Chennai, earlier known as Madras, has been known for long as the ideal emblem of the Dravidian chauvinism. In the true sense, it is regarded as the Gateway to the South. Being the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu, in terms of commerce, finance and political it has gained a lot of prominence over the years lying along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Over the last three and a half centuries the city has grown from a minuscule and obscure village into a bustling metropolis, especially known for its spaciousness, which is hardly fund in any other cities of India. However, it must be said that along with the rich native Tamil culture, there is a striking dominance of the British rule. They are mostly found in the form of old cathedrals, buildings in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, wide tree lined avenues. Again, you can find a large number of old temples, a depiction of the finest creation of the Pallava art, since this region had been an important centre of the Pallavan culture. If you want to have a glimpse of the Dravidian culture and its several dimensions there can't be any place other than this!

What can you get in the city of Chennai, if you are for a short visit? It is undoubtedly a convenient base to have a glance of the various aspects of conventional south Indian culture and life styles that intermingle with the outlook of a modern city, offering multitude of various aspects of south Indian cuisine, modern shopping centres that offer traditional handicrafts and textiles. From here you can make good visit t several other places of great interest having religious, historical and cultural grandness. They include Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, DakshinChitra, Muttukadu and several others.

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