Arakkonam is a mid-sized Town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located in the Vellore District about 69 kilometers (43 mi) (via rail) from the state capital of Chennai.
Arakkonam is supposedly one of the hottest towns in India, where the temperature can exceed 43°C (110°F) for several peak days in the summer (Mar, Apr, May, Jun).
The name of the town is believed to have been derived from the Tamil word Aaru konam meaning hexagon (ancient name was "arunthamizh kundram"), since it has six important places on its six sides. These nearby towns include Kanchipuram, Tiruttani, Tiruvalangadu, Thakkolam, Manavoor and Sholingur Paranji.
Arakkonam is one of the important railway junctions in South India. where the Chennai to Mumbai and Chennai to Cochin/ Bangalore railway lines branches out. The town is well-connected by trains with Indian cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa, Trivandrum, Mysore, Mangalore, Palghat, Kanyakumari, Tirupati, Vellore, Coimbatore, Hubli, Ooty.
There is also another railway line to Chengalpattu via Kanchipuram. Many trains coming from the Bangalore side towards Mumbai bypass this station and mostly all trains stop at this junction, except some super fast trains. A frequent suburban electric train facility is also available towards Chennai. The approximate train journey time from Chennai Central to Arakkonam would be around 1 Hr. 10 Mins.
Language
Tamil is spoken by majority of the people. Hindi and Telugu are also spoken, due to the presence of Indian Navy establishments.
Nearby towns/cities
Chennai
Kancheepuram
Chengalpattu
Ranipet
Sholingur
Tiruttani
Tiruvallur
Tindivanam
Vellore
Walajapet
Map
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