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A
Long Stretch Of Coastal Delight |
Golden sand, good surf and a shimmering clean blue
sea, this in a nutshell, is Marina beach. This beach
is counted among one of the longest beaches in Asia.
Its 12-km long stretch was made beautiful by the
wonderful facelift given by Governor Mountstuart
Elphinstone Grant Duff in the early 1880's, and
is a major tourist attraction today.
Marina
beach is located on the eastern side of Chennai,
adjoining the Bay of Bengal. Watching the sun
set and rise from the beach is an enthralling
experience. Though bathing and swimming can be
dangerous, as the undercurrent is very strong,
even then people come for swimming here. In the
evenings, the beach is virtually a fair ground
with various kinds of entertainment and food stalls
lining the beach.
With its natural sandy beauty
and spacious promenade and beautiful gardens,
the beach is a major attraction for tourists visiting
Chennai. It has acquired a South Indian aura with
vendors hawking wares ranging from shell and glass
baubles to kites and fruit juices. The Marina,
however, is large enough to accommodate all visitors
as well as the hawkers and is often the venue
for important state functions.
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Prime
attraction |
Some of the most beautiful buildings in Chennai
such as the University of Madras, Senate-House,
Chepauk Palace, Presidency College, P.W.D office
and Ice House are located on the beach drive. At
the other end of the beach is the new lighthouse.
In between, sentinels on the promenade, are several
statues of Tamil scholars and two splendid bits
of sculpture- the Victory of Labour and the Mahatma
Gandhi.
Aquarium:
Close to the Marina beach is the aquarium, which
has some of the most exotic collection of tropical
sea fishes and fresh water fishes. The aquarium
gives a chance to have a closer look at the aquatic
life. The Ice House, which was used to store ice
brought from Great Lakes in North America, is
south to the Aquarium.
Anna And
MGR Samadhis: Situated on the beach, the
Anna and MGR Samadhis, which are the memorials
of the most popular, former Chief ministers of
the state, attract good crowd everyday.
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How
to get there |
Air: Chennai has an airport with both domestic
and international terminals. Regular flights connect
Chennai with the major cities within the country
and also with countries like USA, Singapore, U.K,
etc.
Rail: Chennai is well connected by rail with
the important towns and cities within and beyond
the state.
Road: State transport buses and private buses
connect Chennai with the major towns and cities
within the country. For local transportation local
trains, city buses, auto rickshaws and taxis are
available.
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Where
to stay |
Being a capital city of the state, Chennai is well
equipped with various kinds of accommodation options,
varying from economic class to luxurious ones |
