Travel Guide

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-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 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 students 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

C

hennai also known as Madras, is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, it is a major commercial, cultural, economic and educational center in South India. It is also known as the “Cultural Capital of South India The city is undisputedly one of the most progressed cities in India. It was also known as the “Gateway to South India”.

History of Chennai The city was known by the name of Madras and has now changed to Chennai. Chennai is a land 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 Portuguese 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 establish their supremacy. The British built the rst major British settlement in India that was the nucleus of the colonial city at Fort St. George. It later became the major naval base of the British and the south administrative center. After independence, the city became the capital of Tamil Nadu, formerly known as Madras state.

Chennai Culture and Tradition Chennai has a rich culture and heritage that goes back to thousands of years. Although today it is a cosmopolitan city that has been industrially progressed and one of the major cities in India, it still has maintained its culture and tradition the way it was since the ancient times. The dance, art, music, festivals, religions are very distinctive of the south India culture. The dance and the classical music are world famous; especially the very famous Bharthanatyam dance form has been recognized the world over for its beautiful grace.

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 interesting places to visit. One of the most visited towns is Mahabalipuram that has temples and rock carvings 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 various 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 district 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 situated at Tirusulam about 20 Kms from city. Chennai is connected by rail with all major towns and cities in India. Main Railway Stations: Central and Egmore. Chennai is connected 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. The city and metropolitan area are served by major arterial roads that run either in an east-west/north-south direction.

Other road vehicles 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 western part of Chennai, replacing the older terminus on the Esplanade in the city centre. State transport and private bus services to all major cities and towns in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states start from here.

Rail Chennai hosts the headquarters of the Southern Railway. 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 Egmore provides access to destinations primarily within Tamil Nadu; however, it also handles a few inter– state trains.

Chennai serves as a major gateway to southern India. Chennai International Airport, comprising the Anna international terminal and the Kamaraj domestic terminal.

The Chennai suburban railway network, one of the oldest in the country, facilitates transportation within the city. It consists of four broad gauge sectors terminating at two locations in the city, namely Chennai Central and Chennai Beach.

The city is connected to major hubs across Asia, Europe, and North America through more than 30 national and international carriers.

The MRTS system is to meet with the Tambaram branch of the existing suburban network at St. Thomas Mount. The plan envisages the MRTS line to proceed north from St. Thomas Mount, forming a ring around the city and ending at the northbound Central-Gummidipoondi line. The Chennai Beach — Velachery line is now in operation.

Healthcare:


Healthcare in Chennai is provided by both governmentrun and private hospitals. The city has been termed India’s health capital. Major hospitals in Chennai list:


24-Hours Medical Shops:

AKN Nurshing Home Apollo 05, Travel Guide Volume 1

044-26440665 044-28290200

Malar Mehta Medical Centre

044-24911728 044-25389190

Ayusha

044-26425625

National Hospitals

044-25211405

Bilroth

044-26441777

RM Hospital

044-24412377

Chennai Kaliappa

044-24936098

Child Trust

044-28277487

Sri Ramachandra Pharmacy

044-24828027

Devaki Nursing Home

044-24992607

Kumaran Hospital

044-26411860

Tamilnadu Hospitals

044-24414003

KJ Hospital

044-26411513

Trinity Hospital

044-24991488

MV Hospital

044-25954913

Vijaya Hospitals

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


Marina Chennai’s Seashore hosts the second longest urban beach in the world, stretching for 13 kms (8 miles) along the eastern ank. The Marina, connecting Fort St. George with San Thome Basilica almost 5 kilometres away, was built by Mounstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff, the governor between 1881 and 1886. Described by architectural historian Phillip Davies as “One of the most beautiful marine Promenades in the World”. It is a favourite place for Chennai’s citizens to escape the humidity and enjoy the sea breeze. The walk along Kamarajar Salai takes in parks, tree-lined cobbled streets, spectacular colonial and Indo-Saracenic Buildings.

Blackbuck which was introduced in 1924. Among its 130 species of birds are raptors such as the Honey Buzzard and the Sea Eagle. Winter is the best time for bird watching when migrant birds visit the forest. Also located within the park is the Madras Snake Park established in the 1970s by Romulus Whitaker, the American Zoologist, who also set up the Crocodile bank outside Chennai. Today, the well maintained Snake Park houses numerous species of snakes, among them are king cobras, vipers and pythons. Other reptiles include crocodiles, turtles and lizards. Large information boards, strategically placed, provide interesting details 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 Vandalur Zoo The Arignar Anna Zoological Park, popularly known as the Vandalur Zoo is located in Vandalur, which is about 30 kilometers from Chennai city. Chennai has the distinction of having the rst public zoo in India as early as 1855. It was originally situated near Park Town in the Chennai city. The zoo is located on an area of 1300 acres. This zoo is one of the largest in South Asia.

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 declared as Guindy National Park in 1977. This predominantly 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


Anna Park The walk starts from the victory War Memorial which marks the north end of Kamarajar Salai. This memorial originally commemorated the victory of the Allied armies during World War I and was later dedicated to the memory of those soldiers from the Madras Presidency who lost their lives in World War II. To its south, in Anna Park, is the Anna Samathi, 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.

Crocodile Bank: Crocodile Bank is situated 42 km from Chennai. This crocodile breeding and research centre is run by Romulus Whittaker. It was set up in 1976. This bank was started to protect India’s dwindling crocodile population and to preserve the Irula (Snake catching) tribe’s way of life. This bank has already produced more than 6,000 crocodiles. There is also a snake farm where anti-venom is produced. Several species of Indian and African Crocodiles and Alligators bred in captivity are kept here in open pools. The snake venom extractions are a great attraction to the visitors.

ate for jewellery shops to jostle for space amongst them. T Nagar boasts the highest number of jewellery shops that sell gold, silver and platinum jewellery. Lalitha Jewellery, GR Thanga Maaligai, Prince Jewellery, Nathella Sampathu Chetty, Khazana, Kerala Jewellers are popular shops in T Nagar. Some of these shops have their branches in other parts of the City like parry’s Corner, Royapettah, Mylapore and Anna Nagar. Vummidi Bangaru Chetty and Sons on Mount Road also enjoys wide patronage from customers.

Spencer Plaza Spencer Plaza, one of the biggest shopping malls in South Asia, is located on Mount Road, and is one of the landT Nagar, Ranganathan Street No shopping in Chennai is complete without a trip to Ran- marks of modern Chennai. ganathan Street – if you are up to tackling the crowds that throng this busy street. Ranganathan Street, T Nagar is a good place to shop for a variety of items. From safety pins to exquisite jewellery, the place is choc-a-bloc with stores brimming with goods. Ranganathan Street is a shopper’s paradise for people belonging to all ages. Right from tots, school kids, teens and the elderly, Ranganathan Street has a lot to allure every visitor. 1Silk Sari Shopping Right from 1950, T Nagar has been a favourite destination for silk sari shopping. A visit to T Nagar promises a choice of minimum of 10 reputed silk sari stores. Nalli Silks, Kumaran Silks, Pothys, Sundari Silks, Rmkv silks are some of the established silk sari stores Chennai City Centre in this part of the city. Chennai City Centre, situated near Mylapore, is one of the contemporary hangout locations in Chennai, with a blend of excellent shopping outlets, Inox Cinemas and delicious multi-cuisine food courts.

Shopping:

Jewellery Shopping Silk saris and jewellery make for the perfect ensemble. So with sari shops found a plenty in Chennai, it is but appropri-


Useful Links & Numbers Travel& Hotels http://www.makemytrip.com http://www.cleartrip.com http://www.travelguru.com http://www.expedia.co.in http://www.goibibo.com http://www.yatra.com

Tourism http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/ http://www.mustseeindia.com/Tamil-Nadu http://www.mapsondia.com/maps/tamilnadu/tamilnadu-travel-map.htm http://www.tirumala.org/

Call Taxi website http://www.friendstrackcalltaxi.com/ http://www.bharathicalltaxi.com/ http://www.fasttrackcalltaxi.in/index.aspx

Address Finder http://justdial.com/ http://www.mapsondia.com/pincode/ http://yellowpages.sulekha.com/chennai.htm http://210.212.240.244:8181/cipdq.aspx http://www.asklaila.com

Train Ticket booking www.irctc.co.in

Local & Other state bus ticket booking http://www.redbus.in http://www.ksrtc.in/site/ http://www.sriganapathytravels.in/ http://www.travelyaari.com http://www.tnstc.in/TNSTCOnline/ http://www.ticketgoose.com/ http://www.makemytrip.com

Phone-based travel service: Just Dial: 08888888888 Routes: 86 95 95 95 95


How to use google maps for getting direction: Google Maps is a map service that you view in your web browser. Depending on your location, you can view basic or custom maps and local business information, including business locations, contact information, and driving directions. Viewing Google Maps You can view Google Maps one of several ways: > Visit maps.google.com > View a web page with an embedded Google Map (http://cbsenac.velammalvidhyashram.edu.in/contactus.html > View Google Maps on a mobile device How to nd Vellamal Vidhyashram in Chennai using Google Maps: 1. Visit the site http://cbsenac.velammalvidhyashram.edu.in 2. Click the Contact Us link 3. In the Contatc Us link scroll down to access Gogle Maps 4. Click the “View larger map” link as shown in the gure.

5. Click the direction link. 6. In the rst text box type the desired location, for example Central Railway Station

7. Click the “Get Direction” Button.

8. The way to the destination will shown in the map and as well as detailed driving direction.


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