Excursions to Chennai | Excursions Around Chennai

Chennai

Chennai is well connected to little getaways from the city. These small towns, away from the rushing city life, give a closer insight into the Tamil and ancient Dravidian culture. Be it Mallapuram, Pulicat, Cholamandalam artists’ village, Kovalam, or Kancheepuram, each has its own way of inviting people to Tamil culture.

Manallapuram is better known as Manhabalipuram. It was built by the Pallava king Mahendravarman in the 7th century. East Asian and Mediterranian traders often made it their trade base.

There are several temples, monuments, ports and other architectural creations that bear the testimony of the genius of Pallava artists. Pulicat is and old Dutch colony that dates back to 1609. It has a beautiful placid lake, which is a well known picnic spot. Kovalam is a beautiful beach in the state of Kerela. It is well known for unperturbed sea shore, backwaters, and ancient churches. Crocodile bank, 31 km from Chennai is one of its kinds wild life spot. It is home to several species of Indian and African crocodiles and alligators. Also, venom extraction is done from several small snake species.

Kancheepuram, 75 km from Chennai, is an ancient city that has witnessed the grandness of the Pallavas, Cholas and the Vijaynagar kingdom. It is well known for not just its world renowned silk sarees but also the Kailasanatha Temple, Ekambareshwara temple and the beautifully hand-painted Gopurams of numerous temples that dot the city landscape.

It is for this reason that Chennai is also called as the 'Gateway to South India'.

The city been blessed with the wealth of arts and literature. It is famous for its various cultural events, showcasing the performing arts such as Dance, Music and Drama at its best. Tamil literature is very rich in content and preaches ancient morals and values. Chennai is also popular for the glitz and glamour of Kollywood, the 'Tamil film industry'.
Many Tamil films have won acclaim in the international film festivals and have brought fame to India.

Today, the city has gone through a tremendous change and is developing rapidly. There are a number of industries here such as automobile, technology, hardware manufacturing, and healthcare industries. The Automobile industry in Madras is one of the leading industries in the country. It is also the second largest exporter of Information Technology, after Bangalore. Apart from this, the city is a leading player in the fields of education and sports. There are a number of reputed educational institutions and stadiums here which mark the significance of the two in Chennai.

Chennai has the only international airport of Tamil Nadu. Most of the major international airlines have a direct flight to Chennai from several international destinations. Air India, British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Air Lanka and Malaysia Airlines,
all connect Chennai to the international airways. It is also well-connected to other parts of the country via air, railway and road. Chennai Central Station is the major railway station of the city. Bus reservations to other cities of the South India can be made at Thiruvalluvar Trasport Corporation, Express Bus Stand, Esplanade, Chennai.

Chennai Travel Guide
Temple at Chennai, Chennai Travel Guide
Chennai, also known as Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu, is the country's fourth largest city. Compared to the other major metros of India, it is far less congested and polluted. Chennai was the site of the first settlement of the East India Company. It was founded in 1639, on a piece of land given by the Raja of Chandragiri, the last representative of the Vijayanagar rulers of Hampi.

Chennai, the gracious capital city of Tamil Nadu is the fourth largest metropolis in India. Located on a 17km stretch of the Coramandel coast, the city is trisected by the waterways of Cooum and Adyar and the Buckingham Canal. With a population of 6 million people, Chennai is a vibrant city ever growing, expanding and changing every year. Popularly regarded as the "Gateway to the South", Chennai presents culture that is distinctly different from that of northern India. Music, dance and all other art forms of the South are cherished and nurtured in this city which, though industrialized, continues to be traditional and conventional in many ways.

The region of Chennai was called Tondaimandalm in those days and had its military headquarters at Puzhal, which is now a small and rather insignificant village on the outskirts of the city.

Modern Chennai grew out of a small village when in 1639 a fishing hamlet called Madraspatnam was selected by early English merchants of the East India Company as a site for the settlement.

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