Chennai India

Chennai - The Automobile Capital of India

Chennai the capital city of Tamil Nadu was previously known as Madras. The fourth largest metropolitan city, Chennai is situated on the Coromandes Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Chennai known as a big commercial and industrial hub of India, is famous for its rich cultural heritage and temple architecture. The 350 year old city is dotted with the many temples, shrines, forts and palaces. Chennai is referred as the automobile capital of India, as major portions of the India's vehicles being manufactured here.

What attract tourists

Chennai is a busy capital city and known as a large commercial and industrial centre of South India. Despite the city maintains its old world charm with modern world. The temples, shrines, forts, palaces and beaches of the town attract large number of tourists. Some of the famous tourist attraction are :

Fort St. George The Fort St. George brings one back to the British era. It is still one of the best specimens of India's British military constructions. The oldest Protestant Church - St. Mary's Church stands in the east side of the complex. The Wellesley House also lies within the complex. The Legislature and Secretariat buildings of the Tamil Nadu government are built around the Fort House.

High Court Complex The original Fort St. George's first India town, houses the spectacular Indo-Saracenic buildings. The buildings are operational as High Court and the Law College. The High Court Complex built in 1892, is considered as world's second largest judicial complex. The picturesque domes, a grand central cupola and many stained glass windows are the main attractions of the building.

George Town With the development of the Chennai, Fort St. George has grown into cityscape of narrow, criss-crossing lanes. The place considered as the commercial heart of the city throbs with people from dawn to dusk. It is difficult to find enough space to walk as the streets packed with businessmen, buyers and the employees. George town still appears the last outpost of the royal city, as the Imperial architecture flourishes along one side of the town.

Corporation Complex The Complex is home to the oldest municipality in India. It houses the Ripon Building, built in 1913. The complex is inspired from the Taj Mahal, and has the domed vision in white colour. Other attractions in the complex are parks and gardens, Nehru Stadium, Victoria Public Hall, a public meeting place out of the gaslight era and Moore market.

Government Museum Government Museum, ChennaiThe Museum established in 1857 is one among the best museums of the country. The museum displays the collection of authentic relics of 2nd century A.D., Buddhist site of Amaravati and the prehistoric antiques of South India. The magnificent carvings of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths are displayed in the sculpture gallery of the museum. In addition the museum has an huge collection of wood carvings, South Indian musical instruments and jewellery, ancient icons and modern bronzes.

National Art Gallery National Art Gallery houses the excellent collection of old paintings. The famous collection include 11th -12th century Indian handicrafts, 10th and 13th century bronzes, 16th-18th century Rajasthani and Mughal paintings and 17th century Deccani paintings.

Kapaleeswarar Temple One of the oldest temples in the world, the temple is known for its inscriptions of 13th century. The temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva is built in Dravidian architectural style. The paintings and inscriptions on the walls of the temple remind incidents from Hindu Mythology.

Marina Beach The second largest beach extends over 12 Kms. The pictresque beache is an ideal spot for recreation and relaxation.

Excursions

Mamallapuram The 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas, is 60 Kms from Chennai. The city situated on a rocky surface, between the beach and a lagoon is known for its scenic beauty. Mammallapuram houses several monuments built between 7th century to 9th century, which are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kancheepuram The city is located at a distance of 71Kms from Chennai. Kancheepuram is major pilgrimage centre for Hindus, as the city is one of the seven holy cities in Hindu mythology. The city also known as the city of thousand temples, is world famous for Kancheepuram silks. Around 650 stone inscriptions, which belong to different dynasties is present here.

How to Reach Chennai

Chennai is well connected by air, rail and road links to all the major cities of the country.

Air : Chennai Airport is connected to major airports of the country. The airlines operate flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad and Pune etc.Egmore Railway Station, Chennai

Rail : Chennai Railway station has the trains from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad etc.

Road : The highways and good motorable roads connect Chennai from rest of the country. The distance of major towns from Chennai are Mumbai (1329 Kms), Bangalore 334 (Kms) Hyderabad (669 Kms), Kanyakumari (693 Kms), Madurai (461 Kms), Mahabalipuram (60 Kms), Pondicherry (162 Kms), Kanchipuram 71 (Kms), Tirupati (143 Kms) and Ooty (535 Kms).

Where to Stay in Chennai

The hotels in Chennai are the best option to stay. Most of the Chennai hotels are located close to tourists attractions as well as business centres. Some of the famous hotels in Chennai are Taj Connemara (5 Star Deluxe), Radisson Hotel (5 Star Deluxe), The Park (5 Star Deluxe), Le Royal Meridien (5 Star Deluxe), Park Sheraton & Towers (5 Star Deluxe) and Taj Coromandel (5 Star Deluxe) etc.