About Chennai
Chennai, a popular city in South India, is known for its ancient history, culture, education, gorgeous architecture, and literature. For the past years, it has become an important centre of science and technology, too. The major industries of the city are - IT, hardware, automobiles, microelectronics, and telecommunication. For food lovers, the city is a hub of Chettinad cuisines, like idiyappam, chicken Chettinad, and urlai roast. For shopping lovers, purchasing Kanchipuram Silk, Tanjore paintings, and gold jewellery becomes an essential part of the trip.
Places to visit in Chennai
- Fort St. George Museum: The Fort St. George Museum is one of the oldest buildings within the fort complex. The main feature of this museum is the marble statue of Lord Cornwallis, built by Thomas Banks. The lobby contains illustrations of the different stages of construction of the museum and the surrender of the sons of Tipu Sultan. The museum also archives different weapons of the British Era, such as pistols, rifles, helmets, batons, cannon shots, uniforms of the British Army, and regimental colours of different units, medals, and medallions used by the British Government to honour the soldiers. Moreover, there are the Porcelain Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Miscellany Gallery, Coin Gallery, Madras Gallery, Indo-French Gallery, and more. Furthermore, this museum preserves the original documents written by Robert Clive and other British officers.
- Government Museum: The second oldest museum in India, the Government Museum of Chennai comprises 46 galleries. Some of its essential galleries are the National Art Gallery, Contemporary Art Gallery, and Bronze Gallery. The national art gallery archives paintings from different regions, including Rajasthan, Tanjore, and Deccan areas. It also includes paintings from eminent artists of India, including Raja Ravi Verma, Jamini Roy, and Nandlal Bose. The contemporary art gallery shows the evolution of art from cave art to modern art. There is a children's museum inside the Government Museum that includes a science, technology, and dolls section. One of the significant artefacts of this museum is the bronze-made Ardhanariswara, an avatar of Lord Shiva.
- Kapaleeswarar Temple: Comprising magnificent architecture, the Kapaleeshwar Temple attracts thousands of visitors throughout the year. The temple includes the idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati. There is a 'Gopuram' or high tower at the entrance of the temple. The Gopurams of the east and west sides are decorated with exotic mythological figures. Another significant feature of this temple is the bronze carving of the Nayanars or the Saivite saints. Apart from these, the temple houses a Punnai, or holy tree, that is believed to be one of the oldest trees in Chennai. The other significant idols of this temple are the Nardana Vinayaka (the dancing avatar of Lord Ganesh) and the Singarelan (Lord Muruga).
- Valluvar Kottam: The Valluvar Kottam is a memorial shrine built in honour of the famous Tamil poet Thiruvallar. He is widely known for his book Thirukkural. The memorial, 39 m high, is a replica of the temple chariot in Thiruvarur. Visitors will find a statue of the poet inside this monument.
- Ripon Building: The Ripon Building is an excellent example of Indo-Saracenic architecture, an amalgamation of Ionic, Gothic, and Corinthian. This white-coloured building is located nearer to the Chennai station. At present, the building is the seat of the Chennai Corporation. So, people can only visit the building sites and the lawn. There is a statue of Lord Ripon, who was the Governor General of British India. The Westminster Quarter chiming clock is the major attraction of the building. It was launched by the Oaks and Co. of the United Kingdom.
About Chennai Airport
Chennai International Airport is the only international airport serving this city. The IATA code of this airport is MAA, and its official address is GST Rd, Meenambakkam, 600027. The airport is located 20 km away from the main city of Chennai. You can take a train, taxi, bus, metro, or rental car to travel to and from the airport.
