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Chennai is
often called the cultural capital of
India
& is the gate way to South.
Chennai, is
a journey in to timeless India , a kaleidoscope of moods rich in treasures of
history from temples and shrines to forts & palaces
.This 350
years old city was one of the bastions
of the East India Company, and the British left an indelible mark on this historic
city
The sprawling city which is divided in two by the cooum River, in this city
you can find the perfect blend of tradition and modernity… where ‘Udupi’
hotels and fast-food joints, gopurams (temple towers) and skyscrapers, mantras and
mobiles, ragas and rap, coexist…providing many a fascinating vignette of the
southern heritage .
Today, Chennai while retaining her old world charm with the enchanting landmarks
of a historic city, has also become a lucrative investment destination for hi-tech
ventures.
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Places of
Interest
Kapaleeswarar
Kapaleeswarar
Temple with its massive and intricately carved gopuram towering into sky .
This is
an ancient Shiva temple & is the biggest temple in
Chennai, A masterpiece of Dravidian
style and displays the architectural elements -with its artistic eloquence
depicting Hindu mythological tales.
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Sri
Parthasarathy
Temple
Sri
Parthasarathy
Temple
, It is another splendid
8th century shrine dedicated to Lord Krishan. It houses the five 'avatars'
of Lord Vishnu, and has a small temple shrine dedicated to Vishnu's consort,
Vedavalli Ammai. It's one of the oldest surviving temple in Chennai,
renovated by the rulers of Vijayanagar.
Fort
St. George
Fort
St. George surrounded by cannon-proofwalls , it is the place where most of
Chennai history was written. The building in the Fort today , house the
Secretariat and the Legislative assembly .St. Mary's Church within its wall
was consecrated in 1680 AD & is believed to be the oldest Anglican
Church in the east. The
museum in the fort has
a collection of objects, contemporary paintings. The flagmast at
Fort St. George is the tallest in
India
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Santhome
Cathedral
The
Santhome Cathedral it is said to be the last resting
Palace
of
St. Thomas
the Apostle who brought Christianity to
India
. This this Roman Catholic rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1893,
is said to house the remains of
St. Thomas
the Apostle.
St.
Thomas Mount
St.
Thomas Mount , is the place where the apostle is said to have been was
martyred.
Valluvar kottam - Valluvar Kottam is on the Kodambakkam High Road to
the great poet Thiruvalluvar .He wrote the famous Thiru Kural', which is
supposed to be nearly 2000 years old.This structure is shaped like a temple chariot with a life-size statue of the saint, Valluvar
Kottam has an auditorium, which is said to be the largest in Asia .
Government
Museum
The
Government
Museum
is on
Pantheon Rd
, between Egmore and Anna Salai. The main building has a fine
archaeological section representing all the major south Indian periods
including Chola, Vijayanagar, Hoysala and Chalukya. It also houses a good
ethnology collection. The bronze gallery has a superb collection of Chola
art. One of the most impressive is the bronze of
Ardhanariswara, the
androgynous incarnation of Shiva.
National
Art
Gallery
The
National
Art
Gallery
situated in Egmore were established in 1857. There are sections on geology,
archaeologym anthropology, numismatics, botany, zoology and sculpture,
besides a collection of armoury.
Guindy National
Park & snake park -
These
parks are adjacent to each other. The
The national park houses have some wild life
where as it is the snake park that is more impressive with a whole variety
of snakes and lizards to be seen. .
It is well maintained with generous enclosures. The next compound is
the 'Children
Park which has a small collection of animals and birds and a big play area
for children.
Film Studios - The film studios in Chennai are one of the best and the
largest to be found in the country. The MGR film city is an impressive one
and is the only one that is open to the public most of the times.
Kalakshetra
Kalakshetra
founded by late Rukmini Devi Arundale in 1936. it is a renowned institutions
that keeps alive the traditional Bharat Natyam & carnatic music.
B.M. Birla Planetorium
Situated
in Kotturpuram in Chennai, the B. M. Birla Planetarium houses a modern,
fully computerised projector, which depicts the heavens on a hemispherical
dome.
Marina
Beaches
Marina
which is also the city's sea front beach is considered one of the longest
beaches in the world &
the second longest beach in the world. The entire stretch is full of
statues symbolising Tamil culture. It is one of the places where Chennai's crowd can
be seen especially during holidays. It
is the place where Vivekanand preached his ascetic philosophy. The Elliot’s
Beach is also situated nearby to this place.
Light
House
Situated
at the south end of the Marina Beach, it adds glory to the luster of the
golden sands.
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The best time to visit :- The best
time to visit Chennai is between December and March
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How To Get
There |
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| By
Air |
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Chennai
is an
international airport link it to the major Indian
cities. |
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| By
Train |
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Nearest
Railhead is at Chennai . |
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| By
Road |
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Chennai
is well linked with the toad network |
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