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.
