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 in order to have their outpost on the Hindustan peninsula. But then the ultra-patriots decided that the name was too reminiscent of the shameful period of dependence and renamed it. Chennai is located in the south of India. It is the administrative center of the state of Tamil Nadu. It is now the sixth largest city in India. This is an industrial center, the focus of the country's business. The city is loved by IT companies and place their offices here. It is also home to the Bollywood film studio, which ranks second in terms of film production in the country. But what can you see in these places for an ordinary tourist-traveler? 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 anotherregion, you will most likely arrive in Cam Rai. And if you are arriving from abroad, the Anna terminal will accept you. The airport is not in the city itself. Therefore, to get to Chennai (India), you will either have to use a taxi (it will cost about five hundred rupees), or take an electric train. She departs from the station "Tirisulam". Indian trains are not very comfortable and are often overcrowded to the point where people ride on rooftops. Therefore, we advise you to buy first class tickets. Another airport closest to Chennai is the hub of Mumbai. You can fly there directly from Russian cities.
How to get around here
The city of Chennai (India) belongs to the megacities. It is densely populated, and you will get tired of constantly walking. Renting a car 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 is cheaper to travel by bus or tuk-tuk, and even better by metro. Chennai has four subway lines that can take you to the countryside as well.
Sights at a glance
By Indian standards, this is a relatively new city. Once there was a fishing village. And how the city of Chennai (India), whose photos testify to its colonial past, was built mainly by the Dutch, the Portuguese and the British. Therefore, almost all sights have a European touch. This is the specificity of the city. Excursions here oftenlead to Catholic churches. Nevertheless, this is still Indian land, and very interesting walks through traditional temple complexes await you. The dominance of Muslims also left its mark on the architecture of Chennai, mainly secular-administrative. Therefore, it is worth taking a ride through the streets or taking a sightseeing tour.
Temple dedicated to the disciple of Christ
St. Thomas Cathedral is one of the main tourist attractions of the city with such a colorful name - Chennai (India). The photo of this Catholic temple has become almost the hallmark of the former Madras. It was built in neo-gothic style. Therefore, against the backdrop 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 site not by chance. Legends say that it was Saint Thomas who went to preach in India. He managed to create a Christian community here, but he had ill-wishers who threatened him with death. Allegedly, on one of the hills where the cathedral now stands, a hater of the apostle and his disciples killed the preacher with a spear. Therefore, this mountain began to be called by the name of the saint. Later, a church was built here, where, as historians assure us, the famous traveler Marco Polo, and then the Jesuit St. Francis Xavier, came to worship. Pilgrims from all over India flock here. The cathedral is considered the national shrine of the country.
Other churches
Except for the Cathedral of St. Thomas, Chennai (India), the photo of which you see on the page,may surprise you with other religious Christian buildings. For example, this is Luz Church. It was built in the Middle Ages by Portuguese sailors. They say that during a terrible storm off the Indian coast, they saw a strange light that brought them to a safe harbor. Here they built a church in gratitude for their salvation. They named her "Luz", which means "light" in Portuguese. Among the temples built by the British, one can note the church dedicated to the Apostle Andrew. It is a copy of the St. Martin in Trafalgar Square, London. And the Church of Our Lady is the first Armenian church in India. It suffered greatly during natural disasters. But in the year 2008, the city of Calcutta was restored by the Armenian diaspora.
Oriental architectural landmarks
If you love traditional Indian temples, then Madras will not disappoint you. There are huge amazing complexes here. For example, the Kapalishwawar temple. This is one of the most beautiful buildings in a city like Chennai (India). Attractions equal to it, perhaps, cannot be found here. The temple was built in the Dravidian style and is an excellent example of it. It is dedicated to the goddess Kali. Religious holidays are held here in her honor. The Dravidians 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 labyrinth. This is Mahabalipuram. It is located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal and is very picturesque. Thereyou can see about twenty ancient temples with amazing carvings, including bas-reliefs carved into the rocks. They were built in the seventh or eighth centuries. Among them are chariot temples, as well as prayer buildings in caves. And if you go to the southwest of the city, you will find the Hindu pilgrimage center of Madurai. When visiting it, tourists usually see the giant temple of the goddess Menakshi and the “thousand-pillar hall” of Shiva. There are also very interesting Muslim shrines here. This is the Shiite Mosque of a Thousand Lights. It was built in the 1980s, influenced by the modern architecture of the United Arab Emirates.
Museums and interesting buildings
But not only religious buildings are of interest to the traveler who came to Chennai (India). What else to see in the city? Here is the oldest museum in India. It is simply called the 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 devoted to sculpture. There are also halls dedicated to animals, plants, ancient coins. We can say that this is a variant of the local history museum. Also pay attention to the building of the Supreme Court. The style in which it is built is called Indo-Saracenic. It looks simply gorgeous, especially the huge graceful domes and beautiful stained glass windows. One of the domes houses a real lighthouse.
Parks
Madras is also famous for its parks. They are praised by most tourists visiting Chennai (India). Reviews speak of at least four of the most popular parks. They are not only artificial groves with rare plants familiar to us - there are also exotic animals here. Names speak about it: park of deer, snakes, reptiles. Almost in each of them there are playgrounds, attractions, good restaurants. And you can visit the traditional park in our usual style (for walking) if you go to one of the unique places in Chennai - the International Center of Theosophy. It was once created by Helena Blavatsky. Here she is remembered and honored. In the building of the center you can get acquainted with modern theosophy and its history, and in a huge park - just take a 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 there are engaged in industrial fishing. On weekends, local families come there for picnics. 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 have firmly decided to go on vacation to Chennai (India), then it is better to visit the country resorts of Eliots and Breezy. These are good clean beaches with developed infrastructure. The locals calltheir city as the "gateway to the sunny south", and this is indeed true.
Festivals and concerts
Chennai is considered the center of Bharatanatyam. This is a local version of a classic Indian dance. Therefore, if you appreciate the local culture, dedicate the evening to some serious theater (and there are quite a lot of them in Madras). You will not regret. Do you like colorful festivals? Come to Chennai in January. But we are not talking about the usual New Year's tour. At this time, an amazing Pongal festival is organized here. But if you want to see how in India, namely in Madras, they celebrate the New Year, then visit Chennai in April.
Hotels
Hotels here are very different, as it should be in a metropolis. Among the best city hotels called "Hyatt Regency" in the heart. Here are clean and comfortable rooms with an original design, themed restaurants, a swimming pool on the terrace (lobby level). In the vicinity of Chennai, there are quite a few beautiful country hotels with a large territory, swimming pools and private beaches surrounded by palm groves. Such resorts can be found to the north, in the Mahabalipuram region. On the shores of the Bay of Bengal there is, for example, the four "Ideal Beach Resort" with two swimming pools, good cuisine (fish baked in leaves is especially good) and the cleanest beach in the area. Even Russian and European specialists working in Madras come here to rest on weekends. The best hotel in the area is the Radisson Blu. Large territory, huge beautiful pools with a jacuzzi right on the ocean,nice SPA complex, amazing rooms.
Chennai (India): reviews of tourists
People who have been here consider themselves lucky to have visited Madras. There are fascinating excursions, beautiful nature, many sights, and not always usual for India. In addition, Chennai has an interesting local cuisine, as well as beautiful beaches with white sand. But it is especially liked by those travelers who love and appreciate the ancient Indian culture and religion. Any temple in and around Madras is worth a visit. Beach holidays are good only away from the center of the metropolis. The further the coast is from the city, the cleaner it is. Chennai also has good shopping. It is better to go here in October-November. Tourists left good reviews about the crocodile park, its serpentarium and the cobra show.
