Map - Pallavaram (Pallāvaram)

Pallavaram (originally Pallava Puram) is a residential neighborhood of Chennai, India. Pallavaram was a part of Alandur until August 2015 and since then a new taluk with headquarters at Pallavaram was created. The town is known for its cantonment and bustling residential colonies and is served by Pallavaram railway station of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. It was merged with Tambaram Municipal Corporation.

Pallavaram has a long history and has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age. The town derives its name from the Pallava settlement of Pallavapuram of which it used to form a part. The cantonment and aerodrome were established during British rule. The British also carried out charnockite mining activities on Pallavaram Hill.

Pallavaram is considered to be one of the oldest inhabited places in South India. A major archaeological find was made in the year 1863 when the British archaeologist Robert Bruce Foote discovered a stone implement from the Paleolithic Age inside a ballast pit. Since then, a number of Stone Age artifacts have been uncovered. Most of these artifacts are currently lodged in the Egmore museum.

Together with Chromepet, the Pallavaram area was referred to as "Pallavapuram." The present-day town of Pallavaram has its origins in the settlement of arshad which existed during the time of the 8th century Pallava king Mahendravarman I. The Pallavas have left titles in early Pallava script at the cave temple in Pallavaram which date back to 600 CE. The remains of a cave shrine constructed by the Pallava ruler have been found at the spot where an Islamic dargah now stands.

Both the Mughal Empire and the British East India Company had their cantonments in Pallavaram. During the 17th century, Pallavaram remained dependent for sometime, upon the Portuguese colony of San Thome. During the 18th century, the British established a cantonment at Pallavaram, supplementary to the one at St. Thomas Mount. A wireless station was established in the early years of the 20th century. The Madras aerodrome was opened at Pallavaram in 1929.