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Tamil Nadu
has a long coastline that stretches nearly a 1000 kms.
The Coromandel Coast, along the Bay of Bengal, boasts
of many ideal locations for sun and surf. Golden sands
of the beach are dotted with coconut palm and casuarina
groves. The sea washes ashore pebbles and shells and the
gentle breeze sways the yachts and catamarans into the
deeper waters of the sea and the waters form small dunes
on the shore. Crabs play hide-and-seek by coming out of
one burrow, and taking refuge in another. Sea gulls hover
in the sky and then rest on the sails of the fishing boats.
There are many more breathtaking sights that will please
you and hold you spell bound in Tamil Nadu.
Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is a city
younger than its image. More than any other city in India,
it is a true reflection of this country’s diversity.
In a time span of just over 350 years, Chennai has blossomed
into a charming city that has a large heart and is very
welcoming. It is a city that encourages all forms of development,
both modern technology and the traditional arts and crafts,
and it embraces a series of paradoxes. It was in 1639
that Francis Day and Andrew Cogan, agents for the English
East India Company, acquired a strip of land on lease
from the Vijayanagar King. They built the Fort St.George,
which remains of the city’s important landmarks and
serves as the Government Secretariat today. It was
built to set up a factory that served as a nucleus for
British settlements that began to be formed. Surrounding
villages like Triplicane, Purasawalkam, Egmore and Chetput
slowly merged with the new developments,
to form Chennapatnam, as it was known. The city was called
Madras till 1996 and then renamed Chennai. Today |
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this
buoyant metropolis is a blend of the old and the new,
the traditional and the modern.
Spread over 200 square kilometres with the Bay of Bengal
on the east, the city is the gateway to the rest of South
India. There are verdant green patches found amidst the
high-tech, high-rise buildings. With a population of around
six million, it is India’s fourth largest city.
From before days of Independence to present , the people
of Chennai have played an important role in shaping the
country’s political destiny. Chennai’s newest
pride is the Tidel Park, the home for the Information
Technology Industry. It is spread over 1.28 million sq.ft.
of built up area. The Tidel Park is an architectural marvel
and houses several large national and international software
companies in its premises.The City of Grace And Peace.
Places of Tourist Interest
Fort St. George Fort st.George occupies pride of
place and prominence in Chennai. This bastion derived
its name form St. George, the patron saint of England.
The State Legislature and the Secretariat are located
inside this fort . The St. Mary’s Church, the oldest
Anglican Church in India built in 1680 is situated here.
The tombstones in its courtyard are some of the oldest
British tombstones in India. The weddings of Robert Clive
and Governor Elihu Yale, who later founded the famous
Yale University in the U.S.A were solemnised in this ancient
prayerhouse.
The Marina Beach, the pride of Chennai is the second longest
beach in the world and has a wide sandy shore. Situated
on the beach, are the Samadhis or memorials dedicated
to C.N.Annadurai and M.G.Ramachandran, both former |
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Chief Ministers of the state. They attract thousands of visitors
everyday. Some of the most beautiful buildings in Chennai such
as the University of Madras, the Senate House, Chepauk Palace,
Presidency College and the Ice House are located on the beach
drive.
Santhome Cathedral Basilica
Santhome at the southern end of the Marina gets its name from
St.Thomas, the apostle of Jesus who is believed to have come
to India sometime during 52 A.D. It is believed he was
killed on St. Thomas Mount just outside the city in 78 AD and
his remains interred in Santhome beach where a church was later
built.
Several years later, another church was built further inland
and his mortal remains were transferred here. Chennai’s
newest pride is the Tidel Park, the home for the Information
Technology Industry. It is spread over 1.28 million sq.ft. of
built up area. The Tidel Park is an architectural marvel and
houses several large national and international software companies
in its premises.
Memorials of Gandhi, Rajaji,
Kamaraj & Bhaktavatsalam
These four memorials are situated east of Raj Bhavan, the Governor’s
Residence.
Vivekananda House & Museum The state government had leased
this building Sri Ramakrishna Mission. It is an imposing structure
on the Marina along the South Beach Road. It was constructed
in 1842 to store ice blocks imported from the USA by the Tudor
Ice Company and the business continued until 1874, when the
ice began to be produced locally. This is why it is called Ice
House. Later Bilagiri Iyengar purchased this building in 1885
and called it "Castle Kernon."
In 1897 Swami Vivekananda visited this city and stayed in this
historic building from February 6 to 15 in 1897 on his way to
Calcutta, after his acclaimed speech at Chicago for the Parliament
of Religions. The Government took over the building in 1930
and in 1963 it was named after Vivekananda. On the eve of his
Centenary Celebrations, in 1999 the building was renovated and
the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu unveiled the sage’s statue
on the 20th December 1999. Photographs depicting the historical
happenings associated with his life and books about him and
his own written works are on display and sold here in the Museum.
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