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Location : In the south India state of
Tamil Nadu, just along the Bay of Bengal.
Major Tourist Attractions : Sri Parthasarathy Temple,
Kapaleeswarar, The Santhomre Cathedral Church, St. Thomas Mount,
Fort St. George, St. Mary's Church, The Snake Park, Kalakshetra, The
Theosophical Society, National Art Gallery, B.M. Birla Planetorium. |
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Best Buys : Kancheepuram hand woven silk
sarees, exquisite souvenirs in silver, copper, bronzed and wood,
available in various government emporia and private stores or
irresistible jewelry made from uncut precious stones.
Nearby Tourist Destinations : Tirupati, Kerala Backwaters,
Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram, Pondicherry, Andaman & Nicobar,
Kancheepuram.
Best Hangouts : Marina Beach, Kovalam Beach.
About Chennai
Chennai, formerly known as Madras is the capital of Tamil
Nadu in the southern part of India. This fourth largest city in
India sprawls over more than 70 sq km of land. Lying by the Bay of
Bengal, Chennai the present gateway to the South of India, is
itself, however, only about 350 years old.
The city has somewhat unkindly described as having three seasons -
hot, hotter and hottest. Indeed, except for four pleasant months,
November to February, the weather is uniformly hot and humid in
Chennai.
Particularly charming features of Chennai are its faithfulness to
ancient traditions. It still retains the charm, culture and
courtesies of the ages, something which you may not find in other
metropolises of India.
Tourist Attractions
Kapaleeswarar
A masterpiece of Dravidian style, Kapaleeswarar displays the
architectural elements - gopurams, mandapams and a tank. There are
some fragmentary inscriptions dating back to 1250 AD. It is an
ancient Shiva temple and is the biggest temple in Chennai.
Sri Parthasarathy Temple
Sri Parthasarathy Temple is one of the oldest surviving temple in
Chennai. Dedicated to Lord Krishna, the temple was originally raised
by the Pallavas in the 8th century and renovated in the 16th century
bt the Vijayanagars. It houses the five 'avatars' of Lord Vishnu,
and has a small temple shrine dedicated to Vishnu's consort,
Vedavalli Ammai.
The Santhomre Cathedral Church
The Santhome Cathedral Church built in 1504, then rebuilt in
neo-Gothic style in 1893, this Roman Catholic Church near
Kapaleeshwarar temple is said to house the remains of St. Thomas the
Apostle.
Fort St. George
Built in 1640 AD, Fort St. George was the first bastion of British
power of India. The fort has undergone much alteration. The fort is
now used by the Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat
office. The 46m high flagstaff at the front is actually a mast
salvaged from a 17th century shipwreck.
The Snake Park
The Snake Park with its lizards, crocodiles and turtles is the most
interesting place to visit in Chennai. Well maintained with generous
enclosures, the Snake Park houses a wide variety of reptiles.
The Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society, is set in a tranquil spot on the banks of
the Adyar river. There is a huge banyan tree, with its branches
spreading over an area of 40,000 square ft, where discourses are
conducted.
Marina Beach
The Marina Beach extends to 13 km along the Bay of Bengal. South of
the pitiful aquarium is the Ice House, once used to store massive
ice blocks transported by ship from North America. It later became
the venue from which Vivekanand preached his ascetic philosophy.
Getting There
Air : Chennai is an international airport with flight
connections to all major parts of the world, Domestic airlines
connect Chennai with all the major cities of India.
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.
Road : Chennai being gateway to the south is connected by
excellent roads to all parts of the south. Taxis, Auto-rickshaws and
cycle rickshaws are available. all types of tourist vehicle are
easily available on hire.
Accommodation
When you will land in Chennai, we will be there to offer you the
best of accommodation facilities, you would expect to get.
Accommodations are plenty here and the comfort is no way less. You
can pick from the luxury, deluxe, semi deluxe, star and budget
category hotels, all of which are ideally designed to give the
ultimate satisfaction. The hotels are well appointed with best of
facilities and services.
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