Madras — renamed Chennai in 1996 — can bewilder the arriving traveller: 7 million people, dense and colourful traffic. And yet the city has charm: an intense cultural life and magnificent beaches. Capital of Dravidian art, it has to be earned — and, lacking “remarkable” monuments, it stays little touristy.
A city that has to be earned
Give Chennai a little time and it opens up: temples, museums, sea breeze on the long beaches, and a music-and-dance season among the richest in India. Below are the places I love most.
My favourites
- Strolling on Friday or Saturday evening along the great Marina Beach after sunset: a real Indian funfair, joyful and wild.
- The National Art Gallery, an absolute must.
- The Kapaleeswarar temple.
- The Theosophical Society, south of the city.
- The Kollywood film studios.
- The Royal Enfield factory.
- San Thomé Cathedral (especially at night), St Thomas Mount and the cave of Little Mount.
