Chennai, formerly known as Madras is the capital city of Tamil Nadu. One of the four metropolitan cities of
India, Chennai is widely spread in area about 180 Sq. Kms. The city situated on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Chennai the automobile capital of India, is also referred as the Detroit of South Asia. The 12 Kilometre long Marina Beach in Chennai, is one of the longest beaches in the world. The city is trisected by two rivers namely Cooum River and Adyar river. The Cooum river divides the city into almost half and the Adyar river divides the southern half of the city into two parts. The historic Buckingham canalruns through the city, almost parallel to the coast. The 350 year old city retains much of its old charm and today stands as a big commercial and industrial centre. Rich in the cultural heritage, the temples, shrines, forts and palaces, the city presents a blend of past with present.
History :
Chennai and its nearby area has served as an important administrative, military and economic centre way back to the 1st century.Several South India kingdoms like the Pallava, the Chola, the Pandya and Vijaynagar empires have ruled over the area. The British occupied the powerof the town in 1749 and under British rule the city developed into a majorurban centre and naval base. The city grew up around the English settlement of Fort Saint George and slowly extends in the adjacent towns and villages.Chennai became the capital of Madras state after the Independence of Indiain 1947, and the state was later renamed as Tamil Nadu is 1968.
Attractions :
» Fort St. George - Fort St. George is one of the finest examples of British military constructions.The construction of the fort was completed in 1654, but it was remodelled
in 1749. The oldest Protestant Church -St. Mary's Church, stands in the fort complex. The St. George’s towering flagstaff is, still today, the tallest in India. The memories of early Chennai are preserved in Clive Corner, Wellesley House, Fort Museum and St. Mary's church. The Legis latureand Secretariat houses of the Tamil Nadu government are built around the Fort.
» High Court Complex - On the site of Fort St. George’s first Indian town the Indo-Sarcenic styled buildings areoperational as High Court. Built in the year 1892 the High Court Complex is assumed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world. The Highcourt building has beautiful domes, a grand central cupola and many stained glass windows. A tall granite Doric column which still stands is an or namentto the campus. The interior of the court buildings has corridors, vestibules and stairways. Inside the High Court Complex the High Court, the Small Cause’s Court and the City Civil Court stand.
» George Town - George Town is considered as the commercial heart of the city, as the streets remain packed with traders, buyers and their employees. Rajaji Salai (North Beach Road) separates George Town from the Harbour and along one side of it, imperial architecture flourishes. The British commercial house stands at the beginning, further one can watch most of the major business centres in Chennai. George Town is bounded in the north by Old Jail Road and Clive Battery.
» Corporation Complex - The Cororation Complex houses Ripon Building, home of the oldest municipality in India, the Madras Corporation built in 1913. The complex have a building with the designin spired from the Taj. The domed white building has Parks and Gardens, Nehru Stadium, Victoria Public Hall, a public meeting place out of the gas lightera and Moore market. The Moore market is the perfect place to shop.
» Government Museum - The Museum was established in the year 1857. One of the country’s best
museums has the collection of authentic relics of 2nd century A.D., brought from the Buddhist site of Amaravati. The museum displays prehistoric antiques of South India and exquisite carvings of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths.One can also see a fine collection of wood carvings from processional temple Chariots. In addition the museum has the interesting collection of South Indian musical instruments and jewellery, ancient icons and modern bronzes, including the famous bronze Natraja and the beautiful set of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman.
» National Art Gallery -The gallery has the the finest collection of old paintings. It houses the10th and 13th century bronzes, 16th-18th century Rajasthani and Mughal paintings, 17th century Deccani paintings and 11th and 12th century Indian handicrafts.
» Kapaleeswarar Temple - The temple is one of the oldest temples of the world, it has inscriptions of 13th century dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The Dravidian architectural style with paintings on the walls remind incidents from Hindu Mythology.
» Sri Parthasarathy Temple - Built by the Pallavasin the 8th century the temple was dedicated to Lord Krishna, the temple houses images of Lord Vishnu.
» Santhome Cathedral - The 500 year old cathedral was built by the Portuguese in honor of Saint Thomas.
» Saint Thomas Mount - Built by the Portuguese thechurch offers the spectacular views of the city.
» Marina Beach - World’s second largest beach,12 Kms long, is a best place for recreation and relaxation.
» Valluvar Kottam - Located at Nungambakkam, the memorial was built for immortal Tamil poet-saint, Thiruvalluvar. The memorial has also an auditorium with a capacity of up to 4000 people.
Accessibility :
Chennai is connected by Airways, Railways and Road link with all the major towns of the country.
» Road - Chennai is linked with well motorable roads from rest of the country. The distance of major towns from Chennai are Mumbai (1329 Kms), Bangalore 334 (Kms) Hyderabad (669 Kms), Kanyakumari
(693Kms), Madurai (461 Kms), Mahabalipuram (60 Kms), Pondicherry (162 Kms),Rameshwaram (619 Kms), Kanchipuram 71 (Kms), Tirupati 143 (Kms), Ooty (535Kms), Kodaikanal (498 Kms), Thiruvananthapuram 709 (Kms) and Thanjavur (334Kms).
» Rail - Chennai Railway station is connected with all the major railway stations of the country like Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta,Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Cochin, Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Varanasi.
» Air - The Airport in Chennai is directly linked to Airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Goa, Bhubaneswar, Cochin, Hyderabad, Port Blair and Pune.
Accommodation :
Chennai is dotted with several hotels ranging from Heritage, Deluxe,Luxury, Business, 5 Star to 2 Star category. Most of the hotels in Chennai are located close to the business centers, the transportation hubs and the airport. The Hotels offer a comfortable stay to the guests.
Best Time to Visit :
The temperature soars during summers while the winter remains cool and pleasant, so the best time to visit Chennai is from November to March.
Customize your Tour Package >>>
Basic Inclusions of the package :
- Assisted transfers from airport to hotel and back
- Accommodation in Hotels (as per the category selected)
- Daily Breakfast Buffet
- City tour + Drives by private car
- An English / Language speaking well mannered guide during sightseeing trips
- All currently applicable taxes
Exclusions :
- Any meal unless mentioned above, personal expenses like telephone /laundry bills etc.
- Entrance fees and still camera or video camera charges at various monuments and museums.
- Tips and gratuities to drivers, guides, and bellboys at hotels
- Departure taxes or Visa handling fees (A Visa is required to visit India)
- Any International Air fare, Airports tax and travel insurance etc. and other services not specified above.
- Anything not mentioned in inclusions.
Remarks
» All prices quoted per person in INR. on twin sharing basis. Rates subject to change without notice Rates are applicable for a minimum of two (2) persons travelling at one time.
» Rates are applicable for Indian market only.
Travel Newsletter
travel
