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Location
: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Claimed To Be : Second Longest In The World
Attractions : Aquarium, Anna And MGR
Samadhis, Icehouse, Senate-House, Chepauk Palace, Presidency College
A Long Stretch Of
Coastal Delight
Golden sand, good
surf and a shimmering clean blue sea, this in a nutshell, is Marina
beach. This beach is counted among one of the longest beaches in Asia.
Its 12-km long stretch was made beautiful by the wonderful facelift
given by Governor Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff in the early
1880's, and is a major tourist attraction today.
Marina beach is
located on the eastern side of Chennai, adjoining the Bay of Bengal.
Watching the sun set and rise from the beach is an enthralling
experience. Though bathing and swimming can be dangerous, as the
undercurrent is very strong, even then people come for swimming here. In
the evenings, the beach is virtually a fair ground with various kinds of
entertainment and food stalls lining the beach.
With its natural
sandy beauty and spacious promenade and beautiful gardens, the beach is
a major attraction for tourists visiting Chennai. It has acquired a
South Indian aura with vendors hawking wares ranging from shell and
glass baubles to kites and fruit juices. The Marina, however, is large
enough to accommodate all visitors as well as the hawkers and is often
the venue for important state functions.
PRIME ATTRACTIONS
Some of the most
beautiful buildings in Chennai such as the University of Madras,
Senate-House, Chepauk Palace, Presidency College, P.W.D office and Ice
House are located on the beach drive. At the other end of the beach is
the new lighthouse. In between, sentinels on the promenade, are several
statues of Tamil scholars and two splendid bits of sculpture- the
Victory of Labour and the Mahatma Gandhi.
Aquarium: Close
to the Marina beach is the aquarium, which has some of the most exotic
collection of tropical sea fishes and fresh water fishes. The aquarium
gives a chance to have a closer look at the aquatic life. The Ice House,
which was used to store ice brought from Great Lakes in North America,
is south to the Aquarium.
Anna And MGR
Samadhis: Situated on the beach, the Anna and MGR Samadhis, which are
the memorials of the most popular, former Chief ministers of the state,
attract good crowd everyday.
HOW TO GET THERE
Air: Chennai has
an airport with both domestic and international terminals. Regular
flights connect Chennai with the major cities within the country and
also with countries like USA, Singapore, U.K, etc.
Rail: Chennai is
well connected by rail with the important towns and cities within and
beyond the state.
Road: State
transport buses and private buses connect Chennai with the major towns
and cities within the country. For local transportation local trains,
city buses, auto rickshaws and taxis are available.
WHERE TO STAY
Being a capital
city of the state, Chennai is well equipped with various kinds of
accommodation options, varying from economic class to luxurious ones.
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