Relax - Chennai's southern splendours

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Chennai's southern splendours

By Deepika Shetty, The Straits Times | Mon, Oct 12 2009

Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai is a teeming metropolis which is home to both the sacred and ultra-modern.

Keywords

places of interest

[Photo above: Mahabalipuram, located on the Coromandel Coast of Chennai in India, is a sprawling 7th century temple complex.]

SINGAPOREAN ABROAD
IN CHENNAI WITH...

Dhvani Anumolu
Age: 33
Occupation: Social worker
Length of stay: 3½ years

Chennai is often called the Gateway to South India. With a rich arts scene and being home to Kollywood, the South Indian film industry, this coastal city is known for its rich cultural heritage.

Established by the British in the 17th century and formerly called Madras, it is the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu and India’s fourth-largest metropolis.

It is full of contrasts and diversity.

Mrs Dhvani Anumolu, 33, a social worker, arrived there more than three years ago and has found herself perfectly at home among the city’s colourful streets, temples, old buildings and beaches.

GETTING AROUND

The best way to get around the place is..

By car or taxi. If you are feeling adventurous, hire an auto-rickshaw. Autos, as they are called, are open on both sides and drivers enjoy their little thrills such as speeding and making sharp turns in Chennai’s frenetic roads.

You need to hold on tight to the steel bars, if you have never been in one. If you prefer a safer alternative, stick to a hired car or taxi.

What is the weather like?

Tropical, with three seasons. May to July are the summer months when the temperature soars to 45 deg C. The winter months from December to February are the most pleasant when temperatures dip to around 24 deg C. Unless you like torrential rain, most visitors avoid the monsoon season which runs from
September to November.

Which places really excite you?

Covelong Beach which offers breath-taking views of the Bay of Bengal. With quaint, alfresco restaurants and charming resorts, Covelong Beach is ideal for a weekend getaway.

Fishermen sit in their boats before heading into sea to catch fish on
the Marina beach in the southern Indian city of Chennai.

Must one know the language to get around?

No. Most people speak English and are generally very friendly and helpful.

CULTURE

The entire city has so much to offer, where does one start?

South India has a varied and distinct culture from the north and I feel it can best be experienced in Chennai.

While some of the museums charge a fee, most of the historic sites in Chennai can be viewed for free. Visitors should begin with a tour of the city’s renowned places of worship.

The temples, churches and mosques are notable not only for their spiritual values but also for their architectural beauty.

Make time to see the Sri Parthasarathy Temple, dedicated to the Lord Krishna, Kapaleshwar Temple, dedicated to the Lord Shiva, the San Thom Cathedral, dating back to the 16th century and the beautiful Thousand Lights Mosque.

The city also has a vibrant arts scene. Chennai is particularly known for Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form which originated in Tamil Nadu.

Kalakshetra, a national cultural academy dedicated to the Indian classical arts, is definitely worth visiting.

The campus, built along the lines of temples in Kerala, includes a grand auditorium, an open-air theatre, a museum and a crafts centre. Visitors can also attend the morning assembly held under a sprawling banyan tree. If you are a history buff, there is plenty to discover in Chennai’s many heritage sites, monuments and museums.

Fort St George is one of the oldest and most popular monuments of the city. Within the fort is the oldest Anglican church in India, St Mary’s Church.

Then there is the Government Museum. Established in 1851, it has more than 45 galleries and displays artefacts from a diverse range of fields, including archaeology, numismatics, zoology and natural history, as well as age-old sculptures and palmyra-leaf manuscripts.

Also, visit the Madras War Memorial, which honours the British and Indian soldiers who died in World War I.

Your favourite cultural stop is...

Hosting an array of stimulating local and international concerts, the Music Academy (168 TTK Road, tel: +91-44-2811-2231, www.musicacademymadras.in) showcases works by renowned artists throughout the year.

Its signature event is the five-week Music Season, held from December to January every year, attracting audiences and artists from across the globe

FESTIVAL TOWN

Any key festivals to work into one’s travel plans?

Being a cosmopolitan city, almost all major religious festivals such as Diwali, Eid and Christmas are celebrated in Chennai.

I would say Pongal, the harvest festival, which falls in January, is the most important and widely celebrated festival there.

It is marked by the Chennai Sangamam, a spectacular week-long arts festival featuring artists from across India.

SHOPPING

The best bargains are at...

Thyagaraya Nagar, better known as T. Nagar. The main shopping areas there are Panagal Park and Pondy Bazaar which are known for their bargain prices.

The shops offer a wide range of products, from household items, toys and clothes, to silk saris, jewellery and electronics.

Salesman displays gold bangles for camera inside a jewellery shop in
Chennai.

The richest variety of products can be found at...

Spencer Plaza, one of the biggest shopping malls in South Asia. Located in Mount Road, it is one of the landmarks of the city. You can find all the local and international brand names here.

You can spend anything from...

200 rupees (S$6) to more than 200,000 rupees on a sari. Chennai is famous for its traditional silk saris. The top sari stores are Nalli (www.nalli.com) and Kumaran (www.kumaransilks.net). Prices start from about 2,000 rupees for silk-and-cotton blends.

FOOD

Do not leave the place without trying...

A traditional Tamil breakfast, or tiffin. This is widely available throughout Chennai. It includes idli (steamed rice cakes), dosa (a pancake made from a batter of rice flour), vada (deep-fried doughnuts made from a batter of ground lentils), pongal (a mash of rice and lentils boiled together and seasoned with ghee, cashew nuts, pepper and cumin seed) and uppuma (cooked semolina seasoned in oil with mustard, pepper, cumin seed and lentils).

The dishes are typically served with coconut chutney, sambar (seasoned lentil broth) and mulaga podi (a spicy, powdered mix of several dried lentils, dried chilli and black pepper).

An artisan gives finishing touches to an idol of the
Hindu elephant god Ganesha in Chennai.

Popular local establishments which have several branches in the city include the famous Murugan Idli Shop (www.muruganidlishop.com) and Saravana Bhavan (www.saravanabhavan.com). Expect to pay about 200 rupees a person for a meal.

The best brunch is at...

Cappuccino (Sheraton Park Hotel, 132 TTK Road, tel: +91-44-2499-4101, www.starwoodhotels.com). It offers a very relaxed brunch with a delectable selection of food and wine, including antipasti, salads, fresh seafood, the chef’s choice of pasta, pizza or risotto, and a delightful array of desserts. A meal for two here would cost between 1,000 and 1,500 rupees.

The best dinner is at...

Southern Spice (Taj Coromandel, 37 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Nungambakkam, tel: +91-44-6600-2827, www.tajhotels.com).

The restaurant serves cuisines from four southern states – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Some of the dishes you must try here are appam (bowl-shaped thin pancakes made from fermented rice flour) with mutton stew, kohli chimbli (delicately spiced fried chicken), meen varuval (spicy fried fish) and crab masala.

A meal for two there would cost between 2,000 and 2,500 rupees, excluding alcohol.

SUNDOWNERS

The best drinks are at...

Chipstead, also located at the Taj Coromandel like Southern Spice. The resident bartender serves an impressive array of innovative cocktails as well as signature drinks such as the classic Vesper Martini, caipirinhas and Long Island Iced Tea.

Where is the coolest place to chill out?

With great food and drinks and an exceptional alfresco atmosphere, 9 Feet High at Tangy Oceanfront Resort (Beach Rd, Neelankarai. www.tangy.in), is the perfect place to spend a relaxed evening with friends.

The one place you always take your friends to is...

Amethyst (Padmavathi Road, Royapettah, tel: +91-44-2835-3581). This is a beautiful colonial-style bungalow set in lush grounds. It has an elegant boutique, cultural gallery and a lovely cafe with tables and chairs placed throughout the gardens.

Is there a Clarke Quay equivalent?

No. All the restaurants and bars are fairly spread out across the city, with bars still highly restricted given the city’s tight alcohol-licensing laws.

Jeevana Sankeertana will give Indian dance
enthusiats a rare opportunity to watch Malavika
Sarukkai.

FURTHER OUT

What is there to explore outside Chennai?

South of the city, along the scenic East Coast Road, is the ancient shore temple complex of Mahabalipuram.

A Unesco World Heritage Site, it has monuments dating back to the Pallava dynasty from the 7th to 9th centuries. The granite sculptures depict scenes sacred to Hindus from the Vedic scriptures and are a perfect foil to the blue seas of the Bay of Bengal. It is an absolute must-see.

About three hours’ drive from the hustle of the capital lies Pondicherry, a small town on the southern coast.

It has retained much of its French colonial history and charm with an array of heritage buildings, unspoilt beaches and excellent restaurants.

There is also Auroville, which is about a 2½-hour drive from Chennai. People of more than 35 nationalities live here, giving it a universal character. Today, it is widely known for its original handicrafts and artisanship.

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