Among the following major Indian ports, which one is widely known as an artificial port of India?

Introduction / Context:
Indian geography questions often cover important seaports and their characteristics, such as whether they are natural, tidal, riverine, or artificial. Knowing which port falls into which category helps in many competitive exams. This particular question asks you to identify the Indian port that is classically described in textbooks as an artificial port, meaning that it was largely developed through human engineering rather than relying only on naturally protected harbour conditions.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The options are Haldia, Chennai or Madras, Mangalore, and Kandla.
- The question is asking which of these ports is widely referred to as an artificial port of India.
- We assume standard school geography classifications of Indian ports into natural, tidal, and artificial categories.

Concept / Approach:
An artificial port is one that has been significantly created or improved by human construction of breakwaters, docks, and harbour basins, rather than being naturally sheltered. Chennai (formerly Madras) on the Coromandel Coast is commonly cited in Indian geography textbooks as a major artificial harbour because its port facilities were developed through extensive engineering works along an otherwise straight and unsheltered coast. The other ports have different characteristics, such as being riverine or tidal, but the textbook label “artificial port” is closely associated with Chennai.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall examples of natural harbours like Mumbai, which benefit from a naturally sheltered bay. Step 2: Recall that Chennai lies on the east coast where the shoreline is largely straight and does not provide a natural harbour, so large breakwaters and harbour structures had to be constructed. Step 3: Recognize that this heavy human intervention is why Chennai is known specifically as an artificial port in many exam guides. Step 4: Review the other options: Haldia is a riverine port near Kolkata, Kandla is a tidal port on the western coast, and Mangalore has favourable natural conditions. Step 5: Conclude that “Chennai or Madras” is the correct answer as the artificial port.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you have studied classification tables in NCERT or similar textbooks, you will often see a row listing Chennai as an example of an artificial harbour. You can mentally review the list of west coast ports versus east coast ports, remembering that many natural harbours are on the west coast, while Chennai stands out on the east coast as largely man made. This cross check supports the conclusion that Chennai or Madras is rightly called an artificial port.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Haldia: Haldia is a riverine port near the confluence of the Hooghly River and the sea, and it is typically classified differently, not primarily as an artificial port in textbooks.
- Mangalore: Mangalore benefits from natural harbour conditions and is more accurately described as a natural port on the Karnataka coast, not as the classic artificial harbour example.
- Kandla: Kandla in Gujarat is primarily referred to as a tidal port due to its location in the Gulf of Kachchh, and is not the example usually associated with the term “artificial port” in basic geography questions.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to confuse “artificial port” with “major port” or “tidal port” and to choose Kandla or Haldia simply because they are important in trade. Another mistake is to think that because Chennai is on a long coastline it must be natural, forgetting that the straight, unprotected Coromandel Coast required significant engineering work to make a safe harbour. To avoid confusion, always remember that textbooks specifically highlight Chennai (Madras) as the classic artificial port example in India.

Final Answer:
The port widely known as an artificial port of India is Chennai or Madras.