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Tourist Attractions in Chennai
The various tourist attractions in Chennai are the St. George Fort, Fort Museum, Sri Parthasarthy Temple, St. Mary’s Church, Kapaleeswarar Temple, Snake Park, Santhome Cathedral, Theosophical Society, National Art Gallery and Government Museum, Valluvar Kottam
and Marina Beach.
Marina Beach
The Marina beach is supposed to be the second longest beach in the world and run to
a length of 12 km. The beach can be ideally visited in the early morning or in the late
evening when the area becomes a virtual fair ground; with food stalls and other
entertainment. The aquarium is also located on the Marina beach. The mortal
remains
of Dr. C.N. Annadurai, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was buried at the
Anna Square which is also
located at the northern end of the Marina Beach.
St.
George Fort
St. George Fort was built by the East India Company in
1639 -1640 and marks the beginning of Chennai as a modern
city. This fort was one of the first fort used by the state
legislative assembly and as the secretarial offices of the
Tamil Nadu government. |
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Fort
Museum
The Fort museum contains various relics related to the
rule of East India Company and British India. Besides this,
it has a collection of contemporary paintings as well.
Santhome Cathedral
The Santhome cathedral was built by the Portuguese between the 14th and 15th
century AD and derives its name after St. Thomas. It is an important place of pilgrimage
for the
Christian community and as well as a historically important place.
St. Mary’s Church St. Mary’s Church is the oldest
Anglican church in Asia. The imposing white edifice was
consecrated in 1679 AD, and continues to be an important
place of worship.
Valluvar Kottam
Valluvar Kottam was built in the memory of the poet
saint Thiruvalluvar. The shrine at the Nungambakkam
is constructed after the temple car of
Thiruvarur. The
place also has a large auditoriu.
Snake Park and Children's Park
The snake park houses a variety of Indian snakes and reptiles which can be viewed
from close quarter.
This park attracts vistors of all ages and from various
parts of the world. Adjacent to the snake park is the children’s park which has a large
playing ground and collection of
birds and
animals.
Theosophical Society
Chennai is also the fountainhead of the theosophical movement which spread worldwide
The Theosophical Society is located along the Adyar River. Discourses are conducted
here under a huge banyan tree which spreads to almost 40,000
square feet of area.
St. Mary’s Church
St. Mary’s Church is the oldest Anglican church in
Asia. The imposing white edifice was consecrated in 1679 AD,
and continues to be an important place of worship.
National Art Gallery and Government Museum
The National Art Gallery and government museum is situated in the heart of the city at
Egmore. This museum was founded in 1857. It houses various sections on geology, archaeology, numismatics, anthropology, botany and zoology. There is also a fine
collection of sculpture and armoury in the museum. |
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Kapaleeswar
Temple
The Kapaleeswarar temple is the biggest temple in Chennai and is dedicated to the
Lord Shiva. The temple contains inscriptions related to the Dravidian style of
architecture. The 37 metre high gopuram is known for its intricate carvings which
depict tales from the
Hindu mythology.
Sri Parthasarathy Temple
Sri Parthasarathy temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and was built in the 8th century AD under the rule of the Pallavas. It houses the idols of the five avataras of Sri Vishnu and has a small temple shrine dedicated to Vishnu’s consort known as Lakshmi or Vedavalli
Ammai in Chennai. |
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