Travel Guide Chennai “Velammal Nagar”, Ambatur Redhills Road, Surapet, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. 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-condence 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 Tamil Nadu 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 city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai has a rich culture and heritage that goes CLocated on the Coromandel Coast off the back to thousands of years. Although today it is a Bay of Bengal, it is a major commercial, cultural, cosmopolitan city that has been industrially pro- economic and educational center in South India. gressed and one of the major cities 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 History of Chennai 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 East India Company 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 Madras state. 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 Guindy national park, which is regarded as the smallest national park comprises of vari- ous endangered species 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 Chengalpattu 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 Tirusulam about 20 Kms from city. Chennai is con- nected by rail with all major towns and cities in India. Main Railway Stations: Central and Egmore. 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 Asia, and serves as the terminus for all intercity buses from Chennai.The CMBT is located on the Inner Ring Road at Koyambedu 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 Chennai suburban railway network, one of the old- The city is connected to major hubs across Asia, Europe, 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 Tambaram branch of Healthcare: the existing suburban network at St. Thomas Mount. The Healthcare in Chennai 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-Gummidipoondi line. The Chennai Beach — Velachery 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-Bangalore Trunk Road about 25 km from Kathipara Junction (Guindy) in Chennai. Phone: 044 - 26811124, 044 - 22301268, 044 - 26811136 Mobile: 9884835529 Travel Guide Volume 1, 06 Marina Blackbuck 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.