Places to visit

The pride of Chennai (Madras), the Marina Beach is one of the world's longest beaches running 13 km in length. Fort St. George, located on the seashore near the harbour, was built by the East India Company in 1640 A.D. The Fort is the first bastion of British power in India. Today, it houses the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

The British influence on Chennai (Madras) is evident as one goes through the city. A number of beautiful places like Fort St. George, Raj Bhavan, the Central Station and the National Art Gallery are silent reminders of a by-gone era.

Mahabalipuram
Close to Chennai, is the ancient town of Mahabalipuram, the second capital and sea port of the Pallava Kings of Kanchipuram. This town is famous for its great stone carvings and its Shore Temple. The sculpture here is particularly interesting because it shows scenes of day-to-day life. It's a relaxing place with a wonderful combination of low cost accommodation, an excellent beach, good seafood and fascinating remains of an ancient Indian Kingdom.

Guindy Park
Guindy Deer and Snake Parks are situated close to the Raj Bhavan and is the only place in the world where it is still possible to see large numbers of the fast-dwindling species of Indian Antelope (the Black Buck). It also has small numbers of spotted deer, civet cats, jackals, mongoose and various species of monkeys and sightings of over a 100 species of birds.

St. Thomas Mount
Here you will find the cave where St. Thomas, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, lived. St. Thomas Mount is where he was martyred, and this is a good spot to visit. Chennai has a number of beautiful temples, churches, and mosques, each to be seen in detail, to be appreciated fully.

Valluvar Kottam
Valluvar Kottam, in Nungambakkam, is a memorial to the poet-Saint Thiruvalluvar who wrote the "Thirukkural". This work is highly valued for its ethical content and regarded as the purest expression of human thoughts.






Santhome Cathedral
The Santhome Cathedral, close to the seashore, is an impressive basilica built over the tomb of St. Thomas. This Roman Catholic Church was originally built in 1504, but rebuilt in 1893 and is said to house a small hand bone of the Apostle St. Thomas and a head of a lance that he was attacked with.

Kapaleshwarar Temple
Off Kutchery Road, in the southern end of the city is found one of the most famous temples of the South. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is a typical example of Dravidian architecture with some fragmentary inscriptions dating back to 1250 A.D. The temple is famous for being the site of a miracle when the Poet Saint Gnanasambandar sang a hymn to Lord Kapaleshwarar to resurrect a dead girl from her ashes.

The High Court
Located in Parry's Corner, this Indo-Saracenic styled building houses one of the largest judicial buildings in the world.

Fort St. George, Fort Museum & St. Mary's Church

On the Beach Rd. (Kamaraj Salai) lies Fort St. George, built in 1653. It now houses the Secretariat and Legislative Assembly. The flagstaff found here is the tallest in India. The Fort Museum exhibits an interesting collection of weaponry, costumes, coins, silverware and medieval weapons from the days of the British Raj and East India Company.

St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church was the first English Church built in India. One special feature is the painting of 'The Last Supper' by Raphael.

Govt. Museum

The Museum is rated as one of the best in the country; a must-see includes the archaeological section and the Bronze Gallery.





Thousand Lights Mosque
This mosque was originally constructed by Nawab Umdat-ul-Umrah in 1800 and was last re-built in 1981. The walls bear sayings from the Holy Koran. The mosque derives its name from the ancient practice of abundantly lighting the triangular area in Muslim buildings.

Parthasarathy Temple
On Triplicane High Road, this temple, originally built in the 8th century, is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Some of its salient features are the five 'avatars' or incarnations of Lord Vishnu and the carving of the wounded Krishna, the chariot driver, with his consort Rukmini, his brothers Balarama, Satyaki, Sankarshana and Aniruddha.

Planetarium
This planetarium is considered one of the most advanced in India. They hold programs consisting of audio-visuals on a variety of astronomy subjects.

Cholamandal Artists Village
18 kms. from the city, this artists' community was founded in 1996. This is an ideal spot for art-lovers. The artists and sculptors also live in this village. They also sell their artwork from here.

Pondicherry
160 miles to the south of Chennai, this town was a former French colony and you will still hear the locals conversing in fluent French. Also located here are the famous Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville. Pondicherry has an interestingly mixed culture and people. Check out the food in the French-style bistros.

Dakshina Chitra
Situated en route to Mahabalipuram. Here you will find information on the four states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, each represented by their different styles of architecture and cultures.