| Chennai Tourist Places |
Chennai, the gateway to the south, represents a culture that's unique to the region. Music, Dance and Drama are an integral part of everyday life. In 1639 AD Francis Day, a merchant of the East India Company had selected a quaint fishing hamlet called Madraspatnam as a site for settlement. Naturally protected from enemies by the Coovum River in the south, Elambore River in the west and the sea on the east, Madraspatnam was ideal for trading. Some year’s later weavers settled in the area around the fort which was called ‘ Black Town 'by the Britishers after the black skinned natives. By the early 1700s, Chennai became a large city and soon was made the capital of the State and remained as capital till today.
| Climate |
Hot, humid and yet made pleasant enough by the cool breeze wafting in from the sea. In summer May is the hottest month (42 ºC) when you would not need much clothing, what little you wear can be filmy cottons. The winters are not worth the name – December, January and February – for they are only slightly less hot than the summers. Monsoons – September, October, and November – are wet with intermittent showers; though not heavy to deter one from sight – seeing. |
| Places of Interest |
| FortSt.George |
This fort built by the East India Company in 1653 AD is the oldest British tombstone in the country. Inside the fort is St.Mary's Church, the oldest Anglican Church east of Suez Canal. Today, the fort houses the Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. The museum inside the fort is the repository of rare exhibits of weapons, uniforms, coins, costumes, medals and some other artifacts dating to the British period. |
KapiliswaraTemple |
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple has some beautiful sculptures among which are bronze idols of 63 Shaivite saints adorning the outer courtyards. The temple was damaged in 1566 when the Portuguese took over Mylapore. The present temple was rebuilt by the Vijaynagar kings in 16 th century. The magnificent 37m.high gopuram depicts many a legend with beautiful carvings. During the Aruvathimoovar festival held in March and April, 63 idols are carried in a procession around the temple.
Marina Beach
It is the second longest beach in the world with a length of 11 km in a single stretch. The Aquarium and the swimming pool are situated adjacent to each other on the sea front.
Santhome Cathedral |
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Derives its name from St. Thomas believed to be an apostle of Christ built around 52 AD. The beautiful stain glass windows at the Basilica portray the story of St. Thomas. The central hall has 14 wooden plaques depicting scenes from the last days of Christ. An old stone cross (called bleeding cross) with Sassanian Pehelevi inscriptions can be seen here. |
| Kalakshetra |
An internationally renowned academy of music and dance based on an ancient Gurukula style-started by Rukmini Devi Arundale in 1936. |
| Theosophical Society |
| It is the world headquarters of Theosophical Society at Adyar. |
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GuindyNational Park
A sanctuary for the endangered Blackbuck and Spotted Deer. The adjacent Snake Park has a large collection of snakes and other reptiles.
Valluvar Kotlam
Memorial to poet saint Tiruvalluvar is shaped like a temple chariot. The auditorium at Valluvarkotlam is said to be the largest in Asia which can accommodate 4000 people.
Sittarangam
Folk and art theatre situated in the Trade Fair complex on Island ground.
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| KishindaPicnicPark |
| Situated near Tambaram, it has an enchanting variety of entertainment facilities including boating in an artificial lake, amusement park, 3 dimension theatre. |
| CholamandalArtistsVillage (20 km from Chennai) |
Established in 1966 this place is for exhibition of paintings sketches, terracotta, sculptures, batiks and other crafts. |
| How To Reach |
| Air |
Chennai is an international airport with flight connections to all major part of the world. Domestic airlines connect Chennai with Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calicut ( Kozhikode), Cochin, ( Kochi ), Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Port Blair, Pune, Puttuparthy, Tiruchirapalli Thiruvananthapuram and Visakhapatnam. |
| 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.Chennai is connected by Rajdhani Express with New Delhi. |
| Road |
Chennai, being gateway to the south India is connected excellent roads to all parts of the south India. Taxis, Auto-rickshaws are available. All types of tourist vehicles are easily available on hire. Transport Corporations of the States of Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh also operate buses from the bus stand. |
| Sea |
There is a sea line to Andaman and Nicobar islands. Booking can be done at the Shipping Corporation of India situated at Rajali Salai. |
| Hotels in Chennai ( Madras ) |
Find a place to stay in Chennai can be a problem, as hotels are often full by noon. Demand has pushed prices up. Most of the mid – range and inexpensive hotels are around the railway station. Other popular area includes Anna Salai, which tends to be more expensive, and Triplicane, an atmospheric Muslim area boasting some of the city’s best budget guesthouse. The bulk of the top hotels are in the south of the city, along Nungambakkam, Dr.Radha Krishnan Salai and Cathedral roads; several offer courtesy buses to and from the airport. |
| 5 Star Hotels |
| Taj Coromondal, Connemara Hotel, The Trident, Welcome Group Chola Sheraton, ITC Park Sheraton and Madras Hilton, GRT Grand. |
| 4 star Hotels |
| Ambassador Pallava, Madras International, Hotel President, Savera Hotel and Quality Inn Aruna, Chola Sheraton, Hotel Ashoka. |
| 3 star Hotels |
| Breez Hotel, Hotel Kanchi,Henkala Hotels Pvt.Ltd,Hotel Karpakam,Hotel Goutham Manor and Liberty Park Hotel. |
| Other Hotels |
Nellore Meals Lodge,Murdis Lodges, Hotel Aaadithya,Hotel Arunachala,The Dakshin,Radha Park Inn, Hotel Shelter, Hotel Radha ,Ambica Empire Best Western, Madras Hotel Ashoka,Mowbrays Inn, New Victoria Hotel, Hotel Palmgrove,The Residency, The Sindoori Hotel, New Woodlands Hotel, The Sindoori Central Hotel, Hotel Atlantic, Hotel Dasaprakash,Hotel Maris,Hotel Pandian,Swagath Hotel,VGP Golden Beach Resort, Hotel Abu Palace, Hotel Chandra Towers,Nilgiris Nest, Windsor Park, Hotel Blue Diamond,Buharis Blue Lagoon Hotel, Hotel Ganga International, Hotel Ganpat,Hotel Garden, Hotel Hari Niwaas,Hotel Imperial, King’s Park, Hotel L.R.Swami Narayanan,Hotel MGM Grand, Hotel Mount Heera,Hotel Maurya International, Hotel Nirmala Dakshin,Hotel Mars, Picnic Hotel, Hotel Parthan,Hotel Pranav,Hotel Premier, Hotel Ranjith,Hotel Shreelekha,Hotel Sree Krishna,Udipi Home,Sudha Inn, Radisson Hotel, Hotel Vaigai,Hotel Grand Orient, Hotel GRT Grand Days, Hotel Peninsula, Hotel Shevaroys,Quality Inn MGM Beach Resort, Hotel Ramprasad and The Grand Orient. |
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Chennai Tourism
