Tamil Nadu
Chennai
State
Country
India
Continent
Asia
Size
426 KM2
Population
7,088,000
Spending Budget
$200 - $400
Famous For
- Cultural and Economic Activity
- Beaches
- Film and Music Industry
Best Time to Visit
- January
- February
- November
- December
History
Modern Chennai had its origins as a colonial city and its initial growth was closely tied to its importance as an artificial harbour and trading center. When the Portuguese arrived in 1522, they built a port and named it São Tomé. The region then passed into the hands of the Dutch, who established themselves near Pulicat just north of the city in 1612. Both groups strived to grow their colonial populations and although their populations reached 10,000 people when the British arrived, they remained substantially outnumbered by the local Indian population. After India gained its independence in 1947, the city became the capital of Madras State, which was renamed as Tamil Nadu in 1969.
Present Day
Chennai, also known as Madras (the official name until 1996), is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, it is the largest cultural, economic and educational centre of south India. According to the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most populous city, and forms the fourth-most populous urban agglomeration in India. The Quality of Living Survey rated Chennai as the safest city in India. More than one-third of India's automobile industry is based in the city. Home to the Tamil film industry, Chennai is also known as a major film production centre.
Future
A vibrant city, Chennai always has upcoming events. Be it theatre, music, comedy, or workshops, it takes only a single search to find something to do on weekends. Added to the affordable housing programs that are starting to be developed, the city has turned many eyes towards it as a place to settle.
VGP Snow Kingdom
Snow Kingdom is India’s largest and Tamil Nadu’s first and only indoor snow theme park, with the scintillating experience of authentic snowfall. A coveted destination for snow adventure sports in Chennai, Snow Kingdom has heaps of happiness lined up for everyone. Be it children, teenagers, young adults or older parents, this unique world of snow will definitely not disappoint you. This amusement park comes with a variety of other attractions including the ClickArt Museum, Live Art Museum and Ink Wear facilities and is located on the beautiful East Coast Road in Chennai.
Express Avenue
Express Avenue is a shopping mall in Chennai promoted by Express Infrastructure, A division of Express Newspapers Pvt. Ltd. It is home to the largest gaming arcade in South India. Built at a cost of ₹7,500 million , the mall is spread over 1,750,000-square-foot, including 900,000-square-foot of leasable (retail) area. The mall has 10 anchor tenants and 150 vanilla tenants. Express Avenue hosts a mixture of shopping, business and leisure.
Marina Beach
Marina Beach is a natural urban beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, along the Bay of Bengal. The beach runs from near Fort St. George in the north to Foreshore Estate in the south, a distance of 6.0 km, making it the longest natural urban beach in the country. The Marina is primarily sandy, unlike the short, rocky formations that make up the Juhu Beach in Mumbai. The average width of the beach is 300 m and the width at the widest stretch is 437 m. Bathing and swimming at the Marina Beach are legally prohibited because of the dangers, as the undercurrent is very turbulent. It is one of the most crowded beaches in the country.
Thousand Lights Mosque
Thousand Lights is a multi-domed mosque in Anna Salai in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, is one of the largest mosques in the country and is a revered place of worship and azadari for Shia. It is said that 1000 lamps needed to be lit in order to illuminate the assembly hall, thus lending it its name. The mosque is popular for a number of reasons, such as its name, its architecture and its historical and religious importance.
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. A prominent landmark on this beach is the Karl Schmidt Memorial. The memorial is named after the Dutch sailor who lost his life in the process of saving others from drowning. Elliot's Beach is one of the cleanest and safest beaches in the city of Chennai. It is located towards the south of Marina Beach.
Ashtalakshmi Temple
The Ashtalakshmi Kovil is a Hindu temple, which lies on the shorelines near Elliot's beach, in Chennai, India. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi, and her eight primary forms – the Ashtalakshmi – the giver of all eight forms of wealth, namely, offspring, success, prosperity, wealth, courage, bravery, food, and knowledge. The sanctorums are depicted on a multi-tier complex in such a way that visitors would visit all the shrines without stepping over any of the sanctums.
DakshinaChitra
DakshinaChitra ("a picture of the south") is a living-history museum in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, dedicated to South Indian heritage and culture. Developed as a heritage village, DakshinaChitra has an array of displays and relocated originals of dwellings depicting the life pattern of people in the states of southern India. The exhibits portray the architecture, art, folk performing-arts and craft of South Indian traditions. The amenities include a research unit, crafts bazaar, playground, an area to hold religious functions, stone workshop, and souvenir kiosks. There are craftsmen who permanently work at DakshinaChitra who demonstrate or explain how they make their wares.
Guindy National Park
Guindy National Park is a 2.70 square kilometres 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. 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, and a wealth of different invertebrates. These are free-ranging fauna and live with minimum interference from human beings.
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, Katcheri seasons and Ramakrishna Math among many others. San Thome Basilica which houses the tomb of Thomas the Apostle is in Mylapore.
Royapuram Fishing Harbour
Royapuram fishing harbour, also known as Chennai fishing harbour or Kasimedu fishing harbour, is one of the major fishing grounds for catching fishes and crustaceans located at Kasimedu in the Royapuram area of Chennai, India. The harbour is located north of the Chennai Port and is under the administrative control of the Chennai Port Trust. The harbour is also a shipbuilding facility, chiefly building fishing boats.