ATTRACTIONS OF CHENNAI
Popularly called the "Gateway to South India", the culture of Chennai is distinct from that of any other Indian city.
Famous as the biggest cultural and economic center down south, Chennai was earlier known as Madras. The city houses several Hindu temples, churches, and museums. From its white-sand beaches to mouth-watering seafood, Chennai has everything for travelers.
Armenian and Portuguese traders were living in the San Thome area of what is now present-day Chennai before the arrival of the British in 1639. Madras was the shortened name of the fishing village Madraspatnam, where the British East India Company built a fort and factory (trading post) in 1639–40. At that time, the weaving of cotton fabrics was a local industry, and the English invited the weavers and native merchants to settle near the fort. By 1652 the factory of Fort St. George was recognized as a presidency (an administrative unit governed by a president), and between 1668 and 1749 the company expanded its control. About 1801, by which time the last of the local rulers had been shorn of his powers, the English had become masters of southern India, and Madras had become their administrative and commercial capital. The government of Tamil Nadu officially changed the name of the city to Chennai in 1996.
1. Marina Beach
Marina Beach is a natural beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu along the Bay of Bengal sea. The beach is the first longest beach in India and the second-longest in the world. The length of the beach is 13 km.
Marina beach in Chennai along the Bay of Bengal is India’s longest and world’s second longest beach. This predominantly sandy of nearly 12 kilometers extends from Beasant Nagar in the south to Fort St. George in the north. Chennai Marina beach was renovated by Governor Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff in 1880s. All tourists traveling to Chennai never miss visiting this grand Chennai beach. Marina beach is easily accessible by buses, taxis, two and three wheelers.
The aquarium and the Ice House are the main attractions on the Marina beach. The Chepauk Palace, Senate House, PWD office, Presidency College, and the Chennai University are historical buildings located on the beach drive.
The Victory of Labor and Mahatma Gandhi are two prominent statues on the Marina beach. The other statues lined along this Chennai beach include those of Swami Sivananda, Avaaiyar, Thanthai Periyar, Tiruvalluvar, Dr. Annie Beasant, G.U. Pope, Sir Thomas Munro, Subramaniya Bharathiyar, Kamarajar, Robert Caldwell, Kannagi, Kamarajar, M.G. Ramachandran, and Shivaji Ganesan.
2. Thousand Light Mosque
The Thousand Lights Mosque of Royapettah, Chennai is among the most esteemed mosques of the city as well as the state of Tamil Nadu. Built in the early 19th century by the Wallajah family of the Carnatic rulers, it is to date a popular gathering place for the daily prayers and festive occasions like Muharram. The site gets its name from the legend that to illuminate the entire prayer hall, right about a thousand oil lamps used to be lit back in the days. One can only imagine how beautiful that outline must have looked against the dark black sky.
The mosque is built in the traditional Islamic pattern with domes and high minarets. It has a large prayer hall for men and a separate smaller one for women. The shrine or Dargah of the mosque is dedicated to Imam Hossein, the grandson of the first prophet Muhammad and a revered figure of the Shia Muslims around the world. The walls of the grand mosque are ornamented with lines taken from the Quran.
The Thousand Lights Mosque is respected among all the Muslim sects, but it is of special significance for the Shia Muslims as it is the home to the chief of the Shia sect of Tamil Nadu. It also has a burial ground inside for the Shia Muslim families. Albeit the mosque is visited throughout the year by men and women offering prayers. It lights up with more noise and grandeur during the revered month of Muharram and even more so on the day of the Annual Muharram Festival.
3. Edward Elliot's Beach
Elliot's Beach popularly known as Besant Nagar Beach or Bessie is located in Besant Nagar, Chennai, India. It forms the end-point of the Marina Beach shore and is named after Edward Elliot, onetime chief magistrate and superintendent of police in colonial Madras. It has the Annai Vailankanni Church and the Ashtalakshmi Kovil located nearby. In the colonial era, it was a fairly exclusive beach limited to white people.
There is a police outpost at the beach and the crowd is policed by means of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to prevent drowning mishaps. In 2010, there were 11 drowning cases reported off Elliots Beach. In August 2012, the government-sanctioned two more all-terrain vehicles for patrolling the beach.
4. Government Museum
The proposal for a Museum in Madras was mooted by the Madras Literary Society in 1846 AD and Sir Henry Pottinger, the then Governor, obtained the sanction of the Court of Directors of the East India Company in London.
In January 1851 AD, Dr. Edward Balfour, Medical Officer of the Governor's Bodyguard was appointed as the First Officer in charge of the Government Museum. The notification in the Fort St. George Gazetteer dated 29th April 1851 AD contained the first announcement regarding the opening of the Madras Government Museum. The Government Museum otherwise called the Central Museum was started in the College of Fort St. George, in the premises of the present Office of the Director of Public Instruction, on College Road. The college had been established in 1812 AD and made a significant contribution to the development of South Indian Languages. The Museum was started on the first floor of the college with the 1100 geological specimens of the Madras Literary Society. It steadily developed and expanded under the guidance and supervision of a succession of Directors. As the building was in a dilapidated condition, the Museum's Superintendent, Dr. Balfour advocated shifting it to another building.
In December 1854 AD, it was shifted to a building named the Pantheon, also known as the Public Rooms or Assembly Rooms, where the elite of the city met.
5. Mylapore
Mylapore is a neighborhood in the central part of the city of Chennai, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. It is also called Thirumayilai. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the celebrated Tamil philosopher Valluvar.
Mylapore is known for its tree-lined avenues, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Katcher seasons, and Ramakrishna Math among many others. San Thome Basilica which houses the tomb of Thomas the Apostle is in Mylapore
Mylapore is an affluent, traditional neighborhood with a number of sacred sites and cultural venues. These include Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar Temple, with its elaborately decorated, pyramid-shaped tower; the colonial-era Luz Church, with an ornate, frescoed interior; and the Gothic-style Santhome Cathedral, built on the burial site of Saint Thomas. Nearby, The Music Academy hosts popular South Indian concerts and dance.
6. Guindy National Park
Guindy is home to many important landmarks in the city, the most famous amongst them being the Guindy National Park — the only National Park in the country within city limits. It also serves as the main hub for several small and medium scale industries (Guindy Thiru Vi Ka Estate).
It is believed, for instance, that the place where he laid his kind or pitcher while performing a puja, was called Kindi. Over time, Kindi became Guindy! From Guindy, on to Nandambakkam. ... Hence, the name Nandambakkam.
Guindy National Park is a 2.70 km2 (1.04 sq mi) protected area of Tamil Nadu, located in Chennai, India, is the 8th-smallest National Park of India and one of the very few national parks situated inside a city. The park is an extension of the grounds surrounding Raj Bhavan, formerly known as the 'Guindy Lodge', the official residence of the Governor of Tamil Nadu, India. It extends deep inside the governor's estate, enclosing beautiful forests, scrublands, lakes, and streams.
The park has a role in both ex-situ and in-situ conservation and is home to 400 blackbucks, 2,000 spotted deers, 24 jackals, a wide variety of snakes, geckos, tortoises, and over 130 species of birds, 14 species of mammals, over 60 species of butterflies and spiders each, a wealth of different invertebrates—grasshoppers, ants, termites, crabs, snails, slugs, scorpions, mites, earthworms, millipedes, and the like. These are free-ranging fauna and live with the minimum of interference from human beings. The only major management activity is protection as in any other in-situ conservation area. The park attracts more than 700,000 visitors every year.
7. Connemara Public Library
The Connemara Public Library at Egmore in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, is one of the four National Depository Libraries which receive a copy of all books, newspapers, and periodicals published in India. Established in 1896, the library is a repository of century-old publications, wherein lie some of the most respected works and collections in the history of the country. It also serves as a depository library for the United Nations. It is located in the Government Museum Complex on Pantheon Road, Egmore, which also houses the Government Museum and the National Art Gallery.
Any person above 17 years and a resident of Chennai or its immediate vicinity can become a member of the Connemara library. The library lends a maximum of six books by depositing Rs. 50 per book.
In 1861, Chennai saw a new landmark - The Connemara library, a treasure trove of books, periodicals and newspapers. This library was named after the then Governor of Madras Lord Connemara. Boasting a collection of over 600000 books, the Connemara Library houses a hall for periodicals, reference room, IAS study centre, books in Indian languages, and a Braille library.
Chennai Connemara Library holds pride of place as one of India's four national depository libraries. The Connemara Library was conceived on the lines of the British Museum Library. With its stained glass panels and ornate wooden carvings, this building stands testimony to old British architecture.
Some of the historical collections of the library include The Bible (1608), The German Copy of 'Anthony and Cleopatra' and many more. Old volumes are painstakingly covered with chiffon cloth. The library automation is under progress and would be ready for use.
The MGR film city is an integrated film studio complex in Taramani, Chennai. It was established in 1994 mainly to attract filmmakers and tourists and was originally named after the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu MG Ramachandran JJ Film City by the AIADMK government. When DMK returned to power in 1996 it was renamed MGR Film City after the popular actor and late Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran. It also houses a film institute, known as MGR Film and Television Institute.
The MGR Film City has numerous sets built on various themes to serve as scenery for movies. Sets on Mughal and Japanese themes are popular. Several movies including Avvai Shanmughi, Mudhalvan, Hey Ram, and the launching ceremony of the shelved Marudhanayagam were shot at the MGR Film City. Queen Elizabeth visited the place during her tour to India in 1997. Although it experienced initial success the film city fell back accumulating a loss of 14 crores (140 million). It also has entertainment facilities for children. Bollywood actor Aamir Khan donated rupees 1.5 lakhs ((₹)150,000 or $3,000 to $4,000) to the city in 2008.
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