Chennai Tourism
Places of Interest in Chennai
Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple
This
ancient Shiva temple is a delightful introduction to Dravidian temple sculpture
and architecture. Fragmentary inscriptions date back to 1250 AD, but the present
structure is the renovated one which was rebuilt by the Vijayanagara kings in
the 16th century. The magnificent 37m tall gopuram is profusely carved. The
crowded cosmogeny of Stucco gods, goddesses and saints depict important Puranic
legends. The 'Punnai' tree in the temple courtyard is one of the oldest trees
in Chennai and shades a small shrine depicting the legend that gave Mylapore
its name. The goddess Parvati, in the form of a peacock, is shown worshipping
Siva, represented by the traditional Lingam. Parvati is worshipped in this temple
as Karpagambal. The Kapaleswarar temple famed for being the site of a miracle
is sculpturally represented in the shrine of the saint in front of the temple
flagmast. Among other special features of the temple are the bronze statues
of 63 Saivite saints, canonised for leading exemplary lives of devotion and
penance. The figure of these 63 Nayanmars (saints), which adorn the outeryard
of the temple, are carried in a colourful procession on the eighth day of the
10-day Arupathumoovar temple festival held in March-April every year.
Guindy National Park
Once this was all part of Governor's Estate. Now it is fragmented and the major
part is a thickly forested game sanctuary where the spotted deer and the black
buck roam about and a wealth of smaller fauna thrive. This is the country's
only Wild Life Sanctuary within a city's limits. Raj Bhavan, the Governer's
mansion, occupies one end of the park, and at the other is the beautiful forest-girt
campus of Chennai's famous Indian Institute of Technology, one of Asia's foremost
technical educational institutions. In between, and edging the road, are a famous
Cancer Institute, a children's park with its own mini zoo and mini-railway,
a snake park, rich in reptiles, and Memorials to Gandhiji, Rajaji, the first
Indian Governer -General, and Kamaraj, a great national leader. Latest addition
to this array of memorials is that of Bakthavatchalam, former chief minister
of Tamil Nadu. Opposite the park are the Anna University of Technology, whose
nucleus was the oldest technical school in the East; and the Central Leather
Reasearch Institute. To the east of the park as well as at the back of it sprawls
the campus of the Central Institute of Technology. Not far away is one of the
country's finest Race-courses. Children's park Timing: 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. Tuesday
holiday.
Fort ST. George
The
building of the nucleus of this Fort in 1640 was the first step towards the
founding of chennai and an Empire. The fort itself kept growing over the years
and is one of the finest examples in India of British military construction.
Within its solid walls and sturdy gates are much that is historic. Clive's Corner
in the house where Robert Clive lived, commemorates the Empire-builders who
first learnt his trade here. St. Mary's Church consecrated in 1680 and the oldest
Protestant Church in the East, contains several antiquities, not the least being
the oldest British tombstones in India and memorial of weddings in which Clive
and Elihu Yale, benefactor of America's yale University. Arthur Wellesley who
became Wellington and Warren Hastings were present for wedding held here. The
Legislature and Secretariat of the Government were built around a core that
was Fort House, the home of the first governor of Chennai and, the Fort Museum,
once a building that housed Chennai's first lighthouse, first commercial bank
and first club, is now a well-kept repository of tangible memories of early
Madras. Fort Museum Timing: 9am to 5 pm. Friday holiday.
Government Museum Complex
Once British Society in Chennai used to meet in the Pantheon. Its 18th century
buildings and grounds have over the years since then been developed into the
Connemara Library, one of the country's three National Libraries, the national
Art Gallery, a beautiful building of Jaipur- Mughal architecture, the government
Museum with its fabulous collection of bronzes and the Museum Theatre, a quaint
theatre that is another building out of the Museum Theatre, a quaint theatre
that is another building out of the gaslight era. Timings: 8am to 5 pm.
Valluvar Kottam
A unique bit of modern building in the city is the huge auditorium that draws
its inspiration from the great temple builders of Tamil Nadu's past. This huge
memorial hall to the Poet-Saint Thiruvalluvar is dominated by a towering temple
car in stone. Timing: 8am to 5pm. Closed on Fridays and National holidays.
MGR Film City
This is a special designed place near Taramani, Adyar, to serve the film industry.
Several sets of artificial sceneries like forest, water falls, market place
etc., are built here to serve as background for the shooting of films.
Birla Planetarium
Built in memory of B.M. Birla, the well known industrialist and visionary, the
Planetarium is considered to be the most modern in the country. It is located
at Kottur near Anna University. Programme Timing: 10.45 am - 1.45 pm and 3.45
pm. English: 12.00 Noon and 2.30 pm Tamil.
The Marina
Stretching two miles, from the Coovum River's mouth, south of the Fort, till
the northern boundaries of the 16th century Portuguese town of San Thome, is
this magnificent beach drive and promenade. At the southern end of the Marina
is the San Thome basilica, built in 1896. To the east of the road is the Promenade,
well-kept gardens and a wide beach which claims to being the world's second
longest. At the north end of the beach is Anna Square, the serene resting place
of Dr.C.N.Annaduari, who founded a populist party that ushered in anew the ancient
glory of Tamil Nadu and the Tamils. His samadhi is marked by a beautiful park,
a striking memorial sculpture and crowds pay homage daily.
Nearby is the samadhi of M.G Ramachandran, one of the most popular Chief Ministers
of this State. In between, sentinels on the promenade, are several statues of
Tamil scholars and Mahatma Gandhi. Chennai's Aquarium is also on this beach.
Across the road are several important buildings of Chennai. The University campus
has Indo-Saracenic buildings of the 1930s blending with perhaps one of the country's
finest building's in this hybrid style, Senate House built by one of the founders
of the modern version of this school of architecture, R F Chisholm, in mid-
19th century.
Chisholm's PWD buildings front, the striking Chepauk Palace, once the home of
the Nawabs of the Carnatic, but now government offices whose exteriors still
reflect Nawabi splendour. Presidency College, another Chisholm's masterpiece,
was the nucleus of the 125 years-old University of Madras. Vivekananda House,
now a hostel, was once a storehouse for imported ice; then home of Swami Vivekananda
when he visited Chennai. The long and impressive office of the Director-general
of police, another 19th century construction was built as the city's first Masonic
hall.
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