Chennai is a city where the traditional and the modern blend in life everywhere. From traditional vegetarian fair to fast foods, from nine-yard sarees to the latest in fashion, from ancient temple architecture to modern high-rise - with Indo-Saracenic and Victorian as stops along the way - from classical music and dance to discos throbbing to heady beats, Chennai has them all and many more vivid contrasts that are a pleasant surprise. And perhaps the most striking of them all is that here is a modern metropolis with beaches, parks and even sanctuaries in the heart of the City. Chennai offers a wealth of nature and a rich historic past to visitors in the ambience of a city with every modern facility.
Prime Attractions
Fort St. George:
The British East India Company under the direct supervision of Francis Day and Andrew Cogon built Fort St. George in 1640 AD. The fort houses St. Mary's Church and fort museum. St. Mary's Church is the oldest Anglican Church in India built in 1680 and the tombstones in its courtyard are the oldest British tombstones in India. This ancient prayer house solemnized the marriages of Robert Clive and Governor Elinu-Yale, who later founded the Yale University in the States. Today the fort is used by the state legislative assembly and as the secretarial offices of the Tamil Nadu government.
Kapaleeswarar Temple:
The biggest temple in the city, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple contains inscriptions dating back to the 13th century AD, and is a fine specimen of the Dravidian style of architecture. The 37-metre gopuram is especially noteworthy for its intricate carvings that depict stories from Hindu mythology.
Santhome Cathedral:
San Thome at the southern end of Marina derives its name from St Thomas, the apostle of Christ who is believed to have come to Madras sometime during 52 AD. He was killed on St Thomas Mount just outside the city in 78 AD and was interned in San Thome beach where a church was later built. Several years later, another church was built further inland and his mortal remains were transferred from the old church to the new one. In 1606 the church was rebuilt as a cathedral and in 1896 it was made a basilica. The beautiful stained glass window at the basilica portrays the story of St Thomas and the central hall has 14 wooden plaques depicting scenes from the last days of Christ. In the cathedral is a 3 ft high statue of Virgin Mary, which is believed to have been brought from Portugal in 1543.
The Marina Beach:
Marina Beach - ChennaiLining the east of the city is the famous Marina Beach. Supposed to be the second longest beach in the world, it is 12 km long. The beach can be ideally visited in the early mornings or in the late evenings when the area becomes a virtual fair ground with food stalls and other entertainments.
chennai central:
Madras Central was built in 1873 at Parktown as a second terminus to decongest the Royapuram harbour station which was being utilised for port movements. Built in the Gothic Revival style, the original station was designed by George Hardinge and consisted of just four platforms. The station was later modified with the addition of the central clock tower and other changes by Robert Fellowes Chisholm . The redesign was eventually completed in 1900.
Madras Central gained prominence after the beach line was extended further south in 1907 and Royapuram was no longer a terminus for Madras . All trains were then terminated at Madras Central instead and its position was further strengthened after the construction of the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Maratha Railway (erstwhile Madras Railway and now known as the Southern Railway (India)) adjacent to it in 1922.
Due to increasing passenger movement, the main building was extended with the addition of a new building on the western side with a similar architecture to the original.
Capacity at the station was further augmented after the construction of Moore Market Complex as a dedicated terminus for the Chennai suburban railway.
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