Location : In the
south India state of Tamil Nadu, just along the Bay of Bengal.
Major Tourist Attractions : Sri Parthasarathy Temple,
Kapaleeswarar, The Santhomre Cathedral Church, St. Thomas Mount, Fort St.
George, St. Mary's Church, The Snake Park, Kalakshetra, The Theosophical
Society, National Art Gallery, B.M. Birla Planetorium.
Best Buys : Kancheepuram hand woven silk sarees,
exquisite souvenirs in silver, copper, bronzed and wood, available in
various government emporia and private stores or irresistible jewelry made
from uncut precious stones.
Nearby Tourist Destinations : Tirupati, Kerala
Backwaters, Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram, Pondicherry, Andaman & Nicobar,
Kancheepuram.
Best Hangouts : Marina Beach, Kovalam Beach.
About Chennai
Chennai, formerly known as Madras is the capital of Tamil Nadu in the
southern part of India. This fourth largest city in India sprawls over more
than 70 sq km of land. Lying by the Bay of Bengal, Chennai the present
gateway to the South of India, is itself, however, only about 350 years old.
The city has somewhat unkindly described as having three seasons - hot,
hotter and hottest. Indeed, except for four pleasant months, November to
February, the weather is uniformly hot and humid in Chennai.
Particularly charming features of Chennai are its faithfulness to ancient
traditions. It still retains the charm, culture and courtesies of the ages,
something which you may not find in other metropolises of India.
Tourist Attractions
Kapaleeswarar
A masterpiece of Dravidian style, Kapaleeswarar displays the architectural
elements - gopurams, mandapams and a tank. There are some fragmentary
inscriptions dating back to 1250 AD. It is an ancient Shiva temple and is
the biggest temple in Chennai.
Sri Parthasarathy Temple
Sri Parthasarathy Temple is one of the oldest surviving temple in Chennai.
Dedicated to Lord Krishna, the temple was originally raised by the Pallavas
in the 8th century and renovated in the 16th century bt the Vijayanagars. It
houses the five 'avatars' of Lord Vishnu, and has a small temple shrine
dedicated to Vishnu's consort, Vedavalli Ammai.
The Santhomre Cathedral Church
The Santhome Cathedral Church built in 1504, then rebuilt in neo-Gothic
style in 1893, this Roman Catholic Church near Kapaleeshwarar temple is said
to house the remains of St. Thomas the Apostle.
Fort St. George
Built in 1640 AD, Fort St. George was the first bastion of British power of
India. The fort has undergone much alteration. The fort is now used by the
Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat office. The 46m high
flagstaff at the front is actually a mast salvaged from a 17th century
shipwreck.
The Snake Park
The Snake Park with its lizards, crocodiles and turtles is the most
interesting place to visit in Chennai. Well maintained with generous
enclosures, the Snake Park houses a wide variety of reptiles.
The Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society, is set in a tranquil spot on the banks of the
Adyar river. There is a huge banyan tree, with its branches spreading over
an area of 40,000 square ft, where discourses are conducted.
Marina Beach
The
Marina Beach extends to 13 km along the Bay of Bengal. South of the pitiful
aquarium is the Ice House, once used to store massive ice blocks transported
by ship from North America. It later became the venue from which Vivekanand
preached his ascetic philosophy.
Getting There
Air : Chennai is an international airport with flight connections to
all major parts of the world, Domestic airlines connect Chennai with all the
major cities of India.
Rail : Regular train services connect Chennai directly with all
major cities of the country. Suburban Electric trains run from Beach station
to Tambaram and from Central to Gummidipoondi and Arakonam.
Road : Chennai being gateway to the south is connected by excellent
roads to all parts of the south. Taxis, Auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws
are available. all types of tourist vehicle are easily available on hire.
Accommodation
When you will land in Chennai, we will be there to offer you the best of
accommodation facilities, you would expect to get. Accommodations are plenty
here and the comfort is no way less. You can pick from the luxury, deluxe,
semi deluxe, star and budget category hotels, all of which are ideally
designed to give the ultimate satisfaction. The hotels are well appointed
with best of facilities and services.
