Chennai,
earlier known as Madras, is the capital of Tamil Nadu state. One of the four
metros of India, Chennai is the largest city in South India. Situated on a
17 km stretch along the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, Chennai is
trisected by the waterways of Cooum, Adyar and Buckingham Canal. Chennai was
the site of the first important settlement of the British East India
Company, founded in 1639 on the land gifted by the Raja of Chandragiri, the
last representative of the Vijayanagar rulers of Hampi. In 1644, the British
built a small fort in the settlement and a town which became famous as
Georgetown. Chennai still retains the British touch which is evident in
various cathedrals and buildings built in the Indo-Saracenic style of
architecture and wide tree lined avenues. The city can be divided into two
main parts, the older part is located to the west of the dock area and north
of Poonamallee High Road. The other part of the city is located south of
Poonamallee High Road. The city spreads over an area of 174 sq.kms and has a
population of 42,16,000 that include Christians, Muslims and Hindus.
Climate & Clothing
Chennai is located on the thermal equator, thus observes little variation
in temperature. Due to its proximity to the sea, the climate of the city
remains hot and humid. Highest temperatures are experienced in late May and
early June, when the temperature ranges between 38°C and 42°C.
Average daily temperature in winters is around 24 °C and the
temperature rarely falls below 18°C. The city gets most of its rainfall
from the northeast monsoon, during July-October. The ideal time to visit
Chennai is from November to March, since the weather remains pleasant and
cool at that time. As summers of the city are warm so cotton clothing are
ideal, winters are not much cold, light woollen clothes are enough.
Accommodation in chennai
Some
of the most popular hotels include ITC Hotel Park Sheraton and Towers (5
Star/ 132, T.T.K Road), Le Royal Meridien (5 Star/ 1- G.S.T Road), Taj
Connemara Hotel (5 Star/ No.2 Binny Road), Radisson GRT Hotel (5 Star/ 531,
G.S.T Road), Chola Sheraton (5 Star/ 13- Cathedral Road), Fisherman's Cove
(5 Star/ Covelong Beach), Hotel President (4 Star/ No. 25, Dr. Radhakrishnan
Salai) and The Residency Towers (4 Star/ Sir Thyagaraya Road).
Tourist Attractions of Chennai
» Fort St George : Built in 1653 by the British East
India Company, the fort presently houses the Secretariat and the Legislative
Assembly. The Fort Museum has an interesting collection of memorabilia from
the days of the East India Company.
» St Mary's Church : St Mary's Church was built in
1678-80. This is the first English church in India.
» Government Museum & Art Gallery : The museum
is situated on Pantheon Road, near Egmore station. The most interesting part
of this muesum and art gallery is the archaeological section and the bronze
gallery.
» Kapaleeshwara Temple : Located in the southern
part of the city, this is an ancient Shiva temple with a typical Dravidian
gopuram.
» San Thome Cathedral : The church is
situated close to the Kapaleeshwara Temple, at the southern end of South
Beach Road. This Roman Catholic church was originally built in 1504 and
rebuilt in 1893.
» Parathasarathy Temple : Located on Triplicane High
road, the temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Built in the 8th century A.D
the temple was renovated by the Vijaynagar kings in the 16th century.
» Marina Beach : The 13 kms long sandy beach forms
the city's east coast and is the second longest beach in the world.
Airport
The
Anna International Terminal and the Kamarajan Domestic Terminal are situated
at Thrisulam 17 kms south of Chennai. Indian Airlines and other private
domestic airlines connect Chennai with the rest of the India. Apart from
this, several international airlines operate regular flights to Chennai from
foreign destinations.
Local Modes of Transport
Local modes of transport in and around the city are both excellent and
cheap. The city buses and the suburban trains provide fast and economical
modes of transport. Auto rickshaws are also available in the city. Cycle
rickshaws can also be used to cover short distances.
Entertainment Options
The amusement parks and water sports centre located on the outskirts of
Chennai offer enough entertainment options. The city also has a large number
of beach resorts, all along the East Cost road highway to Mahabalipuram.
Chennai is home to the Tamil Film Industry and houses more than 100 cinema
halls including a few multiplexes. The cinema theatres screen English,
Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. The nightlife of the city is
vibrant and tourists can enjoy it by visiting the bars, pool parlours,
lounges and clubs.
Adventure Activities
Adventure activities like scuba diving, rock-climbing and parasailing can
be enjoyed in Chennai. Some of the popular adventure and sports clubs in
Chennai are Adventure Zone, Chennai Equestrian Academy, Wildertrails
Adventure Club, Art of Fishing and Tarsha Water Sports Complex.
Shopping
Chennai is truly a shopper's delight, as there are lot of places and shops
that are worth visiting. Almost all the shopping spots offer good bargain.
Today new shopping malls are springing up in the city, but the traditional
stores still attract more customers. Tourists can buy readymade clothing,
art and crafts, contemporary and traditional artwork, antiques, jewellery
etc. In addition to these, traditional items like Pattamara mats,
handicrafts from Tirunellveli, bronze and brass castings and traditional
jewelery from Kumbakonam, metal works from Tanjavur, stone carvings from
Mamallapuram and silk from Kanchipuram are some popular shopping items. Main
shopping areas of the city are George Town, Parrys Corner, Burma Bazaar,
Moore market and Pondy Bazaar.
Tourist Offices
