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Tourist Places in Chennai
While you are holidaying in Chennai, make sure to take some time off and visit the places around. There are ancient temple towns like Mahabalipuram and Tirupati (in Andhra Pradesh), traditional townships and villages that specialise in crafts like Kanchipuram, and golden beaches like Covelong.You will also find beach resorts and amusement parks dotting the coastline beginning from Chennai.
Covelong (48kms): Replete with historical monuments such as forts, churches, mosques, and a lovely beach, Covelong is a place where you can experience the history of Tamil Nadu as a whole. If you are in Chennai, do not miss a visit to this place. The remains of the Fort have now been converted into a luxury beach resort that offers facilities for windsurfing and swimming.
Tirupati (152km): Tirupati is one of the most famous shrines in the country where worship of the Lord has been carried out for over thirteen centuries. Even today, Tirupati draws enormous crowds throughout the year. The main attractions are the Pratima Mandapam, with the statue of Sri Krishnadevaraya; Tulabharam, the scales upon which materials for offerings are weighed; the Tirumalanayaka Mandapam, replete with beautiful carvings; and Dhwajastambham, and others. Tirupati is situated at a distance of around 152 km from Chennai and well connected.
Muttukadu (16 kms): The backwaters of Muttukadu have been developed by the Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation to serve as a scenic picnic spot and a water sports centre. In February every year, a windsurfing regatta is organised in Muttukadu.Competitions in windsurfing and other water sports are held. Training and demonstration programmes are organized for youth.
Vedanthangal (85 kms.): Vedanthangal is one of the largest bird sanctuaries in India. It is a marshy, 30 hectare park with lake visited by over 1,00,000 migratory birds every year. The majority of these birds can be seen between November and February. The 4variety of birds include Herons, Darters, Spoonbills, Pelicans, Sandpipers, White Ibis and Cormorants, Blue winged teals and Swans.
V.G.P Golden Beach Resort (30km): This beach resort is popular not just with the people of the city, but also with tourists. There is an entertainment arcade for children and for adults. There are folk dance performances apart from an Art Center that sells handicrafts and articles made out of seashells. The beach is clean and ideal for sunbathing. This is a cleverly planned beach resort geared to entertain the visitor with sculptured vignettes from the past, folk dances and ethnic seafood cuisine. The V.G.P. Art Center, a part of the resort complex, sells merchandise ranging, from seashells to rural handicrafts.
Vandalur: Spread over an area of 1,265 acres, the Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur is the largest in South Asia with a rich variety of different species of mammals, reptiles and birds. The animals roam in natural surroundings with a special enclosure for nocturnal creatures. The coast road from Chennai to Mamallapuram is dotted with beach resorts, recreational areas and artist's communities.
Cholamandal Artist's Village: Located 18 km south of Chennai. Contemporary art, sculpture, batik and craft flourish in this little palm-studded sea-rimmed artists' commune started in 1966. Artists and sculptors live and work here and also exhibit and sell their work. Its open-air auditorium is also the venue of avant-garde theatre, poetry-reading and dance recitals. It has a gallery with fine contemporary paintings and sculptures.
Dakshinachitra: Located 12 km south of Cholamandal, a reasonably new place presented by the Chennai Crafts Foundation as a showpiece of different living styles in the South. You can admire traditional arts from Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka and AndhraPradesh. Contains recreations of Brahmin, Chettinad, potters, a basket weaver's, a silk weaver's houses along with live representations of their craft. Similarly the Kerala section has a Syrian Christian house, a Menon house etc
Pulicat (54 km): Site of an Old Dutch settlement dating back to 1609, today, Pulicat is a picnic spot famed for its lake. There are amenities for swimming, fishing, and windsurfing. History-buffs can wander around the ancient Dutch cemetery with its well-preserved tombstones.
MGM Dizee World (20 km): An amusement park complete with Roller Coasters and Water Slides and Giant Catherine Wheels - fun place for kids.
Thanjavur: Just 58 km away lays Thanjavur, once the capital of the Chola Empire referred to as the "Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu". Nearly a thousand years ago around the 11th century, Thanjavur was the capital of a powerful dynasty, the imperial Cholas whose empire extended beyond South India and Sri Lanka to the kingdoms of South-East Asia.The Chola kings used their wealth to encourage arts and craft and built innumerable temples and shrines to ornament their land.
Palani: Palani, a pilgrim spot atop a hill dedicated to Lord Subramanium, is easily accessible.
Pondicherry(157km): Lying 162 km south of Chennai, this town has an imminent French influence. It is here the famous philosopher Sri Aurobindo once lived. For sight seeing, interesting places include churches, museum, beach, the Aurobindo ashram, and Auroville.
Kanyakumari: Proceed to Kanyakumari, the land's end of India to view the spectacular sunrise and sunset at the beach. The temple, Vivekananda Rock and Gandhi Mandap are among the places of interest. South India Travel
Tirupati (152km): Tirupati is one of the most famous shrines in the country where worship of the Lord has been carried out for over thirteen centuries. Even today, Tirupati draws enormous crowds throughout the year. The main attractions are the Pratima Mandapam, with the statue of Sri Krishnadevaraya; Tulabharam, the scales upon which materials for offerings are weighed; the Tirumalanayaka Mandapam, replete with beautiful carvings; and Dhwajastambham, and others. Tirupati is situated at a distance of around 152 km from Chennai and well connected.
Muttukadu (16 kms): The backwaters of Muttukadu have been developed by the Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation to serve as a scenic picnic spot and a water sports centre. In February every year, a windsurfing regatta is organised in Muttukadu.Competitions in windsurfing and other water sports are held. Training and demonstration programmes are organized for youth.
Vedanthangal (85 kms.): Vedanthangal is one of the largest bird sanctuaries in India. It is a marshy, 30 hectare park with lake visited by over 1,00,000 migratory birds every year. The majority of these birds can be seen between November and February. The 4variety of birds include Herons, Darters, Spoonbills, Pelicans, Sandpipers, White Ibis and Cormorants, Blue winged teals and Swans.
V.G.P Golden Beach Resort (30km): This beach resort is popular not just with the people of the city, but also with tourists. There is an entertainment arcade for children and for adults. There are folk dance performances apart from an Art Center that sells handicrafts and articles made out of seashells. The beach is clean and ideal for sunbathing. This is a cleverly planned beach resort geared to entertain the visitor with sculptured vignettes from the past, folk dances and ethnic seafood cuisine. The V.G.P. Art Center, a part of the resort complex, sells merchandise ranging, from seashells to rural handicrafts.
Vandalur: Spread over an area of 1,265 acres, the Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur is the largest in South Asia with a rich variety of different species of mammals, reptiles and birds. The animals roam in natural surroundings with a special enclosure for nocturnal creatures. The coast road from Chennai to Mamallapuram is dotted with beach resorts, recreational areas and artist's communities.
Cholamandal Artist's Village: Located 18 km south of Chennai. Contemporary art, sculpture, batik and craft flourish in this little palm-studded sea-rimmed artists' commune started in 1966. Artists and sculptors live and work here and also exhibit and sell their work. Its open-air auditorium is also the venue of avant-garde theatre, poetry-reading and dance recitals. It has a gallery with fine contemporary paintings and sculptures.
Dakshinachitra: Located 12 km south of Cholamandal, a reasonably new place presented by the Chennai Crafts Foundation as a showpiece of different living styles in the South. You can admire traditional arts from Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka and AndhraPradesh. Contains recreations of Brahmin, Chettinad, potters, a basket weaver's, a silk weaver's houses along with live representations of their craft. Similarly the Kerala section has a Syrian Christian house, a Menon house etc
Pulicat (54 km): Site of an Old Dutch settlement dating back to 1609, today, Pulicat is a picnic spot famed for its lake. There are amenities for swimming, fishing, and windsurfing. History-buffs can wander around the ancient Dutch cemetery with its well-preserved tombstones.
MGM Dizee World (20 km): An amusement park complete with Roller Coasters and Water Slides and Giant Catherine Wheels - fun place for kids.
Thanjavur: Just 58 km away lays Thanjavur, once the capital of the Chola Empire referred to as the "Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu". Nearly a thousand years ago around the 11th century, Thanjavur was the capital of a powerful dynasty, the imperial Cholas whose empire extended beyond South India and Sri Lanka to the kingdoms of South-East Asia.The Chola kings used their wealth to encourage arts and craft and built innumerable temples and shrines to ornament their land.
Palani: Palani, a pilgrim spot atop a hill dedicated to Lord Subramanium, is easily accessible.
Pondicherry(157km): Lying 162 km south of Chennai, this town has an imminent French influence. It is here the famous philosopher Sri Aurobindo once lived. For sight seeing, interesting places include churches, museum, beach, the Aurobindo ashram, and Auroville.
Kanyakumari: Proceed to Kanyakumari, the land's end of India to view the spectacular sunrise and sunset at the beach. The temple, Vivekananda Rock and Gandhi Mandap are among the places of interest. South India Travel