¤ Chennai, The Capital City of Tamil Nadu

Chennai, one of the metropolitan cities in India, is often called the cultural capital of India for its deep-rooted traditions and long heritage. The
city is a true reflection of this country's diversity. Chennai has flourished into a charming and welcoming city, in a time span of just over 350
years. This city encourages all forms of development, both modern technology and the traditional arts and crafts, and embraces a series of
paradoxes.

Sprawled over an area of 200 square kilometers with the Bay of Bengal on the east, the city is the gateway to the rest of South India. There
are abundant green patches found amidst the high-tech, high-rise buildings.

Chennai, the fourth largest city in India has a population of around six million. From pre - Independence days to present, the people of
Chennai have played an important role in constructing India's political destiny.

¤ Attractions At Chennai

Chennai is situated by the side of the Bay of Bengal and had been the British trading post for years. Amongst the must visits, well highlighted
by Chennai tourism is the second longest beach in the world - Marina Beach. This beautiful golden beach has shimmering sands that invite
innumerable tourists especially during the evenings. The British East India Company's St. George Fort is a famous landmark of Chennai.
Another colonial structure in the city of Chennai worth visiting is the Santhome Cathedral. For the religious minded people, visit to the
Kapaleeshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parthsarthy Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna is a must. For animal lovers Guindy National
Park and Snake Park of Chennai offer memorable experiences.

Chennai also has the National Art Gallery that offers a good collection of old paintings and sculptures. The Theosophical Society is another
must visit here. The lush green gardens with different shrines of various faiths attract tourists and pilgrims alike to Chennai. Being a
metropolitan city, Chennai celebrates most of the festivals though during the festival of Pongal the place becomes a perfect destination to
visit. The ideal time to visit Chennai is between the months of November to February.

An added attraction in the list of Chennai attractions is the Tidel Park, the home for the Information Technology Industry. It is spread over
1.28 million sq.ft. of built up area. The Tidel Park is an architectural marvel and houses several large national and international software
companies in its premises.

¤ Shopping Delight At Chennai

Shopping in Chennai can be an exciting and satisfying experience. There is a wide variety of traditional and trendy merchandise such as
carvings on brass, stone, wood and ivory, leather bikinis, bags, shoes, etc, available for you to buy. Traditional items from all over Tamil Nadu
can be bought from Chennai like Pattamara Mats and the leaf and palmyra-fiber handicrafts from Tirunellveli, Metal works from Tanjavur,
bronze and brass castings and traditional jewellery from Kumbakonam, stone carvings from Mamallapuram and Silks from Kanchipuram. The
most popular shopping centers in Chennai are at Rannganatha Street in T. Nagar and Anna Salai.

¤ Nearby Excursions

Chennai tourism offers some good excursion options. There are ancient temple towns like Mahabalipuram and Tirupati (in Andhra Pradesh),
traditional townships and villages that specialize in crafts like Kanchipuram, and golden beaches like Covelong.

¤ Reach Chennai

By Air : The Kamaraj Domestic Airport and the Anna International Airport are located at Meenambakkam about 20 kms from the city. Many
major international airlines have regular direct flights to Chennai. Domestic airlines operate daily flights to all major cities of the country from
the domestic terminal.

By Rail : Chennai is connected by rail with all major towns and cities in India. Main Railway Stationsof Chennai are, Chennai Central and
Chennai Egmore. Trains operate from Egmore Junction to different parts of the state while interstate trains originate from Chennai Central
Station.

By Road : Chennai is connected by good network of roads with all important places in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. Many private
vehicles are also available for domestic and interstate transportation. Some major road distances from Chennai to other cities; Bangalore
(334kms), Kolkata (1678kms), Hyderabad (704 kms), Trivandrum(790kms), Delhi (2095 km), Mumbai (1329 kms).
Places to See in Chennai

Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu is a popular tourist destination for people who travel to South India. There are a number of travel
attractions in Chennai, including temples, gardens, museums, caves, beaches, churches, wildlife parks, etc. All these attractions make
Chennai a perfect gateway of South India.

¤ Vivekananda House & Museum

The state government had leased this building to Sri Ramakrishna Mission. It is an imposing structure on the Marina beach along the South
Beach Road. In 1897 Swami Vivekananda visited this city and stayed in this historic building in the year 1897 on his way to Calcutta, after his
acclaimed speech at Chicago for the Parliament of Religions. The Government took over the building in 1930 and in 1963 it was named after
Vivekananda. Photographs depicting the historical happenings associated with his life and books about him and his own written works are on
display and sold here in the Museum.

¤ Gudiyam Caves

The Gudiyam Caves are situated about 17 kms. behind Poondi reservoir in Chennai. Except some adventurous trekkers and the stout
villagers, hardly anyone goes here. The reason is its tough terrain that takes 4 kms. of walk by foot. These prehistoric natural caves are
evidence of the primitive tools that our ancestors had used.

¤ Elliot's Beach

The Elliot beach is a calmer and quieter beach. It is an ideal place for lazy lounging and picnicking on your travel holidays in Chennai. The
beach is situated near Adayar and the sea is safe for swimming.

¤ Fort St. George and St. Mary's Church

Fort St. George is the first fortress of British power in India and was built in 1654 and remodeled in 1749. The fort has a six-meter tall wall
that withstood many invasions by Mughals in 1701, Marathas in 1741 and Hyder Ali during the late 18th century. Now the fort is turned into
the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

The St. Mary church was built in 1678-80 and was the first English church in Chennai. There are reminders in the church of Robert Clive, who
married here in 1753.

¤ Government Museum and National Art Gallery

The Government Museum at Chennai is one of the finest museums in India. It has sections devoted to anthropology, botany, geology,
numismatics, sculpture and zoology. The relics from the 2nd century AD Buddhist site 'Amaravati' and the souvenirs of the prehistoric South
India are the most prized assets of the museum. The museum has a vast collection of carvings of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. There's also
a good collection of South Indian musical instruments and jewelry, that are worth seeing. The bronze gallery that has a superb collection of
ancient icons and modern bronzes are really lucrative.

The Art Gallery at Chennai has a fine collection of paintings, handicrafts and bronze. The collection is housed in a Mughal style building.
Bronzes from 10th and 13th century, Rajasthan and Mughal paintings from 16th and 17th century and Indian handicrafts from 11th and 12th
century are displayed here.

¤ Kapaleswar Temple

The ancient Kapaleshwar temple, situated in Mylapore, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The fragmented inscriptions here dates back to 1250 AD.
But the present temple was rebuilt by Vijayanagar Kings in the 16th century. The magnificent 37m carved 'Gopuram' of gods, goddesses and
saints depict important 'Puranic' legends.

¤ Marina Beach

This popular beach runs for 12 km and is the second longest beach in the world. The beach drive runs between magnificent stately buildings
like the Chetpauk Palace, University of Madras, Icehouse etc. on one side and a very wide sandy beach on the other. The aquarium is at the
beginning of the beach, is another important attraction near the beach.

¤ San Thom Cathedral

Built in 1504 and rebuilt in 1608 and 1893, the cathedral is said to house the remains of Apostle St. Thomas. The basilica has an
tremendously stained glass window and a beautiful one-meter statue of Virgin Mary that was brought from Portugal in 1543.

¤ Sri Parthasarathy Temple

One of the oldest surviving temples in Chennai, the Sri Parthasarathy temple was built by the Pallavas in the 8th century, the temple is
dedicated to Lord Krishna. The Vijayanagar rulers renovated it in the 16th century. During the 16th and 17th centuries, this temple was the
scene of many battles and Golconda, Dutch and French occupied the temple at various times. This is one of the oldest surviving temples in
Chennai.

¤ Valluvar Kottam

This befitting memorial for the poet-sage Thiruvalluvar, a replica of the famed temple chariot of 'Thiruvaroor', was built in 1976. The life size
statue of the sage sits in the 33m chariot with 1330 couplets of Thirukkural inscribed on the panels.

¤ Covelong Beach

Located at a distance of 40 km from Chennai, Covelong is a refreshing beach. It is a quiet peaceful village away from the Hustle Bustle of
Chennai. A best weekend travel getaway from the busy city life, Covelong is famous for its fishing activities.

¤ Anna Zoological Park

This Zoological park is situated on the outskirts of Chennai and is created out of the Reserve Forests of Vandalur to the west of Chennai. In
1855 the first Zoo in India was established in Chennai, near the Central Station. In 1979, this zoo was shifted to the 510-hectare sprawling
location. It presently occupies the slope of a hill. This Zoological Park is said to be one of the biggest in the South East Asia. More than 170
species of mammals, birds and reptiles can be seen here. The lion safari, the elephant ride, and battery-operated vehicles take you around
the park.

Marina Beach
Marina Beach is among the longest beaches in the world and it comprises of sun, sand and surf. Counted among one of the longest beaches in
Asia, it is stretched across a 12-km long area. This beach was given a makeover by Governor Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff in the early
1880's, and is Chennai's major tourist attraction today.

Adjacent to the Bay of Bengal, Chennai has one of the loveliest beaches in India. A walk along the Marina, whether in the morning or evening,
re-energizes one. The old buildings dotting the other side of Kamarajar Salai, a main road along the Marina, bring back memories of good old
British Raj. The Senate House of the University of Madras and the old buildings now housing government offices, such as Ezhilagam and the
Director General of Police office. They wear a mysterious look in the morning when the Sun rises.

Walk along the beach bordered with a green lawn will entice you to go on a leisurely stroll. At the intersections of this promenade stand
beautiful statues of Tamil scholars, patriots, and noted personalities. The Statue of Labour is a beautiful sculpture depicting the efforts of a
team of laborers who are at strenuous, manual work.

¤ Activities At Marina Beach

Located on the eastern side of Chennai, adjoining the Bay of Bengal is the mesmerizing Marina beach. Watching the sun set and rise from the
beach is a fascinating experience.
Bathing and swimming can be dangerous here, as the undercurrent is very strong. But still people come for swimming here. The beach also
offers a lot of water sports opportunities, like, para-sailing, gliding, windsurfing, cruising, etc.

In the evenings, the beach turns into a fair ground with various kinds of entertainment and food stalls lining the beach. One can even shop
around the beach, buying shell and glass baubles to kites and fruit juices. The Marina, is also the venue for important state functions,
accommodate a good number of visitors. There are also facilities of pony rides at the beach site, which attract the children's interest the
most.
¤ Aquarium

Aquarium is located close to the Marina beach, which has some of the most exotic collection of tropical sea fishes and fresh water fishes. The
aquarium offers a chance to have a closer look at the aquatic life. The Ice House, which was used to store ice brought from Great Lakes in
North America, is south to the Aquarium.

¤ Anna and MGR Samadhis

Situated on the beach, the Anna and MGR Samadhis, which are the memorials of the most popular, former Chief ministers of the state;
attracts a good number of visitors everyday.

¤ Attractions Around Marina Beach

Beautiful buildings in Chennai such as the University of Madras, Senate-House, Chepauk Palace, Presidency College, P.W.D office and Ice
House are located on the beach drive. At the other end of the beach is the new lighthouse. In between, sentinels on the promenade, are
several statues of Tamil scholars and two splendid bits of sculpture- the Victory of Labour and the Mahatma Gandhi.