Formerly known as Madras, Chennai is one of the biggest cities in India and the largest city in the entire southern part of India.
Known by many as the cultural capital of India, it distinguishes itself from India’s other big cities with its own unique character and feeling, along with the beach and ocean providing such an important part of the city’s life. In fact, one can hardly find any other city where the beach is a bigger part of its heart and soul.
Chennai has its own flavour that’s a mix of old-world charm and new-age modernity. Rustic-looking cycle rickshaws and bullock carts are a common sight on the city streets and there’s a kind of tranquillity in its frenzy. Tradition is preserved throughout the city, there’s a feeling unique to Chennai that isn’t lost with the changes yet.
When you think of India, chaos probably comes to mind. And Chennai is one of the best representations of chaos in India – of hundreds of people packed tight in the suburban trains, heading to work in the mornings; of thousands of autos with hard-working drivers ferrying people on roads; of buses bursting with gangly boys who sing their way to college; of seaside fish markets with strong characters; of Jayalalitha and Rajinikanth posters and paintings; of swanky glass-fronted buildings and speeding luxury cars; of dreamers walking aimlessly by the Marina. The chaos attacks all of your senses, while supplying endless photo opportunities. Chennai is all heart and anyone who spends time understanding this city is bound to fall in love with it.
