The cultural capital of the south, Chennai is a complete treasure of tourist attractions. The beautiful city has a lot to offer, from beaches to temples and historical monuments. Chennai is the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai has a rich past that was carved by the efforts of the British East India Company. Chennai is gateway to the South, and its culture is distinctly different from that of any other city in India. Tamil tradition and culture are indigenous to this region and is essentially the celebration of the beauty, which is exemplified through dance, clothing, and sculptures. Chennai is both an orthodox and a modern cosmopolitan city; the culture of the city reflects its diverse population. The traditional arts, music, dance and all other art forms of Tamilnadu grow and flourish here. . A prominent feature of this city is the lexicon of British architecture intertwined with the essence of Telugu culture that makes it a quintessential place to visit in South India. Here are the 8 top tourist places to visit in Chennai.
How to reach:-
By Air:- Chennai International Airport (IATA-MAA) is the third busiest in India for International arrivals. Chennai International airport is just 7 kilometres away from the city. It has two terminals. Most of the international and domestic airline carriers have direct flights to the terminal called Anna International Airport in Chennai making the airport well-connected to most major airports in the world
By Train:- Chennai has three major railway stations namely Chennai Central (code MAS), Chennai Egmore which is just 2 kilometres from the city (code MS) and Tambaram which serves the suburban areas of Chennai. Many super-fast and express trains run on a daily basis and are well-connected to cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Cochin, Hyderabad, Kolkata and other Indian cities.
By Road:- Either by bus or Car. Chennai has one of Asia’s largest bus stations, Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT). Seven different state owned corporations drive buses to and from various destinations within South India. they connect cities like Tirupati, Pondicherry, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and others. You can choose from deluxe, semi-deluxe, hi-tech, rajahamsa executive and sleeper buses while taking a route to any of the neighbouring cities.
The road network in Chennai is excellent and is well-connected to most of the neighbouring towns. There are 5 national highways that navigate towards major Indian cities like Kolkata, Bengaluru (330 kms), Madurai (326 kms), Tiruvallur (47 kms), Nellore (181 kms), Vellore (136 kms) and Pondicherry (162 kms).
Places to visit in Chennai:-
Some of the best places to visit in Chennai are Marina Beach is a natural urban beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, along the Bay of Bengal. The beach runs from near Fort St. George in the north to Foreshore Estate in the south, a distance of 6.0 km, making it the longest natural urban beach in the country.
Kapaleeshwarar Temple:- A Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The form of Shiva’s consort Parvati worshipped at this temple is called Karpagambal is from Tamil. The temple was built around the 7th century CE in Dravidian architecture.
The Government Museum or Madras Museum:- A museum of human history and culture located in the neighbourhood of Egmore in Chennai, India. Started in 1851, it is the second oldest museum in India after the Indian Museum in Kolkata. It is particularly rich in archaeological and numismatic collections.
San Thome Basilica:- A Roman Catholic minor basilica in Santhome, in the city of Chennai, India. It was built in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, over the tomb of Saint Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. In 1893, it was rebuilt as a church with the status of a cathedral by the British.
Elliot’s Beach:- Located in Besant Nagar, Chennai, India. It forms the end-point of the Marina Beach shore, and is named after Edward Elliot, onetime chief magistrate and superintendent of police, Madras. It has the Velankanni Church and the Ashtalakshmi Kovil nearby
Arignar Anna Zoological Park:- Also known as the Vandalur Zoo, is a zoological garden located in Vandalur, is in the southwestern part of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, about 31 kilometres from the Chennai Central and 15 kilometres from Chennai Airport
MGM Dizzee:- World is a theme park located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in East Coast Road. The park has a log flume, Ferris wheel, spider spin, roller coaster, the funny mountain, dashing cars, super trooper, a water world and it also hosts special seasonal shows. It is owned by MGM Group of Companies. Amethyst, Peshawri, Copper Chimney, Nalli Silks, Higginbothams, Kalakshetra Foundation, Theosophical Society…..many more
Best time to visit:-
November to February:- These months constitute the winter season in Chennai. It is considered as the best time to visit the city. The temperature during these months hovers between 20 and 25 Degree Celsius. Even during daytime, there are cool breezes from the sea which provide relief from the otherwise hot weather.