Chennai Sights

Chennai has a fascinating mix of heritage structures. The first structure of Madras city, Fort St. George is located in the east of the city facing the sea and is the most popular tourist attraction in Chennai. Unlike any other fort in India, it looks more like a complex of well-maintained colonial mansions and houses the Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly today. The Fort Museum displays a fascinating collection of memorabilia including medals, stamps and letters from the days of the East India Company and the British Raj. Just south of the museum is the oldest surviving Anglican Church in Asia, St. Mary's Church built in 1678. Distinctly English in style, the church is crammed with plaques and statues in the memory of English soldiers, administrators and their wives. Also of interest in this area is the house of Robert Clive, presently occupied by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). The High Court located on Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Road, just north of St. George Fort is another architectural wonder with its Indo-Saracenic style of design in red stone. Remnants from the city's history are displayed at the Government Museum situated on Pantheon Road - a deep red circular structure complemented by Italian style pillars. The museum's archaeological section has pieces from all major south Indian periods such as the Chola, Vijaynagar, Hoysala and Chalukyan periods. The Museum also boasts of an impressive bronze gallery and a zoology section. Chennai is also home to magnificent temples such as the Parthasarathi Temple on Peter's Road, Triplicane. One of the oldest temples in the city, it is dedicated to Lord Krishna and has a beautiful gopuram and several shrines with exquisite carvings on its surface. Sri Kapaleshwarar Temple near Kutchery Road at Mylapore was constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture and displays a stupendous 37 m tall gopuram. There are many parks and gardens in Chennai, the most exclusive being the Anna Zoological Park, the biggest zoological park in South Asia with a fabulous collection of tropical animals, birds and reptiles. The Guindy National Park is another must-see within city limits. Chennai is also home to one of the longest city beaches in the world - the Marina beach stretches 5 km from the harbour near George Town to San Thome Cathedral.