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Three days in Chennai

Discussion in 'South India' started by ChetanPraja, Jul 8, 2015.

  1. ChetanPraja

    ChetanPraja New Member

    I have a three day stop over in Chennai after which I will be joining my family Coimbatore. During my stay in Chennai I want to cover a few shopping places which include T.Nagar, Besant Nagar and St Thomas Mount. Would this be possible?

    I would like from forum members who know about Chennai to where we should visit first, so that the trip would be planned peacefully and no time would be wasted.
    Also please suggest any places which are a must see.
     


  2. Subu

    Subu New Member

    The shopping trip can be done in a day and max another half day, you can go T.Nagar in the morning and spend most of your time there.
    You should spend the next day going to the Besant Nagar and St Thomas and the Kebab factory is close by these places and it is a must visit place. The evening should be spent at Elliots beach.
     


  3. Dhruv

    Dhruv Member

    Also go to Anna Salai (Mount Road).
     
  4. turtledove

    turtledove Member

    If you're looking to shop, then there are plenty of places in Chennai you can visit. T-Nagar, Anna Nagar, Anna Salai, Mylapore, Pannagai Park and George Town are all great options. Anna Nagar, T-Nagar and Anna Salai are the more well known shopping areas, but Mylapore, Pannagai Park and George Town are also very very popular. George Town is wonderful for typical South Indian sarees (Kanchipuram sarees), and you can also get some great quality silk. Chennai is a great place for shopping!
     
  5. Sramana

    Sramana Member

    I would suggest a full day in T.Nagar, especially if you are shopping for clothes and jewelry :) If you want a general shopping experience, Saravana Stores/ Ranganathan St. will be the place to go. For sarees, clothes etc. Kumaran, RmKV, Pothys are good choices. I can't think of many shopping areas in Besant Nagar/ St.Thomas Mt, but yes, Elliot's Beach is a must visit in the evening. The Theosophical Society too, if you like nature.
     
  6. bragadish

    bragadish Member

    Ranganathan St will be the place to go should you need good options to shop and sometimes you might fathom to how can prices be so low here.
    it has got everything in there,but to visit all shops there will be near impossible owing to the excessive crowd that builds up there.
    Clothes : Saravana Stores/Pothys/Rmkv
    Jewels : GRT/jos Alukkas/Fathima jewellers
    Food : Local hawkers with a roof over the top.Its a general conception that they are a bit more hygenic
    Electronics : Satya bazaar (beware,there are fake items that are sold off at a huge prices as well,you can also take it at a steal should you now someone there. )
    I just saw that you are already done with your stay here,but next time around make sure you visit all these places
     
    Chahal likes this.
  7. jnorth88

    jnorth88 Active Member

    I would avoid electronics. You won't get anything of value there. I agree with what everyone else has said. Shopping is fairly easy in Chennai, and you can hit up everywhere you want to go in under two days. Do you have a list of items you are looking for, or are you just browsing for the experience? Also, I would avoid any rugs for sale. There are cheaper prices elsewhere in the country.
     
  8. briannagodess

    briannagodess Well-Known Member

    Hello there! Welcome to the forum!

    I would suggest this order for visiting those shopping places:
    • T. Nagar
    • Saint Thomas Mount
    • Besant Nagar
    I'd start with T. Nagar simply because it's the biggest shopping district by revenue in the country. You can find apparels, jewelries and even housewares in this shopping district. But it's mostly well known for the sarees and jewelries. If you'd like, you can opt to stay the night in the numerous hotels around T. Nagar. You can find various budget and mid-range accommodations there.

    By the second day, you can go to Saint Thomas Mount. So from T. Nagar to Saint Thomas Mount, the distance is only 7.9 kms. Around the St. Thomas Mount, you can find various shopping areas like department stores and supermarkets. Mount Road or Saint Thomas Mount or Anna Salai, these are all the names for the area. It is also well known for its electronics, lamps and auto parts.

    From Saint Thomas Mount to Besant Nagar, the distance is about 11.6 kms. You can find various restaurants, cafes, boutiques and shops here. You can fit in the Saint Thomas Mount and Besant Nagar in just one day since they're not as big as compared to the T. Nagar area.

    You can also fit in these attractions into your trip:

    Attractions in T. Nagar
    • Panagal Park - This park was named after Raja of Panagal, the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency. He was the one who initiated the building of the park. The park is over 8 acres and has three entry points. There's a children's play area, gallery and lotus pond inside the park.
    • Sringeri Saradha Peetam Temple - This is a temple dedicated to Ganesha, Sharada and Adi Shankara. It's a very peaceful place, with a huge meditation hall. They also perform pooja and other festivals here.
    • Shiva Vishnu Temple - Here, you'll find the sannadhis of both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Around the temple, there are various stalls selling items and foods for the devotees.
    • Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Temple - This is more of a place to reserve a ticket for the Tirupati Temple in Tirumala. However, there's a shrine here dedicated to the Sri Venkatachalapathy.

    Attractions in St. Thomas Mount
    • Indian Art Museum - Although this is a museum, you can also purchase some souvenirs to take home from here. You can purchase some brass items and home items here for a very reasonable price.
    • St. Thomas Shrine - This is a shrine dedicated to Mother Mary. It was built on 1523 at the site where St. Thomas died. You'd have to climb 160 steps to reach the top of the mountain where the shrine is located.

    Attractions in Besant Nagar
    • Ashtalakshmi Temple - This is very near the Elliot's Beach. It is a temple dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and her eight forms, the Ashtalakshmi. The temple was based upon the Sundhararaja Perumal Temple in Uthiramerur.
    • Elliot's Beach - This is also known as Besant Nagar Beach or Bessie Beach. It is located at the end point of the Marina Beach. It was named after Edward Elliot, the Governor of Madras. There are many restaurants around the beach that you can enjoy as well.
    • Kalakshetra Dance School - Kalakshetra is an institute dedicated to preserving the traditional dance and music of India. It was Rukmini Devi Arundale who founded this school.

    There you go. I hope this helps!