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Business : |
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Modern Chennai grew out of a small village in 1639, when a fishing hamlet called chennaipatnam
was selected by early English merchants of the East India Company as the site for their settlement.
This metropolis is often called the cultural capital of India for its deep rooted traditionsand long
heritage. Chennai is famous for its temples, historic landmarks and buildings, long sandy beaches,
cultural and art centres and many parks.Marina Beach, the pride of Chennai, is the second longest
beach in the world. Fort St. George occupies pride of place and prominence here.Chennai, a 350-
year old city,is a mix of modern culture and ancient traditions,and is every culture tourist's nirvana.
One of its attractions is mahabalipuram, with its anciet temples and rock carvings of the seventh
century Pallava kingdom.
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Eating out : |
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Chennai is the cultural hub of south India and has always been the centre of traditional industries.
The city's real estate and efficient infrastructure have drawn business from across the world.Chennai
is opening up to many multinationals now. IT Corridor, on Old Mahabalipuram Road, is currently
being Tidel Park,an IT hub that occupies a place of pride as home to many national and international
the city.A large number of automobiles companies like Hyundai,Ford,Mitsubishi,TVS,
Ashok Leyland, Royal enfield, TAFE and MRF are based in Chennai. It is also an important centre
for banking and finance, with its many national, multinational and state level cooperative banks. |
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Nightlife : |
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A conservative Chennai is a thing of the past with pubs and discos becoming popular in the city today. However, all the pubs are supposed to close by 11 pm. So make sure you are there nice and early. Most of them offer international cuisines. The specialties of the city are the five star discotheques, which are the haunts of the rich and the famous. With good music and friendly bartenders, Chennai's nightlife is a fun ride. |
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Shopping : |
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Chennai is not just a shopping hub for silk sarees. The city is teeming with all types of shops; from ones selling khadi couture to those that feature the latest threads from the ramp. T Nager is home to many of the famous saree and jewellery shops of Chennai. Mount Road is lined with options for the shopaholic. If you prefer a one-stop shop where you can get anything, Shoppers' Stop, Lifestyle and Globus are the places to go. Chennai is also famous for its arts and crafts made with bronze, silver, and even stone, contemporary and traditional artwork such as Tanjore paintings, antiques, jewellery made with stones or chunky silver. The hand woven silk fabric is must-buy as they are considered the finest in India. And today you can even get extremely hip silk shirts.
Chennai's malls are the quickening pulse of the city's massive consumer lifestyle. Malls are great indicators of which way the trends turn. Apart from important stand-alone stores, we also list the city's malls and the many many products and services they offer. |
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Places Of Interest |
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Marina Beach: The Pride of Chennai :  |
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Considered to be one of the largest beaches in India and the world over, the Marina beach stretches over a distance of 12 km and has a considerably large width. It begins from St. George Fort, in the north, and extends till Besant Nagar, in the south. This sandy beach is not only popular amongst the morning joggers, but is also a must visit spot for the tourists. The road the Beach is marked by a number of statues of known leaders and celebrities. In addition, there is Anna Square, the burial site of former Chief Minster of Tamil Nadu and a memorial dedicated to MGR Ramachandran, former actor-cum-politician. The tomb in the memorial has a striking pillar and an eternal flame. The southern end of the beach is marked by a Light House, which provides a panoramic view of the city. |
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Pulicat: The Hub of Migratory Birds :  |
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Situated at a distance of 60 km from Chennai, this small town houses a Dutch built fort, a Church and a cemetery dating back to the 17th century. It was occupied by the British in 1825 and became a part of Madras state after independence. The main attraction of the place is the Pulicat Lake which is the second largest lagoon in India. The lake is separated from the Bay of Bengal, by a strip of land which comprises of the Pulicat town. The lagoon has been preserved as a Wildlife Sanctuary for a host of aquatic and terrestrial animals, birds and reptiles. It is the hub of migratory birds like Flamingos, Pelicans, Kingfishers, Herons, Painted Storks, Spoonbills and Ducks, Flamingoes being the most frequent visitors, with about 15,000 of them visiting every year. |
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Muttukad: |
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This weekend getaway spot is located at a distance of about 36 kms from Chennai. Muttukad provides water sports for the adventure seeking crowd, in terms of boat rides at the back waters and wind surfing, and a water amusement park, MGM DIZZEE world. Also housed in the vicinity is the handicraft village Dakshinchitra. Built in the traditional 19th century style, it produces marvelous pieces of sculptures, ceramics and glass objects. The village remains open on all days, except Tuesday. |
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Crocodile Bank: |
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Further down at a distance of 40 km from Chennai, is the Crocodile Bank, a sanctuary for reptiles. Founded by Romulus Whitaker and other like minded people in the year 1976 to conserve the three species of reptiles namely, the Mugger (Crocodylus Paluster), the Gharial (Gavialis Gangeticus) and the saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus Porosus), the Bank also houses a research center for study of the reptiles, a breeding center of crocodiles in India and a Snake Farm. The Bank is built on an area of 3.2 hectares of land providing habitat to several endangered African and Indian species of reptiles. |
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Mahabalipuram: |
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Once a capital city, this major attraction of Chennai, also known as Mamallapuram, is located at a distance of 60 kms, in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu. This is a world heritage site, recognized by UNESCO. These monuments are a delight from travel and tourism point of view with various rock cut temples and caves that originated between 7th and 9th century. The main attraction of Mamallapuram is the Shore Temple. Located on the shore facing the sea, this piece of architecture is known world over for its intricate carvings and skilled craftsmanship. Apart from this, there are a number of other monuments here, such as the cave temples, monolithic rathas (chariots), sculpted reliefs and structural temples displaying the Dravidian style of architecture. The pillars exhibit Dravidian art, whereas sculptures are excellent specimens of Pallava art. The Mandapas display carvings dedicated to various Gods and Goddesses. The monolithic Rathas designed as chariots give the finishing of a wood carving. However, many of these structures are incomplete, which indicates sudden withdrawal of patronage form rock cut temples. |
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