Our Travel to Chennai

 Introduction

It's always exciting and energizing to visit new places and discover other cultures. Sometimes all it takes to unwind, slow down, and enhance the quality of your life is a weekend away from your typical routine. We recently had the chance to spend 10 days in Chennai, India. My friends and I were visiting India for the first time during our trip. Our ancestors had immigrated to Malaysia from India in the 1800s, but we have not yet located my family's origins. My friend recently had the good fortune to locate one relative.

We only had a few days for sightseeing, so instead of hurrying off to explore other parts of the country and only getting a quick view of tourist attractions, we made the decision to see as much of this city as we could.

 

History of Chennai, India

Chennai, formerly known as Madras Patnam, was situated in the Tondaimandalam province, in a region between the Pennar rivers of Nellore and Cuddalore. Kancheepuram served as the province's capital. Tondaiman Ilam Tiraiyan, a representative of the Chola family in Kanchipuram, ruled Tondaimandalam in the second century A.D. Ilam Tiraiyan is thought to have conquered the Kurumbas, the area's indigenous occupants, and established his rule over Tondaimandalam. The area appears to have been governed by the Chola Prince Ilam Killi after Ilam Tiraiyan. The Andhra Satavahana invasions from the north led by their King Pulumayi II ended the Chola occupation of Tondaimandalam. To administer the Kancheepuram territory, they named chieftains. At the start of the third century A.D., Bappaswami, who is regarded as the first Pallava to rule from Kancheepuram, was himself a chieftain (of the tract round) there under the Satavahana empire. The Pallavas, who had previously been merely viceroys, then became independent rulers of Kancheepuram and its surrounding regions.

 

 

Our Journey

On both flights, we spent some time exploring Singapore while we were in transit. This was also intriguing. Thiruvallavar Travels, a small-town travel agency in Chennai that also offers a driver, rented us a car. The young man who was our driver is a really nice young man and made a fantastic tour guide and travelling companion. He goes by the name Kannadasan. He could speak some English and Tamil. We could understand and communicate well as our mother tongue is Tamil. This, together with body language, allowed us to communicate. Our driver frequently sought directions from other drivers while on the road. Every time, the other individual was addressed as brother. They helped our guide in return by being respectful and amiable.

 

Our Lodging

The friendliness of everyone we encountered was for us a standout quality. The Courtyard Marriott's employees went above and beyond to make us feel at home, and the culinary team went above and beyond to pamper us with delicious cuisine. Such attention was given sincerely and without the expectation of payment because the hotel does not advise tipping.

Courtyard Marriot at Chennai

 

The Environment on Road

The amount of traffic in Chennai astounded us. We frequently heard that the traffic in Bombay was worse than this. What that must be like, I can't even image! There were automobiles, motorcycles, lorries, buses, auto rickshaws, and two-wheelers, many of which frequently carried two people and two kids. Few people wore helmets. The helmets were occasionally carried by the 2-wheeler riders. The reason they do not wear helmets, according to our driver, is that they can occasionally obstruct the driver's field of vision. We were astounded at how people maneuvered through what appeared to be a sea of traffic. Everyone seems to move forward wherever there is a gap; nobody seems to stay in their lane. I believe that one will never succeed if they hesitate. Honking or hooting was the only thing that seemed to be respected and understood. On the back of certain vehicles, we noticed signs that expressly requested sound horns.

 

Sound Horn Label

Traditions

Chennai is popular for its classical music, dance and drama. To begin with, lets take a look at their five-week long Music Season which is held every year on December. Their Music Season features performances related to traditional Carnatic Music where hundreds of artists take place. To be specific, this happens during a Tamil Season called Margazhi which is acknowledged as a very “happening” season at the time of occurrence. Chennai is also known for its classical Indian dance, Bharathanatyam which resembles the official dance for Tamil Nadu.

Language

Tamil is the native language used by the people of Tamil Nadu. Additionally, there are sizable immigrant Tamil groups from Sri Lanka, Malaya, and Telugu in the city. Other notable communities include those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as well as the Anglo Indian, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Marwari communities. This area has been a regional centre since British times. Additionally, Chennai is home to an increasing number of foreign workers, particularly those from the US, Europe, and East Asia who work in the city's businesses and IT hubs.

Numerous festivals are observed in Chennai. The most significant festival of the year, Pongal, lasts five days and observed in the month of January. Pongal's distinctive celebration, which is particular of Tamil Nadu, has earned it the title of "State Festival." Despite being a harvest festival, it is still frequently observed in the city.

 

Roadside Vendors

Along with the great meals, the sights and shopping were all appreciated by us. Every town includes street booths in addition to stores, which is an additional intriguing characteristic. The majority of sellers at street stalls offer food, clothing, haberdashery, and other goods at lower costs than those found in stores. Alongside the roadway are also many food stands. We discovered that contemporary skyscrapers, upscale shops, and shopping malls coexist with modest booths and hovels. We saw rustic scenes like cows ambling along the street about 30 minutes outside the city's center, amidst street booths.

 

 

Food of Chennai, India,

Sandwiches in Egmore and ghee podi dosa in Pondy Bazaar

Kids from the 1980s and 1990s adore this location. When they were in school, their peers frequently discussed the sandwiches at the cheapest restaurant in Egmore's vicinity of Alsa Mall. They advised me to try the chicken and chilli cheese toast from the Balaji Sandwich Stall which the taste was quite delicious. Another of my favourite was ghee podi dosa from "kaiyendhi bhavans" is the Brilliant Tutorial dosa shop in Pondy Bazaar, T Nagar. It is frequently referred to as Ravi Anna's Kadai (store) and welcomes a variety of people.

 

Bun butter jam at Georgetown, Dum ka roat in Triplicane and rose milk in Mylapore

There were three locations that I thought had endured the test of time. Since 1953, Gopaul Dairy has developed the top bun butter jam. They only utilise fresh, soft buns that have been liberally spread with jam and butter in the Tamil Nadu town of Uthukuli. It's ideal to eat it at their outlet because it's always served hot. At Basha Halwa House in Jambazaar, Triplicane's Fakir Sahib Street, I had Dum ka Roat during the Ramadan season. It has a soft interior and a crunchy, caramelised exterior. Yes, it is extremely rich and is Chennai's version of the Indian sweet halwa. One bite will take you to heaven.A staple of many food excursions in this historic neighbourhood and one of my favourites, the preservative-free Rose Milk from Kalathi Newspaper Mart in Mylapore has a 100-year history.

 

Chaats in Purasawalkam and Podi uthappams on NSC Bose Road

I cherished returning to Link's Chaat in Pursawalkam's Strahans Road, Pattalam neighbourhood. The murukku sandwich, corn canapé, Mexican chaska, corn cheese grilled sandwich, and gola were some of the other must-try dishes that I liked about the restaurant because it offered South Indian chaat, North Indian chaat, and Continental chaat. The small idlis and uthappam at Seena Bhai Tiffin Centre on NSC Bose Road in Sowcarpet are well-known. The uthappams are generously sprinkled with podi and drenched in pure ghee (gunpowder). It was entertaining to watch them produce a lot of product while I was there.

 

 

Filter Coffee

Melburnians may believe they are the world's most discerning coffee connoisseurs, but they have probably never seen Chennai's filter coffee connoisseurs, who are fixated on each component of the beverage that powers the city. Nearly every area of the city boasts of high-quality (some TamBrams still say A-one) coffee, from the early risers (the city is full of them) who grab their tumbler (not cuppah) before sunrise at Saravana Bhavan on RK Salai to the tumblers of coffee that are served at tiffin time in authentic Mylapore establishments like Karpagamabal Mess and Mami Mess. Freshly brewed decoction and high fat milk are combined to create a beverage that will almost certainly coat your tongue in a glass that is overflowing with froth.

 

 

Tourist Attraction Of Chennai, India

Chennai, the gateway and cultural centre of South India, is routinely ranked as one of the top tourist destinations in the world for a variety of reasons, including food and culture. The sheer quantity of cultural, historical, architectural, and other attractions that Chennai is home to, however, is what truly stands out in terms of its potential as a tourist destination. The following are the top attractions you shouldn't miss if you're thinking about visiting soon.

Marina Beach

This beach, which has a sizable sandy shore, is the second largest in the entire world. Many people spend their evenings at the beach because of the warm weather. As evidenced by the abundance of fishing boats, fishing is also quite popular. We weren't outfitted for swimming, so we only put our feets in the water to take a quick plunge. It was exquisitely cosy. Both on the streets and the shore, there are a lot of food stands. The food stands with colourful treats looked quite enticing. But out of concern for tainted food, we refrained from purchasing anything from the food stands. We were apprehensive about the food exposure—especially the salads—because it was in the 80s.

Government Museum

Six separate buildings host both contemporary and historical exhibitions. We went to the anthropological, archaeological, and Chola Bronzes collections. We were deeply moved by India's cultural heritage. Observing the quality of ancient sculpture was intriguing. There were coins, cutlery, and what appeared to be quite sophisticated and accurate weights. The collection comprised tools from the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, as well as hammers, mealing stones, scrapers, bangles, and beads.

Valluvar Kottam

This temple chariot is dedicated to the saint and Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar, author of the Thirukurral. These rhymed couplets are respected by Tamils and Jains. It is considered to be among the earliest works on ethics. It emphasises several facets of life. Valluvar Kottam, click the link for further information. The chariot temple was built in the centre of Chennai in 1976. The Thirukurral is engraved on granite blocks. The building's design is pretty intriguing. We were dismayed, though, to see how poorly maintained such a priceless landmark is. We observed filth, cobwebs, and water deterioration surrounding the building and floors as we moved around inspecting the granite slabs. Some of the scribes also seemed to have been tampered with.

Conclusion

One of the most attractive cities in the South, Chennai has a lot to offer. There are numerous tourist attractions there. It is lively and colourful, full with genuine cultural and traditional values and customs that the city's residents still uphold. We would most definitely travel to Chennai if we had the chance. The hosts and everyone else we encountered were very kind and pleasant in service. Even though the food has some hygiene issues, we still managed to find clean vendors and avoided food poisoning all the way.