Chennai (Madras) City

I remember my early days in Chennai, walking on the beach holding a slice of raw mango, enjoying the smell of "sundal" and "kaimurruku". Those were the days when Chennai earlier known as Madras was my "city of joy".

Discovering Chennai is a timeless journey, a journey filled with treasures, temples, shrines, forts and palaces. This is the "Gateway of South India" and its time that we take you through this journey.

Chennai, also known as Madras, one of the four major metropolitan cities of India, is the capital of the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu. The exotic state is famous for its cutworks in the temples, coconut fringes, and silk saris.

The city of Chennai earlier a village of the fishing community was known as Madras. In 1639, the British took over making it the capital of the British presidency. It used to be the center of conflict for the supremacy of the British and the French.

Chennai is the only Indian city to be attacked by the Central Powers during World War I, when an oil depot was shelled by the German light cruiser SMS Emden. After independence in 1947, the city attained the status of the capital of Madras State, which was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969.

Chennai is an industrial hub of South India and a major trade center, being well linked by road, rail and air to important cities besides being a sea port. Compared to the other major metros of India, it is far less congested and polluted.

There are many interesting places one can visit while in the city.

Distances:

The list of distance between Chennai and some major destinations:

Kanyakumari - 683 kms, Udagamangalam - 539 kms, Madurai - 447 kms, Kandhipuram - 71 kms, Virudhunagar - 494 kms, Salem - 334 kms, Namakkal - 384 kms, Tirupathi - 152 kms, Hyderabad - 688 kms, Rameswaram - 592 kms, Kodaikanal - 409kms, Thanjavur - 334 kms, Vellore - 140 kms, Thiruvannamalai - 187 kms, Pudukkottai - 395 kms, Karur - 396 kms, Dindigul - 398 kms, Puduchcheri - 165 kms, Bangalore - 331 kms, Mumbai - 1329 kms.

Places of Interest:

Fort St.George, Fort Museum, Government Museum and National Art Gallery (Egmore), Birla Planetarium, Connemare Library, Amir Mahal, Kalakshetra, Theosophical Society, Vivekananda Memorial, Bharathi Memorial, Anna/MGR Samathi (Marina), Kapaleeshwarar Temple (Mylapore), Parthasarathy Temple (Triplicane), Madhya Kailash Temple, Kaligambhal Temple, Vadapalani Murugan Temple, Ashtalakshmi Temple, Maruntheeshwarar Temple, Thiruneermalai Temple, Santhome Cathedral, Little Mount, St Mary's Church, St. Thomas Mount Church, Thousand Lights, Wallajah Big, Periyamedu Mosques, Egmore Buddha Vihar, T.Nagar Gurudhwara, Mylapore Jain Guru Mandhir, Kali Bari, Light House.

Marina Beach , Elliot's Beach, Santhome Beach, Covelong Beach , Children's Park, Snake Park (Adyar), Visweswarayya Tower and Park, Guindy National Park. >> More