Chennai, Tamil Nadu

While in southern India, who wouldn’t want to visit its cultural capital? Not only the state of Tamil Nadu, but Chennai represents the entire southern India when it comes to cultures, traditions and richness of art forms. At evening fall, the whole city is abuzz with cultural performances of veteran dance performers and vocalists. The capital city of Tamil Nadu, Chennai is also home to Kollywood, the Tamil film industry. The city wonderfully stands for the cultural heritage that Tamil Nadu has always been known for. The five-day-long harvest festival is celebrated with great fervour in Chennai. Moreover, the city organizes numerous arts performances periodically, attracting both locals as well as foreign nationals.

Things to Do in Chennai

Get to the Marine Beach at dusk. The second largest in the world, the beach is a great destination to see the young and the young at heart assemble from all around the city and outside. Peddlers can be noticed selling items like ice creams, peanuts and balloons among others. Spend some quality time on the beach with family and friends. However, avoid swimming at the beach as the sea is not calm most of the times.

Animal lovers can head straight to the Guindy National Park, situated in the Raj Bhavan Estate. The national park has the Snake Park, where you can enjoy seeing numerous species of snakes and other reptiles.

Make a pilgrimage to Santhome Cathedral. The cathedral has been erected over the tomb of St Thomas. Legend has it that St Thomas came to India in AD 52, lived his life for 26 years and died at the same place. First renovated in the 17th century, the place was constructed again as a basilica in 1806.

In and Around

Chennai has numerous tourist attractions in store for you. Temples, museums and art galleries are the major tourist attractions in the city. The 8th century Parthasarthy Temple, built by the Pallava kings, is popular for its gopurams and architecture. Another famous temple in Chennai is the Kapaleeshwar Temple, erected in 13th century. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple features sculptures depicting various scenes from the Puranic legends. One of the biggest attractions in the city is Fort St George, reminiscence of the British era in India. In the bygone era, the place had barracks for the British army and a parade ground. Other must see places in the city include the Theosophical Society, Kalakshetra and the National Art Gallery (set up in 1906).

Where to Stay

While in Chennai, tourists prefer to stay at hotels like Green Park, Ambassador Pallava, Beverly Hotel, Breeze Hotel, Balaji Resorts, Blue Diamond, Eastwoods Resorts, Ampa Crystal Inn, Aadithya Hotel and Quality Inn Sabari.

Chennai Air/Rail/Road Link

Chennai has its own international airport – Anna International Airport. Even if you are arriving in the city by rail, the connectivity is excellent. There are three railway stations in the city namely Central, Egmore and Tambaram. Being a metropolitan city, Chennai is connected by road to all the key destinations of India.