Tuesday 5 November 2013

Chennai’s Amazing Four – Top Tourist Sites to Visit

Chennai amazes tourists as home to some outstanding landmarks. It will come to you as a surprise that the world’s second longest urban beach is located here. A center of Tamil culture, Chennai has very few Christians, but it is one of the only three places in the world where you can see a magnificent church built over the tomb of an apostle. Another interesting fact is that it is home to one of the oldest and largest zoos of South Asia. To complete the quartet, one can easily add the grandeur of ancient Kapaleeshwarar Temple, which is considered as a fine example of Dravidian style of temple architecture.

There is more to see and explore in a city that has been in existence for nearly 350 years. The small fisherman’s village that existed in 1639 has gradually grown to become one of the largest and most beautiful cities of the country today. Tourists striving hard for bargain flights to Chennai will not be disappointed to come here for a vacation. Museums, temples, gardens, beaches, caves, churches, wildlife parks, and myriads of other fun attractions are there to make their vacations a great experience.

1. San Thome Basilica: It is quite unbelievable to know that the tomb of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ lies in Chennai. Known as St. Thomas, he came to India in AD 52 and continued to spread Christianity until his martyrdom in AD 72. The Basilica that was built later stands over the tomb, and thus it becomes one of the only three in the world that are built over the tomb of an apostle. The other two are St. Peter’s at Rome and St. Jame’s at Spain. Talking about the basilica, it features a tremendously stained glass window and a beautiful statue of Virgin Mary.

2. Marina Beach: From spirituality to fun, the transition would be convenient and enjoyable. Visit the world’s second longest beach known as Marina Beach taking advantage of the cheap flights to Chennai with Hoodaki Travel agency being made available quite easily at Hoodaki. It would be a fantastic experience to take a beach drive and see magnificent landmarks like the University of Madras, Presidency College, Chepauk Cricket Stadium and Ice House. While swimming is not possible, you would love to spend a whole day sunbathing and enjoying the vibe created by a huge number of people that come here frequently.

3. Arignar Anna Zoological Park: Located in southwestern part of Chennai, Anna Zoological Park came into existence in 1855 to become the first Public Zoo in India. It also ranks among the biggest zoological parks in South East Asia. The park is home to over 170 species of mammals, birds and reptiles. These include chimpanzee, lizards, Bengal tiger, white tiger, star tortoises, lions, macaques, Muscovy duck and more. There is also a shark-shaped aquarium housing a range of marine habitats. Breeding of rare species is an ongoing process and the animals in this category include Asiatic Wolf, wild dog, hippo, Malabar giant squirrel and Asian palm civet among many others.

4. Kapaleeshwarar Temple: The stunning temple is located in Mylapore, and features elements of Dravidian architectural style. The temple is believed to have come into existence during the period of Pallava rulers in the eighth century AD.

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