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Area
172 sq.kms.
Population 4,428,900
Main Languages Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi,
Urdu and English
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| Chennai
(formerly known as Madras), the largest city in South India
and the fourth largest city in the country, is located on
what is popularly called the Coromandel Coast of the Bay
of Bengal. Chennai is really a lot more than the Gateway
to South India. The varied aspects of traditional South
Indian culture existing alongside the lifestyle of a modern
city complete with its plush hotels, restaurants offering
a range of continental to typical South Indian cuisine,
long and uncrowded stretches of beaches, modern shopping
malls, cinema halls. While moving around in the city one
cannot overlook the obvious british influence which is so
evident in the various cathedrals, buildings in Indo-Saracenic
style of architecture, wide tree lined avenues. the undeniable
English legacy but Chennai has retained its traditional
Tamil Hindu culture
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How
To Get There
By
Air:
The Kamaraj National and Anna International
Airports are situated at Tirusulam about 20km from the city.
They are connected to most cities in India and the world.
By Rail: Chennai
is a major railhead and is connected by rail with all major
towns and cities in India. The main railheads are Central
and Egmore.
By Road: A
good network of roads connects Chennai with all the important
places in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. Bus services
are available. |
Getting
Aroung The City
From
the Airport:
One can take a pre-paid taxi or a
bus to town. Auto-rickshaws are also available.
From the Railway station:
Taxis, buses, auto-rickshaws, rickshaws
and suburban electric trains are available to all parts
of the city.
From the Bus station:
You have the option of taking a local
bus, a taxi or an auto-rickshaw. |
Attraction
In and Around
ANNA
SQUARE
| Anna
Square which is at the northern end of the Marina Beach.
It is located in the centre of a beautiful park, the entrance
to which is a spectacular contemporary-style arch in the
shape of twin converging elephant tusks. Here the mortal
remains of Dr. C.N. Annadurai, former Chief Minister of
Tamil Nadu was buried. |
B.M.
BIRLA PLANETARIUM
| B.M.
Birla Planetarium located at Kottur in Chennai, houses a
modern fully computerised projector which depicts the heaven
on a hemisperical dome. The planetarium presents to the
visiting public and students audio-visual programmes on
various themes in astronomy. |
BIG
MOSQUE
| This
mosque is definitely one of the most attractive ones in
South. It was built in 1795 of grey granite rather than
wood of steel |
CHILDREN'S
PARK
| Children
Park is on Sardar Patel Road, the main attractions of the
Park are the elephant and pony rides |
CHENNAI
MUSEUM
| The
Chennai Museum established in the year 1857, is undoubtedly
one of the country's best museums. It has sections devoted
to geology, archeology, anthropology, numistics, botony,
zoology and sculpture besides which there is a good collection
of arms and armour as well as several other specimens of
anthropological interest. Museum exhibits from the Stone
and Iron ages, exquisite carvings and a fairly large collection
of South Indian musical instruments and jewellery |
CROCODILE
BANK
| On
the way to Mahabalipuram at 42 km point from Chennai is
the Crocodile Bank. This is a farm where several species
of Indian and African Crocodiles and alligators are bred
in' captivity |
DASH
'N' SPLASH
| South
India's exclusive water park Dash 'n' Splash, 30 Kms from
Central Station has wave spiral and free fall slides and
flumes from height of 12ft to 35ft |
DEV
CENTRE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
| An
exquisite collection of ancient and modern musical instruments,
both original and prototype can be found here |
ELLIOT'S
BEACH
| This
beach is comparatively quieter and an ideal place to go
sea bathing, ideal for sunset strolls. It is located near
Besant Nagar. The road down south from Marina leads to the
alluringElliot's beach. The shore is an enjoyable stretch
for fun and leisure and is frequented during the sweltering
summer months. The Astalakshmi temple and Velankani Church
are revered spots of faith on the shores. |
FILM
CITY
| Here
several sets of artificial sceneries like forest, water
fall, market place etc., are built here to serve as background
for the shooting of films. This is a specially designed
to serve the film industry |
FISHERMAN'S
COVE
| A
picturesque fishing village en route to Mamallapuram, Fisherman's
Cove has an idyllic golden beach and a charming luxury hotel
beach resort that has been integrated with the remains of
the fort built by Nawab of Carnatic. The resort offers delicious
sea food and facilities for swimming and windsurfing |
FORT
ST. GEORGE
| Fort
St. George originally was built by the British East India
Company in 1653. It was one of the first bastions of British
Power in India. Fort St. George's towering flagstaff is,
even today, the tallest in India. Fort marks the beginning
of Madras as a modern city. Today the fort is used by the
state legislative assembly and as the secretarial offices
of the Tamil Nadu government |
GOVERNMENT
MUSEUM
| This
Government Museum is loacted on Pantheon Rd, between Egmore
and Anna Salai, It is a grand repository of ancient historical
treasures. The buildings originally belonged to a group
of eminent British citizens, known as the pantheon Committee,
in charge of improving the social life of the British in
Madras |
GUINDY
NATIONAL PARK
| Guindy
National Park with rare species of the Indian antelope (black
buck), along with spotted deer, mongoose, civet cats, jackals
and a variety of monkeys provides some excitement |
GURUDWARA
| Sri
Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha at T.Nagar is a placeof remarkable
serenity and traquility |
HIGH
COURT BUILDING
| The
High court building was built in 1892, it is built in red
Indo-Saracenic design at Parry's Corner is the main landmark
in George Town. It is said to be the largest judicial building
in the world after the Courts of London |
ICE
HOUSE
| Ice
house, this relic of the Raj era was used to store enormous
blocks of ice cut from the Great Lakes in the northern USA
and shipped to India for refrigeration purposes |
JAIN
TEMPLE
| Jain
temple is two-tiered,70' high temple is built of lime-and-
soapstone and marble giving it a dazzling appearance |
KISHKINTA
| Offers
among other amusuments hi-tech ones like space shuttle,
wave pool, white water, flume ride, Kiddies Kingdom |
KALAKSHETRA
| A
renowed school for learning arts and crafts, Kalakshetra
was founded in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale. A section
of the institute is famed for its sarees and textiles woven
in traditional patterns. The students and their teachers
live within the campus so as to have a truly rewarding experience.
It is devoted to the revival of traditional dance, textile
designing, and weaving which are taught in naturally harmonious
environs. Visitors may fix an appointment with the concerned
authorities prior to the visit. |
KAPALEESWARAR
TEMPLE
| An
exquisite depiction of Dravidian architecture is Kapaleeswarar
temple. This 8th centuryPallava temple dedicated to Lord
Shiva is situated in the traditional part of Madras at Mylapore.
It is believed that Parvati in the from of peacock worshipped
Lord Shiva at this spot. This ancient Shiva temple is a
delightful introduction to Dravidian temple sculpture and
architecture. The magnificent 37 m tall gopuram is profusely
carved. The crowded cosmogeny of stucco gods, goddesses
and saints depict important Puranic legends. The Punnai
tree in the temple courtyard is one of oldest trees in Chennai
and shades a small shrine depicting the legend that gave
Mylapore its name. Parvati is worshipped in this temple
as Karpagambal. The Kapaleeswarar temple is famous for being
the site of a miracle when Saint Gnanasambandar sang to
resurrect a dead girl. This miracle is sculpturally represented
in the shrine of the saint in front of the temple flagmast.
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LITTLE
FOLKS
| A
great amusement complex for children. Has a Giant-Piano.
Toy Train, Rainbow Fountain,Slide-into-pool, Cartoon show
& Paddle-Pool. It is 46 Kms towards Mahabalipuram. |
MADRAS
UNIVERSITY
| Madras
University is just opposite to Anna Square. Its ground and
buildings are examples of the Indo-lslamic style of architecture |
MARINA
BEACH
| Marina
which extends for 13 km is the pride of Madras. The City's
Marina Beach, bordered by gardens, lies just to the South
of the War Memorial. It is claimed to be the second largest
in the world |
MGR
MEMORIAL
| MGR
MEMORIAL where M.G.Ramachandran, former Chief Minister of
Tamilnadu was buried. Located on the Marina Beach adjacent
to Anna Square |
NATIONAL
ART GALLARY AND MUSEUM
| Chennai
National Art Gallery was originally intended to be a memorial
to queen Victoria. An impressive certal dome flanked a series
of smaller domes supported by pillars on each side. After
independence, it became an art Gallery in 1951. It was established
in 1857, the museum can justify its claim to being one of
India's best. It houses various sections on geology, archaeology,
numismatics, anthropology, botany and zoology. There is
also a fine collection of sculpture and armoury in the museum.
It is open on all days except Fridays from 8 am to 5 pm. |
PARTHASARATHY
TEMPLE
| Sri
Parthasarathy Temple located at Triplicane High Road. This
Hindu Temple, devoted to Lord Krishna, was built in the
8th Century by Pallava King. Enshrined here is Lord Krishna
an incarnation of Vishnu. It houses the idols of the five
avataras of Sri Vishnu and has a small temple shrine dedicated
to Vishnu's consort called Vedavalli Ammai in this part
of the country |
PRIME
TIME
| Annanagar,
Extravagant indoor amusement park, especially for children
packed with bumper carrides,play pens and all sorts of new
games |
RAJIV
GANDHI MEMORIAL
| Place
were Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. Also the birth place
of Sri Ramanujar, the Vaishnavite saint |
RIPON
BUILDING
| A
palatial white building west to the central station, "Ripon
Building", housing the oldest city corporation in India.
The Chennai Corporation, the first in India, was created
in 1687 by a Royal Charter of James II. The building which
was constructed in 1913, was named after Lord Ripon, a former
Governor General of India |
SAN
THOME BASILICA
| It
is located at the Southern end of Marina Beach is the one
of Chennai's historic landmarks, the SanThome Cathedral.
It is named after the apostle of Chirst, St. Thomas. San
Thome Cathedras of today is dominated by a towering neo
gothic spire which is 55 metres high.Close to the seashore,
the impressive Basilica is built over the tomb of St.Thomas
which contains in it's crypt a small hand bone of the Apostle
and the head of a lance which is said to have been used
in the attack on him |
SNAKE
PARK
| The
famous Snake Park. Adjacent Childrens' park is the interesting
park. The snake park houses a vast variety of reptiles,
ranging from the dark deadley 'King Cobra' 'Banded' Krait'
to puff adders', vipers, pythons and allegators. The snake
park will interest visitors of all ages |
ST.
MARY'S CHURCH
| St
Mary's Church was originally about 60'*90', had outer walls
4' thick and a bombproof curved roof. It is the oldest Anglican
church in Asia built in 1680 AD is the St. Mary's Church
that conjures up images of the British era. Names of bygone
Englishmen are engraved on the pillars. The tombstones in
the courtyard are in fact the oldest British monuments in
the country. The church continues to be an important place
of worship |
ST.THOMAS
MOUNT
| It
is situated near the Airport, the small hillock is believed
to be the place where the apostle was killed by his assassins.
A place of pilgrimage, St.Thomas Mount is located near meenambakkam.
The paintings of "The Holy Lady and The Child" in the church
and "Our Lady of Expectations" are widely believed to have
been painted by St.Thomas himself |
THEOSOPHICAL
SOCIETY
| The
world Headquarters of the spiritual society Founded by Col.
Olcott and Madame Blavatsky in New York, USA. In 1886 Adayar
was chosen as the headquarters of this spiritual movement,
headquarters was shifted to Adyar, Madras. It is lying on
the banks of the Adyar river is the international headquarters
of the Theosophical Society known for its Indological Research
Centre. The famous library here is a priceless storehouse
of rare manuscripts and books of all faiths. It is more
than 120 hectares of gardens |
THOUSAND
LIGHTS MOSQUE
| Built
in mid-1800's in the land donated by Nawab Wallajah, this
mosque last rebuilt in 1981, hastwo 64' tall minarets. The
mosque also houses a library, a urial ground and a guest
houses. |
VALLUVAR
KOTTAM
| Valluvar
Kottam, shaped like a temple chariot is a memorial to the
Tamil Saint Tiruvalluvar. The immense stone structure at
Nungambakkam built in 1976 has alife-like statue of the
saint. A life size statue of Thiruvalluvar is seen in the
shrine. It is located at the junction of Kodampakkam High
Road and Valluvar Kottam Road.The auditorium attached to
this complex is one of the largest in Asia |
VEDANTHANGAL
BIRD SANCTUARY
| Vedanthangal
bird sanctuary is the 85 Kms south of madras which is one
of the major ones inindia. Every year during the rainy season
an average of 1,00,000 birds come here. |
VELANKANNI CHURCH
| This
church is in honour of Our Lady of Health,the Madonna of
Velankanni |
VGP GOLDEN BEACH
| A
popular beach resort and amusement park filled with children's
games, is 30 Kms from Madras |
VICTORY
WAR MEMORIAL
| Victory
War Memorial which housed the coastal battery and was formerly
called 'Cupid's Bow the Memorial honours those who have
laid down their lives for their country since the First
World War. It is adjacent to the Fort St. George. |
Getting
in, Around & Away
WATER
Currently on boat, the MV Nancowry, which sails from Chennai
every 10 or so days to Port Blair, on South Andaman. The trip
takes about 52 hours. Once a month, the boat sails via Car Nicobar.
This voyage takes an extra two days. Tickets are issued at the
Directorate of Shipping Services at 6 Rajaji Salai (opposite
the Customs House) in George Town. Foreigners must get a permit
for the islands before they buy a boat ticket
AIR
Chennai is an international arrival point and an important domestic
airport. The Anna International Airport is well organised and
not too heavily used, making Chennai a good entry or exit point.
In additon to the flights from Chennai, Domestic Airlines, East
West Airlines flies daily to Mumbai and Delhi; Modiluft has
daily flights to Mumbai and six times a week to Hyderabad Damania
Airways flies daily to Mumbai and Calcutta; and Jet Airways
has services twice daily to Mumbai
RAIL
The train reservation office is at Central station on the 2nd
floor of the building adjacent to the station. In this booking
hall, you can also make reservations for trains originating in
Ahmedabad, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Patna, Pune
and many other places. Here is the 'Tourist Cell', which deals
with Indrail Pass and tourist - quota bookings. This 'cell' is
immensely useful for foreign visitors unfamiliar with the Indian
Railways system. The reservation office is open Monday to Saturday
from 8 am to 2 pm and 2.15 to 8 pm; Sunday from 8 am to 2 pm
ROAD
The Tamil Nadu state bus company, Thiruvalluvar Transport Corporation
(TTC), and its bus terminal are on Esplanade Rd in George Town,
around the back of the High Court building. Interstate buses,
which are run by the affiliated Jayalalitha Jayaram Transport
Corporation (JJTC), also leave from here. The state bus stand
is on the other side of Prakasam Rd. The main reason to use this
stand is for buses to Mahabalipuram. Number of private bus companies
run superdeluxe video buses on a daily basis to cities such as
Bangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy
CLIMATE
Summer Max 37 C, Min 22.1 C Winter Max 32 C, Min 19.8
Tourist Information Center
India Tourism Development Corporation.
Unit Ashok Travels and Tours, 29, Victor Crescent, C-IN-C Road,
Tel.: +91 44 28211782. Fax: +91 44 28250611
Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation
TTDC Sales Counter, 143, Anna Salai.
Tel.: +91 44 25383333, 25389857, 25360294 Fax: +91 44 25361385, 25381567
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