India Tourism | Chennai

Chennai (Madras), the capital of Tamil Nadu is also its principal harbour and has one of the finest beaches in Asia. It was founded at Fort St. George in 1640 A.D. by Francis Day of the East India Company.

Temperature (°C):
Summer: Max 37, Min 22.1
Winter: Max 32, Min 19.8
Season: Throughout the year (Preferably October to March).
STD Code: 044

How to get there

	Air: Chennai (Madras) is directly linked by Indian Airlines to Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Goa, Mumbai (Bombay), Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata (Calcutta), Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Port Blair, Madurai, Pune, Tirupati, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Puttaparthy, Vishakhapatnam and to Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore. East West Airlines also connects Chennai with Bombay.
	Rail: Chennai (Madras) is connected by rail with Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mumbai (Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta), Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kodai Road, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Ooty ( via Mettupalayam ), Rameshwaram, Trichy, Tirupati Trivandrum and Varanasi.
	Road: Chennai (Madras) is connected by road with all the major towns in India. Some of the road-distances from Chennai (Madras) are Mumbai (Bombay) 1329 kms, Bangalore 334 kms, Hyderabad 669 kms, Kanyakumari 693 kms, Madurai 461 kms, Mahabalipuram 60 kms, Pondicherry 162 kms, Rameshwaram 619 kms, Kanchipuram 71 kms, Tirupati 143 kms, Ooty 535 kms, Kodaikanal 498 kms, Trivandrum 709 kms, and Thanjavur 334 kms.
	Local Transport: Regular buses available from Chennai (Madras) to Bangalore, Cochin, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Nagapattinam (Velankanni), Ooty, Pondicherry, Rameshwaram, Thanjavur, Tirupati, Trichy and Trivandrum.

Places of Interest

Fort St. George & St. Mary's Church
Gandhi Mandapam
High Court
Anna Square
Kapaleeswara Temple
Light House
Marina Beach & Aquarium
Parthasarathy Temple
San Thom Cathedral
Snake Park
Theosophical Society
Valluvar Kottam
Ripon Buildings and War Memorial Fort Museum (0900-1700 hrs. Closed on fridays)
Govt. Museum & Art Gallery (0800-1700 hrs. Closed on fridays)

Excursions

Covelong (38 kms)
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary (85 kms)
Pulicat (61 kms)
Kanchipuram (71 kms)
Ennore Beach (18 kms)
Muttukudu (30 kms)
Red Hills (14 kms)
Mahabalipuram (61 kms)
Cholamandal Artists Village (20 kms)
Elliots Beach (11 kms)
Crocodile Bank (42 kms)
Pundi Reservoir (60 kms)
Thirukkalikundram (80 kms)
Anna Zoological Park (Vandalur)

Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)

Mamallapuram 64 kms from Chennai, connected by regular bus-services. A major beach resort also famous for its magnificent monuments hewn out of rock.

Places of Interest: Rathas, Arjuna's Penance, Krishna Mandapa, Shore Temple, Mahishasurmardini Cave, Varaha Mandapa and Mandapams.

Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram, the capital of the Pallava and dynasty is one of the serene sacred cities of India. It is situated 76 kms from Chennai, 35 kms from Chingleput & 64 kms from Mahabalipuram via Chingleput.

Places of Interest: Kailashnath Temple, Shri Vaikuntaperumal Temple, Shri Varadaraja Temple,
Ekambareshwara Temple, Shri Kamakashi Temple

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

80 kms away from Chennai, the santuary is famous for migratory birds (November to February) viewing from (1500 to 1800 hours) an observation tower. It is 30 km away from its nearest railway station Chingleput.

The Region