Tamilnadu Chennai

In 1639 Francis Day and Andrew Cogan, agents for the English East India Company, acquired a strip of land on lease from the Vijayanagar King. They built the Fort St.George, which remains of the city’s important landmarks and serves as the Government Secretariat today. It was built to set up a factory that served as a nucleus for British settlements that began to be formed. Surrounding villages like Triplicane, Purasawalkam, Egmore and Chetput slowly merged with the new developments, to form Chennapatnam, as it was known. The city was called Madras till 1996 and then renamed Chennai. Chennai is a city younger than its image. More than any other city in India, it is a true reflection of this country’s diversity. In a time span of just over 350 years, Chennai has blossomed into a charming city that has a large heart and is very welcoming. It is city that encourages all forms of development, both modern technology and the traditional arts and crafts, and it embraces a series of paradoxes.. Today this buoyant metropolis is a blend of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern.

Spread over 200 square kilometres with the Bay of Bengal on the east, the city is the gateway to the rest of South India. There are verdant green patches found amidst the high-tech, high-rise buildings.

With a population of around six million, it is India’s fourth largest city. From before days of Independence to present, the people of Chennai have played an important role in shaping the country’s political destiny.

One can easily access the Bay of Bengal coast, world heritage historical sites, beaches and beautiful temples. All within close proximity.

Some important questions arise when we choose a destination.

Most important places to Visit in Chennai . / Sightseeing places in Chennai

Which all places I can visit along withChennai  ?

Tour Itineraries along with Chennai

Best time to visit Chennai

How to reachChennai  ?

Most important places to visit in Chennai. /Sightseeing places in Chennai

East Coast Road / Mahabalipuram

Just 45 minutes out of the city, the East Coast Road first stops at the historic town of Mahabalipuram. The 7th century erstwhile port city is famous for its rock-cut shore temples. A lone lighthouse on a hill watches over a group of temples below. Mahabalipuram also has some great cafes that serve good sea food.

Tiger Caves

The Tiger Cave is a rock-cut Hindu temple complex located in the hamlet of Saluvankuppam near Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India. It gets its name from the carvings of tiger heads on the mouth of a cave, which forms a part of the complex. The Tiger Cave is considered to be one of the Mahabalipuram rock-cut temples constructed by the Pallavas in the 8th century AD.

Marina Beach

This expansive beach is Chennai's most famous tourist attraction, though the undercurrent is too strong for all but the strongest swimmers. Look out for the "Kannagi" statue on Marina Beach, which tells the story of the legendary character from a South Indian epic.

Saint Thomas Cathedral

Probably the most magnificent and prominent reminder of Chennai's colonial lineage, the San Thome Church bears a colossal amount of history since A.D. 52, the year when St. Thomas traveled to India, though the Roman Catholic basilica was built in the 16th century by the Portuguese. The British then rebuilt it in 1893. The imposing structure reaches a height of 155 feet and emanates peace and architectural splendor with its tall spires over the tomb of the saint. The sea makes a wonderful backdrop to the pristine white structure. The San Thome Church is considered one of the pilgrimages for people around the world.

Kapaleeshwar Temple

This ancient shrine to Shiva is centrally located and among the area’s most popular landmarks.

Crocodile Bank

Originally started with a more serious conservation point of view, Crocodile Bank is now the weekend spot for a fascinating day of herpetology. For the kids, it’s a special treat to see large crocs spend the day languorously by the water. The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology also allows adults to volunteer and gain hands-on experience in the field.

DakshinChitra

DakshinChitra is one of the unique culture centers in Chennai. It is a center for living traditions of art, culture, folk and architecture with primary focus of south India. There are various displays of live models of houses, utensils used, and various items on display in a 10-acre sprawling campus at Mutukadu on ECR road.

Cholamandal Artist Village

An unassuming introduction to local art, the Cholamandal Village is a serene set-up, displaying works of upcoming and established artists, painters and sculptors from South India. It was built in 1966 and is nine kilometers from the city. The village houses an art gallery, museum and an amphitheater for theater performances. This is a residential village for the artists, so a polite reserve is appreciated.

Fort Museum at Fort St George

A great place to see a superb collection of items of the British East India Company. See rare coins, flags, mementos, photographs, artifacts etc. Worth a visit, for old time’s sake.

Egmore Museum

Visit the Egmore Museum more for the architecture than the museum itself. Popularly known as the Museum Theatre, it’s one of the better venues for the city's theater performances. Check local listings in newspapers to catch a show. The museum houses archaeological, zoological, botanical and geological artifacts, and art.ß

MuttuKadu Boating

A wonderful picnic spot. The effect caused by the rocking bridge over backwaters is stunning and exciting. It’s an out of the world for people who are connoisseurs of seafood. It’s about 30 km from Chennai on East Coast road, which leads to Mammalapuram.

Guindy National Park

Guindy National Park and Snake Park are in Guindy; a good family picnic spot .It is the smallest of the national parks in India. It is a sanctuary to the endangered Black Bucks Spotted Deer. Mongoose, Jackals, Monkeys, reptiles and birds also live there. The World Wildlife Fund supports the Deer Park and the Snake Park.

Vandalur Zoo

This is certainly one of the best zoos in India, having a vast area where animals are kept in a natural environment. They have a lion safari. It is plastic free zone. Great for children.

National Art Gallery

Tenth century paintings, religious statues and relics occupy one building while the other contains mostly modern works.

Pulicat Bird Sanctuary

Pulicat Lake is the second largest lagoon in India after Chilika Lake. The lake is home to migratory birds such as Flamingo, painted storks, ducks, herons and cranes and is haven for bird lovers.

Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram is a Spectacular Temple city known as city of thousand temples, which reflects the Glorious Traditions of South India with its noted temples.

Which all places I can visit along with Chennai?

Tour Itineries along with Chennai

Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Chennai

Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mamallapooram - Tiruvannamalai - Pondicherry

Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry - Sawamimalai - Tanjore

Chennai – Kanchipuram – Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry – Trichy - Madurai

Tanjore - Madurai - Kodaikanal - Munnar - Cochin - Mararikulam - Chennai

Chennai – Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry - Thanjavur - Trichy - Madurai - Rameshwaram - Madurai - Chennai

Hyderabad - Warangal - Vijayawada - NagarjunaSagar - Srisailam - Kurnool - Puttaparthy (Puttaparthi) - Tirupati - Chennai

Pune/Mumbai- Rajkot-Somnath-Dwarka-Jamnagar-Ahemdabad-Ujjain-Omkareshar-Delhi- Varanasi-Haridwar-Rudraprayag - Kedarnath-Rishikesh-Nashik-Aurangabad-ParliVaidyanath- Hyderabad- SrisailamMallikarjun-Chennai-Madurai-Rameshwaram – Madurai

Best time to visit Chennai

The best time to visit Madras city is from November to February i.e. during the winter months.

How to reach Chennai?

By Air

The third busiest airport of India is the Chennai International Airport which is located at a distance of 7 km from the main city. Both, international and domestic flights land at different terminals: the international flights arrive at the Anna Terminal whereas the domestic flights at Kamaraj Terminal. These two terminals are located at a distance of only 150 metres from each other. Both the terminals are well connected to the major cities of India and the world, respectively.

By Train

Chennai Central (code MAS) and Chennai Egmore (code MS) are the two main long distance train stations. There are daily trains from Chennai to Bengaluru, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Cochin, Hyderabad Kolkata and most of the big cities of India. The Egmore station covers most of the places in Tamil Nadu and a few important places outside it. The long trains to Egmore stop at Tambaram and some at Perambur. These two stations serve the suburban areas of Chennai. Prepaid taxis, cabs auto rickshaws are available for hire just outside the station.

By Road

One of Asia's largest bus stations is in Chennai, the CMBT. There are seven different state owned corporations which drive buses to and from various destinations within South India. There are hourly buses for places like Tirupati, Pondicherry, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli etc.

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