The city of Chennai (India) until 1996 was called Madras. From this word breathes distant travels, dangers, mysterious stories, a touch of the colonial past. Once it was founded by the British to have their outpost on the Hindustan Peninsula. But then the ultrapatriots decided that this name is too reminiscent of the shameful period of dependence and renamed it. Chennai is located in southern India. It is the administrative center of Tamil Nadu. Now it is the sixth largest city in India. This is an industrial center, the focus of the country's business. IT companies love the city and place their offices here. There is also a Bollywood film studio, which ranks second in film production in the country. But what can an ordinary tourist traveler see in these places? We will talk about this in our article.
How to get to Chennai (India)
You can fly here by plane. The city's airport has both domestic and international terminals. If you are flying here from another region, you will most likely arrive in Camrai. And if you are arriving from abroad, then Anna will accept you. The airport is not in the city itself. Therefore, to get to Chennai (India), you will either have to take a taxi (it will cost about five hundred rupees) or take an electric train. She departs from the Tirisulam station. Indian trains are not very comfortable and are often crowded to the point where people ride on rooftops. Therefore, we advise you to buy tickets to the first class. Another airport closest to Chennai is the Mumbai hub. You can fly there directly from Russian cities.
How to get around here
The city of Chennai (India) belongs to megacities. It is densely populated, and constantly walking you get tired. Car rental is also not the best way out, because the city has constant traffic jams and very busy traffic. If you prefer a taxi, then the same problems await you, and even for a lot of money. It’s cheaper to travel by bus or tuk-tuk, and even better by metro. Chennai has four subway lines that can take you to the suburban areas.
Overview of Attractions
By Indian standards, this is a relatively new city. Once there was a fishing village. And as the city of Chennai (India), whose photos testify to its colonial past, was built mainly by the Dutch, Portuguese and British. Therefore, almost all attractions have a European touch. This is the specificity of the city. Excursions here often lead to the Catholic churches. Nevertheless, it is still Indian land, and you will find very interesting walks through traditional temple complexes. The dominance of Muslims also left its mark on Chennai architecture, mainly secular and administrative. Therefore, it is worth a ride through the streets or take a sightseeing tour.
Temple dedicated to the disciple of Christ
The Cathedral of St. Thomas is one of the main tourist attractions of the city with such a colorful name - Chennai (India). A photo of this Catholic temple has become almost the hallmark of the former Madras. It is built in neo-Gothic style. Therefore, against the background of the city and its traditional Indian buildings, it looks very original. But before the modern temple, there were several more churches here before. The cathedral was built on this place not by chance. Legends say that it was St. Thomas who went to preach in India. He managed to create a Christian community here, but he had enemies who threatened him with death. Allegedly on one of the hills where the cathedral now stands, the hater of the apostle and his disciples killed the preacher with a spear. Therefore, this mountain was called by the name of the saint. Later, a church was built here, where, as historians assure us, the famous traveler Marco Polo came to worship, and then the Jesuit Saint Francis Xavier. Pilgrims from all over India flock here. The cathedral is considered the national shrine of the country.
Other churches
In addition to St. Thomas Cathedral, Chennai (India), the photo of which you see on the page, may surprise you with other cult Christian buildings. For example, this is Luz Church. It was built back in the Middle Ages by Portuguese sailors. It is said that during a terrible storm off the Indian coast, they saw a strange light that led them to a safe harbor. Here they built a church in gratitude for their salvation. They called it “Luz,” which in Portuguese means “light.” Among the temples erected by the British, one can note a church dedicated to the Apostle Andrew. She is a copy of St. Martin on Trafalgar Square in London. And the Church of Our Lady is the first Armenian temple in India. He suffered a lot during natural disasters. But in the year two thousand and eight it was restored by the Armenian diaspora of the city of Calcutta.
Oriental Architectural Attractions
If you like traditional Indian temples, then Madras will not disappoint you. There are huge amazing complexes. For example, the Kapalishvavar Temple. This is one of the most beautiful buildings of such a city as Chennai (India). Sights, equal to him, perhaps, can not be found here. The temple was built in the Dravidian style and is a great example of it. It is dedicated to the goddess Kali. There are religious holidays in her honor. The Dravids are one of the most mysterious peoples of India, who founded one of the oldest civilizations on Earth. And outside the city you can visit another temple complex, which is a real maze. This is Mahabalipuram. It is located on the shore of the Bay of Bengal and is very picturesque. There you can see about twenty ancient temples with amazing carvings, including bas-reliefs hollowed out in the rocks. They were built in the seventh-eighth centuries. Among them are chariot temples, as well as prayer buildings in caves. And if you go southwest of the city, you will find the pilgrimage center for Hindus Madurai. Visiting it, tourists usually visit the giant temple of the goddess Menakshi and the "thousand-column hall" of Shiva. There are also very interesting Muslim shrines. This is a Shiite Mosque of a thousand lights. It was built in the eighties of the last century under the influence of modern architecture of the United Arab Emirates.
Museums and interesting buildings
But not only religious buildings are of interest to a traveler who has arrived in Chennai (India). What to see in the city yet? Here is the oldest museum in India. It is simply called Government. The museum is huge and has interesting collections. There are exhibits of a historical and cultural nature - artifacts from the time of Ancient Rome (bronze items, weapons, armor). The museum has an art department, mainly dedicated to sculpture. There are also halls dedicated to animals, plants, ancient coins. We can say that this is a variant of the museum of local lore. Also pay attention to the Supreme Court building. The style in which it is built is called Indo-Saracen. It looks simply gorgeous, especially the huge graceful domes and beautiful stained glass windows. In one of the domes is a real lighthouse.
Parks
Madras is also famous for its parks. Most tourists visiting Chennai (India) praise them. Reviews say at least four of the most popular parks. They are not only familiar to us artificial groves with rare plants - there are also exotic animals. This is also indicated by the names: a park of deer, snakes, reptiles. Almost every of them has playgrounds, attractions, good restaurants. And you can visit a traditional park in our usual style (for walking) if you go to one of the unique places of Chennai - the International Center of Theosophy. It was once created by Elena Blavatsky. Here she is remembered and revered. In the center building you can get acquainted with modern Theosophy and its history, and in a huge park you can just walk.
Sea vacation
It happens that tourists from around the world come to the city of Chennai (India) in order to sunbathe and swim. This is not surprising, because the local beach - Marina Beach - has a length of twelve kilometers. It is said to be one of the longest sandy coasts in the world. But, unfortunately, it is better for foreigners not to appear on this beach. It is quite dirty, the fishermen are engaged in industrial fishing there. On weekends, local families come to picnics there. And after ten in the evening it is better not to go to this beach at all in order to avoid provoking crimes. But if you firmly decided to go on vacation to Chennai (India), then it is better to visit the suburban resorts of Eliots and Breezy. These are good clean beaches with developed infrastructure. Locals call their city the "gateway to the sunny south," and this is truly true.
Festivals and Concerts
Chennai is considered the center of Bharatanatyam. This is the local version of classical Indian dance. Therefore, if you value the local culture, devote the evening to some serious theater (and there are a lot of them in Madras). You will not regret. Do you like colorful festivals? Come to Chennai in January. But this is not about the usual New Year's tour. At this time, they organize the amazing Pongal festival. But if you want to see how the New Year is celebrated in India, namely in Madras, then visit Chennai in April.
Hotels
The hotels here are very different, as it should be in a metropolis. Among the best city hotels called "Hyatt Regency" in the center. It has clean and comfortable rooms with an original design, themed restaurants, a pool on the terrace (lobby level). In the vicinity of Chennai there are quite a few beautiful country hotels with a large territory, pools and private beaches, surrounded by palm groves. Such resorts can be found to the north, in the Mahabalipuram area. On the shore of the Bay of Bengal, there is, for example, the four “Ideal Beach Resort” with two swimming pools, good cuisine (especially baked fish with leaves) and the cleanest beach in the area. Even Russian and European specialists working in Madras come here on holiday on weekends. The best hotel in the area is the Radisson Blu. Large territory, huge beautiful pools with a jacuzzi right on the ocean, a good spa complex, amazing rooms.
Chennai (India) Travel Reviews
People who have happened to be here believe that they are lucky that they visited Madras. Here, fascinating excursions, beautiful nature, many attractions, and not always usual for India. In addition, Chennai has an interesting local cuisine, as well as beautiful beaches with white sand. But especially here, those travelers who love and appreciate the ancient Indian culture and religion like it. Any temple in Madras and its environs is worth a visit. Beach holidays are good only far from the center of the metropolis. The stronger the coast is from the city, the cleaner it is. Chennai is also good shopping. It is better to go here in October-November. Tourists left good reviews about the crocodile park, its serpentarium and cobra show.