Indian Cities & Destinations - Comprehensive guide to
cultural heritage of India where you discover art & craft, dances,
music, costumes, and languages of India.
Chennai
is one of the four major metropolitan cities in India. Today, it is hard to
believe that a place that was till 1639 just a small fishing village would
become such an enormous and beautiful city. Situated on the shores of the
Bay of Bengal,
Chennai is perhaps the most peaceful and green
metropolis in India. Chennai has a number of attractions for the tourists to
see. One of them is the beautiful Marina beach, where the blue waters of the
Bay of Bengal mingle with the golden sands. Chennai was
developed as a British trading post, and as such, most of its attractions
have a distinct colonial influence. Stretched over an area of 13 km, Marina
beach is the second longest beach in the world. The St. George Fort, built
in 1653, is currently used as the state government's secretariat.
On
an organisational level, the city boasts of reasonably efficient public
services, public buses, and commuter trains run smoothly. A great deal of
industrial expansion has taken place in Chennai recently, with the
mushrooming of engineering plants, car-assembly plants, educational
institutions, and textile manufacturing units. T
hough there are no
major attractions as such, it does have the second biggest beach in the
world, the Marina Beach. Though a popular tourist spot, the beach is not
really a favourite with swimmers, as the sea is known to house a sizeable
population of sharks.
 Major
Attractions of Chennai |
 |
Madras Harbour : The ancient landmark in
the city, is the Madras Harbour, one of the finest in India, and entirely
artificial, which has been around for almost a century.
Fort St. George : Built in 1640 AD, the Fort St. George
once served as the very first bastion of the East India Company. Now, it
houses the Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly. The 46 metre - high
flagstaff, that adorns the front of the structure, is actually a mast
salvaged from a 17th century shipwreck. The Fort Museum has a remarkable
collection of memorabilia, dating back to the days of the Raj. Within the
Fort complex, is also the oldest Anglican Church in India.
| How
to Get There |
|
By Air : Kamaraj National and Anna
International Airports are situated at Tirusulam about 20 kms from the city.
By Rail : Chennai is connected by rail with all
major towns and cities in India. The main railheads are Central and Egmore.
By Road : Chennai is connected by a good network of
roads with all important places in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India.
Destinations
