Chennai

Introduction

Beach in Chennai (Madras) - boys playing in the waves

© All Rights Reserved jhongny

Chennai (formerly Madras) is the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the gateway to the varied culture of south India. The fishery towns that were situated here along the Coromandel coast grew together during the British colonial times, forming the major city of Chennai. Now Chennai is the cultural and commercial capital of southern India and fourth biggest metropolitan area of India. Chennai is a modern city with beautiful buildings and a lot of green areas.

Brief History

In the 17th century two merchants (Francis Day and Andrew Cogan) of the East India Company established a trading post between the with palmtrees surrounded rice fields and fishery towns. The fortified settlement was finished in 1640 and was called Fort saint George. Outside the walls of the fort was situated George town, the "indigenous" town, where the British stored their goods. Every street in George town was devoted to another handicraft. Under British rule the villages in the surroundings grew together. One of these villages was the 16th century Portugese settlement of San Thome, the sacred location where apostle Thomas would have stayed (and from where Christianity in India was spread).

Long before the arrival of the Europeans, in the 7th century, the Pallavas (an ancient Tamil kingdom) built a seaport at Mylapore. The Kapeleshvara temple shows the old age of the city, as well as the Parthasarathi temple in Triplicane. With the colonial time started the commercial advance of the city. Nowadays most trade buildings and enterprices are established in George Town. Fort Saint George is the location where the government of Tamil Nadu is seated. The area of Chennai is 172 square kilometres, where the old and the new, the stately colonial buildings and the modern skyscrapers form a dynamic picture. The rich cultural heritage of Tamil literature, music, and dance finds a continuation at the universities and cultural stages.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

• Marina beach - Second longest beach in the world
• Mahabhalipuram - sculptures of pallava empire, is located 60 kilometres south of Chennai

Events and Festivals

Weather

Chennai has a tropical climate with hot and humid weather year-round. The average maximum temperature ranges from around 28 °C in December to 37 °C in June. Average lows range from around 20 °C in January to 28 °C in May. Average annual precipitation is almost 1,300 mm with half of that falling in the months of October and November alone! January to April is fairly dry and the best time for a visit.

Getting There

By Plane

Chennai International Airport (MAA), located at Tirusulam is around 8 kilometres south of the city centre. The airport has both domestc and international terminals. Domestic flights are available to almost all the big cities in India. International flights are avialable to many cities around Asia and Europe, which include Frankfurt, London, Paris, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Muscat, Singapore and Colombo, amongst others.
The airport is situated on the busy Grand Southern Trunk Road (National Highway 45) and is also served by the Airport station (Tirusulam) on the Suburban railway network. The proposed Metro Rail System (Chennai Metro) will also connect the Airport with other important places in Chennai.

By Train

Chennai is an important railway station on the southern railway network. It is well connected to all the major cities of India by express trains, including those to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad. The city has two main railway stations: Chennai Central, used mostly by the long distance inter-state trains, and Chennai Egmore for regional trains. For more details about timings, fare and availability of seats have a look at the Indian Railways official website.

By Car

By Bus

The Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), the terminus for all intercity buses from Chennai, is the largest bus station in Asia and has buses throughout Tamil Nadu and further afield in India.

By Boat

Chennai has a port, but the only relevant connection is the long trip to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

The Chennai Suburban Railway provides rail services in the wider Chennai area.
The Metropolitan Transport Corporation provides bus services throughout the city.

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Vegetarian

• Hotel Saravana Bhavan (HSB)
• Murugan idly shop

Non-vegetarian

• Ponnusamy Restaurant
• Thalappakattu Briyani

Sweet

• Adyar Anandha bhavan (A2B)
• Aavin milk guava

Drink

Sleep

Budget

There are many budget hotels near the Egmore train station, especially around Kennet Lane and Triplicane.

• Hotel Regent - 11 Kennet Lane. About 350 rupees for a double room. Tel: +91-(0)44-28253347.
• Broadlands Lodge - 18 Vallabha Agraharam Street. About 450 rupees for a doubleroom. Tel: +91-(0)44-28545573.

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• University of Madras
• Anna University, Chennai
• SRM University

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

India Post is the national postal service of India, and on their website you find details about prices to send postcards, letters and parcels, both domestically and internationally. For most postcards to send internationally, it is better to visit the post office before writing on the card as you may need quite a few stamps. Parcels must be taken to a tailor, he will then sew it up in white linen. Make sure he seals it with red wax, otherwise the post office may refuse to send it or try to get you to pay them to do it. Sewing up a parcel should only cost 50rs to 200rs. In general, post offices are open from 10:00am to 1:00pm and 1:30pm to 4:30pm in most bigger towns and cities, though there are regional variations and some might keep longer hours or be open during (part of) the weekend as well. Ask around.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Chennai District