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KAMARAJ MEMORIAL HOUSE
Kamaraj Memorial House is built in the memory of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri Kamaraj. He was an ideal for all the Indians, as he rose out of poverty and became the Chief Minster thrice. The Memorial House was inaugurated in 1978 by the then Chief Minister, M. G. Ramchandaran. The memorial is spread on the two floors of the building. It showcases the personal photographs and effects of Shri Kamaraj, which provide an insight into his life.
FORT ST. GEORGE
Chennai St. George Fort is located on the banks of Bay of Bengal. It was built by the British East India Company in 1640 AD. The fort is believed to be the first establishment of the British in India. It is a military architecture marvel, which was erected as a trading post and later evolved to be the origin of modern Indian Army. Situated in the coastal state of Tamil Nadu, this ancient monument is worth watching on your trip to Chennai. St. George Fort holds great historical importance and is looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India.
VALLUVAR KOTTAM
The memorial to the poet-saint Tiruvalluvar is shaped like a temple chariot and is, in fact, the replica of the temple chariot in Thiruvarur. A life-size statue of the saint has been installed in the chariot which is 33m. tall.
The 133 chapters of his famous work Thirukkural have been depicted in bas-relief in the front hall corridors of the chariot. The auditorium at Valluvar Kottam is said to be the largest in Asia and can accommodate about 4000 people. It stands as a modern memorial to the great poet who represents the glorious culture of the Tamils.
PARTHASARATHY TEMPLE
Sri Parthasarathy Temple is located at Triplicane, near the famous Marina beach in Chennai. Spread over an area of 1.5 acres, it was built by the Pallavas in the 8th century. The temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna (Parthasarathy), houses images of the five incarnations of Vishnu. It also has a small shrine dedicated to Vedavalli Ammai, Vishnu's consort. Parthasarathy in the sanctum sanctorum is in a standing posture facing east, holding in his right hand the divine conch called the Panchajanyam. His lefthand is in Dana Mudra indicating his divine feet.
ASHTALAKSHMI TEMPLE
Ashtalakshmi Temple is considered as the only temple featuring the eight manifestations of the Goddess Mahalakshmi. The temple was built in the year 1976 and features various characteristics of Dravidian temple architecture. Ashtalakshmi temple and the Mahalakshmi temple in Mumbai are the only temples of the goddess that are located on the Indian coast. The eight manifestations of Goddess Mahalakshmi include Sri Aadhi lakshmi the Goddess of health, Sri Dhanya lakshmi the Goddess of food, Sri Dhairya lakshmi the Goddess of courage, Sri Gaja lakshmi the Goddess of luck, Sri Santhana Lakshmi the Goddess of children, Sri Dhana lakshmi the Goddess of wealth, Sri Vijaya lakshmi the Goddess of victory and Sri Vidya lakshmi the Goddess of education.
Some other deities worshipped here include Sri Hanuman, Sri Guruvayurappa and Sri Ganesh. The temple was built by a trust consisting of five members and headed by Mukkur Srinivasa Varadhachriyar. In the year 1994 the temple authorities by the state government and at present is run by the Hindu Religious Endowments and Administrative Departments. The temple witnesses a great fervor in the popular festivals like Navratri, Deepavali and Pongal.
ISKCON TEMPLE
The ISKCON Temple at Chennai like other ISKCON centres is the axis point from where the teachings of Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya are spread. The temple is the most frequently visited one in the capital city of Tamil Nadu. The deities worshipped in the temple include those of Rukmini and Krishna. The image of deity Satyabhama, one of the eight wives of Krishna, is also housed in the temple premises. Other deities worshipped in the temple include Jagannath, Baladeva, Subhadra and Gaura-Nitai. The ISKCON Temple of Chennai is built over a small area and has few provisions. But the rush of the pious devotees is quite the same as at other centres and temples.
THOUSAND LIGHTS MOSQUE
Thousand Lights Mosque, a multi-domed mosque located near Anna flyover in Chennai built in 19th century in the ground donated by Nawab Wallajah and renovated in 1981, is a revered religious place for Muslim community. It is called 'thousand lights' because more than one thousand lamps are illuminated in the Assembly Hall of this mosque. It has two big minarets as big as 64 feet.
The mosque encloses a beautiful library, a burial ground and convenient guesthouses. This multi-domed mosque, with sayings from the Holy Koran painted on its walls, attracts many visitors and comes alive during the annual Moharram festival. This is a very important religious place for Muslims. Lots of tourists visit this Mosque to offer prayers as well as to see the amazing minarets and illumination.
ARMENIAN CHURCH
The Armenian Church in Chennai was built in 1772 on the site of the Armenian cemetery. This is a marvel of architectural beauty. This church has a magnificent bell tower having 6 bells, claimed to be the largest in Chennai. This tower attracts many and is a must place to visit in Chennai.
MARINA BEACH
The 13-kilometre long Marina Beach forms the city's east coast, from Fort St. George all the way to Marina BeachMahabalipuram and is one of the longest beaches in the world. The Marina Beach is a sandy beach and is the most sought-after beach for many. A visit to the Marina Beach is an enchanting experience for a traveller.
There are many statues adorn the roadside aloMGR Memorialng the beach which includes statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Kannagi, Thiruvalluvar, Sir Thomas Munro, Kamarajar, Avvaiyar, Thanthai Periyar and the Statue of Labour. At one end of the beach is Anna Square where the former Chief Minister of Tamilnadu Dr. C.N.Annadurai was buried. Next to the Anna Sqaure is MGR Samathi and a beautiful park. This is a memorial for Dr.M.G. Ramachandran, the former Chief Minister of Tamilnadu and also a former film hero. The tomb has an imposing memorial Pillar and an eternal flame.
ELLIOT'S BEACH
Elliot's Beach is situated to the south of the Marina beach where you can spend hours by relaxing and bathing in the sun. You can even make sand palaces or simp ly stroll about on the beach. You will easily reach Elliot's Beach of Chennai by well maintained transport system. Nowadays, the Elliot's Beach has become a popular hangout for the young generation. Elliot's Beach is also a favorite haunt of foreigners where they can peacefully take their sun bath.
In Elliot's Beach, you will see a line of eateries or restaurants, few yards from the sandy coast.
COVELONG BEACH
The enchanting Covelong Beach of Chennai is located at a distance of 40 kilometers from Chennai. Covelong Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Chennai marked for its serene beauty and various other beach activities. Covelong Beach of Chennai was built by the Nawab of Carnatic. Covelong Beach in Chennai was once the hub of the French in India.
Adventure lovers can involve themselves in a number of water sports in the Covelong Beach at Chennai. They can enjoy water sports like wind surfing and swimming which are the are popular activities of the tourists here.
MGR FILM CITY
The Government of Tamil Nadu manages the MGR Film City, established in 1994 in memory of MG Ramachandran, popular film actor and longtime Chief Minister of Tamilnadu. Covering 70 acres at Taramani in Chennai, the MGR Film City was a popular tourist spot and the setting of several South Indian films. The film city has a film school, indoor and outdoor shooting locations, replicas of village and urban areas, temple, church, mosque, post office, police station, prison, courtroom, and landscaped gardens in Italian, Japanese and Mughal styles. The recently opened MGR Knowledge Park adds to the attraction.
GUINDY NATIONAL PARK
Guindy National Park, adjacent to the Raj Bhavan, is situated in the Mambalam, Guindy taluk in Chennai. Guindy National Park, The smallest national park in India and one of the few located in a metro. The park is an extension of the grounds surrounding the official residence of the governors of Tamil Nadu.
It spreads over an area of 270 hectares of dry evergreen scrub and thorn forests and is the smallest national park in the country. Black buck, chital, jackal, pangolin, elephant, spotted dear, jungle cat, toddy cat and Indian civet are the major wildlife found. The park also shelters varieties of birds such as black winged kite, honey buzzard and pariah kite. A snake park housed within this park supports various snakes, crocodiles and turtles. This is a place where a lots of tourists are getting are attracted.
GUINDY SNAKE PARK
Guindy Snake Park is next to the Guindy National ParkSnake Park is located on Sardar Patel road in Guindy near Chennai. This is one of the eco friendly and environment friendly biological parks that attract many tourists. It houses a variety of rare reptiles, different species, including deadly king cobras, vipers, pythons, adders, kraits, adders, giant turtles and monitor lizards. There is a Children's Park nearby, which is well maintained, with varied collections of animals and birds. The park is open for all age groups.
BURMA BAZAAR
Chennai is one of the important trade centers of south India and is a good place to shop for a large variety of things. One of the famous shopping places is Burma Bazar, where one can find all sorts of imported goods ranging from electronic gadgets to readymade and perfumes. Trading in almost all kinds of goods from plastic goods to textiles and stationery, and from ready-made garments to household items can be had here for reasonable prices. There are many new shopping complexes that offer a large range of shopping to be done under a single roof, have come all over the Burma Bazar. This is shoppers' paradise.
