| Indian City Information,
Travel to Indian Cities, City In India, Hotels in India, Tourism in
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Madras,
or Chennai as it is now called, is known as the Gateway of Southern
India. The East India Company developed Chennai as one of the
major trading centres in India. Chennai has a blend of Dravidian
and Gothic architecture in its buildings. The city might have
grown but it has never lost its traditional grace and charm.
The Tamil society might have incorporated English culture but
the Dravidian roots are as strong as ever.
Chennai is the epitome of tradition, culture and life-style
of Southern India. But like the rest of India, Chennai has over
the years, developed its share of urban style and modernity.
Accommodation and transportation are cheap and efficient. It
is very likely that the temples that you will visit in Chennai
are unlike any other that you have seen before. Visit the 4.5
km long Golden Marina beach,one of the longest beaches in the
world.
Unlike Mumbai, the Chennai port is not a natural harbour. Nevertheless,
this man-made port is very modern and efficient in handling
cargo and other traffic. Today Chennai is the fourth largest
city in India and commands a major share in the trade from the
South.
Population : About 5.9 Million
Climate : Chennai has a very hot tropical climate. The
temperature variation between winters and summers is minimal.
Rainfall is timely and tends to be heavy during the monsoons.
Proximity to the sea makes the atmosphere heavy and humid. The
summers are sultry and hot while winters are warm. As such Chennai
has enough to offer a year round tourist season and one can
visit the place any time.
Best times to visit : Between November and February
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| Places of Interest
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Fort St.
George
Fort St. George was among the first few bastions built by the
East India Company to protect its interests in India. This fortification
also marks the beginning of Madras (Chennai) as a modern city.
Kapaleeswarar Temple
Chennai has many temples and each one of them is worth a visit.
One of the largest and oldest temples in Chennai, the Kapaleeswarar
temple has inscriptions from the 13th century A.D. and is dedicated
to Lord Shiva. The architectural style of the temple is one
of the best examples of Dravidian architecture. The walls and
pillars of the temple are very delicately and intricately carved
and depict scenes from Hindu mythology.
Sri Parthasarathy Temple
This 8th century temple was built by the Pallavas and is dedicated
to Lord Krishna and houses images of the five avatars (incarnations)
of Vishnu. It also has a small shrine dedicated to Vishnu's
consort Vedavalli Ammai. The temple was renovated in the 16th
century by the Vijayanagar kings.
Little Mount Shrine
If you like visiting places of both historical and religious
interest, the Little Mount Shrine is perfect. It is said that
St. Thomas lived and preached from this place.
St. Thomas Mount
The apostle is believed to have been killed by his assassin
on this hill. St. Thomas Mount remains a landmark in Chennai.
The Snake Park
One of the largest and best snake parks in India, the Chennai
Snake Park attracts visitors of all ages. The collection of
reptiles and Indian snakes is quite amazing. One can watch the
snakes being fed, their venom being removed and if one is not
squeamish about snakes, can touch them too.
The Marina Beach
Golden sands, good surf and a simmering clean sea is what one
can expect to find on one of the longest beaches in Asia. Take
along your sun tan lotions though.
The Theosophical Society
Chennai is head quarters to the Theosophical society in India.
The society was initially located in the USA but was later shifted
to Chennai. The huge Banyan tree spanning 40,000 sq. ft serves
as the place where discourses are given. This place houses shrines
of almost all faiths and a 95 year old library with a rare collection
of books and manuscripts, many of which are written on palm
leaves and parchments.
Kalakshetra
Meaning the 'Centre of Arts', the Kalakshetra was established
to train people in the traditional dance form, Bharatanataym.
Founded by Rukmani Devi in 1936 to encourage and arouse interest
in this classical dance, this temple has developed into an institution
devoted to the revival of traditional dance, textile designing
and weaving, taught in its natural harmonious environs.
Birla Planetarium
Equipped with fully computerised projectors to depict the world
beyond earth, the Birla Planetarium is one of the most modern
planetariums in the country. It makes audio-visual presentations
to the public and students on various themes in astronomy. These
presentations are made in a manner that introduces even the
basic of laymen to the mysteries of the universe.
Valluvar Kottam
A memorial to the immortal Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar, this
landmark is located at Nungambakkam. The shrine is a replica
of the chariot temple of Thiruvarur. A life size statue has
been installed on the chariot. It also has an auditorium, which
can accommodate 4000 people at a time and is the largest in
Asia.
National Art Gallery and Government Museum
The museum houses a fine collection of items in various sections
of geology, archaeology, numismatics, anthropology, botany and
zoology.
EXCURSIONS:
Mamallapuram
A site of many ancient sculptural marvels, Mamallapuram was
the port city of the Pallavas. The Pallavas had mastered the
art of construction without using bricks or mortar, carving
out exquisite sculptures from rocks. The best example of their
art here are the five monolith chariots, the pride of Mamallapuram.
The various panels on the walls depict scenes from Hindu mythology
and fables from the Panchtantra. Located 61 kms from Chennai,
it is now known as Mahabalipuram.
Crocodile Bank
Close to Mahabalipuram and 44 kms from Chennai is the Crocodile
breeding and research centre run by Romulus Whittaker. This
farm breeds several species from India and Africa in captivity
to augment the crocodile population. These crocodiles are kept
in captivity and can be viewed from a safe distance.
Muttukadu
This place is an ideal picnic spot with facilities for boating
and wind surfing. It is 6 kms from Chennai.
Thirukkalukundram
The Shiva temple here is located on top of a hill, 160m high.
Try and make it to this place around lunch time. Every afternoon,
two white kites come to the temple and are fed by the priest.
It is believed that these kites are saints who stop at the temple
on their journey to Varanasi from Rameshwaram. Below the hill
temple is the larger Shiva temple with a tank which is said
to have healing powers. Every 12 years, a conch is found in
the tank. A large collection of such conches is kept in the
temple. Thirukkalukundram is 70 kms from Chennai.
Chennai Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
A variety of birds migrate to Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary every
year. This sanctuary is one of the largest sanctuaries for birds
in India. Varied species of birds can be spotted here. The best
season to visit this marshy, 30-hectare park is between November
and February. It is 85 kms from Chennai.
Kancheepuram
The golden city of temples is one of the seven most famous holy
cities of Hindu mythology. The weavers of Kancheepuram have
been famous from ancient times for some of the best woven silk
sarees in the world. It has also been the centre of culture
and learning down the ages. Adi Shankaracharya, one of the greatest
gurus of Hindu spirituality established his ashram here. Kancheepuram
is 75 kms from Chennai. |
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| Special
Festivals |
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Pongal
While Chennai celebrates most major Indian festivals, Pongal
- the harvest festival is Tamil Nadu's own festival. This festival
is a thanks and prayer for prosperity, celebrated in mid-January
with much feasting, music and dance.
Diwali
The festival of lights and Holi, the festival of color are popular.
The other festival celebrated with a lot of fervor is the Tamil
New Year, which falls in the month of April.
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| How to get there |
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By Road
: Chennai is well connected with almost every major South
Indian city.
By Air : Chennai is extremely well connected by air with
major cities in India and is served by Indian Airlines, Jet
airways and Sahara Airlines with frequent flights. Chennai is
also an International Airport as well and is served by several
International Airlines including British Airways, Lufthansa,
Malaysian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Airlanka, Emirates,
Indian Airlines, Air India and a few others.
By Rail : Chennai is well connected to Delhi, Bangalore,
Mumbai, Hyderabad and to almost all other cities in Southern
India by a network of super fast trains. |
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