It is at Kamarajar Road. It is the first British fort build around 1653 by the British East India Company. It has a 20 feet thick wall. The present structure, a fine example of 17th century British military architecture, was mostly built in 1966. The country's tallest flagstaff is here, thought to be over 300 years old. The 24 black Charnockite pillars are those reclaimed by the British in 1762 of the original 32 which once formed the colonnade of the present Secretariat building. It remains the symbol of the British Raj. Now it houses the Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly. The first bastion of British power in India now houses the Tamilnadu Legislative assembly and council and offices of the State's secretariat. The fort was first completed in 1654 but owes its present shape to the remodelling work that was undertaken in 1749. The 6m high walls of the fort have withstood several fierce sieges.
In 1746, the British lost possession of their fort for two year period when they surrendered the keys to the victorious French admiral, La Bourdonnais. The keys were restored only in 1749, under the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Fort St. George's towering flagstaff is, even today, the tallest in India. Glimpses of early Chennai are preserved in Clive Corner, Wellesley House, Fort Museum and St. Mary's church.
2)Vivekananda Illam
Vivekananda Illam is a historical landmark. In the year 1930 the building was taken by the government and it was not not untill 1963 that the building was re-christened Vivekananda Illam.
Vivekananda Illam is considered as a revered place by the disciples and devotees of Swami Vivekananda. The structure, in the present day Chennai, stands to pay tribute to the great spiritual leader. The original building was renovated by the government and finally attributed to the spiritual head. The building was re-christened and attributed following the preaching of Swami Vivekanada for a brief period. The building houses statue of Vivekananda and a gallery that feature the life of the said person. The building also contains a section dedicated to the Indian culture.
3)Bharathiyar Illam
Bharathiyar Illam constitutes the house of a pioneering poets of the region, Subramanya Bharathi. Subramanya Bharathi was born in the year1882 in the present Tamil Nadu state. The works of the poet are considered to be exceptional. Subramanyam was originally born in a small village called Ettayapuram, which is about 600 kms from the Chennai city. Bharathiyar Illam was were he spend his last days on earth.For people interested in poetry Bharathiyar is an enlightening place. The house used to be the dwelling place of the pet in his later years of life. Bharathiyar Illam was bought by the state government in the year 1993. After some renovations and restorations it was thrown open to public (same year, that is 1993). The house, situated in the Triplicane features the life and the times of the great poet. The house contains the pictures and archives of his family and friends. Some hand written verses of Bharathiyar have been preserved in the house. The preserved records also contain a letter from Mahatma Gandhi to mark the opening of Bharathiyar Mani Mandapam.
4)MGR Film City
One of Chennai's newest attractions is the Film City, dedicated to the memory of the hugely popular matinee idol, MG Ramachandran. This is now the most popular location for Chennai's flourishing Tamil Film Industry which is second (next to Mumbai) in film production. A fantasy world of extravagant sets and hitech equipment, film city attracts Starstruck fans from all over Tamilnadu, who come here to catch a glimpse of their favourite film stars.According to official sources, in the area allocated for MGR Film City, 24.78 acres remain unutilised.
MGR Film City is a special delight in Chennai. In the sprawling Tharamani area, MGR Film city houses various locations and settings for film shootings besides dubbing and re-recording theatres. It is the only one of Chennai's big Tamil film studios that opens its doors to visitors. Several sets of artificial scenery like forests, waterfalls, market places etc., are built here to serve as background for the shooting of films.
5))Valluvar Kottam
ValluvarKottam, yet another architectural marvel was built recently in memory of poet-saint Thiruvalluvar, who is believed to have lived 2000 years ago. The saint authored a didactic book of epic proportions called Thirukkural consisting of 1330 couplets under 133 headings. The memorial is shaped like a temple car with an auditorium to accommodate up to 4000 spectators. The temple car structure is carved in granite with intricate details using the Dravidian Architectural style. Each chapter of Thirukkural is chiseled in a bas-relief. The auditorium is said to be the largest of its kind in Asia.6)Theosophical Society
It was founded by Madame H.P. Blavatsky and Col. H.S. Olcott of U.S.A. to study religion & philosophy. In 1892 the society moved to Chennai and was set amidst a vast expanse of woods on the estuary of Adyar. Above all, the largest Banyan tree several a hundred years old is found on this campus. It spreads its branches and roots covering a space over 40,000 sq. ft. giving a serene ambience. Adyar, Chennai - 600 020.
7)Rippon Building
The Rippon Building in Chennai is located opposite to the park Railway Station in the cityNamed after the Governor General of India, Lord Rippon, the Rippon Building in Chennai is another of the magnificent landmarks on the Chennai City. Lord Rippon was well known as the father of self government in India. The Rippon Building is noted for its remarkable architectural style.
The Ripon Building in Chennai is an important marker of the city where the Chennai Corporation and the Chennai Council has their working offices
8)Muttukadu Boat House
Situated on the edge of backwaters, this place has facilities for boating and wind-surfing. A windsurfing regatta is organised in Muttukadu, in February every year. Competitions in windsurfing and other water sports are also held. Training and demonstration programs are held for youth.
9)Marina Beach
Lining the east of the city is the famous Marina beach, at Kamarajar Road, 3 Km away from Chennai. This is supposed to be the second longest beach in the World and runs to a length of 13 Km.On the beach there is the Anna Park, named after the founder of D.M.K (Dravida Munnetta Kazhakam) Anna durai and the tomb of M.G. Ramachandran who was a film star and the charismatic Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the Statue of Labour is a splendid sculpture depicting the efforts of a team of labourers who are at hard manual labour.
The beach can be ideally visited in the early mornings or in the late evenings when the area becomes a virtual ground; with food stalls and other entertainments.
10)Horticultural Gardens
Sprawling over an area of 22 acres, with rare trees, shrubs, flower beds and bonsais, this garden is situated at the heart of the city, near St. George’s Cathedral on Cathedral Road. Seeds, seedlings and plants are on sale. The annual flower show enthuses hordes of visitors.
11)Guindy National Park
This is the countries only Wildlife Sanctuary within a city's limits. This park spread over an area of 27.6 sq. km. Raj Bhavan, the Governor's mansion, occupies one end of the park, and at the other is the beautiful forest - girt campus of Chennai's famous Indian Institute of Technology. The nearest rail head, airport and town is Chennai, at a distance of 5km. The park was set up in 1976.12)Government Museum Complex
It is situated in Pantheon road. This is not for its exquisite collection of more than 2000 Indian bronzes and Amaravathi marbles. Three great buildings of architectural value - the Museum Theatre, the extension hall and the Connemara Public Library are in this complex. The present Museum has several sections, four galleries- Hindu sculpture gallery, the Amaravathi gallery, the Bronze gallery and the National art gallery constitute the main attractions. 13)Fort Museum
It is at Fort St. George. Museum has 10 rooms displaying the documents of Indian History. The old uniforms, coins, padlocks, old prints and palanquins are displayed here. The banquet hall upstairs has a collection of paintings of the governors and officials of the British regime. 14)Connemara Public Library
One of the countries National Libraries, it has the largest collection of books and periodicals Touch screen computers have been installed recently to make operations easier. Located at Pantheon Road, Egmore, Chennai - 600 008.
15)Birla Planetarium
Built in memory of B.M. Birla, the well known industrialist and visionary, the Planetarium is considered to be the most modern in the country. This modern planetarium is housed in a hemispherical theatre. It is located at Kottur near Anna University.16)Anna Nagar Tower
This is the highest and biggest park tower in chennai, located at Anna Nagar Park. It has cyclic stairs. Full view of the city can be seen from Top of the Tower. I7)Amir Mahal
1This palace called "Amir Mahal" belongs to the Royal family of Arcot. Situated on an area of approx. 14 acres, Amir Mahal was built in 1789 and came into possession of the Arcot Royal Family in 1870. Located in Triplicane entry is allowed with permission only.
