A TASTE OF TAMIL

Attractions

Chennai - Mamallapuram - Thanjavur - Trichy

Chennai

Beaches - the nighttime pulse of Chennai - both Eliot's Beach and the Marina Beach are the evening favorite hangouts. Food, rides and entertainment, hawkers and their wares, cool sea breezes - a lot of life happening

Basilica of the National Shrine of St.Thomas - built over the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle of Jesus Christ who came to India in 52 AD and suffered martyrdom on a hill at the outskirts of the city. The shrine was restored in 2004. A valuable work of art kept in the Basilica is an ancient painting of Our Blessed Mother, in front of which the other great apostle of India, St. Francis Xavier, used to pray.

St. Mary's Church is one of the oldest surviving churches built by the Raj. This is the first English church in India and the oldest Anglican church in the East. Given the precarious nature of the English presence in India at the time, the church has a defensive walls and castellated parapets. The church was consecrated in 1680 and completed in 1759.

Big Mosque also known as Wallajah Mosque - this magnificent grey granite structure was built without steel and wood. The Eid Prayer timing remains the same 10.00 a.m. since 1749 A.D.

Parthasarathy Temple - the oldest temple in the Chennai whose origins date back to the 8th century A.D.

Sri Ramakrishna Math Universal Temple - this is the oldest center of the Ramakrishna Order in the South. The Math is regarded for its spiritual traditions, modern outlook, acceptance of all religions, and service as the way of life. With its lush green surroundings, the Universal Temple is an ideal spot for contemplation and  meditation.

Valluvar Kottam - a memorial to the renowned poet and saint of the region, Tiruvalluvar. Built as a replica of the temple chariot in Thiruvarur, there is a 101-foot high temple chariot structure with a life-size image of the poet in it. Over 3,000 blocks of stone were used to create this memorial to Tamil culture. The auditorium is surrounded by granite pillars that have the inscriptions of the 1330 verses written by the poet. The 133 chapters of his famous work, Thirukkural, have been depicted in bas-relief in the front hall corridors of the chariot.

Fort St. George - at a height of 150 feet, the tallest flag pole in the country can be seen here. The Pole, made of metal, was originally constructed entirely of teak wood.

Government Museum - with an inception date during Colonial rule, it's considered to be one of the oldest museums of India

Vandalur Zoo - set amidst a sprawling 510 hectare complex, it's said to be the biggest zoo in SE Asia

Guindy National Park - formerly a game reserve until 1817, the government purchased it for the Governor's residence. Later it was handed over to the city of Madras and turned into the what is known to be the only national park in a city in India.

Birla Planetarium - the most modern planetarium in the country

Mamallapuram

Shore Temple ca. 700 AD - the most famous icon associated with Mamallapuram along with Arjuna's Penance. Unlike most of the local monuments carved from rock, this temple was constructed. It's not particularly large, and the carvings have been badly eroded by the wind and the sea, but this adds to the sense of antiquity.

Five Rathas - carvings of chariots and various animals including a very large elephant, dating from the 7th century and built by Pallava King in order to safeguard the sculptures from the ocean.

Sculpture Museum - houses hundreds of sculptures in stone and wood. Well worth the visit.

Arjuna's Penance, also known as the Descent of the Ganges, is a giant bas-relief marked by intricate and detailed carvings including a family of elephants and monkeys. Archaeologists have never come to agree on it's depiction.

Krishna's Butterball is a giant round rock perched on a hillside, seemingly in defiance of all laws of physics.

Thanjavur

Brihadishwara Temple (Rajarajeswaram or Big Temple) - behind old bus stand - the most important place to see in Thanjavur due to it's marvelous architecture and gardens.

Palace & Saraswathi Mahal Library - houses ancient Tamil and Sanskrit manuscripts. Situated inside the Saraboji Palace which contains many rare paintings depicting various Indian cities during the reign of King Saraboji.

Siva Ganga Garden - A wonderful little park for family outings - train rides and boat rides are available

Art Gallery - East Main Road (inside the palace) - expositions of bronzes and statues of the Chola period.

Trichy

Trichy is famous for many ancient and popular temples and religious institutions

Rockfort Temple Complex - a splendid view of the city and the Cauvery River from the top
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
Jambukeshwara Temple
Perumal Malai
Samayapuram Amman Temple
Woriyur with Vekkaliamman Temple
Vayalur Murugan Temple
Viralimalai Murugan Temple
Gunaseelam - Vishnu Temple
St. Joseph's Church - 200 years old
St. John's Church
T.E.L.C Holy Trinity Cathedral
All Saints Church
St. Lourd's Church

Kallanai - a 2,000 year old dam built on the Kallanai River (an offshoot of the Cauvery River)

Puliyancholai - a green hideout around a pretty waterfall