Avadi

A view of the Avadi lake

Avadi has a lake called Paruthipattu Lake. Spread over 200 acres and 2.64 kilometres (1.64 mi) in length, the lake is located 23 kilometres (14 mi) away from the city,[3] behind the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) and Thirumullaivoyal. It was once a source of water for farmland irrigation. The body of water attracts many birds throughout the year. However, in the recent decades it has lost most of its area to indiscriminate building and encroachment. The Paruthippattu lake area was renovated with a budget of 32 crores and converted into an eco-park that officially opened on 19 June 2019. The renovation added recreational facilities, a 3-km-long walking track, a central plaza and various greenery, while addressing the issues of encroachment and sewage pollution that had affected the once-neglected lake.[3][4][5]

The major military establishments with divisions in Avadi are the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), EFA-Engine Factory, Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indian Navy, Central Vehicle Depot (CVD), The Ordnance Depot (OD), Unfit Vehicles Park (UVP) and the Ordnance Clothing Factory (OCF).

The Indian Air Force has a Mechanical Transport Training Institute Technical (MTTI) here for training its personnel on driving and repairing vehicles, and also a base repair depot for repair and maintenance of its various equipment. CVRDE undertakes major research on battle tanks and other combat vehicles. MBT Arjuns, armoured ambulances, Combat Improved Ajeyas and Nag anti-tank missiles are some of the recent products from CVRDE. The Heavy Vehicles Factory produces an indigenous version of the T-72 tank known as Ajeya. HVF also produces the main battle tank Arjun. The production of T-90S Bhishma tanks started in 2006–2007. The Tamil Nadu Special Police (TSP) also has a division in Avadi, the TN 2nd and 5th Battalion.

There was a World War II airfield at Red Hills, Sholavaram, approachable from the junction close to the CRPF Camp, Avadi, immediately after the Military Hospital.

There are many Hindu temples in and around Avadi. Karumari Amman temple, Chinnamman temple, Nagavalli Amman and Perumal temple are famous temples in Avadi. Many old generation temples are also present in and around Avadi. Thirumullaivoyal, a locality near Avadi, is famous for Masilamaniswara Temple, Thirumullaivoyal, an ancient temple of Lord Shiva, as well as Pachaiamman Temple. Vaikundhanaadhar Temple is located near Kovilpathagai; Angaalamman Temple is located on the Redhills road. Sri Venkateswara Perumal Temple in Kamaraj Nagar is a Vaishnavite shrine in Avadi.

A handful of mosques serve a considerable Islamic population in Avadi. There are some churches over 50 years old, including Marthoma Church in Gandhi Nagar, CSI, RC and Orthodox Churches in HVF road. Also, numerous churches have been built in recent years; St Antony's Shrine is a Catholic church located at Avadi Check-post. There is a Jain temple, Vasupujiya Jain Temple, and a Gurudwara in the HVF estate for the Sikhs to worship in Avadi.

Avadi boasts of cultural and religious diversity and has a proud heritage of religious tolerance.

Avadi railway station is one of the important suburban terminal stations of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. It lies on the Chennai Jolarpettai Mainline. Few express trains like Thiruvananthapuram Chennai Mail, Alappuzha Chennai Express, and Tirupati Chennai Garudadri stops at Avadi. The proximity of the MTC bus terminus to the railway station has led many commuters to choose Avadi as a transit point. Avadi railway station has the seventh highest footfall in Southern Railways with numbers exceeding 75,000 per day.

Avadi is connected very well with rest of the city by EMU trains. There are frequent suburban trains from Avadi to Chennai Central, Chennai Beach, Arakonam, Thiruvallur, Tiruthani and Velachery. Some trains originate from here as Avadi has an EMU Shed, which handles the majority of the suburban train operations on the Northern and Western line.[16] The Western line has 229 services a day and the North line has 83, which accounts 312 trains.

The Tamil Nadu Highways department issued a GO[17] on 4 October 2013 to extending the entire Chennai – Tiruttani highway to 6 lanes at a cost of 1.68 billion. The first phase will involve extending the road to 4 lanes – 100 ft with center median and encroachments have already started to be removed.[18] The road junction at Avadi Checkpost connects Avadi Poonamallee road with the CTH road.

Avadi bus terminus is located very near to the Avadi railway station on the Chennai - Thiruvallur High Road (CTH road). The depot is situated beside the bus terminal. Services like

 | 70 Avadi - Tambaram
 | 40H(27H) Pattabiram - Annasquare
 | 47D Avadi - Thiruvanmiyur 
 | 150 Avadi - Broadway via Thiruverkadu
 | 70A Avadi - CMBT
 | 40A Pattabiram - Anna Square
 | 77 Avadi - CMBT
 | 572 Avadi - Thiruvallur
 | 572K Avadi - Thiruvallur
 | 580  Avadi - Arani
 | 580M Avadi - Malathur
 | 202  Avadi - Tambaram via Pattabiram

206, 120, 65H, A47, 71H, 266A, 61C, 65, 65E, B70, 71E, S47, S48, S49, S50, S52, S41(A) and S41(B) are handled here.

Avadi is well connected to various locations of Chennai as well as rural areas surrounding North-western and Western Chennai. The main service provider though is the state-owned Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses, few private buses are also available. Frequent buses are available to Ambattur, Anna Nagar west, CMBT, Tambaram, Vandaloor Zoo, Anna Square, Broadway, Poonamallee, Central Railway station, Egmore Railway station, Broadway, Vivekananda House, Mandaiveli, Thiruverkadu, Kunrathur, Redhills, Guindy and Guduvanchery.

Share Autos are one of the popular modes of transport here. Share Autos are mostly spotted near Avadi bus terminal and Checkpost junction. They usually ply till Poonamallee, Karayanchavadi, Pattabiram, Thiruninravur, Anna Nagar, Nungambakkam and Koyambedu

• Government Girls Higher Secondary school
• Government Boys Higher Secondary school
• Holy Immanuel Matriculation School [19]
• Nazareth Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Kamaraj Nagar
• Kendriya Vidyalaya
• Air Force School, Avadi
• Sri Venkateshwara Matriculation Higher Secondary School
• Immaculate Heart of Mary Girls Higher Secondary School
• Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya
• Vijayanta Higher Secondary School
• Vijayanta Senior Secondary School
• Vijayantha Model Higher Secondary School
• St. Joseph's Matriculation School
• DAV Matriculation Higher Secondary School
• D. S. Selvam Matriculation School
• Velammal Vidyalaya
• VGN Chinmaya Vidhyalaya
• Sudharsanam Vidyaashram
• Maharishi Vidya Mandir
• Aditya Vidyashram
• Roman Catholic Mission Matriculation School
• Great Harvest vidyalaya
• St. Pauls Matriculation School
• Nazareth Matriculation Higher Secondary School
• The Nazareth Academy
• Ordnance Clothing Factor school
• RMK Senior secondary school

• Veltech College of Engineering
• Murugappa Polytechnic College [20]
• St Peter's College of Engineering and Technology
• Mahalashmi Women's College of Arts & Science
• Veltech Rangarajan Sangunthala Arts College[21]
• Aalim Muhammed Salegh College of Engineering (Nizara Educational Campus)
• Nazareth College of Arts and Science[22]
• Dharmamurthi Rao Bahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty Hindu College
• S. A. Engineering College
• S. A. College of arts and science

Avadi has a handful of movie theaters in its locality:

• Meenakshi Cinemas
• Remy Cinemas
• Kumaran Cinemas
• Rakki Cinemas

The managing director of Carnival Cinemas, at a press meet during the launch of EVP Carnival Cinemas, Poonamallee, confirmed that EVP Carnival cinemas was coming up with a 5 screen multiplex near Avadi soon. The exact location is not known yet.