Chennai (formerly known as Madras) is the gateway to Southern India and the largest city in southern India located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, developed after 1639 when the British East India Company established a fort and trading post at the small fishing village of Chennai. It is the capital city of Tamilnadu state. This coastal center of trade has drawn traffic from all over the world for centuries and maintains a cosmopolitan quality as well as a Tamil air. The center of South India's film industry, its skyline is ablaze with bright movie billboards advertising the latest celluloid fantasies.
Legacy Sites
Fort St. George: Travel back into time to the Fort St. George- that burgeoned into an empire .It was from this focal point viz. Clives's Corner, where Robert Clive, the founder of the British Empire began his empire building process. The fort is still one of the finest specimens of India's British military construction. Get a glimpse too of the oldest Protestant Church in the East- St. Mary's Church, consecrated in 1680. The Wellesley House within, also housed Wellesley on his first active military duty. Today, the Legislature and Secretariat of the Tamil Nadu government are built around the Fort House, erstwhile home of the first governors of the early Madras.
High Court Complex:The original Fort St. George's first Indian town also houses the splendid Indo-Saracenic buildings that are High Court and the Law College. The maritime origins are still evident building in the city's second lighthouse tower Near the High Court. The highest point in the Court building once housed the third lighthouse.
George Town: Fort St. George has grown into that typically Indian cityscape of narrow, criss-crossing streets . The commercial heart of the city, throbs with life from dawn to dusk, and it's difficult to find even a toe space in the streets packed with traders, buyers and their employees. It still is the last outpost of the imperial city. Rajaji Salai (North Beach Road) separates George Town from the Harbour and along one side of it, Imperial architecture flourishes. Beginning with the earliest British commercial house, Parry's, you can savor much of the major commercial institutions in Madras. Bentinck's Building, the Collectorate was once the home of the city's first Supreme Court. George Town is bounded in the north by Old Jail Road and Clive Battery.
Corporation Complex: Ripon Building, home of the oldest municipality in India - the Madras Corporation -was built in 1913. Another pale inspiration from the Taj, the domed vision in white also spreads into a large municipal complex where you can find parks and gardens, Nehru Stadium, Victoria Public Hall, a public meeting place out of the gaslight era, and Moore market - the latter a fascinating shopper's paradise.
The Culture Circuit
Government Museum(Pantheon Road): Established in 1857, one of the country's finest museums takes you to a journey into the past. Witness authentic relics from 2nd century AD Buddhist site of Amaravati and the prehistoric antiques of South India. Exquisite carvings of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths are displayed in the sculpture gallery .You can also see an interesting collection of wood carvings from processional temple chariots and a fine collection of South Indian musical instruments and jewellery. Superb ancient icons and modern bronzes, including the famous bronze Natraja and the beautiful set of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman jostle for space in the Bronze section.
National Art Gallery: Immerse yourself in some of the finest collection of old paintings. Delight in the 10th and 13th century bronzes, 16th-18th century Rajasthani and Mughal paintings, 17th century Deccani paintings and 11th and 12th century Indian handicrafts.
Kalakshetra: All year round, Kalakshetra, an internationally renowned teaching institute, reverberates with classical music and dance. Founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale, its dance dramas are spectacular and eager students learn music, dance and handicrafts too. Its Kala Mandir Auditorium is of unique traditional architecture. Not far away is Cholamandalam, a cooperative artists' colony where modern art and open air theatre thrive.
Access:
How to reach Chennai by Air: Chennai is well connected to the world and most international airlines have flights to Chennai's Anna International Airport. Domestic airlines operate daily flights to all major cities of the country from the Kamaraj domestic terminal near the international terminal. Both air terminals are located at Meenambakkom about 20 kms from the city.
How to reach Chennai by Rail: Chennai is the headquarters of Southern Railway, a division of Indian Railway. Chennai is connected to many cities and towns by super-fast and express trains. The city has two main railway stations.Chennai Central, which links north and west India and Egmore, which links south India. Chennai has a recently introduced local electric train network, MRTS (Massive Rapid Transport System) to connect different points of the city.
How to reach Chennai by Road: Chennai is well connected to all the major cities of India by a network of highways and roads. Most government bus services for Tamil Nadu and other states now operate from the newly opened Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, Koyembedu.It is claimed to be the largest bus station in Asia. Inter state buses operate at regular intervals from Chennai. Many private operators are also available for domestic and interstate transportation. Pre-paid taxis and airport coaches are available at airports and railway station.
