Chennai: The Cultural and Historical Hub of South India!

Formerly Known as Madras, Chennai is a city located in Tamil Nadu and lies in the southern part of India facing the Bay of Bengal Sea. It is bordered by Kerala and Karnataka in the west and Northwest and Andhra Pradesh in the North East.

The city is titled the “Gateway of Culture” because of the people and authorities giving importance to culture and norms.  Chennai is home to rich tradition and culture taking it back several centuries and holds huge historical significance.

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu and an artistic city too. It is also a huge economic center. The name was changed and implemented in 1996. The beaches here are one of the longest not just in the city, state, or country but the whole world.

Here are the top 10 places and a bonus 5 to visit in the Amazing city of Chennai and its Nearby locations within the state. Most of the places are easily accessible and open most days excluding Fridays, Sundays, and some weekends consecutively.

Fort St. George

Constructed in 1644 by the British East India Company St George Fort is located in Chennai and spans an area of 6.5 acres. This is one of the best places to visit in Chennai.

The fort was initially built as a trading point for the British and features Church, Museum, and an old Library within itself. People who are into architecture and history can visit here. It is open from 9 AM to 5 PM and take a guided tour of the place.

Elliot’s Beach

In the Besant Nagar of Chennai lies Elliot’s Beach which is also called ‘Bessie’ among the locals. The beach is one of the cleanest in the city and was named after the former Governor of Madras (Now Chennai) Edward Elliot.

You can unwind and have a peaceful evening along with participating in several fun activities which include Swimming, Surfing, and Sunbathing.

#CoronaVirusUpdate: Iconic Marina Beach, Elliot's Beach, Tiruvanmiyur and Palavakkam Beaches in #Chennai to be closed from 3 pm today, as announced by city Corporation.#IndiaFightsCorona #COVID19 #CoronaOutbreak pic.twitter.com/BNSnDSD8CD

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) March 21, 2020

The beach has a wide collection of restaurants and cafes offering delicious foods from seafood cuisine to popular Indian street eateries, the beach also has stalls selling snacks and refreshments as well. 

Birla Planetarium

Birla is a popular science & technology center and museum in Kotturpuram. It is one of the most visited tourist spots in Tamil Nadu and Chennai. The name has been inspired by the popular industrialist group of India the Adithya Birla Family.

Science freaks and people into astronomy can visit this place helping them to know more about the world and space. The place is equipped with several spots which are educational to the visitors.   

Marina Beach

Marina Beach is arguably the most popular beach in Tamil Nadu let alone Chennai and is included among the longest beaches in India. It’s a must-visit beach regardless of whether you’re a native or not.

Planning your trip at the earliest is recommended due to the reason it gets very crowded on the weekends. The beach has a statue of the Great Mahatma Gandhi situated in the North. The statue was established in 1959 and at the moment it’s a great spot for taking photographs.

San Thome Church 

Dedicated to Saint Thomas and Situated in Chennai city the St Thome Church was built by the Portuguese in the 16^th century. It was renovated into a neo-gothic structure in the year 1896 and to the present day sees a huge number of visitors each year.

Apart from that the church is also a popular tourist destination and holds huge historical significance.

Thousand Lights Mosque

The mosque lies in the heart of Chennai. The particular reason behind the name is that there are several lights that illuminate the mosque on festivals and other celebrations. It was constructed in 1810 by Nawab Umdat-ul-Umrah who was a philanthropist and a famous Muslim Leader.

The Mosque has a special infrastructure by the combination of its Indian and Islamic architecture. It could be visited by people from other religions but remember to remove your footwear and wear modest clothes.

The hall of it accommodates almost 2000 people and it is still used for Islamic festivals and other religious events. The Mosque is usually busy and Fridays and might be closed at weekends so plan accordingly.

Mylapore

In Chennai, Mylapore is considered a cultural hub and this neighborhood is one of the oldest in the state. The city is rich in religious traditions and cultural heritage. Mylapore has multiple old churches and ancient temples.

Mylapore also has a signature street market that sells authentic goodies of the region. When it comes to eateries Mylapore is famous for its South Indian cuisine making it a fascinating place to unwind.

Madras War Memorial 

This war cemetery is located in Nandambakkam in Chennai and is dedicated in honor of the soldiers who took part in the World War.

It was formed in 1952 by the Imperial War Graves Commission in memory of the Indo-British soldiers and received their graves from cantonment and civil due to the lack of assurance of maintenance offered.

A visit to this location gives a sense of antiquity. Overall, it is an ideal destination for History enthusiasts and people curious to know new things.

Royapuram Fishing Harbour

Royapuram Fishing Harbour is under the authority of Chennai Port and is also called Kasimedu Fishing Harbour and is the prime spot for fishing. The area is famous for its beaches convenient for fishing and restaurants or hotels facing the sea for amazing views and seafood.

If you visit Royapuram you ought to face the crowd as early as 4 AM when the markets are about to be opened. Foodies must visit this place to try the variety of sea-foods available here.

Golden Beach

Golden Beach is located on the East Coast Road of Chennai in the southern part of the city. Like the name, the beach features golden sand with clean water accompanied by scenic views of its surroundings.

Activities like Swimming and sunbathing as well as camel and horse rides are available to take part in on the beach for visitor’s enjoyment. The beach has an additional Children’s park and a food court making this a perfect destination for family trips.

Adjacent to the beach there lies the VGP Universal Kingdom, a popular amusement park giving its visitors the peak experience of enjoyment at the time of their visit.

Velankani Shrine

Velankani is a popular Shrine located in Chennai dedicated to the lady of good health. The site is a pilgrimage for its devotees and an auspicious destination at Christmas.

Velankani shrine has a history of trade with Rome for flourishing their business. The spiritual grounds of Vailankanni are open for the people from morning 5 AM until 9 PM.

Valluvar Kottam

Thiruvalluvar is a popular Tamil poet, Philosopher, and thinker, and the place Valluvar Kottam is dedicated to him for his valuable presence in society. The place is marked as a cultural heritage of the Tamil community.

Valluvar Kottam architecture is indeed remarkable and it is known for its major visual glory of representing the ethnic and cultural roots of Tamil Nadu. 

Connemara Public Library

Connemara Public Library is one of the oldest libraries in the whole country. It is known and visited for its vast collection of books. The library also owns manuscripts and rare documents from a very long time ago which makes this place more interesting to visit.

Connemara Public Library represents the state itself. Resources are preserved and collected like a raspatory of a century-old museum of the author’s hard work

Breezy Beach

Breezy Beach is typically a quiet beach situated in the Valmiki Nagar of Chennai. The beach is a picnic spot and visitors have the privilege to enjoy the sea breeze.

Breezy Beach and its extensive beautiful view are underrated as it is not much visited by tourists. Although it’s closely connected to the city area, the beach is very clean. Locals are usually found Vining here around December.

Ripon Building

It is the headquarters of Chennai Corporation and is located close to the MGR Railway station. It was constructed in a colonial style combining ionic and Corinthian styles and is a perfect example of neoclassical architecture.

The name was given under Rippon General who was the governor of British India and commissioned in 1909 and completed construction in 1913. The place is a great spot for photography lovers and it lets us have an aesthetic collection of photos of ourselves or the landscapes.

Best Time To Visit Chennai

With cool weather, the months between November and February are the most recommended time to visit Chennai. Temperatures differ from 20°C to 30°C making it ideal to explore all the attractions here. Chennai has a tropical climate condition with heat throughout the year.

The monsoon months start in October and end in December and receive moderate to heavy rainfall. Some of the places are likely to get flooded so avoid visiting Chennai at this period.

The summer months from March to May are also advised to be avoided for visits as the temperature hits peak to a figure of 40⁰C and a low of 30. The humidity might be excessively uncomfortable for visitors outside this region.

How To Reach Chennai?

Connected well to other major cities through road, rail, and air, Chennai is also a large and major city in India. Reaching here is convenient due to this reason and here is how to reach Chennai in brief.

By Air: Chennai has its international Airport and lands to other important places in India and around the world. There are direct flights to reach to and from Chennai.

By Train: Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore are the two railway stations available here. This railway connects all prime cities and points in the country.

By Road: The national highways of Chennai are a pathway to reach places in India quickly and easily hence traveling by road is a comfortable mode to reach here.

Aside from these, the city is well accessible through its public transportation system including state and privately run buses and taxis you can hire them based on your choice and pace of traveling or rent a vehicle and visit the places in your comfort.

To Conclude Chennai is a busy city yet an ideal destination for family trips. The city has a huge cultural heritage and historical significance as well as they give prominence to its religious and conventional traditions. The places suit people with different tastes and preferences.

Months between November and February are regarded as the best time to visit and are easily accessible by several transportation methods. Chennai is popular for its historical sites and beaches which attract the most tourists yearly.

Planning well and preparing with this guide is perfect for a journey to visit a handful of places in a short period, especially on the weekends for relaxation and soothe your mind.

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