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Chennai
[ Edit ] Overview
Chennai the capital of Tamil Nadu in southern India is the 4th largest city in the country and the largest in south India. Formerly called Madras, the city is located on the east coast of India along the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal on the Eastern Coastal Plains. Chennai is popularly called as "Gateway to South India".
The history of this city dates back to the 1st century. Its strategic location made it economically and militarily significant. It was the seat of power for several ancient kingdoms like the Pallava, Chola, Pandya and Vijayanagar empires. In the 17th century it was established as a city under the British rule. It became an important naval base and administrative centre during the British rule. Fort St. George was established as an English settlement and the city expanded around it. The British influences are still dominant in the city in the Indo-Saracenic architecture of the older buildings, in its cathedrals and in its wide tree lined roads.
Today Chennai is a major industrial and commercial center with manufacturing units like car, technology and hardware industry and healthcare industry. ]
It also has an active and prominent involvement in cultural and social activities. The Madras Music Station is the annual festival of Chennai, where renowned artist are invited to perform. Chennai is also an important centre of the famous classical dance, Bharatnatyam. The Tamil Film Industry based in this city and is one of the largest film industries in India.
Chennai has the second longest beach in the world, Marine Beach which is 12 kms long.
[ Edit ] History
Quick Facts
[ Edit ] State
[ Edit ] Location
North east part of Tamil Nadu.
[ Edit ] Best Time To Visit
November and March is the best time to visit Chennai. In general Chennai has a hot and humid climate. The summer months are quite hot with temperature in the range of 40 °C. The cooler months from November to March are a much nicer time to visit Chennai.
[ Edit ] Tourist Offices
Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, Head Office,
Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai, Chennai.
[ Edit ] STD Code
044
Sightseeing
[ Edit ] Fort St. George
Built by the British East India Company in 1640, Fort St. George houses the St. Mary's church, the fort museum, the state legislature and the secretariat.
The secretariat which functions as the seat of the Tamil Nadu government is the first building seen on entering Fort St. George. To the south is the St. Mary's Church, the oldest Anglican church in India, built in 1680. The tombstones in church courtyard are possibly the oldest British tombstones in India. To the north is the Parade Ground where several parades and rallies used to be held. South east corner of the Parade Ground is the Fort Museum set up in the 1780’s. The Museum has 18th century weaponary, paintings, embles etc. The state legislature and secretariat are located at Fort St George.
[ Edit ] George Town
In the 1600 weavers from Andhra Pradesh settled here to manufacture cloth for the East India company. They called it Chennapatnam. Almost a 100 years later the area was rebuilt and renamed George town. It became a commercial hub and stayed as a busy and active part of the city over the years. There are many artistic and beautifully designed buildings in George town that are still in use and have still maintained their grandeur over the years. The red brick High Court complex built in 1892, the general post office with its archways, Parry’s Corner named after Parry and Company built in 1790 by Thomas Parry, Mint Street known for the production of gold coins set up in 1841, Armenian street named after the Armenian population that resided here, Coral Merchant Street named after the Jewish coral traders are some of the streets that make George town unique and intereting.
[ Edit ] Kalakshetra
Located at Thiruvanmiyur, beyond Elliot's beach, is Kalakshetra or 'Temple of Art' founded in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale to train, encourage and revive interest in the dance form of Bharatanatyam. The centre teaches classical dance and music according to the traditional methods and has trained some of the best Indian dancers. The centre holds the Kalakshetra Arts Festival ever year in December or January.
[ Edit ] Kapaleeswarar Temple
Located in the southern part of the city, this temple is among the busiest temples in Chennai. The architecture of the temple is a typical Dravidian style with colorful gopurams. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the outer courtyard of the temple has bronze idols of 63 Saivaite Saints. The temple has some beautiful sculptures, wall paintings and inscriptions. Like many other Hindu temples, non Hindus are only allowed into the outer courtyard.
[ Edit ] Marina Beach & Elliots Beach
Marina Beach is reported to be the second longest in the world at 12 km. This beautiful expanse of clear sand attracts thousands of visitors every day. It however is not safe to swim in the waters of Marina Beach. South of Marina is Elliots Beach which is quite clean and safe for swimming. Access to the beach is closed every night at 10pm.
[ Edit ] San Thome Cathedral Basilica
At the southern end of Marina beach is San Thome Cathedral Basilica which is said to house the remains of St Thomas, the apostle. Originally built in 1504 the church was rebuilt as a cathedral in 1893. The 3ft tall statue of Virgin Mary in the cathedral is said to have been brought from Portugal in the 1500’s. The basilica has beautiful stained glass windows depicting the story of St Thomas.
Planning a Trip
Getting There
[ Edit ] Air
Chennai Airport is less than 10 km from the heart of the city and operates flights to all major domestic and international destinations.
[ Edit ] Rail
The city has two major stations – Central and Egmore – that are linked to all major railway stations in the country.
[ Edit ] Road
Chennai has very good road links to all major cities and towns, with regular luxury express bus services to various destinations. The Jawaharlal Nehru Salai bus terminal at Koyembedu is reported to be the largest in Asia.
[ Edit ] Getting Around
To get around the city there is a choice of buses, trains, taxi and auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws. Buses are fairly cheap and regular but can be very crowded. Auto rickshaws are generally very easily available but they don’t run on meter so it is very important to fix the price before getting in. The local train services are frequent and fast but crowded during peak hours. Cycle rickshaws provide cheap transport but only operate is certain areas. A private taxi can be rented for the day or half a day which is probably the most convenient way to get around the city. These days there are a lot of ‘call taxi’ companies which are very reliable, have air conditioning and run on meter.
[ Edit ] Other Information
Nightlife
There are a few nightclubs and pubs in Chennai. Most nightclubs charge cover charges.
[ Edit ] Shopping
Traditional handicrafts and modern gadgets can be found side by side everywhere. Silks are in great demand here, especially the famous Kanchipuram saris. Women from all over South India come to Chennai to choose from the best selection of these saris. The famous ‘Burma Bazaar’ offers a variety of imported goods at bargain prices. Government run emporiums offer a variety of handicrafts, textiles and other traditional items.
[ Edit ] Food
Chennai has some great eateries serving south Indian food like dosa, vada, sambar etc. But all other big cities in India Chennai has also seen an influx of new restaurants catering to international cuisines.
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