Chennai

Vibrant, exuberant, ever growing and changing every moment, that’s what you can think of Chennai. Among the four metropolis of India, Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu state in India.

Chennai is located on the southeastern coast of India. Earlier called as Madras, the city was established and developed by the British in 1639. It was their important naval base and the coastline stretches to approximately 1100kms.

Regarded as the “Gateway to south”, the city is full of rich heritage of art and culture and still bound the people of Chennai in old traditional and conventional ways.

Though modernity has a huge impact on the city but the culture traditions are deep rooted in the aura and atmosphere of the city.

Chennai has always been actively involved in the formation of India and had a major impact on the politics of India on many occasions in the recent past.

A site to the breathtaking monuments, Chennai welcomes you to soak in the beauty of the place.

Automobile industry has deep roots in the city and Chennai is the second largest exporter of IT in India after Bangalore.

Places to see

Fort St. George

The East India Company built Fort St. George in 1640 under the direct supervision of Francis Day and Andrew Cogon. It was the First Bastion of British Empire in India, named after the patron saint of England. Fort St. George is a marvelous landmark of Chennai as it marked the birth of a new city named Madras. A museum and Saint Mary's Church are the main buildings inside the premises and the tombstones in the courtyard are just impressive.

The nucleus of East India Company’s empire grew with the construction of the building. The structure is supposed to be the oldest construction by the British which has survived the wrath of time.

While taking a tour of Fort St. George, you will be welcomed by Neo Classical Secretariat just inside the Sea Gate which is the seat of Tamil Nadu government these days.

Fort St. George is located on the eastern side of the city and is widely regarded as the birthplace of the modern Indian army.

 

Marina Beach

Comprising of sun, sand and surf, Marina Beach is a place full of heavenly natural sandy beauty, the spacious promenade and beautiful gardens.

Marina Beach is full of activities and a major attraction for the tourists visiting Chennai. It extends up to 13km adjacent to the Bay of Bengal and is among the longest beaches in the world. Sunset and Sunrise reflects of the real beauty of the place and is an absolute delight to watch.

While driving alongside the Marina beach, one will get to see University of Madras, Senate-House, Chepauk Palace, Presidency College, P.W.D office and Ice House.

Several statues of Tamil scholars and huge sculptures of the Victory of Labor and the Mahatma Gandhi can also be found on Marina Beach.

Marina beach is a very significant tourist place in Chennai offering shimmering clean blue sea.

 

San Thome Basilica

Situated near the Marina Beach, Santhome Cathedral is a historical ancient pilgrim place for Christians. It was rebuilt by the Portuguese during 14th & 15th century A D. However, it was a small chirch before that.
St.Thomas, the father of Indian Christianity brought christianity to india. The Basilica is named after St.Thomas who came to India in A.D.52 and was one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. The imposing edifice of the San Thome, is a masterpiece standing tall on the blue backdrop of ocean. St. Thomas was martyred in A.D.72 and was enshrined in a tomb here. The place was awarded the status of a cathedral in 1893.
Calm and tranquility fills the cathedral and your soul, and deep from inside lets you forget the hustle and bustle of outside. A sacred place for the Catholic Christians, the Gothic style of architecture is one of the prominent attractions in Chennai and visited by people from all over the world. The place also has a museum.
Senate House

Located at the campus of University of Madras and near to the Marina Beach, Senate house is one of Chennai's most impressive architectural marvels. It was built in 1873 under the guidance of Robert Fellowes Chisholm who provided the harmonious blend of Indo-Saracenic style and was undoubtedly the best architects of his period. The construction work started in 1869 and it took 4 years to complete it.

The Senate house offers central hall along with a number of rooms. The Senate house is 130 feet long, 58 feet broad and 54 feet in height. The massive stone arched pillars provide support to the big corridors surrounded by four towers on the top rising high at the corners of the building.

Senate House of Chennai is definitely a worth watching monument in Tamil Nadu. It is located at the campus of University of Madras, near the Marina Beach. It is truly an architectural marvel and was constructed under the supervision of one of the greatest architects of the 19th century, Robert Fellowes Chisholm. The foundation of this monument was laid in 1869 and was successfully completed by the year 1873. The Senate House was once the hallmark of the ancient city of Madras.

Still considered one of the highlight of the Chennai city tour, Senate House is a remarkable place to visit.

 

Mamallapuram

Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram, a legacy in stone, and if temples of India fascinate you, the first journey starts from the heritage city of Mamallapuram.

Dating back to the reign of powerful pallava dynasty (7th to 9th Centyry), the temples are among the oldest surviving examples of the rich heritage, art and culture of South India. They were the pioneers of the Dravidian architecture and great builders.

The bastion of Hindu religious architecture and a world apart from that city's grindings, Mamallapuram is one hour drive and is on the Bay of Bengal spreading running parallel to the miles of beaches.

Mamallapuram is enriched with beautiful beaches, 14 rock temples, 9 monolithic shrines, 3 stone temples which also includes the wonderful Shore Temple and 4 different sculpted bas-reliefs.

The major attractions of Mamallapuram are Arjuna's Penance, five different styles of monolithic temples. Shore Temple is the oldest temples in South India showing the great art of pallavan work.

 

Kanchipuram

Once the capital of the three great dynasties i.e Pallavas, Cholas and the seat for Vijayanagar Empire, the temple town of Kanchipuram is known all over the world for extraordinary architectural beauty and heritage.

The glorious Dravidian art flourished during the rule of Pallavas from 6th to 8th century A.D. However, one can see the imprints of Chalukyans and Rastrakutas as the city was captured by them for a short period. The others to rule the city were Cholas, Vijayanagar kings, the Muslims and the British in the last. Buddhism also existed in Kanchipuram as one can find ancient stupas here.

The temples have been the identity of the city and the city has thousand temples. Kanchipuram is one of the most sacred pilgrim place for hindu religion in India.

Kanchipuram is also famous for its best silk and finest silk products in the world.

Major Tourist Attractions in Kanchipuram are:

• The Ekambaranathar Temple
• The Vaikunta Perumal Temple
• The Varadaraja Temple
• The Kailasanathar Temple
• The Kamakshi Amman Temple