Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, has always featured along with Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta as one of the four top - class cities in India. The city is often referred to as the "Gateway of South" or the "Queen of the Coromandel", which is the coast that it adorns. It is the fourth largest city in India. It is not a very ancient township, in fact it came into being only with the British coming into India around 1630's. The city started from the Fort St. George, which is where the small beach side township made its humble beginning.

With Tamil Nadu having been centre-focus with Dravidian culture, society, art, religion and everything that matters, Chennai has played the role for centuries of being a city synonymous with Southern India. That is something Incredible about India.

Chennai is a tropical beach town that comes under the influence of the south western monsoons. Rains are in December - January. Otherwise all through the year, days are warm to hot (300C-370C). the seaside effect is one of the most wonderful experience of this.

It fits to start the city sights with Fort St. George, where the city of Chennai took shape. Around the turn of the century, the city's beach was divided into two by Fort St. George and the Beach Road, north of which remains the busiest part of the city.

FORT ST. GEORGE is the heart of the city, within its compound is ST. MARY'S CHURCH dating back to 1678 which makes it the first Protestant Church in India. THE FORT MUSEUM, a treasure house of history, is worth a visit for its collection of armour, costumes, coins and medals of the East India Company in that region.

History holds that Christianity was first introduced to India with ST. THOMAS DYDIMUS, one of the Apostles. In the first century, also connected to the Apostle is SAN THOME CATHEDRAL at the southern end of the Marina. The towering basilica of the church was built in 1896 on the same site.

The magnificent SRI KAPALISWARAR TEMPLE at Mylapore and SRI PARTHASARATHY TEMPLE at Triplicane are scenes of many of the city's festive and religious Hindu rituals. The temples were built by Pallavas in the 8th century. The splendid water tanks are excellent examples of Pallav art.

The present RAJ BHAWAN estate includes the Guindy Lodge located in the vast GUINDY NATIONAL PARK, only one of the kinds to be found in a city. THE DEER SANCTUARY in the national park is one of the last natural grazing grounds of the black buck.

The unique SNAKE PARK houses several species of snakes and reptiles.

THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY formed to facilitate and encourage the study of comparative religions, philosophy and science, is situated in beautiful sylvan setting in Adyar. Apart from shrines of all the faiths and peaceful gardens of remembrance, there is a 95 year old library which has a very good collection of rare oriental manuscripts written on palm leaf and parchment.

3.2km long is the second largest beach in the world. It extends from Chennai Harbour in the north to Adyar in the south. There is an Aquarium and Lighthouse nearby. THE ELLIOT BEACH (11kms from the city) is good for swimming through the waves. Other beaches are Ennore (18kms) Muttukadu (38kms) and Covelong (32kms).

Chennai is a broad, open city and the longest thorough fare in the city is ANNA SALAI, formerly known as the MOUNT ROAD. It is a very active and busy shopping and commercial centre.

The nearby excursions can include visits to Parangimalai - St. Thomas Mount, Kancheepuram (75kms), Mamallapuram (58kms), Thirukkazhukundram (74kms), Vedanthangal (85kms), Thiruporur (42kms), MGM Dizzee World Amusement Park (36kms), VGP Golden Beach - an amusement park and Crocodile Bank (44kms).