Around Chennai

Chennai (formerly known as Madras), is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. It is the fourth largest metropolis in India. Modern Chennai grew out of a small fishing village called Madraspatnam, when the East India Company chose the location for a new settlement way back in 1639.

Area: 174 sq Km
Population: 7 mn
Altitude: Sea Level
Languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, English

Monuments

Fort St. George

Fort St. George was built by the British East India Company in 1640 AD. The first British establishment in India, It currently serves as one of the administrative headquarters for the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu and has a fantastic museum.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 4.2 Km

Madras Museum

Incepted during colonial rule, the Government Museum of Chennai is the second oldest museum in India and has the largest collection of Roman antiquities outside Europe. Some of the attractions include the Hindu Sculpture Gallery and the National Art Gallery.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 1.7 Km

Memorial Hall

The Memorial Hall was designed by Captain George Winscom and modified by Colonel Horsley in 1860 as gratitude to God for saving Madras from the Revolt of 1857. The Memorial Hall boasts classical style architecture with Greek overtones. It is now a famous filming location and also hosts sales and conventions.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 2.5 Km

University of Madras Senate House

The Senate House is the administrative centre of the University of Madras. Constructed by Robert Chisholm in the late 19th century, the Senate building is considered to be one of the best and oldest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture in India

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 3.1 Km

Ripon Building

The seat of the Chennai Corporation, the Ripon Building is a fine combination of Gothic, Ionic and Corinthian styles of architecture. An all-white structure, the Ripon Building is located near the Chennai Central railway station.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 1.7 Km

Valluvar Kottam

A popular monument in Chennai, Valluvar Kottam is dedicated to the classical Tamil poet, philosopher and saint Thiruvalluvar. The structure resembles a temple chariot, and features a life-size statue of Thiruvalluvar inside.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 4.5 Km

Chennai Central Railway Station

Chennai Central is the main railway terminus of Chennai. Designed by George Harding, it serves as one of the most important railway hubs in South India. This 138 year-old terminus is used by at least 350,000 passengers every day. A report published in 2007 by the Indian Railways ranked Chennai Central as one of the cleanliest stations in the country.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 2.3 Km

Chennai Egmore Railway Station

Chennai Egmore is a railway station in Egmore which acts as the arrival and departure point for trains connecting Chennai and southern, central Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Built in the Gothic style of architecture with imposing domes and corridors, the Chennai Egmore Station is one of the prominent landmarks of Chennai.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 250 m

High Court

The Madras High Court is a senior court built in 1892 under the guidance of famed architect Henry Irwin. Believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, the building is an exquisite example of Indo-Saracenic style of architecture with its painted ceilings and stained glass doors.

The High Court building was damaged in the shelling of Madras by S.M.S. Emden on 22 September 1914, at the beginning of the First World War. It remains one of the very few Indian buildings to have been damaged by a German attack.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 4.9 Km

Places of Worship in Chennai

Santhome Cathedral

A Roman Catholic minor basilica in Santhome, It was built in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, over the tomb of St Thomas an apostle of Jesus. It was then rebuilt by the British and made a cathedral in 1893. It was designed in the Neo-Gothic style of architecture.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 6.9 Km

St George's Cathedral

This cathedral was built in 1815 and is a piece of architectural grandeur, known for its tall spire, pillars, marble statues, mural tablets and memorials. The cathedral occupies an important place in the history of Christianity in India, as the Church of South India was inaugurated here on September 27, 1947.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 3.7 Km

Armenian Church

Constructed in 1712 and reconstructed in 1772, the Armenian Church is one of the oldest churches in the Indian subcontinent. The graves of about 350 Armenians have been laid throughout the Church. It is famous for its belfry of six. They are believed to be the largest and heaviest church bells in Chennai. Currently, the church functions only as a heritage site.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 4.4 Km

Luz Church

The Luz Church was built by Franciscan missionaries. The church is also known as Our Lady of Light. The church has three storeys and an arched doorway which is flanked by three Doric pilasters on either side. The church was damaged by the Golconda force from 1662 to 1673, and suffered further damages when Hyder Ali's forces invaded Madras in 1782.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 6.3 Km

Annai Velankanni

The Annai Velankanni Shrine is situated at the Elliot's beach, in Besant Nagar. The Church is a popular tourist destination for visitors and is the replica of the Basilica of Our Lady of Health at Velankanni.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 13.6 Km

Kapaleeswarar Temple

Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a temple of Shiva located in Mylapore. The temple was built around the 7th century and is a good example of Dravidian architecture.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 6.2 Km

Karaneeswarar Temple

Karaneeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple located in the neighbourhood of Saidapet and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple has a 7-storied gopuram (monumental tower). During important festivals, the temple attracts a large number of people. On Shiv Rathri, the temple is decorated with oil lamps.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 8.6 Km

Kalikambal Temple

The Kalikambal Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Kalikambal (Kamakshi) and Lord Kamateswarar. Located in George Town, the temple was originally located closer to the sea shore and was then relocated to the current site in 1640. According to popular belief, Shivaji, the great Maratha warrior had worshipped in this temple in disguise on 3rd October 1667.

Ashtalakshmi Temple

The Ashtalakshmi Temple is a Hindu temple, which is located near the Elliot's beach. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi, and her eight primary forms - the Ashtalakshmi - the giver of all eight forms of wealth.

In 2012, the temple was renovated at a cost of Rs. 7 million. A total of 32 kalasams (inverted pots placed atop the gopuram) were newly laid in the temple, including a gold-plated kalasam.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 8.6 Km

Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Temple

An 8th century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, the Parthasarathy Temple is located in Triplicane. The temple's towers and pillars are decorated with elaborate carvings which is a standard feature of Dravidian Architecture.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 3.7 Km

ISKCON Temple

ISKCON Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is located on the East Coast Road and is built by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). This is also the largest Radha Krishna temple in Tamil Nadu.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 26.3 Km

Thousand Lights Mosque

A multi-domed mosque in Anna Salai, it is one of the largest mosques in India and is a revered place of worship for Muslims. It was built by Nawab Umdat-ul-Umrah in 1810.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 2.3 Km

Beaches

Marina Beach

A natural urban beach along the Bay of Bengal, the Marina beach runs from near Fort St. George to Besant Nagar, covering a distance of 13 Km making it the longest natural urban beach in the country and the world's second longest.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 4.9 Km

Elliot's Beach

Located in Besant Nagar, the Elliot's Beach forms the end-point of the Marina Beach shore, and has the Velankanni Church nearby. A prominent landmark on this beach is the Karl Schmidt Memorial, named after the Dutch sailor who lost his life while saving a drowning swimmer. Elliot's Beach is one of the cleanest beaches in the city of Chennai.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 13.6 Km

Covelong Beach

Covelong (Kovalam) Beach is located in the fishing village of Kovalam. Covelong was a port town developed by the Nawab of Carnatic, Saadat Ali. It was taken over by the French in 1746, and destroyed by the British in 1752. The beach is one of the few places in the East Coast where wind surfing takes place.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 38 Km

Mahabalipuram Beach

This beach is located in the shore town of Mahabalipuram. A bustling seaport during the time of Ptolemy (140 CE), the town became a port city for the Pallava kingdowm. The Mahabalipuram beach is popular with tourists who come to relax at the many resorts present there.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 56 Km

Chennai Entertainment

Amusement Parks

Some of the popular amusement parks include Queensland, Kishkinta, Dash 'N' Splash, and MGM 'Dizee World'.

Water Sports

Chennai is home to famous water sporting clubs such as Tarsha Water Sports and Muttukadu Boat House.

Cinema Halls

Chennai is home to the Tamil film industry. Some of the famous cinema halls include SPI Cinemas, PVR Cinemas, Devi Cinemas and Inox.

Shopping Malls

Some of the popular shopping malls include Express Avenue, Phoenix Market City, Ampa Skywalk, The Chennai Citi Centre and Spencer's Plaza.

Sight-seeing Places

Crocodile Bank

The Madras Crocodile Bank is a reptile zoo and is the first crocodile breeding centre in Asia. It was established with the aim of saving three Indian endangered species of crocodile-the marsh or mugger crocodile, the saltwater crocodile, and the gharial.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 42 Km

Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram is an ancient historic town and was a port city of the Pallava kingdom. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th centuries, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 42 Km

Muttukadu

A backwater area of the Bay of Bengal, Muttukadu is famous for the Muttukadu boat house, a water sport facility which offers rowing, wind surfing, water skiing, and speedboat riding.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 33 Km

Pulicat

Pulicat is a historic seashore town in Thiruvallur District. It is located on the barrier island of Sriharikota, which separates Pulicat Lake from the Bay of Bengal. The Pulicat Lake is a shallow salt water lagoon which stretches about 60 Km.

Distance from Hotel Pandian: 53 Km