History
For more than 2000years the area has been popular with seafarers,
spice traders and cloth merchants. The 16th century saw the
arrival of the Portuguese, followed by the arrival of the Portuguese,
followed by the Dutch. In 1639, the British East India Company established
a settlement in the fishing village of Madraspatnam.
Fort
St George was constructed over a period of 15 years and finally completed
in 1653. George Town grew in the area of the fort and was granted its
first municipal charter in 1688 by James II, making it the oldest
municipality in India.
In the 19th century, the city became the seat of the
Madras presidency, one of the four divisions of British imperial India.
After Independence, it continued to grow into what is now a significant
southern gateway.
High Court Building:
This red Indo-
Saracenic structure at
Parry’s Corner is the main landmark in George Town. Built in 1892, it is
said to be the largest judicial building in the world after the Courts of
London.
Fort St George:
Built around 1653 by the British East India Company,
the fort has undergone much alteration. It presently houses the
Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly. The 46m – high flagstaff at
the front is actually a mast salvaged from a 17th century
shipwreck.
The Fort Museum has a fascinating collection of memorabilia from
both the British and French East India Companies, as well as the Raj and
Muslim administrations.
St
Mary’s Church, built 1678-80, was the first English church in Madras,
and the oldest surviving British church in India. There are reminders in
the church of Clive, who was married here in 1753, and of Elihu Yale, the
early Governor of Madras who later founded the famous American university
bearing his name. About a kilometer west of the church is the cemetery in
Pallavan Salai.
St. Andrew’s Church
Near Egmore station, St Andrew’s Church was
completed in 1821 in the classical style. Inside, the impressive blue dome
is decorated with gold stars. There are excellent views from the 55m
steeple.
Government Museum
Well worth visiting, the Government Museum is no
Pantheon Rd, between Egmore and Anna Salai. The buildings originally
belonged to a group of eminent British citizens, known as the Pantheon
Committee, who were charged with improving the social life of the British
in Madras.
The
main building has a fine archaeological section representing all the major
south Indian periods including Chola. Vijayanagar, Hoysala and Chalukya.
It also houses a good ethnology collection.
The
bronze gallery has a superb collection of Chola art. One of the most
impressive is the bronze of Ardhanariswara, the androgynous incarnation of
Shiva.
Valluvar Kottam
The Valluvar Kottam, on the corner of Kodambakkam
High Rd and Village Rd, honors the acclaimed Tamil poet., Thiruvalluvar,
whose classic work, the Kural, is reputed to be about 2000 years old.
Established in 1976, Valluvar Kottam replicates ancient Tamil architecture
with the 1330 verse Kural inscribed on panels.
Sri Parthasarathy Temple
This temple off Triplicane High Rd is dedicated to
Krishna. Built in the 8th century by the Pallavas, and
renovated in the 16th century by the Vijayanagars, it’s one
of the oldest surviving temples in Chennai.
Marina & Aquarium
The stretch of beach known as the Marina extends for
13km. South of the pitiful aquarium is the Ice House, once used to store
massive ice blocks transported by ship from North America. It later became
the venue from which Vivekananda preaches his ascetic philosophy.
San Thome Cathedral
Built in 1504, then rebuilt in neo – Gothic style
in 1893, this Roman Catholic church near Kapaleeshwaara Temple is said to
house the remains of St Thomas the Apostle (Doubting Thomas). A crypt can
be entered by a stairway just before the altar.
Kapaleeshwaara Temple
This ancient Shiva temple, off Kutchery Rd in
Mylapore, is constructed in Dravidian style and displays the architectural
elements – gopurams, mandapams and a tank – that are found in
the famous temple cities of Tamil Nadu.
Luz
Church
Dedicated to Our Lady of Light, this 16th
century church is the oldest church in Chennai. It was built by Portuguese
sailors who believed they owed their survival to Our Lady.
Little Mount
St Thomas is believed to have lived in this tiny cave
when he came to India around 58 AD. Known locally as Chinnamalai, the cave
is entered via the Portuguese church that was built in 1531.
Guindy National Park & Snake Park
These parks are adjacent to each other, just 1km from
Guindy station. The Guindy National
Park supposedly has much wildlife but it’s a scraggy place and
you’re unlikely to see much.
The Snake Park with its lizards, crocodiles and turtles is more
interesting. It is well maintained with generous enclosures.
Elliot Beach
This beach near Adyar district is quieter than Marina
Beach. At the southern end the Velankanni Church honours the Madonna of
Health and the nearby Ashtalakshmi Temple dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi.
Special Events
Chennai hosts a wide range of events from classical
and contemporary concerts and theatre to art exhibition and trade shows.
See the daily papers for listing. The Festival of Carnatic Music &
Dance, which takes place mid – December to mid – January, is one of
the largest of its type in the world. See the South Indian Music &
Dance boxed text in this section.
At Kalakshetra (Temple of Arts) in Tiruvanmiyur, a special 10 days
arts festival takes place over December and January.
Places To Stay
ITC PARK SHERATON & TOWERS (5 Star Deluxe)
LE ROYAL MERIDIEN, CHENNAI (5 Star Deluxe)
TAJ COROMANDEL (5 Star Deluxe)
CHOLA SHERATON (5 Star)
FISHERMAN’S COVE (5 Star)
TAJ CONNEMARA (5 Star)
THE TRIDENT (5 Star)
AMBASSADOR PALLAVA (4 Star)
GRT GRAND DAYS (4 Star)
HOTEL PRESIDENT (4 Star)
QUALITY HOTEL ARUNA (4 Star)
SAVERA HOTELS LTD (4 Star)
HOTEL AADITHYA (3 Star)
HOTEL ABU PALACE (3 Star)
AMBICA EMPIRE BEST WESTERN (3 Star)
BREEZE HOTEL (3 Star)
HOTEL DEE CEE MANOR (3 Star)
HOTEL GANGA INTERNATIONAL ( 3 Star)
