Chennai City Travel
Chennai is a city where the traditional and the modern blend in life everywhere.
From traditional vegetarian fair to fast foods, from nine-yard sarees to the
latest in fashion, from ancient temple architecture to modern high-rise - with
Indo-Saracenic and Victorian as stops along the way - from classical music and
dance to discos throbbing to heady beats, Chennai has them all and many more
vivid contrasts that are a pleasant surprise. And perhaps the most striking
of them all is that here is a modern metropolis with beaches, parks and even
sanctuaries in the heart of the City. Chennai offers a wealth of nature and
a rich historic past to visitors in the ambience of a city with every modern
facility.
Chennai the gracious capital city of Tamil Nadu is the fourth largest metropolis
in India. Located on a 17km stretch of the Coramandel coast, the city is trisected
by the waterways of Cooum and Adyar and the Buckingham Canal. With a population
of 6 million people, Chennai is a vibrant city ever growing, expanding and changing
every year.
Popularly regarded as the "Gateway to the South", Chennai presents culture that
is distinctly different from that of northern India. Music, dance and all other
art forms of the South are cherished and nurtured in this city which, though
industrialized, continues to be traditional and conventional in many ways.
The region of Chennai was called Tondaimandalm in those days and had its military
headquarters at Puzhal, which is now a small and rather insignificant village
on the outskirts of the city.
Modern Chennai grew out of a small village when in 1639 a fishing hamlet called
Madraspatnam was selected by early English merchants of the East India Company
as a site for the settlement.
Chennai is a gracious city that has a clear skyline, long sandy beaches, parks,
historic landmarks and tourist infrastructural facilities which make it a convenient
entry point or base to start your tour of Tamil Nadu and South India. Where
religion is concerned, history has certainly left its mark on this city which
is believed to have been the place of St. Thomas, in the outskirt of the city.
There are a number of churches in Chennai that are connected with the life and
times of this apostle. There are also several ancient temples around Chennai,
and, within the city itself are two magnificent temples - a temple in Triplicane
and another in Mylapore.
Places to See
Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple : Not far from Triplicane, in Mylapore, there
is yet another 8th century Pallava temple. The temple 'Gopuram'(tower) is characteristic
of Dravidian style architecture .Dedicated to Lord Shiva,this temple has some
beautiful sculptures,among which the bronze idols of 63 Saivite Saints(Nayanmars)
which adorn the outer coutyard are rare specimens.
Guindy National Park : Once this was all part of Governor's Estate. Now
it is fragmented and the major part is a thickly forested game sanctuary where
the spotted deer and the black buck roam about and a wealth of smaller fauna
thrive. This is the country's only Wild Life Sanctuary within a city's limits.
Fort ST. George : Fort St. George occupies a place of pride and prominence
in Chennai. It was built in 1640 AD, by the British East India Company under
the direct supervision of Francis Day and Andrew Cogon. This bastion achieved
name from St. George, the patron saint of England. The fort houses St. Mary's
Church and fort museum.
Government Museum Complex : Once British Society in Chennai used to meet
in the Pantheon. Its 18th century buildings and grounds have over the years
since then been developed into the Connemara Library, one of the country's three
National Libraries, the national Art Gallery, a beautiful building of Jaipur-
Mughal architecture.
Valluvar Kottam : The memorial to the poet-saint Tiruvalluvar is shaped
like a temple chariot and is, in fact, the replica of the temple chariot in
Thiruvarur. A life-size statue of the saint has been installed in the chariot
which is 33m. tall. The 133 chapters of his famous work Thirukkural have been
depicted in bas-relief in the front hall corridors of the chariot.
Birla Planetarium : The Birla Planetarium at Kotturpuram, between Adyar
and Guindy, is the most modern planetarium in the country. Adjoining the planetarium
is a Periyar Science and Technology Museum which will be of interest to students
and other science scholars.
The Marina : Stretching two miles, from the Coovum River's mouth, south
of the Fort, till the northern boundaries of the 16th century Portuguese town
of San Thome, is this magnificent beach drive and promenade. At the southern
end of the Marina is the San Thome basilica, built in 1896.
How to Reach
Air:
Kamaraj National and Anna International Airports are situated at Meenambakkam
about 20 kms. from city. Can also be reached by suburban train services. Alight
at Tirusulum. You must travel light and walk a km to airport.
Rail:
Chennai is connected by rail with all major towns and cities in India. Main
Railway Stations: Central and Egmore. Central linking north and west and Egmore
south.
Road:
Chennai is connected by good network of roads with all important places in Tamil
Nadu and other parts of India. You may rent a car with popular private cab owners.
White plated taxis ply 5 people on contract. Pre-paid taxis and airport coaches
are available at airports.
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