Chennai is a rare blend of the ancient, the medieval and the modern. A city that has retained its ancient grandeur, splendor, and charisma as it shines with a modern attitude and style! The culture and philosophy of Chennai make it unique, incredible and astonishing, even to the most unforgiving travelers.
A cultural hotspot; a city of many faiths, Chennai has embraced, heartily, all religions and beliefs. It is a host to ancient temples, medieval Churches and Cathedrals, and spiritual centers of multiple faiths and sects. This is what makes the city so rich and colorful!
Let us take Mylapore for example. The city’s oldest region, Mylapore is believed to have had trade relations with Romans across the seas! The Romans admired the city’s pepper and exquisite cloth and traded gold in return for Chennai’s riches. The magnificent 7thCentury architectural wonder- the Kapaleeshwarar temple was constructed by the then rulers of the Pallava dynasty.
Later, in the 16th century, the Portuguese took control of the region and added their culture to this melting pot of traditions. Chennai, once again, evolved.
Saint Thomas the Apostle, one of Lord Jesus’ twelve apostles, breathed his last in the city. In the sixteenth century, the San Thome Basilica was built in his memory by the Portuguese. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore consider it their primary Church.
Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, the great yogi and mystic too inspired Chennai. Founded by his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Mission is a humanitarian and spiritual movement based on karma yoga and works in the areas of disaster relief, education, healthcare, and culture. The city of Chennai too imbibed in its spirit, the soul of the movement.
It houses the Ramakrishna Math, the architecture of which itself signifies the unity of all religions and the existence of one God. Besides a beautiful temple, inside the Math is a magnificent library that houses thousands of books, a delight for voracious readers who wish to quench their thirst for knowledge and spiritual enlightenment.
Chennai also had the honor of hosting Swami Vivekananda himself, when he visited the city in 1897. While in the city, he delivered a series of lectures motivating people to stand up for the cause of Nationalism. The place where he stayed is now known as the ‘Vivekananda house’. An ongoing exhibition on Vivekananda’s life and times is the chief attraction here.
The Marina beach in Chennai is yet another icon of Chennai city. Beginning from near Fort St. George, the urban beach runs for a considerable distance, making it one of the world’s longest natural beaches.
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