Fort St. George

Fort St. George, currently accommodates the secretariat and the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu, occupies a place of pride and prominence in Chennai. The British East India Company under the direct supervision of Francis Day and Andrew Cogon built it in 1640 AD. This bastion achieved name from St. George, the patron saint of England.

San Thome Cathedral Basilica

San Thome at the southern end of Marina derives its name from St Thomas, the apostle of Christ who is believed to have come to Madras sometime during 52 AD. He was killed on St Thomas Mount just outside the city in 78 AD. and was interned in San Thome beach where a church was later built. Several years later, another church was built further inland and his mortal remains were transferred from the old church to the new one. In 1606 the church was rebuilt as a cathedral and in 1896 it was made a basilica. The beautiful stained glass window at the basilica portrays the story of St Thomas and the central hall has 14 wooden plaques depicting scenes from the last days of Christ. In the cathedral is a 3ft. high statue of Virgin Mary, which is believed to have been brought from Portugal in 1543.
 

Marina

Marina Beach is the second largest beach in the world and has a wide sandy foreshore. Situated on the beach, the Anna and MGR samadhis, which are the memorials of the most popular former Chief Ministers of the State attract good crowd everyday. An aquarium is also located on the Marina Beach. Some of the most beautiful buildings in Chennai such as the University of Madras, Senate-House, Chepauk Palace, Presidency College, P.W.D office and Ice House are located on the beach drive.
 

Elliot's Beach

Following the road along the coast down south from Marina one will come to Elliot's beach where you can spend a few hours relaxing. At the end of this beach are the Velankanni church and the Ashtalakshmi temple. Though the church is much smaller than the original one at Velankanni it attracts its own share of pilgrims. The Ashtalakshmi temple dedicated to goddess Lakshmi looks quite different from the usual South Indian temples as it is a modern granite tier construction, not even 20 years old.
 

Theosophical Society

The world headquarters of the Theosophical Society, formed to facilitate and encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy and science is situated in beautiful sylvan settings in Adyar. The society was founded by Madame Blavatsky and Col. Olott in USA, and later moved to Adyar in 1882.

Birla Planetarium

The Birla Planetarium at Kotturpuram, between Adyar and Guindy, is the most modern planetarium in the country. Adjoining the planetarium is a Periyar Science and Technology Museum which will be of interest to students and other science scholars.
 

Kalakshetra

In Thiruvanmiyur, beyond Elliot's beach, is Kalakshetra or 'Temple of Art'. It was founded in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale to train, encourage and revive interest in Bharatanatyam, which is the classical dance form of the state. This institution is among the finest of its kind in the country and is run on the ancient gurukulam system.

Kapaleswarar Temple

Not far from Triplicane, in Mylapore, there is yet another 8th century Pallava temple. The temple 'Gopuram' (tower) is characteristic of Dravidian style architecture. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple has some beautiful sculptures, among which the bronze idols of 63 Saivite Saints (Nayanmars), which adorn the outer courtyard are rare specimens. Also in the courtyard under the old Punnai tree is a small shrine depicting Goddess Parvathi in the form of a Peacock Worshipping Lord Shiva. It is from this legend that Mylapore derived it's name -'myil' meaning peacock and 'oor' meaning town.