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Home , Dash N Splash, Guindy National Park, Healthcare in Chennai, History of Chennai, Kishkinta, Tirusulam

Travel Guide

Chennai

“Velammal Nagar”, Ambatur Redhills Road, Surapet, , Tamilnadu, . Pin: 600066. Phone: +91-44- 044-26590808 / 1840 Email: [email protected] Velammal Educational Trust, the pioneer in imparting Total Quality Pupil Education has been serving the society since 1986. The Trust is a beacon to create self-condence in the growing generation across the globe, with an ardent love and passion for the perfection in value based education. It is a registered non-minority service organization. The watch words of the Trust are” Dedication, Determination and Distinction”. Velammal Educational Trust has pioneered the education system in the state of and offers education that is more effective, productive, contemporary, futuristic, progressive and powerful. It nurtures a unique teaching concept that endeavours to bring out the innate talents in the students and shape them into well balanced individuals. Velammal Educational Trust was established in the year 1986 with an initial intake of 183 stu- dents and 13 teachers. Today, more than 70,000 students are gaining knowledge under its tutelage. Velammal is a name synonymous with quality education in Engineering, Management & Computer Studies and Schooling provided by professionally trained and experienced faculty. With such growth also grew the responsibility to meet the growing demands of the parents and to run the group professionally, with determination, dedication and distinction. The trust has indeed lived up to the trust.

Mr.M.V.Muthuramalingam, Chairman

Mr. M.V.M.Velmurugan, CEO Mr.M.V.M.Sasi Kumar, Director

Mr.M.V.M.Velmohan, Correspondent Contents

1 ABOUT CHENNAI

1 LOCATION OF CHENNAI

1 CLIMATE IN CHENNAI

2 REACHING CHENNAI

3 HEALTHCARE

6 MOVIE THEATRES

6 RECREATION AND AMUSEMENT PARK

7 PARKS & SANCTUARIES

8 SHOPPING

9 USEFUL LINKS & NUMBERS

10 HOW TO USE GOOGLE MAPS FOR GETTING DIRECTION

Content Writer V.Mangaiyarkarasi Technical IT Department, NewGen Park hennai also known as Madras, is the capi- Chennai Culture and Tradition tal of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai has a rich culture and heritage that goes CLocated on the off the back to thousands of years. Although today it is a , it is a major commercial, cultural, cosmopolitan city that has been industrially pro- economic and educational center in . gressed and one of the major in India, it still It is also known as the “Cultural Capital of South has maintained its culture and tradition the way it India The city is undisputedly one of the most pro- was since the ancient times. The dance, art, mu- gressed cities in India. It was also known as the sic, festivals, religions are very distinctive of the “Gateway to South India”. south India culture. The dance and the classical music are world famous; especially the very fa- The city was known by the name of Madras and mous Bharthanatyam dance form has been rec- has now changed to Chennai. Chennai is a land ognized the world over for its beautiful grace. of ancient history that has increased the charm of the city. Before the foreigners arrived, it was the Cholas, Pandyas and the Pallavas who ruled over the present day Chennai. It was the Portu- guese who arrived rst in the 16th century. The Dutch and the followed later. Within a short period, the British were able to es- tablish their supremacy. The British built the rst major British settlement in India that was the nu- cleus of the colonial city at Fort St. George. It later became the major naval base of the British and the south administrative center. After indepen- dence, the city became the capital of Tamil Nadu, formerly known as . Tourism in Chennai Chennai is proud of its long sandy white beaches that are clean and have clear blue water that add to the beauty of the city. There are many interest- ing places to visit. One of the most visited towns is Mahabalipuram that has temples and rock carv- ings dating back to the 7th century. The various places of Chennai are the Marine beach, temples, Fort St George, parks, museums, National parks like the national park, which is regarded as the smallest national park comprises of vari- ous which is worth watching.

Location of Chennai Chennai is situated to the south eastern coast of India on a at coastal plain. The district is sur - rounded by other district in the state like the and Thiruvallur districts, while the Bay of Bengal lies to the east of the city. The coast stretches around 25.60 kms. The city dis- trict lies between 12 ^9’ and 13^9’ north latitude and 80^ 12’ and 80^ 19’ south longitude.

Climate in Chennai Chennai has a tropical wet and dry climate. The city lies on the thermal equator and is also on the coast, which prevents extreme variation in seasonal temperature. The weather is hot and humid for most of the year. 01, Travel Guide Volume 1 REACHING CHENNAI Kamraj National and Anna International Airports are situ- ated at about 20 Kms from city. Chennai is con- nected by rail with all major towns and cities in India. Main Railway Stations: Central and . Chennai is connect- ed by good network of roads with all important places in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. Road transportation Chennai is one of the cities in India that is connected by the Golden Quadrilateral system of National Highways. It is connected to other Indian cities by four major National Highways (NH) that originate in the city. Other road vehicles The city and metropolitan area are served by major arterial roads that run either in an east-west/north-south direction. In addition to the bus service, private metered call taxis and xed-rate tourist taxis are available at all entry points to the city like airport, mofussil bus terminus and central railway station. Unmetered autos ply across the city charging at rates. Economical alternative to the auto rickshaws are the share autos, in which passengers pay a shared fee to their destination.

Buses The Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), opened in 2001, is the largest bus station in , and serves as the terminus for all intercity buses from Chennai.The CMBT is located on the Inner Ring Road at in the west- ern part of Chennai, replacing the older terminus on the Es- Rail planade in the city centre. State transport and private bus services to all major cities and towns in Tamil Nadu and Chennai hosts the headquarters of the Southern Railway. neighbouring states start from here. The city has two main railway terminals. Chennai Central Travel Guide Volume 1, 02 station, the city’s largest, provides access to other major cities as well as many other smaller towns across India.

Air Chennai serves as a major gateway to southern India. Chennai Egmore provides access to destinations primar- Chennai International Airport, comprising the Anna interna- ily within Tamil Nadu; however, it also handles a few inter– tional terminal and the Kamaraj domestic terminal. state trains.

The network, one of the old- The city is connected to major hubs across Asia, , est in the country, facilitates transportation within the city. and North America through more than 30 national and in- It consists of four broad gauge sectors terminating at two ternational carriers. locations in the city, namely Chennai Central and Chennai Beach.

The MRTS system is to meet with the branch of Healthcare: the existing suburban network at St. Thomas Mount. The is provided by both government- plan envisages the MRTS line to proceed north from St. run and private hospitals. The city has been termed India’s Thomas Mount, forming a ring around the city and ending at health capital. Major hospitals in Chennai list: the northbound Central- line. The Chennai Beach — line is now in operation.

03, Travel Guide Volume 1 Travel Guide Volume 1, 04 24-Hours Medical Shops:

AKNN urshingH ome 044-26440665 Malar 044-24911728 Apollo 044-28290200 MehtaM edicalC entre 044-25389190

05, Travel Guide Volume 1 Ayusha 044-26425625 National Hospitals 044-25211405 Bilroth 044-26441777 RMH ospital 044-24412377 Chennai Kaliappa 044-24936098 ChildT rust 044-28277487 Sri Ramachandra Pharmacy 044-24828027 Devaki Nursing Home 044-24992607 Kumaran Hospital 044-26411860 Tamilnadu Hospitals 044-24414003 KJH ospital 044-26411513 TrinityH ospital 044-24991488 MVH ospital 044-25954913 VijayaH ospitals 044-24801598

Moview Theatres:

Recreation & Amusement Parks:

Kishkinta: This theme park is situated at Tambaram. It offers rides like Spaces Shuttle, Wave Pool, etc. Phone: 044 - 65188300, 044 - 65188302, 044 - 22512001 Mobile: 9941588918, 9840056880

Dash-n-Splash: This water park is situated just 30 kilometres from Central Stateion. Check out the free fall slides and umes from a height of 12.35 feet. Phone: 044 - 27156200, 044 - 27156211, 044 - 26811124 Mobile: 9841907322

VGP Golden Beach: This beach resort situated 30 kilometres away from Chennai. It offers fun lled children games, parks and sea side restaurant. Phone: 044 - 24491443, 044 - 24491445 Mobile: 9282150077

MGM Dizzee World: This water sports park is located 24 kilometres from Chennai towards Mahabalipuram near Muttukadu. Phone: 044 - 27472129, 044 - 27472131 Mobile: 9500063716, 9500063717

QueensLand Queensland Theme Park is located on the Chennai- Trunk Road about 25 km from (Guindy) in Chennai. Phone: 044 - 26811124, 044 - 22301268, 044 - 26811136 Mobile: 9884835529

Travel Guide Volume 1, 06 Marina which was introduced in 1924. Among its 130 Chennai’s Seashore hosts the second longest urban beach species of birds are raptors such as the Honey Buzzard in the world, stretching for 13 kms (8 miles) along the east- and the Sea Eagle. Winter is the best time for bird watching ern ank. The Marina, connecting Fort St. George with when migrant birds visit the forest. Also located within the San Thome Basilica almost 5 kilometres away, was built by park is the Madras Park established in the 1970s by Mounstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff, the between Romulus Whitaker, the American Zoologist, who also set up 1881 and 1886. Described by architectural historian Phillip the bank outside Chennai. Today, the well main- Davies as “One of the most beautiful marine Promenades tained Snake Park houses numerous species of , in the World”. It is a favourite place for Chennai’s citizens among them are king cobras, vipers and pythons. Other to escape the humidity and enjoy the sea breeze. The walk include , turtles and . Large infor- along Kamarajar Salai takes in parks, tree-lined cobbled mation boards, strategically placed, provide interesting de- streets, spectacular colonial and Indo-Saracenic Buildings. tails on the various species. For those who are interested, there are live demonstrations of venom extraction. The venom is used as an antidote for snake bites.

Parks & Sanctuaries Zoo The Arignar Anna Zoological Park, popularly known as the Anna Park Vandalur Zoo is located in Vandalur, which is about 30 kilo- The walk starts from the victory War Memorial which marks meters from Chennai city. Chennai has the distinction of the north end of Kamarajar Salai. This memorial originally having the rst public zoo in India as early as 1855. It was commemorated the victory of the Allied armies during World originally situated near Park Town in the Chennai city. The War I and was later dedicated to the memory of those sol- zoo is located on an area of 1300 acres. This zoo is one of diers from the who lost their lives in the largest in South Asia. World War II. To its south, in Anna Park, is the Anna Sa- mathi, a memorial erected in honour of CN Annadurai, the former chief minister. Further south is the MGR Samathi, a commemorative garden with gateways and pathways, built in honour of the popular Tamil lm icon and chief minister, MG Ramachandran. An array of souvenir shops and eater - ies can be found along this stretch of the beach attracting tourists from the rest of the state. Particularly interesting is the Sunday market, with its curious jumble of goods.

Guindy National Park Once a distant suburb which was nearly twice its current size, Guindy has now been engulfed by the fast growing metropolis. A portion of Guindy Lodge was ofcially de- clared as in 1977. This predomi- nantly dry deciduous scrub jungle of acacia is interspersed with larger trees such as Sandalwood Banyan and Jamun. Its most famous residents are the herds of endangered 07, Travel Guide Volume 1