When I visited some cities and towns in Tamil Nadu last year during my holiday, I was totally blown away by the art and architecture in this state. This state, which literally means “Land of the Tamils” is my ancestral state. Both sides of my grandparents moved from villages here to what was then known as Bombay to earn a living. I have not visited much of this state, but after this trip, it has become part of my bucket list.

Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian subcontinent and is bordered by the union territory of Puducherry and the South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. It is bounded by the Eastern Ghats on the north, by the Nilgiri Mountains, the Meghamalai Hills, and Kerala on the west, by the Bay of Bengal in the east, by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait on the southeast, and by the Indian Ocean on the south. The state shares a maritime border with the nation of Sri Lanka.

The region was ruled by several empires, including the three great empires – Chera, Chola and Pandyan empires, which shape the region’s cuisine, culture, and architecture. The British Colonial rule during the modern period led to the emergence of Chennai, then known as Madras, as a world-class city. Modern-day Tamil Nadu was formed in 1956 after the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines. The state is home to a number of historic buildings, multi-religious pilgrimage sites, hill stations and three World Heritage sites.
Tamil Nadu is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. The economy of Tamil Nadu is the second-largest state economy in India in gross domestic product and the state has the sixth highest ranking among Indian states in the human development index. It was ranked as one of the top seven developed states in India based on a “Multidimensional Development Index” in a 2013 report published by the Reserve Bank of India. Its official language is Tamil, (which is also my mother tongue) which is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world.

Chennai
As with other states, we will start our journey from the capital city of Chennai, which was earlier called Madras and is often called the ‘Cultural Capital of India’. Chennai is the fourth largest metropolis in the country with a population of over 8 million. The present city was founded in 1639, by Sir Francis Day, who arrived with East India Company. The British East India Company established a fort and a trading post at the small fishing village of Chennai. Located on the Coromandel coast of Bay of Bengal, Chennai is as dynamic as it is immersed in tradition, a major city and industrial centre.

The region around Chennai has served as an important administrative, military, and economic centre since the 1st century AD. It has been ruled by various South Indian dynasties, notably the Pallava, the Chola, the Pandya, and Vijaynagara. The area where the present city exists was awarded to British by Damerla Chennapa Nayaka who a general under Vijayanagaras ruled from Chandragiri, near Tirupathi. The name Chennai believed to be derived from the Chennakesava Perumal Temple present in the city.

The city is famous for its beaches, museums, parks, temples and several historical places around the city. The major tourist places in Chennai include Marina Beach, the second largest urban beach in the world, Govt Museum, Parthasarathy Temple, Kapaleeswaraar Temple, San Thome Cathedral, etc. There are several other attractions in the vicinity of Chennai like Elliot Beach, VGP Golden Beach, Mahabalipuram, Pulicat Lake, Muttukadu, etc. Kanchipuram, the famous historical & pilgrimage town is situated close to Chennai. Chennai’s skyline is famous for its towering skyscrapers, but the heart of Chennai has an old-world charm to it that refuses to be overshadowed.

One of the most visited Indian cities by foreign tourists, Chennai houses almost 2467 heritage buildings within the metropolitan area – highest within any city limit in the country. The Mylapore and Triplicane areas are famous for their beautiful, serene temples and delicious cuisine, while North Chennai areas like Sowcarpet are dotted with shops selling everything under the sun, including clothes, bicycles, food and electronic items.
Vestiges of the British rule like the stunning Madras University and Queen Mary’s College, the Ripon Building and the museums are lovely examples of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture that the metropolitan is known for. The modern metropolis of Chennai – a buzzing city of glorious beaches, monuments standing as a testament to the time, and the people who have preserved age-old traditions – is sure to sneak its way into your hearts.
Some of the places which you must not miss in your trip to Chennai include:

Marina Beach: Marina Beach is a natural urban beach along the Bay of Bengal. The beach is stretched out to a distance of 13 kilometres making it the longest natural urban beach in the country, second largest in the world and also the most crowded beach in India with almost 30,000 visitors a day. With a white sandy shore that looks as though extending to infinity, the landscape of Marina Beach is a mesmerising and serene sight to behold. The beach has a primarily sandy terrain and is dotted with plenty of merry-go-rounds and shops selling souvenirs. Watching the sun crawl upwards into the sky or even disappear into the ocean from the beach, is an awe-striking and enchanting experience.

Elliot’s Beach: Elliot’s Beach aka “Besant Nagar Beach” or “Bessie” is located in Besant Nagar, Chennai. It forms the end-point of the Marina Beach shore and is named after Edward Elliot (who was once the Chief Magistrate, Superintendent of Madras and Governor of Chennai during the British times). It has the Velankanni Church and the Ashtalakshmi Kovil in the vicinity. The mesmerising beach is one of the cleanest beaches in the city of Chennai. Located towards the south of Marina Beach, an incredibly calm and tranquil place, it does not offer much activity hence, is an ideal spot for long walks. Moreover, the beach is perfect for the ones who want to soak their feet in the splashing sea water and lose themselves entirely in the arms of nature. Elliot’s Beach is quite famous among the tourists as well as locals. In the colonial times, it was a place limited to white people. The beach is often visited by travellers for sunbathing, relaxing and visiting the famous ancient monuments nearby. It is usually less crowded than the famous Marina Beach and hence, preferred by the travellers. During the evening hours, one can spot various youngsters roaming around the beach as this beach offers the perfect retreat, away from the city life of metropolitan.

Government Museum: The Government Museum was established in 1851 and is the second oldest museum in the country after the Indian Museum in Kolkata. Situated in Egmore suburb of Chennai, it is built in the Indo-Sarcenic style and houses a rich collection of the works of Raja Ravi Varma.

Dakshinachitra Museum: The Museum, is one of the living-history museums in India. It stores in itself great works of architecture, crafts, performing arts, and lifestyles that belong to South India. The museum has its vision and mission to promote the cultures of South Indian states by making them more engaging and enjoyable for its viewers. The heritage museum is home to 4,220 artefacts and 1,000,000 pictures. Visiting here will give you an in-depth knowledge of south Indian heritage. Developed in the form of a village, it showcases the traditional lifestyle of South Indians. It is a collection of 18 authentic houses, each having its own contextual exhibition. These homes are purchased, broken down, transported and lastly reconstructed by professional artisans or Stapathis who belong to the places from where the houses are bought. Moreover, Dakshina Chitra itself means the ‘house of south’. Do visit the Dakshinachitra Museum to explore and learn about the life and history of South India which is also a very good starting point for your south Indian adventures.

Arignar Anna Zoological Park: Perhaps one of the most popular picnic spots in the city, the Arignar Zoological Park or Vandalur Zoo is an amazing place to discover the flora and fauna of the region. A favourite weekend spot with both children and adults alike, the Arignar Zoo is situated at a distance of 32 kilometres from Chennai city. It is one of the largest zoo of its kind in South East Asia and is sprawled over an area of 1260 acres. In addition to having an extensive collection of endemic and exotic animals, visitors can experience the wild first hand with a trip to safari parks where lions and deer can be easily spotted. Housing as many as 138 different species of organisms, this destination is every nature lover’s paradise. The zoo is also home to a variety of animals such as Himalayan brown bear, lion, tiger, elephant and Indian civit cat.

Fort St. George: The origin of the great white structure of Fort St. George is inextricable from the history of the city of Chennai itself. Popularly called the ‘White Town’, the sole purpose of establishing the massive fort compound was to establish a British stronghold in the Coromandel Coast and the rest of south India. With Fort St. George as a British headquarter, it was easier to develop the many small towns and villages in Tamil Nadu. The now bustling city of Chennai grew up around this fort during this time, under the British-conferred name Madras. The fort itself is the first British garrison settlement in India. It also houses the first British official residential complex, the Clive House which was the home of the Commander-in-chief and the orchestrator of British India, Lord Robert Clive. St Mary’s Church inside the fortress is also the oldest Anglican Church, not only in India but among all the landmasses east of Suez. The grand fort is now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and the station of Tamil Nadu Government. The administrative branches and legislative assembly are housed in here today. However, the church and a museum are open to the public. The building which houses the museum used to be the location for the Madras Bank since 1795. However, after independence, it is serving as a large collection house of more than 3600 artefacts dating back to the entire period of the British rule – weapons, letters, coins, silverware, ceremonial dresses, medals, some personal items of the residents of the fort and many more.

Santhome Church: The significance of San Thome Church is unparalleled in the history of Christianity in India. The church, which was once constructed as a mausoleum in memory of Saint Thomas, has now grown to be a Basilica, as stated by the then Pope in 1956. San Thome Church is among the only three in the world that house the tombs of one of Christ’s original disciples. The other two are St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, Spain. Beneath the towering white structure of the basilica minor lies the last remains of the saint, who once used to be one of the twelve apostles of Christ and came over to India in 52 AD to spread the religion. He is considered to be the patron saint of Christianity in India, as he converted a large population of locals in Kerala and Tamil Nadu with his wise words and preaching, and formed the community which now calls themselves Syrian Christians.

Kapaleeswarar Temple: A holy shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Kapaleeshwarar temple is located in the heart of Chennai’s traditional district of Mylapore. Originally built by the mighty Pallavas, Portuguese explorers destroyed the temple and it was rebuilt around the 16th century by the Vijayanagar kings. A visit to this temple will be an experience enriched with a glimpse into Tamil religious culture and the lovely architectural combination of the two styles – Dravidian and Vijaynagari, complete with towering Gopurams. There is also a sacred tank on the western side. The temple has quite a few legends about it, which are till date upheld by the authorities in the form of sculptures and inscriptions. In fact, to commemorate the myth of Goddess Parvati worshipping Shiva at this place as a fowl, there is a couple of peahen and peacock kept as a pet inside the temple premises. The regal temple also remembers the Tamil Shaivite saint poets Nayaars and has shrines for each one of them. All the 63 idols of the poets are paid due respect in the Brahmotsav festival that takes place every year somewhere between mid-March to mid-April.

Vadapalani Murugan Temple: A highly frequented places of worship for Hindus in Chennai, the Vadapalani Murugan Temple has its roots fixed in numerous legends and myths, especially about its founder and first priest Annaswamy Naikar. He had a dream about this deed he must do for his good as well as the benefit of the society, and thus he started worshipping Lord Murugan at his home instead of trying to find him elsewhere. This small shrine was later transformed into the colossal premise with multiple deities that you can see today. The temple is known for helping devotees finding solutions to life’s problems. People come here seeking answers to their marital, academic and professional problems. Many devotees claim that worshipping here has assisted them to get over the trouble and find peace in life. It is also believed that worshipping Lord Murugan here is as pious as praying to him at the original Palani temple. If someone is unable to visit the original abode, they can pay their respects here, and Murugan will bless them all the same. Vadapalani Murugan Temple has a rich history and an ornate architecture and is also enriched with people’s faiths from all-over the country. If you visit the temple on any of the days of the special festivals, you will get to see the popularity Murugan has in this place.

Ashtalakshmi Temple: Located a few meters from Elliot’s Beach or Besant Nagar Beach, the Ashtalakshmi Temple where the main deity is Ashtalakshmi or the Goddess of Wealth and Knowledge resides here and blesses everyone who visits the temple to offer their prayers. The continuous sound of the ocean waves echo in the temple complex and instantly inculcate an aura of peace. The Ashtalakshmi Temple complex is built to worship eight avatars of Goddess Lakshmi namely Wealth, Success, Prosperity, Bravery, Courage, Knowledge, Food and Offspring. It was built when Sri Maha Periyaval or the Sage of Kanchi Mutt, Sri Chandrasekara Saraswati Swamigal had wished for it to be constructed. The followers willingly agreed and laid the foundation with utmost devotion. Goddess Lakshmi is known for granting Ashtama Siddhi and Astha Iswaryam which mean eightfold achievements and wealth respectively.

Parthasarathy Temple: The Parthasarathy Temple, located in Triplicane area of the city, is a structure more than 1000 years old, standing in the heart of the bustling city. Dedicated to different avatars of Lord Vishnu within the many shrines of the temple, it attracts thousands of Vaishanvite followers from all across the country. The temple gets its name from the charioteer version of Lord Krishna when he drove the vehicle of Arjuna in the war. Parthasarathy Temple is classified as one of the 108 Divya Desams or holy shrines dedicated to Vishnu, as mentioned in the canonical Tamil literature penned down by the Alvar saints of the 6th-9th century, known as Divya Prabandha. The temple houses five different forms of Vishnu – Narasimha, Rama, Gajendra Varadaraja, Ranganatha and Krishna. In Tamil, they have different names for these. There are numerous additional shrines as well, enclosed within the 8th-century Dravidian architecture.

Marundeeswarar Temple: The magnificent Marundeeswarar Temple, in Tiruvanmiyur, near Chennai has the temple deity Shiva in the form of Marundeeswar or Aushadeeswarar, the God of Medicines. A fine specimen of Dravidian architecture, this temple is a must visit for anyone visiting Chennai. Glorified in the 7th-8th century by Nayanars (Saivite Saints), Tirugnana Sambandar, and Appar, the temple was expanded by the Chola Kingdom in the 11th century. Moreover, given the name, Marundeeswarar Temple has been a place of worship especially for people with diseases and those facing various problems with their health. The prasadam here is a mixture of sacred ash, water, and milk which is believed to cure any ailments. One must visit the temple to encounter the miraculous power it is said to have. Amongst the many legends associated with the temple, one of them explains why Lord Marundeeswarar is known as he is because he is said to have taught the great Sage Agastya about a magical medicine. The temple is also known for its one and a half ft. self-manifested Shivalinga. It also contains the statues of Lord Vinayaka and Lord Muruga. Furthermore, it hosts many festivals such as Shivrathri, Skanda Sashti, and Vinayaka Chaturti. Hence, the temple even has a festive aura all around the year.

Mylapore: The oldest and most culturally enriched neighbourhoods of Chennai and located in the southern end, the heart of the city lies Mylapore. The area precedes the birth of Chennai or Madras, as the British named it, by at least some 1500 years. The city had already seen a lot of eventful history pass by even before the British stepped on this land. Mylapore is also very much traditionalist to its core and boasts of many temples, churches and historical monuments. At the same time, it is also stepping up to match the modern world with shopping malls, tree-lined beautified avenues and other attractions to meet the expectations of the urban tourists. Mylapore has a native name as well. It is called Thirumayilai by the locals, which is taken from a Tamil word meaning “the land of the peacock’s scream”. It is an undeniable ode to a large number of peacocks which once roamed the land of Mylapore before commercialisation took over. The presence of peacocks is evident from the architectural designs of the Kapaleeswarar Temple or the San Thome Church – two ancient sites of the neighbourhood. Mylapore has its mention in several accounts by writers, poets, explorers and folklores that have roots in the ancient time. From European colonising groups to explorers like Marco Polo to Tamil Saivite poets, there are praises of this old city and its splendour everywhere. 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. In one word, Mylapore can be called the nerve centre of the city.

T Nagar: One of the busiest neighbourhoods in Chennai, T Nagar is also the most crowded one. It serves as a commercial and economic hub, as well as a residential area. T Nagar is essentially a complete commercial crux within Chennai in itself. It does not have many attractions, but you will come across a plethora of retail shops lined up on every main road and arterial streets. The neighbourhood mostly trades in traditional south Indian textiles and gold jewellery shops. Usman Road is famous for its stretch of jewellery shops, while the Pondy Bazaar area deals with a number famous apparel stores selling silk saris and other garments, as well as roadside shops. Other than that, there are a few parks and religious places, which you can pay a visit to if you feel like. There are some parks too for a peaceful afternoon stroll. The T Nagar area grew up in between the years 1923 and 1925. It was constructed by the Madras Presidency Government of the Raja of Panagal as a part of the Madras Town Planning Act, 1920. The main area was named after the then party leader Sir P. Theagarya Chetty, and the streets and localities after different dignitaries. After the Long Tank, which formed the western boundary of the city was drained out in 1923, the Mambalam Zamindari situated to its west relinquished. From its southern part, the neighbourhood was carved out.