Chennai

Major attractions of Chennai

Marina Beach
Out of the 19 km long coastline of Chennai, Marina Beach covers an area of around 6 km and forms the second longest urban beach in the world. It runs along the coastline of the city between the deltas of Cooum and Adyar and is home to many British colonial buildings with a beautiful spread of flower beds. One can also grab a crispy sundal and murukku while enjoying the resplendent sunrise and sunset.

Kapaleeshwarar Temple
Believed to be dated to the 8th century, it is one of the oldest and well-known temples of Chennai. Having intricate structures dating back to 1600s, the 37 metre ‘Gopuram’ (entrance gate) is notable. This temple is famous for Goddess ‘Karpagambal’ or the ‘Goddess of the Wish-Yielding Tree’, one of Goddess Parvati’s forms.

San Thome Basilica
There are only three churches built over the tomb of an Apostle of Jesus Christ in the whole world. One is in Rome, the second is in Spain and the third is the Basilica of the National Shrine of St.Thomas in Chennai. It is built over the tomb of Saint Thomas who visited India during 52 AD. The Basilica houses several valuable works of art and has the Tomb Chapel below the Basilica and the ‘Museum cum theatre’.

Fort St George
Ideally located on the banks of Bay of Bengal, this fort was built by the British as a trading post in 1644. It is the first British fortress in India. There are several attractions inside the fort.

Snake Park and Children’s Park
Also known as Guindy Snake Park, this park boasts of a variety of Indian snakes and reptiles.

Other Attractions
Talking about other famous locations are St. Mary’s Church, Parthasarathy Temple, Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Marundeeswarar Temple, Guindy National Park, Covelong, St. Thomas Mount, Elliot’s Beach and the VarasiddhiVinayaka Temple amongst others.

How to Reach
Chennai is well connected to other parts of the country by air through the Chennai International Airport and by rail via Chennai Central and Egmore stations.