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Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital of Tamil Nadu and lies on the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. A ‘gateway to South India’, Chennai is a major cultural, educational and IT hub. A city proud of its culture and traditions, it has stayed true to its roots even while taking big strides in the commercial and industrial businesses. Music, dance, theatre and art thrive in this city. Chennai and its suburbs have more than a whopping 600 temples, many of which are architectural splendours. Chennai is also known for the world-renowned engineering college, IIT. Chennai Tourism offers a plethora of sightseeing attractions to tourists from spectacular beaches to ancient temples, from arty museums to the oldest zoo in India, from serene lakes to gigantic auditoriums!
Archaeological findings in Chennai go as far back as the stone age. Both the Cholas and the Pallavas have ruled over Chennai, followed by the Portuguese in 1522. A century passed by for the East India Company to arrive in 1639. It obtained a land grant from the Vijayanagar Emperor to set up a fort-cum-trading post. This region was a fishing village called Madrasanpattnam from where Chennai’s former name, Madras, is derived. A year later, the East India Company built Fort St. George, around which the city grew. The British converted Madras to a major naval and commercial centre. After independence in 1947, the city became the capital of Madras State which was eventually named Tamil Nadu.
Chennai is also called the ‘Detroit of India’ because of its thriving automobile industry which produces 40% of the country’s auto parts and motor vehicles.
The largest library in Asia, The Anna Centenary Library is located in Chennai.
Madras Central Jail is the oldest jail in India.
The people of Chennai, colloquially called “Chennaiites”, are known to take their traditions and culture very seriously. Chennai has the third largest expatriate community in India. Besides, there is a significant migrant population from neighbouring places like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Sri Lanka.
Tamil is the language of Chennai. But being a cosmopolitan city, other languages spoken here are English, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Konkani amongst others.
Chennai is hot and humid for most part of the year with hardly any variations in seasonal temperature. Winters are pleasant with January being the coolest month with minimum temperatures hovering around 18-20°C.
Indian Rupee
Air – Chennai International Airport has two terminals – Kamraj Terminal for domestic and Anna Terminal for international flights. Chennai is well connected with all major destinations of the world.
Train – Major railway stations at Chennai are Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore which connect it to the rest of India
Road – National Highways connect Chennai with many cities such as Trichy, Bangalore, Coimbatore amongst others. Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminal is one of the largest bus stations in Chennai and state-owned buses operate here to connect it with destinations in South India.
Language Spoken
Tamil and English
Currency used:
Indian rupee
Here is a brief Chennai tourist guide which gives you an idea of all the major sightseeing attractions that this city offers. The spectacular Marina Beach, the intricately carved Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar Temple, the Government Museum with an impressive numismatic collection, the colonial Fort St. George and the majestic Santhome Cathedral Basilica are an absolute must-visit.
India Tourism Chennai offers diverse activities to its tourists. Take a stroll on Marina Beach or Thalankuppam Pier, a ride along the picturesque Bay of Bengal on the Great East Coast Road, visit the zoo, relish South Indian delicacies or do a temple tour and explore not only your religious side but also learn about art and sculpture of ancient India.
You can shop till you drop at Chennai! Apart from swanky shopping malls, Chennai has numerous marketplaces to satisfy the shopaholic in you. Head to Thyagaraya Nagar or George Town for sarees, jewellery, fabric, readymade garments and much more. You name it, you get it at Pondy Bazaar. The 200-year Godown Street deals in textiles, Pantheon Road has good quality cotton and Ritchie Street is famous for electronics.
Where nightlife is concerned, Chennai tourism will leave you amazed with its choices. It has a vibrant nightlife with a lot of groovy pubs and hip bars such as the fancy British pub 10 Downing Street, the happening hotspot Blend, the cool and young Ink 303 and of course, the nightclubs in the upmarket hotels like Pasha – The Park, ITC’s Gatsby 2000 and The Flying Elephant at the Park Hyatt.
You can enjoy various Chennai tour packages which include cultural, temple or city tours which last from a few hours to a couple of days. Besides you can combine Chennai with Tirupati, Pondicherry, Madurai, Rameswaram, Kanyakumari, Yercaud or Mahabalipuram and enjoy longer tours packages.
