About Chennai City

Chennai is the capital city of Tamil Nadu. It is the fourth largest metropolis of 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 known 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.

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Sight Seeing

Fort St. George:
Fort St. George 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.


San Thome Cathedral Basilica:
San Thome, its named after St Thomas, the apostle of Christ who is believed to have come to Madras sometime during 52 AD. He was killed on St Thomas Mount just outside the city in 78 AD, and was interned in San Thome beach where a church was later built. Several years later, another church was built further inland and his mortal remains were transferred from the old church to the new one. In 1606 the church was rebuilt as a cathedral and in 1896 it was made a basilica. The beautiful stained glass window at the basilica portrays the story of St Thomas and the central hall has 14 wooden plaques depicting scenes from the last days of Christ. In the cathedral is a 3ft. high statue of Virgin Mary which is believed to have been brought from Portugal in 1543.

Theosophical Society:
It is a world headquarters of the Theosophical Society, formed to facilitate and encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy and science is situated in beautiful sylvan settings in Adyar. The society was founded by Madame Blavatsky and Col. Olott in USA, and later moved to Adyar in 1882. Apart from shrines of all faiths and the peaceful Garden of Remembrance, there is a 95-year old library which has a very good collection of rare Oriental manuscripts written on palm leaves and parchment.

Along Elliot's Beach:
It is a south from Marina one will come to Elliot's beach where you can spend a few hours relaxing. At the end of this beach are the Velankanni church and the Ashtalakshmi temple. Though the church is much smaller than the original one at Velankanni it attracts its own share of pilgrims. The Ashtalakshmi temple dedicated to goddess Lakshmi looks quite different from the usual South Indian temples as it is a modern granite tier construction, not even 20 years old.

Kalakshetra:
It was founded in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale to train, encourage and revive interest in Bharatanatyam which is the classical dance form of the state. This institution is among the finest of its kind in the country and is run on the ancient gurukulam system. Throughout the year Kalakshetra conducts music recital and dance performances in different parts of Chennai.

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.

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. The auditorium at Valluvar Kottam is said to be the largest in Asia and can accommodate about 4000 people. It stands as a modern memorial to the great poet who represents the glorious culture of the Tamils.

Fort St. George:
Built in 1640 AD, it was once the bastion of the British Raj. It now houses the State Legislature and the Secretariat.

St. Mary's Church:
The oldest Anglican Church in the country, was consecrated in 1679.

Marina:
Marina Beach,the pride of Chennai, is the second largest beach in the world and has a wide sandy foreshore.Situated on the beach ,the Anna and MGR samadhis which are the memorials of the most popular former Chief Ministers of the State attract good crowd everyday. An aquarium is also located on the Marina Beach. Some of the most beautiful buildings in Chennai such as the University of Madras,Senate-House,Chepauk Palace, Presidency College, P.W.D office and Ice House are located on the beach drive.

Kapaleswarar 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.Also in the courtyard under the old Punnai tree is a small shrine depicting Goddess Parvathi in the form of a Peacock Worshipping Lord Shiva.It is from this legend that Mylapore derived it's name -'myil' meaning peacock and 'oor' meaning town.Mylapore swarms with life during the Arupathu Moovar festival that is held in March-April every year.

Sri Parthasarathy Temple:
This temple in Triplicane is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temple was originally built by the Pallavas in the 8th century A.D. though additions were later made to it by the Chola and Vijayanagara kings.

Santhome Cathedral Basilica:
This gothic style cathedral is built above the tomb of St. Thomas.

Theosophical Society:
The world Headquarters of the Theosophical Society. The big Banyan tree in its compound, is the main tourist attraction.

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EXCURSION

V.G.P Golden Beach Resort:

It is popular not just with the people of the city, but also with tourists. There is an entertainment arcade for children and for adults. There are folk dance performances apart from an Art Centre which sells handicrafts and articles made out of sea shells. The beach is clean and ideal for sun-bathing.

Vandalur:
It is the largest zoological park in South Asia and has a rich variety of different species of mammals, reptiles and birds. The animals roam in natural surroundings and there is also a special enclosure for nocturnal creatures.

Kanchipuram (75 kms.):
Kancheepuram has a plethora of temples, each one unique in its own way.Besides being the Golden City of temples,Kancheepuram has for over four centuries, been famous for its weavers who till today weave sarees using the best quality silk and pure gold thread. It has been the centre of culture and learning and Adhi Shankaracharya, one of the famous Gurus of India has established his ashram (Kamakoti Peetam) here.

Mamallapuram (58 kms.):
It is built in the 7th century, this ancient Pallava port is the site of several antique sculptural marvels. The only remaining shore temple is a spectacular two-spired shrine which is unique in that it houses shrines for Vishnu and Shiva.

Vedanthangal (85 kms.):
Vedanthangal is one of the largest bird sanctuaries in India. It is a marshy, 30 hectare park with lake visited by over 1,00,000 migratory birds every year. The majority of these birds can be seen between November and February. The variety of birds include Herons, Darters, Spoonbills, Pelicans, Sandpipers, White Ibis, Cormorants,Blue winged teals and Swans.

Crocodile Bank: (44 kms.):
This crocodile breeding and research centre is run by Romulus Whittaker. Here several species of Indian and African crocodiles and alligators are bred in captivity.The reptiles are kept in their natural habitat in open pools and can be viewed from safe proximity. This farm breeds crocodile to augment the crocodile population of the wildlife sanctuaries.

Muttukadu: (36 kms):
It id founded by the Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation to serve as a scenic picnic spot and a centre for watersports.In February every year, a windsurfing regatta is organised in Muttukadu.Competitions in windsurfing and other watersports are also held. Training and demonstration programmes are held for youth.

Covelong: (48kms):
The remains of the Fort have now been converted into a luxury beach resort which offers facilities for windsurfing and swimming. An ancient Catholic Church , a mosque and the ruins of the Fort.

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