Chennai (formerly known as Madras) is the largest cosmopolitan and capital city of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. This city was developed after 1639 when the East India Company established a fort and trading post at the small fishing village of Chennai. This city is about 350 years old and a gateway to the South, provide many visitors a fascinating and rich southern heritage. The city of Chennai has blended the foreign influence with the traditional Tamil-Hindu culture. Chennai has everything to offer to its visitors which ranges from the continental and typical South Indian cuisine, long stretches of beaches, modern shopping centres, temples, forts, palaces, traditional handicrafts and textiles. 

History of Chennai
Chennai was developed after 1639 when the 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 metropolitan city which is especially known for its spaciousness which is lacking in other Indian cities. Various churches and some impressive buildings remind the visitor about the long and inseparable association the city has had with the British. Chennai was also an important centre of Pallavan culture long before the British came here and the traces of which can be found in the various old temples.

Shopping
Chennai is one of the important trade centres of South India and is a good place to shop for a large variety of things. Chennai is also well known for silk and silk sarees, rosewood and sandalwood carvings. There are various retail shops from where you can buy traditional handicrafts, handlooms, silks, textiles, cane, leather, metal items and gold ornaments. 
Parry’s Corner is one of the biggest markets of the city and deals in wholesale as well as retail trade. Trading in almost all kinds of goods from plastic goods to textiles, stationery, ready made garments, household items can be made from here at very reasonable prices. Nearby is the famous Burma Bazar where one can find all sorts of imported goods ranging from electronic gadgets to readymade garments and perfumes. There are many new shopping complexes that have come all over the growing city. For those who are looking for traditional bell metal items, bronze icons, stone sculpture, and other crafts of the southern region, the best place to shop is the Tamil Nadu State Emporia Poompuhar. In temple cities life Kanchipuram and Thanjavur, silks and metal work are available directly from the craftsmen. 
Cuisine
Chennai is known for its delectable South Indian cuisine. The staple food of Chennai is rice. Chennai provides delicious variety of cuisines to the tastebuds like Idli, Vada, Idiyappam, Upma and Dosa. 

Tourist Attractions in Chennai
The various tourist attractions in Chennai are the St. George Fort, Sri Parthasarthy Temple, Santhome Cathedral and Marina Beach. St. George Fort was built by the East India Company in 1639 -1640 and marks the beginning of Chennai as a modern city. The Santhome cathedral was built by the Portuguese between the 14th and 15th century AD and derives its name after St. Thomas. It is an important place of pilgrimage for the Christian community and as well as a historically important place. The other most important tourist attraction in Chennai is the Marina beach. This beach is supposed to be the second longest beach in the world and runs to a length of 12 km. The beach can be ideally visited in the early morning or in the late evening when the area becomes a virtual fair ground; with food stalls and other entertainment. Besides the modern city itself, there are several interesting towns like Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram. Each of these towns have a rich collection of ancient temples and traditional handicrafts.

How to reach here
By Air:
Chennai is connected to all important parts of the country by the regular flights of Indian Airlines and other private domestic airlines. Besides this, various international airlines operate regular flights to Chennai from the foreign destinations. 
By Rail:
Broad gauge train services link Chennai to New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Lucknow, Guwahati and many other destinations. The metre gauge train services run between Chennai, Madurai,                 
Rameshwaram, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin. 
By Road:
Chennai is connected to various important cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and various other cities. The transport corporations of all neighbouring districts and states run regular services to and from Madras to all prominent destinations in south India. 
By Sea:
Chennai is connected by a passenger liner to Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Chennai Attraction