Romanticising Chennai with Things2do!

Chennai fascinated us all when we saw the famous Bollywood film ‘Chennai Express,’ but this city is far more beautiful than the one depicted in the film. Greenery, authenticity, and, of course, the vibe here are alluring enough that you might not want to leave.

So, for a city like this, we couldn’t help but romanticise Chennai in this most interesting Things2do guide!

1Marina Beach 

Marina Beach, located in the Tamil Nadu city of Chennai, is the longest natural urban beach in the country and the second largest in the world, stretching 13 kilometres. Can you believe that almost 30,000 visitors come to this beach every day?              

The landscape of Marina Beach is a mesmerising and serene sight to behold. The beach is dotted with plenty of merry-go-rounds and shops selling souvenirs. Taking a walk along the beach with Sundal or Milagai Bajji and watching the sun disappear into the ocean is an awe-striking experience. 

2Valluvar Kottam

Valluvar Kottam is a temple chariot like-monument in Chennai, built to honour the renowned classical Tamil poet and saint, Thiruvalluvar who has written Tirukkural, one of the greatest works of Tamil literature. 

Valluvar Kottam is known for its incredible architecture. It is seen as a replica of the temple chariot in Thiruvarur, a life-size idol of the Thiruvalluvar that has been installed in the 39-metre high chariot at the top of an ancient vehicle called ‘Thaer’. The interesting part is that it stands as it is without a base and without the support of any pillars.

The magnificent design of the Valluvar Kottam is a wonderful sight to behold, making it a perfect destination to click pictures. 

3Madras War Cemetery

The Madras War Cemetery, right in the heart of the city of Chennai, is a recognition of the glory as well as horrors of the war. It houses the last remains of martyrs who laid down their precious lives in the Second World War. There is also a War Memorial commemorating more than 1000 departed soldiers of the Great War of 1914-1918.

Even though it has its roots in a sad past, the cemetery lawn is impeccably maintained and feels like a serene and peaceful place for the dead to rest. The greenery of the lawn and the ivy-wrapped pillars also offer great backgrounds for photoshoots. 

4Streets of Mylapore

Mylapore is one of the oldest and most culturally enriched neighbourhoods, located in the southern part of Chennai. Mylapore is very much traditionalist to its core and boasts of a number of sacred sites and cultural venues. 

A visit to the important sites in Mylapore as well as a look around the neighbourhood itself should be on every traveller’s list who is visiting Chennai. Witnessing picturesque cultural rituals around temples in the morning, having authentic local meals especially breakfast in a “Mylapore Mess”, and exploring the shops at Mylapore Tank are a few activities one can do in Mylapore.

5Madras Light House

The Madras Light House, popularly known as Marina Lighthouse, is a famous landmark on Marina Beach and also one of the popular tourist attractions in Chennai. You will also find a lot of iconic eateries in Chennai. 

It is a triangular cylindrical concrete one with a lantern and double gallery and is 11 stories high. It is one of the tallest lighthouses in the country and is also the only lighthouse in India within city limits and is one of the few lighthouses in the world with an elevator.

Visitors can have a bird’s eye view of Chennai city and Bay Bengal. The feeling like you’re on top of the world for Rs.20? How cool is that? 

Well, Chennai offers much more than what we have listed here and to explore them you’ll have to visit Chennai soon. Keep finding such fun and unique things about Chennai on www.things2.do and for more such updates, follow @things2doinchennai on Instagram now! 

by Swetha Parthiban

Writer at Things2do