Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Chennai


Welcome to Chennai, (till recently known as Madras) the “Queen of the Coromandel”, a thriving seaboard that did business with the Phoenicians and Babylonians 2000 years ago. Its remembered history goes back to the 4th century. The Dravidian dynasties of Pallavas, the Cholas and the Pandyas, all left their marks on the culture and architecture of the region. Chennai is prettily sitting on the Coromandel coast, India’s legendary east coast. Its 180 Sq.Km. includes some ancient villages that go back to the centuries before Christ and a few towns not very much younger. But most of it grew from the efforts of the founders who established a fort, settled land they were granted and developed new settlements for migrants seeking the prosperity of a town established for international trade.

That town may not be ancient ; it is around 360 years old in 2003. But few can deny that it is historic. The trading traditions rooted in its founding helped Chennai to grow, till today its six million people make it a sprawling, throbbing metropolis of industry and commerce but one in which the values of a more gracious, cultured age are still cherished.

Immensely proud and aware of the classic antiquity of their three thousand sixty years old Dravidian Culture, respected by the Aryans when they came in 1500 B.C., many modern day Tamils still live largely the same life in many ways, not only in their culture and language, but in their food and clothes as well. Chennai today is a city that still sustains a pure Tamil Culture vibrantly alive with modern participation. Inspite of successive invasions, the Tamil art, literature, scriptures, religion, dance, drama, vocal and instrumental music and architecture have remained essentially untouched.

Whereever you walk in Chennai, you walk with history. You also walk in a spacious city, still open to the skies. It is a green and airy city where courtesy thrives as much as culture, where history is as romantic as it is grandiose. It is this eternal charm that has now begun to draw visitors to a city full of reminders of things past that created our present. Set in the south east of India, fronting the Bay of Bengal, Chennai is the starting point to the magnificent beaches of the famed Coromandel Coast.

Present day Chennai (of more than 6 million people) India’s fourth largest Metropolis, has developed into a gracious city of many broad, tree – shaded avenues, many of them lined with stately building dating back from the days of the British Raj and created in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture perhaps more than any other great metropolis, Chennai has a distinctively relaxed life style and the people are hospitable and warmly welcoming the visitors.

This Modern metropolis of Chennai, Tamilnadu’s principal port, is large and sprawling and many of its most important historical and cultural features of interest to the visitor are scattered throughout it, at significantly long distances apart. We have Chennai web Directory listings to get more details about Tamil nadu and Chennai : http://www.tamilnaduwebdirectory.com/

Rajaji Hall


The best way to see the places is by tourist buses organised by the ITDC, TTDC and other tour operators or by car. The major places within Chennai can be visited in one day and they are listed hereunder for an easy drive.
Rajaji Hall
Start your trip from Anna Salai (Mount Road) and direct yourself to the Rajaji Hall. This majestic building, (formerly the Banqueting Hall and the residence of the Governor), in a beautifully treed park setting, was built by Edward Clive, son of Robert Clive, to celebrate the British Victory over ‘Tipu Sultan’ in the adjoining state of Karnataka.In shape and style, it resembles a classic Greek temple and the design was made by the East India company’s astronomer and engineer Goldingham in 1802. Rajaji Hall is approached by an impressive flight of steps and the building features both Corinthian and lonic columns and colonnaded marble terraces. It is presently used for important Government functions. PH: 25365635

High Court :


Drive towards north east along Anna Salai to a distance of 3 kms you can see the imposing buildings of High Court, near the intersection of N.S.C. Bose Road and Rajaji Salai (North Beach Road). Built in 1892, this imposing Indo – Saracenic building has beautiful domes including a grand, central cupola which was once the Madras Harbour Light House. Magnificent stained-glass windows are also feature of the building. The original light house column, nearly 50 meters in height, still stands in the court grounds. Ph: 25342905