the more popular theories about the origin of the name is that it is an acronym for "Armoured Vehicles and Ammunition Depot of India". However, this is most likely a backronym invented more recently. The entity "Armoured Vehicles and Ammunition Depot of India" does not appear in any British records.[citation needed] This acronym is further disputed by the existence of a railway station going by the name of "Avadi" in the locality since 1873 before the establishment of defence industries.[1]