Chennai Tourism

Chennai formerly known as Madras is the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal and also regarded as the gateway to the south India. This is the fourth largest metro city in India and known as the automobile capital of India. The city is also a proud host of India's only ATP tennis event i.e the Chennai Open.

Chennai at a Glance : The city is known for its diverse cultural heritage. The exotic city is famous for its ancient temples, sea beaches, historic buildings, a unique culture which is totally different from the north with foreign influence. The city offers a number of tourist places which attracts tourist from all over India.

Prime Attractions :

Marina Beach It is one of the longest beach in Asia stretching over an area of 13 km. Its golden sand, clean blue sea make it a popular tourist spot of the City.

Kapileshwar Temple This 8th century Pallava temple of Dravidian architecture is situated in Mylapore which attracts thousands of devotees from all over India. This temple is dedicated to lord Shiva and has some beautiful sculptures including 63 bronze idols of Saivite Saints.

» St. George Forte : This was built in the year 1653 by the British East India Company and presently used as the state secretariat. It has a museum which houses numerous British and French antiques. Also inside the fort is the St. Mary's church which is the first English church in Chennai.

» Shopping Spots : There are several emporiums which are renowned for its handicraft objects made of ivory, sandal wood, bronze and silver. It is also famous for leather goods, silk and hand-woven fabrics.

Climate
Being situated in the tropical zone the city has a very hot and humid climate. There is not much temperature difference between winter and summer as the city receives rainfall through out the year. In summer the maximum temperature rises up to 40 degrees C while in winter the minimum temperature is about 18 degrees C. The best time to visit the city is in winter i.e from November to February.

Reaching Chennai
Chennai is well connected to all the major places of India and abroad by Air, Rail and Road.
» Air : The city has an international airport which links Chennai with all
the major parts of world and the domestic airport connect it with all the major cities of India.

» Rail : An excellent wide network of railways connects it with all major cities and towns in India. Madras Central and the Egmore are the two main railway stations.

» Road : A good motorable road network connects Chennai with all important cities of Tamil Nadu and other parts of India.