Chennai – The Gateway of South |
Chennai erstwhile as madras is the elegant and eloquent capital city of TamilNadu. It is the fourth metropolis in India with a population of 6 million people multilingual, multi racial, multi religious, all blended into a humorous homogeneity.
There are three modes of transport to reach Chennai:
- By Air: There is an International airport in Chennai. International flights arrive at Anna Terminal and Domestic flights arrive at Kamaraj Terminal. Chennai is well connected to Thailand (Bangkok),Sri Lanka (Colombo), U.A.E (Dubai),Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur),Kuwait, Muscat (Bahrain) and Singapore. Prepaid taxis ply from the airport to downtown Chennai city. The taxis come in two varieties the standard black taxi and the private call taxi.
- By Train: Chennai Central and Egmore are the two train terminuses for long distance trains from other parts of India.
- By Bus: Chennai is superbly connected to other parts of India by the 'Golden Quadrilateral' transport project.
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Bharatanatyam |
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Marina Beach
The beach washed up close to the present day road for a long time until the harbor was built in 1881. Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant-Duff, the governor of Madras from 1881 to 1886, conceived and built the promenade along the beach and christened it the Madras Marina . Eventually, the north-drifting current widened the beach to its present extent.
The Marina used to be famed for its pristine beauty, jolly ambiance, and rich ecosystems. However, since the middle of the 20th century, the beach and water has become polluted. A proliferation of plastic bags, human waste and other pollutants have rendered many parts of the beach unusable. In recent years, many voluntary organizations have taken up the task of cleaning up the Marina and protecting the ecosystem. Particular efforts include protection of Olive Ridley turtle nests along the Neelangarai section of the beach |
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Mamallapuram
Over a thousand years ago, mighty Pallava emperors lavished devotion on these massive monolithic marvels; and inspired artisans to hew solid rock into sculptures of exquisite beauty. Here, the renowned Shore Temple stands proud, its outer walls having daunted the waves for 13 centuries! The Group of monoliths (temples carved out of solid rocks), caves (excavated in hill-scarps), structural temples (masonry temples) and bas-reliefs (scenes that are carved on rock-faces). |
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Thanjavur
The chola Dynasty of South India ruled an empire that extended to the shores of south-east Asia. The three marvelous temples, built during their reign, at Thanjavur, Gangaikondancholapuram and Darasuram are a testimony of the creative genius and awesome prowess of the Indian artists, craftsmen, sculptors and temple builders. Little wondor that UNESCO has deemed it fit to inscribe these magnificient monuments as World Heritages Sites. The Brahadisvara temple is an architectural marvel; the temple’s dome never casts a shadow on the ground |
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Madurai
An ancient city, more than 2500 years old, is situated on the banks of River Vaigai. The central attraction of Madurai remains the Temple dedicated to Meenakshi the lovely consort of Lord Shiva. It is a splendid example of Dravidian architecture with gopurams covered from top to bottom with multi-coloured images of celestial beings and mythological figures. |
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Rameswaram
Rameswaram is an island in the Gulf of Manner and is a major pilgrim centre. The temple located near the sea is famous for its impressive corridor with massive sculptured pillars lining it. Each corridor has hundreds of pillar remarkable for their complex design, style and rich carvings. The temple has fresh water springs, believed to have medicinal properties. |
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Nagore
Just outside Nagapattinam the dargah of Hazart Meeras Sultan Syed Shahabudul Hameed draws millions of people. This 500 years old tomb is topped by a golden dome and flanked by five minarets.
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Velankanni
Yet Another site of inter-religious faith, Velankanni is located south of Nagapattinam. Besides the famed Roman Catholic Church dedicated to our Lady of Good Health, the Islamic devotion at Nagore and the religious rituals of Hinduism coexist in the same area in total harmony. People fro all walks of life flock to this church |
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Kanniyakumari
This is land’s end of the Indian Peninsula surrounded by three seas, the Arabian sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Swami Vivekananda meditated here, and was transformed from a seeker of truth to an enlightened spiritual master. The colossal 133 ft statue of Saint-poet Thiruvalluvar established amidst the sea is awe-inspiring! Thirukkural written by Thiruvalluvar consists of 1330 couplets under 133 chapters is unique in the deliverance of code of conduct to mankind to follow for all the time to come. This classical work has been translated into 60 languages of the world. Come, experience what Kanniyakumari can do for yours spirit |
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