Chennai (Madras)
If you have time to explore Chennai (formerly Madras), this 284-sq-mi (400-sq-km) conglomerate of urban villages and diverse neighborhoods making up Tamil Nadu's capital will pleasantly surprise you. Its role is as keeper of South Indian artistic, religious and culinary traditions.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Chennai (Madras)
Housed across from the striking British-built Pantheon Complex, this excellent museum is Chennai’s best. The big highlight is building 3, the Bronze…
Chennai (Madras)
Mylapore is one of Chennai's most characterful and traditional neighbourhoods; it predated colonial Madras by several centuries. Its Kapaleeshwarar Temple…
Chennai (Madras)
This soaring Roman Catholic cathedral, a stone's throw from the beach, was founded by the Portuguese in 1523, then rebuilt by the British in neo-Gothic…
Chennai (Madras)
Producers of beautiful hand-printed books, this publishing company is based in southern Chennai. Visit its Book Building showroom, where you can browse,…
Chennai (Madras)
The marshmallow-pink Vivekananda House is interesting not only for its displays on the famous ‘wandering monk’, Swami Vivekananda, but also for its…
Chennai (Madras)
Within this mural-covered space, Tara Books stages free exhibitions, author talks and workshops with visiting artists, and displays its own highly…
Chennai (Madras)
The tranquil, flowery grounds of the Ramakrishna Math are a world away from Mylapore's chaos. Orange-robed monks glide around and there’s a reverential…
Chennai (Madras)
The reputed site of St Thomas’ martyrdom in AD 72 rises in the southwest of Chennai, 2.5km north of St Thomas Mount train station. The Church of Our Lady…
Top picks from our travel experts
Chennai (Madras)
Mylapore is one of Chennai's most characterful and traditional neighbourhoods; it predated colonial Madras by several centuries. Its Kapaleeshwarar Temple…
Chennai (Madras)
This is one of Chennai's best and most central shopping malls, full of major international and Indian apparel chains. The top-floor food court is good for…
Chennai (Madras)
Completed in 1892, this imposing red Indo-Saracenic structure is said to be the world's largest judicial building after the Courts of London. The central…
Chennai (Madras)
The tranquil, flowery grounds of the Ramakrishna Math are a world away from Mylapore's chaos. Orange-robed monks glide around and there’s a reverential…
Chennai (Madras)
The Fort Museum has exhibitions on Chennai's origins and the fort itself, and displays interesting military memorabilia and artwork from colonial times…
Chennai (Madras)
At the southern end of Marina Beach, the fourth-incarnation Madras Lighthouse is India's only one with a lift; it's ridiculously popular, but the…
Chennai (Madras)
Take an early morning or evening stroll (you don’t want to roast here at any other time) along the 3km-long main stretch of Marina Beach and you’ll pass…
Chennai (Madras)
Between the Adyar River and the coast, the 100-hectare grounds of the Theosophical Society provide a peaceful, green, vehicle-free retreat from the city…
Chennai (Madras)
Built under the 8th-century Pallavas and unusually dedicated to Krishna (a form of Vishnu) as the charioteer Parthasarathy, this is one of Chennai's…
Chennai (Madras)
Chennai's newest, most luxurious shopping mall hosts all the big-name Indian and international brands and chains, from Chanel and Zara to Bata, Lifestyle,…
Chennai (Madras)
Finished in 1653 by the British East India Company, the fort has undergone many facelifts. Inside the vast perimeter walls (the ramparts are 18th-century…
Chennai (Madras)
Completed in 1680, yellow-washed St Mary's Church was the first English church in Madras and is India's oldest surviving British-built church. Both Robert…
Chennai (Madras)
This soaring Roman Catholic cathedral, a stone's throw from the beach, was founded by the Portuguese in 1523, then rebuilt by the British in neo-Gothic…
Chennai (Madras)
The marshmallow-pink Vivekananda House is interesting not only for its displays on the famous ‘wandering monk’, Swami Vivekananda, but also for its…
Chennai (Madras)
The reputed site of St Thomas’ martyrdom in AD 72 rises in the southwest of Chennai, 2.5km north of St Thomas Mount train station. The Church of Our Lady…
Chennai (Madras)
This 1976 memorial honours the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar and his classic work, the 133-chapter Thirukural. Its most striking element is a 31m-high stone…
Plan with a local
Articles
Latest stories from Chennai (Madras)
FoodChennai for foodies - a Lonely Planet guide to South India's finest dining sceneOct 14, 2014 • 5 min read
Festivals & EventsSpiritual Chennai - see a deeper side to India's southern gatewayOct 10, 2014 • 6 min read
in partnership with getyourguide