Chennai
Area : 1,180 sq. kms
Main Languages : Tamil, English, Telugu, Malayalam
Population : 6.9 million
Location
: Chennai is located along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is
bordered by the state of Andhra Pradesh on its northwest, Kanchipuram on its
south and the states of Kerala and Karnataka on its west. Chennai is located
at a distance of 58 kms from Mahabalipuram, 75 kms from Kanchipuram, 162 kms
from Pondicherry, 154 kms from Tirupati and 334 kms from Bangalore.
Climate : Due to its closeness to the sea, Chennai remains hot and humid for most part of the year. During summer months of April to June, the temperatures usually vary between 38ºC and 42ºC. The average daily temperature during December-January is around 24ºC, however, the temperature sometimes falls below 18ºC. Chennai gets most of its rain from northeast monsoon between mid September and mid December.
Best Time to Visit :The weather in Chennai remains hot and humid throughout the year. The best time to visit the city is from November to March.
Main Languages : Tamil, English, Telugu, Malayalam
Population : 6.9 million
Location
: Chennai is located along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is
bordered by the state of Andhra Pradesh on its northwest, Kanchipuram on its
south and the states of Kerala and Karnataka on its west. Chennai is located
at a distance of 58 kms from Mahabalipuram, 75 kms from Kanchipuram, 162 kms
from Pondicherry, 154 kms from Tirupati and 334 kms from Bangalore. Climate : Due to its closeness to the sea, Chennai remains hot and humid for most part of the year. During summer months of April to June, the temperatures usually vary between 38ºC and 42ºC. The average daily temperature during December-January is around 24ºC, however, the temperature sometimes falls below 18ºC. Chennai gets most of its rain from northeast monsoon between mid September and mid December.
Best Time to Visit :The weather in Chennai remains hot and humid throughout the year. The best time to visit the city is from November to March.
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Chennai - The Gateway To The South
Chennai, previously known as Madras, is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. India's fourth largest metropolitan city, Chennai is considered as the gateway to the south. The city was the site of first important settlement of the East India Company, founded in 1939. The British built a small fort in 1944 and a town known as Georgetown. The 368-year-old city, renowned for its cultural heritage and temple architecture, is now a major commercial and industrial centre of South India. Chennai is quite different from North India in life style, people, habits, customs, costumes, music, dance and art. The city presents a harmonious blend of the old and the modern. The gracious city boasts of clear sky, long sandy beaches, beautifully laid out gardens and parks, historic landmarks, temples, churches, mosques and several other attractions. In fact, all the tourist infrastructural facilities together make Chennai an ideal gateway to start a tour of South India.
Major Attractions
Fort
St. George : Built by the British East India Company in 1653, the fort
has now grown into a metropolis. The fort presently houses the Secretariat
and the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu. The fort museum presents a
fascinating collection of various memorabilia from the period of British Raj
including a 'Clive's Corner.' The towering flagstaff of the fort is the
tallest in India.
St Mary's Church : The Oldest English church in India was built during 1678-80. Situated inside the Fort St. George, this church was constructed during the time of Streynsham Master, when he was the governor. It was designed by William Dixon and has four feet thick outer walls and solid curved bomb proof roof. The major attraction of the church is a huge painting of the Last Supper in the Raphael style brought from Pondicherry.
Kapaleeswarar Temple : The ancient temple is situated at Mylapore in the southern part of Chennai. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is a typical example of the Dravidian architecture. This temple has 120 ft high gopuram (Portal tower) which was built in 1906 and is adorned with stucco figures. In addition, the bronze images of the 63 Saivaite saints are carved on the outer yard of the temple. The famous 'Aruvathi Moovar' festival attracts lakhs of tourists and visitors every year.
Marina Beach : The pride of Chennai, the Marina beach is the second longest beach in the world. Stretching over 12 kms in length, the beach is known for its natural beauty and houses the Samadhis of two former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu. Several historic buildings stand on the other side of vast stretches of sand.
High Court and Light House : Built in the year 1892, the High Court building is an important landmark of Chennai. The imposing Indo-Saracenic building has a beautiful dome and stained glass arches and minarets. The tallest minaret of the building rising 160 feet, has the Light House which was erected in 1894. The Light House offers panoramic views of the harbour and Georgetown.
Government Museum : Situated on the Pantheon Road in Egmore, this museum was established in 1857. It is the first Government sponsored museum, which was gifted to the Government in 1851 by the Madras Literary Society. This museum has the most beautiful bronze collection, a good collection of South Indian musical instruments, numismatic and arms.
Birla Planetarium : The Birla Planetarium is situated at Kotturpuram between Adyar and Gunidy. Everyday the planetarium presents two programmes based on various themes of astronomy - positions of constellations, moon panaroma, galaxies, comets, occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses etc. The planetarium is closed on Mondays.
Elliot's Beach : Located close to Basant Nagar, the beach offers a good alternative to beach lovers who prefer to avoid the crowd of Marina Beach. The Elliot's Beach is the place which was used by former governors for sea bathing and relaxation. Major attractions near the beach are the Ashta Laxmi Temple and a church.
Kalakhestra : Kalakshetra meaning 'Temple of Art' is located beyond Elloit's beach at Thiruvanmiyur. It is a school of classical Indian music and dance like the most popular Bharatanatyam and Kuravanji. Kalakshetra was founded by noted dancer Rukmini Devi in 1936 to train and encourage the dancers.
Excursions
The
Crocodile Bank : Located at a distance of 34 kms from Chennai, this is
the place where several species of crocodiles are reared in natural
surroundings. The crocodiles basking in the sun and their fast movement is
an interesting sight here.
Mamallapuram : Popularly know as Mahabalipuram, the town lies 58 kms south of Chennai. Mamallapuram is a beautiful place and houses amazing sculptures. Large number of visitors come here to see the sculpture and splendour of the Pallava art and architecture.
Kanchipuram : Situated 75 kms away for Chennai, Kachipuram is one of the great mythological cities. Kanchipuram, famous as the Temple City, houses many ancient temples which can be seen at every corner.
How To Reach
By Air : Kamarak National and Anna International Airports are located at Tirusulam at a distance of 17 kms from the city centre. Airlines operate many flights for domestic and international destinations.
By Rail : Chennai railway station is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Cochin, Trivandrum, Bangalore and several other cities and towns of India.
By Road : Chennai is well connected by a good network of roads with important places in Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country.
Chennai, previously known as Madras, is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. India's fourth largest metropolitan city, Chennai is considered as the gateway to the south. The city was the site of first important settlement of the East India Company, founded in 1939. The British built a small fort in 1944 and a town known as Georgetown. The 368-year-old city, renowned for its cultural heritage and temple architecture, is now a major commercial and industrial centre of South India. Chennai is quite different from North India in life style, people, habits, customs, costumes, music, dance and art. The city presents a harmonious blend of the old and the modern. The gracious city boasts of clear sky, long sandy beaches, beautifully laid out gardens and parks, historic landmarks, temples, churches, mosques and several other attractions. In fact, all the tourist infrastructural facilities together make Chennai an ideal gateway to start a tour of South India.
Major Attractions
Fort
St. George : Built by the British East India Company in 1653, the fort
has now grown into a metropolis. The fort presently houses the Secretariat
and the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu. The fort museum presents a
fascinating collection of various memorabilia from the period of British Raj
including a 'Clive's Corner.' The towering flagstaff of the fort is the
tallest in India. St Mary's Church : The Oldest English church in India was built during 1678-80. Situated inside the Fort St. George, this church was constructed during the time of Streynsham Master, when he was the governor. It was designed by William Dixon and has four feet thick outer walls and solid curved bomb proof roof. The major attraction of the church is a huge painting of the Last Supper in the Raphael style brought from Pondicherry.
Kapaleeswarar Temple : The ancient temple is situated at Mylapore in the southern part of Chennai. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is a typical example of the Dravidian architecture. This temple has 120 ft high gopuram (Portal tower) which was built in 1906 and is adorned with stucco figures. In addition, the bronze images of the 63 Saivaite saints are carved on the outer yard of the temple. The famous 'Aruvathi Moovar' festival attracts lakhs of tourists and visitors every year.
Marina Beach : The pride of Chennai, the Marina beach is the second longest beach in the world. Stretching over 12 kms in length, the beach is known for its natural beauty and houses the Samadhis of two former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu. Several historic buildings stand on the other side of vast stretches of sand.
High Court and Light House : Built in the year 1892, the High Court building is an important landmark of Chennai. The imposing Indo-Saracenic building has a beautiful dome and stained glass arches and minarets. The tallest minaret of the building rising 160 feet, has the Light House which was erected in 1894. The Light House offers panoramic views of the harbour and Georgetown.
Government Museum : Situated on the Pantheon Road in Egmore, this museum was established in 1857. It is the first Government sponsored museum, which was gifted to the Government in 1851 by the Madras Literary Society. This museum has the most beautiful bronze collection, a good collection of South Indian musical instruments, numismatic and arms.
Birla Planetarium : The Birla Planetarium is situated at Kotturpuram between Adyar and Gunidy. Everyday the planetarium presents two programmes based on various themes of astronomy - positions of constellations, moon panaroma, galaxies, comets, occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses etc. The planetarium is closed on Mondays.
Elliot's Beach : Located close to Basant Nagar, the beach offers a good alternative to beach lovers who prefer to avoid the crowd of Marina Beach. The Elliot's Beach is the place which was used by former governors for sea bathing and relaxation. Major attractions near the beach are the Ashta Laxmi Temple and a church.
Kalakhestra : Kalakshetra meaning 'Temple of Art' is located beyond Elloit's beach at Thiruvanmiyur. It is a school of classical Indian music and dance like the most popular Bharatanatyam and Kuravanji. Kalakshetra was founded by noted dancer Rukmini Devi in 1936 to train and encourage the dancers.
Excursions
The
Crocodile Bank : Located at a distance of 34 kms from Chennai, this is
the place where several species of crocodiles are reared in natural
surroundings. The crocodiles basking in the sun and their fast movement is
an interesting sight here. Mamallapuram : Popularly know as Mahabalipuram, the town lies 58 kms south of Chennai. Mamallapuram is a beautiful place and houses amazing sculptures. Large number of visitors come here to see the sculpture and splendour of the Pallava art and architecture.
Kanchipuram : Situated 75 kms away for Chennai, Kachipuram is one of the great mythological cities. Kanchipuram, famous as the Temple City, houses many ancient temples which can be seen at every corner.
How To Reach
By Air : Kamarak National and Anna International Airports are located at Tirusulam at a distance of 17 kms from the city centre. Airlines operate many flights for domestic and international destinations.
By Rail : Chennai railway station is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Cochin, Trivandrum, Bangalore and several other cities and towns of India.
By Road : Chennai is well connected by a good network of roads with important places in Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country.
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