What all you can see in Chennai ? Visiting Chennai's Iconic spots in a day!

When I had three of my close buddies from Romania and Phillipines visited us in March this year, I had to plan a bit to show case Chennai to them in the shortest time possible.  This homework not only worked like a charm, but also made me reinvent my own city.  I never would have otherwise done this going around all this places in a day, with a spillover the outskirts the following day.

Discovering Chennai in a day!

Staying closer to Airport, probably, I have taken the best route possible.

1.  Officers Training Academy, St. Thomas Mount ( From outside) and Madras War Cemetry in Butt Road

2.  St. Thomas Mount National Shrine  Church ( Up the St.Thomas Hills) - Chennai City View

3.  Valluvar Kottam 

4.  Madras Literary Society 

5.  Chennai Egmore Museum & National Art Gallery
6.   Museum Theatre

7.  Higginbottams and Pompuhar Showroom  (Mount Road and with LIC)

8.  Lunch at Amilies Poes Garden



9.  Vivekanandar House - ICE House

10.  Madras University - Senate Hall ( Chennai Binnelle was on and hence Senate Hall was open for Public)

11.  Victory War Memorial
12.  Fort St. George and Fort Museum

13.  Chennai Harbour  and Port Trust & Nappier Bridge

14.  Iconic Central Railway Station and Rippon Building 

15.  Anna Samadhi & MGR Memorial ( Now with Jayalalitha Memorial and Kalaignar Memorial)

16.  Marina Beach Water Front -  Labour Statue and Gandhi Statue

17.  Lighthouse  ( We went to the 9th floor for aerial view of the city)

18.  Ramakrishna Mutt Mylapore
19.  Kapaleshwar Temple 

20.  Asthalakshmi Temple and Annai Velankani Church Besant Nagar

21.  Santhome Basillca
22.  Palavakkam Beach

Day 2-  If you have time! ( Little stretching out of the City)

1.  Madhya Kailash Temple Adyar 



2.  Prestigious IIT Chennai and Rajbhavan Road - Gandhi Mandapam & Guidy National Park/Snake park & Theosophical Society 

3. Dakshin Chitra 

4. Crocodile Bank and VGP Kingdom

5.  Cholamandalam Artistic Village
6.  Kannathur Jaganatha Temple

7.  Muttukadu Lake & Boating

Day 3  - It you still have time left!

1.  Shopping in T. Nagar ( to enjoy the madness) and Sowcarpet (for the best deals and street food)
2.  Loads of malls the city has to offer
3.  Choki Dhanni ( a hard tried replication of Rajasthan)
4.  Queensland - if you enjoy theme parks
5.  MGM and VGP Universal Kingdom ( Klick Art musuem for crazy pictures ) and new Acquarium
6.  Wild Tribe Ranch ( If you love bit of hot day adventures and outdoors)
7.  Lots and Lots of Temples ( Be it any religion of your faith or interest - Chennai is abundant)
8.  Kalaskhetra (If you want to see the traditional dance forms of Tamil Nadu)
9.  Loads of Sabhas that offer Theatre, Drama, Classical and Western Music,  Cultural Programme)
10.  No shortage for Dining and Drinks and Yes, Disco too!
11.  Silent book reading in Iconic Connemera Library or well designed Anna Centenary Library

Enjoy Chennai!  Discover the City that has got lots to offer.   Be it traditions, art, culture,  temples, churches, beaches, food & fun....Chennai is a City to live and enjoy.  It is a city that lives and let's those who embraces it live in peace and harmony.   Chennai is not just a city of buildings and infrastructure, it is a city of inate emotions...absolute humanness and wonderful people.    Love You Chennai...You are always my Madras !  Nalla Madras!    

Trip to Gandikota Fort and Belum Caves : Incredible India : Explore the Unexplored. The Great Indian Heritage- Grand Canyon of India

Gandikota is an exotic location, called as India's grand canyon that cannot be challenged by anyone due to shining rocks and natural gorge formation with a bonus of beautiful fort complex with temples and mosque. Closer to that place is another exciting place called 'Belum Caves'. It is a natural underground cave (technically called 'cavern' spread over 3 KM but accessible only up to 1.5 KM now. AP tourism department has done a great job of creating a way with lights and air stations.

Quick Schedule - From Chennai

Day 1  06:00 AM - Leaving from Koyambedu , Breakfast at GRT, Tirutani  Lunch enroute, Gandikota Archealogy Museum, Fort visit includes (Madhava Perumal temple, Mosque, Granary, Jail, Ranganatha Swamy Temple, beautiful Gorge)-  overnight stay at Gandikota Haritha Hotel

Day 2 Sunday08:00 AM Finish breakfast and visit Tadapatri temples.  Visit Belum Caves and leave for Chennai. Stop at Vondimitta temple  By 11 PM Reach Chennai

Things to carry:

- Inside Belum Caves is hot. Please wear appropriate dress and footwear.
- Two bottles of water always
- Torch light

Few Pictures that speak millions words about this beautiful Grand Canyons of India.

 thank you Rootwalk for this amazing experience to my daughter and her friends ...here is another blog that talks about this beautiful place

http://www.rootwalk.com/2016/07/16/travelogue-chennai-to-indias-grand-canyon-and-indias-2nd-largest-underground-cave/