Chennai Tourism
Chennai or Madras as it was called before, on the Coromandel Coast, is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, a State of the Indian Sub continent. It is a major industrial, commercial, cultural, economic and educational centre of the Southern India. The Chennai District’s population is 46,81,087 [2011 census]. Chennai City is the sixth largest populated in Indian cities. It is known as the “Detroit of India” because many automobile industries are located here. The city also has a population of over 80,000 expatriates as per 2011 census.
There are many versions and legends as to how this city’s name kept changing from Madras and Chennai from time to time. Originally this city was called as Madras, from Madraspattinam during Nayakars rule. It was a fishing village situated to the north of the present Fort St. George. British bought the piece of land from the King of Vijayanagar and built the Fort St. George that houses today’s Secretariat complex of Government of Tamil Nadu. British retained the name as Madrasapattinam, though the locals called it as Chennapattinam. A Legend also says, this city was first named Chennai in honour of Damal Chennappa Nayakkar. In 1996, the then ruling Government of Madras, renamed it as Chennai and it stands good till date.
Diverse Destinations
Explore a myriad of our mind-boggling locations
Jungle Safari
The tropical climate of Chennai has blessed the land with ample amount of lush greenery and equally rich wildlife. Safari in Chennai’s wildlife parks award the visitors with some amazing experiences around our neighbours of nature. Interacting with the wild animals makes us realize the true nature of wilderness. There’s a lot to learn and understand from animals.
Location
Madras Crocodile Bank is the house for 17 of crocodile species and many other cold-blooded animals and provides a number of experiences like safari, night safari, feeding the jaws and also lets you be a zookeeper for a day
Arignar Anna Zoological Park hosts a number of safaris and has some interesting sections to explore wildlife one genus a time
Marina Beach
Situated in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Marina Beach is a natural urban beach along the Bay of Bengal. The beach is stretched out to a distance of 13 kilometres making it the longest natural urban beach in the country, second largest in the world and also the most crowded beach in India with almost 30,000 visitors a day.
With a white sandy shore that looks as though extending to infinity, the landscape of Marina Beach is a mesmerising and serene sight to behold. The beach has a primarily sandy terrain and is dotted with plenty of merry-go-rounds and shops selling souvenirs. You could take a walk along the Marina beach with your near and dear ones or even all alone and enjoy the cool evening sea breeze along with a hot plate of crispy sundal and murukku. Watching the sun crawl upwards into the sky or even disappear into the ocean from the beach, is an awe-striking and enchanting experience.
Government Museum
Government Museum was established in 1851 and is the second oldest museum in the country after the Indian Museum in Kolkata. Situated in Egmore suburb of Chennai, it is built in the Indo-Sarcenic style and houses a rich collection of the works of Raja Ravi Varma.
Marundeeswarar Temple
The magnificent Marundeeswarar Temple, in Tiruvanmiyur, near Chennai has the temple deity Shiva in the form of Marundeeswar or Aushadeeswarar, the God of Medicines. A fine specimen of Dravidian architecture, this temple is a must visit for anyone visiting Chennai or nearby cities.
Glorified in the 7th-8th century by Nayanars (Saivite Saints), Tirugnana Sambandar, and Appar, the temple was expanded by the Chola Kingdom in the 11th century. Moreover, given the name, Marundeeswarar Temple has been a place of worship especially for people with diseases and those facing various problems with their health. The prasadam here is a mixture of sacred ash, water, and milk which is believed to cure any ailments. One must visit the temple to encounter the miraculous power it is said to have.
Arignar Anna Zoological Park
One of the most popular picnic spots in Vandalur, the Arignar Zoological Park is an amazing place to discover the flora and fauna of the region. A favourite weekend spot with both children and adults alike, the Arignar Zoo is situated at a distance of 32 kilometres from Chennai city. It is the largest zoo of its kind in South East Asia and is sprawled over an area of 1260 acres. In addition to having an extensive collection of endemic and exotic animals, visitors can experience the wild first hand with a trip to safari parks where lions and deer can be easily spotted.
Housing as many as 138 different species of organisms, this destination is every nature lover’s paradise. Arinagar Anna Zoological Park is home to a variety of animals such as Himalayan brown bear, lion, tiger, elephant and Indian civit cat. The zoo also has a reptile house which houses various species of reptiles including the king cobra, python, viper any much more. In addition to this, they have a small built-in Jurassic park which just adds on to the excitement. Elephant joy rides, children’s park and an education centre are amongst the other special features of the park.
Ashtalakshmi Temple
Ashtalakshmi Temple is located in Besant Nagar, a few meters away from the Besant beach on the coast of the gorgeous Bay of Bengal. Ashtalakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Knowledge resides here and blesses everyone who visits the temple to offer their prayers with a clean soul.
The continuous sound of the ocean waves echo in the temple complex and instantly inculcate an aura of peace. The grandiosity of the place can be estimated from the fact that nearly 7 million rupees were spent on the renovation of the temple and over 1.6 million rupees on conducting a religiously important Hindu ceremony named, Jeernotharana Ashtabandana Mahakumbhabhishekam.
Weather : 32° C
Timings : 6:30 AM – 12:00 PM, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday- Morning hours: 6:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Time Required : 1-2 hrs
Entry Fee : Free
Valluvar Kottam
Valluvar Kottam is a temple chariot like-monument in Chennai, built to honour the renowned classical Tamil poet and saint, Thiruvalluvar. This intricately designed monument was built by Kalaignar M.Karunanidhi during the 1970s to honour the contributions of Thiruvalluvar. A popular Tamil poet and philosopher, he has been attributed with the creation of Thirukkurals which are hailed as one of the greatest works of Tamil literature. Valluvar Kottam is known for its great architecture, built with innovative layouts and well-thought execution.
The sublime beauty of Valluvar Kottam is best experienced during the morning hours when the city is just waking up to the day, or you can make a visit to this destination during the evening hours when the sun is just setting over the horizon. The magnificent design of the Valluvar Kottam is a wonderful sight to behold, which makes it the perfect destination to click a few pictures.
In addition to being an important tourist destination in the city, Valluvar Kottam also plays host to some of the most important exhibitions and events in the city. Handlooms and handicrafts are regularly hosted in the auditorium here which is an air-conditioned facility and is a good way to spend a few hours admiring the artistic beauty of both the what lays inside and outside.
Kolli Hills Tourism
“The Mountain of Death”
With an ominous name which means ‘Mountain of Death’, Kolli Hills or Kolli Malai are a mountain range located in the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu. It is relatively untouched by commercial tourism and therefore has retained most of its natural magnificence.
The mountains are famous for not only their natural beauty but also have religious significance because of the Arappaleshwar Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The peak is accessible via road as well and the road leading up to it is winding with several twists and turns.
