Chennai, the largest city in southern India located on
the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, developed after 1639 when the
British East India Company established a fort and trading post at the small
fishing village of Chennai.
Over the past three and a half centuries, the small
fishing village has grown into a bustling metropolis which is especially known
for its spaciousness which is lacking in other Indian cities, This characteristic
is exemplified by the long esplanade called the Marina and which is lined by
impressive buildings whicremind the casual visitor of the long and inseparable
association the city has had with the British.
Even elsewhere in the city, one cannot fail to notice
the dominant British influences in the form of old cathedrals, buildings in the
Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, wide tree lined avenues.
However, though the English legacy is undeniable,
Chennai has continued to be a centre which has blended the foreign influence
with the traditional Tamil-Hindu culture. As a city it continues to maintain
the best of south Indian traditions. This is not surprising because the region
was an important centre of Pallavan culture long before the British came here
and the traces of which are to be found in the numerous old temple.
Thus, the unwary visitor will find Chennai more than
just a gateway of South India. He shall find it a convenient base to peep into
the varied aspects of traditional south Indian culture and life styles which
inter- mingle with the modern city complete with its plush hotels and
restaurants - offering a range of continental and typical, south Indian
cuisine, long and uncrowded stretches of beaches, modern shopping centres which
offer traditional handicrafts, textiles and much more peculiar to this part of
India.
Besides the modern city itself, there are several
interesting towns like Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram, each with a rich
collection of ancient temples and an array of traditional handicrafts which are
very much their own.