B. M. Birla Planetarium, Kotturpuram, Chennai

This famous Birla Planetarium was established on 11th May 1988. B. M. Birla Planetarium is a large planetarium in Chennai. It conducts a virtual tour of the night sky and screens cosmic shows.

Where Birla Planetorium is located?

Park. The planetarium was inaugurated by the then President of India R. Venkataraman.

Infrastructure and Facilities:

Chennai Birla Planetarium has a modern infrastructure. The planetarium is equipped with various opt-mechanical projectors. The planetarium consists of 360-degree sky theatre. The theatre is fully air-conditioned. It has a seating capacity of 236 members.

The seating arrangement is made in such a way that viewers can enjoy watching the show from all of the angles. It was established in the year 2009. It was the first of its kind in India. It is installed with full-dome mirror projection system with a DLP projector.

Around the main theatre, a hall of fame is created by displaying portraits and statues of scientists, photographs and models of various heavenly bodies, celestial phenomena and space missions. The U.S. Consulate at Chennai has donated portraits of Neil Armstrong, Sunita Williams and Kalpana Chawla to display in the hall.

Birla Planetarium is the place where curious students and the public can solve their doubts about the mysteries of the outer space. In the planetarium, we can find a classroom, studio, and a seminar hall. Eminent professionals in the field of Astronomy conduct workshops and discussions here. It gives show programs on the cosmic world that gives the audience an unforgettable experience to the mysterious Universe.

Birla Planetarium Visiting time:

Open on: Weekdays Including Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Closed Only on: Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanthi.

Ripon Building, Chennai

The magnificent white color building was commissioned in 1913 and was built by Loganatha Muthaliyar which took 4 years to complete. The inaugural function was huge and massive which was attended by around 3000 elite people of the city. It was beautiful in the structure in white color.

The tower in the middle of the building with the clock is remarkable. The building is constructed with stock bricks and roof is made of teak wood and marble flooring to add grace. It is more than 100 years old building located near Central railway station. The pure white color building is one of the architectural masterpieces.

It is the seat of the Chennai Corporation and generally, entry is restricted. A new block has been constructed, to look like the original, but with all the glass facade, it cannot dream of being a clone.

It is now renovated after metro work. It looks like a white palace with a beautiful garden. Must visit place for architecture lovers.

Fort St. George Museum is one of the most famous museums in the city of Chennai. It was opened to the public from 31st January 1948.

Fort museum is home to a massive collection of around 3661 antique items. It depicts artifacts of different ages of modern Indian history. A treasure trove of a collection in this museum is spread across three floors and divided into 10 galleries. It displays interesting military memorable weapons and artwork from colonial times.

We can find various arms like rifles and pistols, mortars, petard, cannon shots, breastplates, swords, daggers, helmets, baton, bow, and arrow. This museum also displays pieces of shells fired during the World Wars. Everything related to the army is displayed in this museum. We can find the uniforms of various ranks of the British Army, the ceremonial dresses of Madras Governor’s Bodyguards and the Under Secretary of Madras Government, cushions used in the official investiture ceremony, 64 medals and medallions issued by the British Government for honoring its soldiers in various battles and also regimental colors of various units.

Among the most popular collections here are the depictions of two sons of Tipu Sultan as prisoners and paintings exhibiting constructions and renovation works that were carried out in ancient times. At the entrance, the information center, ticket counter and a help desk for physically challenged visitors with facilities like touch screen, audio guide, Braille brochure, wheelchair etc are made available.

An open-air kids gallery is in the rampart garden in front of the main entrance with a life-size cannon model along with its working mechanism and a life-size talking cannon model where the children are allowed to touch and learn. A small library with books related to the freedom movement in India is also available for the visitors.

Roja Muthiah Research library is one of the most updated and relevant cultural institutions, of our times, is located in CPT Campus, Taramani. Research Library exists to provide research material and facilities for the students of South Indian studies in a variety of fields spanning humanities, social sciences, and popular culture.

Its main objectives are to preserve, catalog and expand the collection of Roja Muthiah, who during his lifetime built one of the world’s finest private libraries of Tamil publications. For researchers working in the social, political and cultural history of South India, RMRL with its modern facilities can provide access to valuable source material. The collection covers Tamil heritage and culture, spanning a period of over 150 years.

It has over 1,50,000 books, journals, newspapers, pamphlets, and rare audio records, that covers fields as diverse as indigenous medicine, and classical, medieval and folk Tamil literature.

It has a veritable collection of Tamil cinema magazines and over 2,000 songbooks. The library has a number of Tamil cinema posters, magazine articles, and promotional literature. It also has a rich holding of oleo-lithographs from Raja Ravi Varma’s workshop. It benefits people working on Tamil film.

With software developed by UNESCO and technology developed by the Center for Development of Advanced Computing, Pune, a machine-readable catalog was created. The cataloging is done in Tamil for Tamil imprints. This can be viewed by transliterating into any of the desired Indian scripts and Roman scripts. So far, 68,000 titles have been cataloged and over 15,000 microfilmed.

It has facilities like reading room, extensive reference material including encyclopedias and general reference publications, Microfilm reading equipment and more. A large number of periodicals have been microfilmed and this program benefits scholars worldwide. With over 10,000 visitors each year, RMRL is the best resource center for researchers and academics that benefits scholars worldwide.

Official website of Roja Muthiah Research Library: RMRL.IN

Government Museum, Egmore, Chennai

It is a museum of human history and culture located on the Pantheon road. It is the second oldest museum in India. It is particularly rich in archaeological and numismatic collections. It also has Roman antiquities.

The colossal museum is one of the most impressive among them. The museum was built in Indo-Saracenic style. The museum complex consists of six buildings and around 50 galleries. The objects displayed in the museum covers a variety of artifacts concern about diverse fields including zoology, archeology, natural history, and sculptures.

It has works of artists like Raja Ravi Varma, palm leaf manuscripts and Amravati paintings. The museum for children in the complex has galleries of dolls adorned with costumes of various nations and civilizations. It also exhibits science, technology, and transportation. It has an impressive architecture in every division.

It also has a huge Whale skeleton hanging in mid-hall is the focal point. Few galleries are dedicated to the collection of stamps and coins from all over the world. It is a place to admire unseen things at cheap entry fees.

Official website of Government Museum Chennai: govtmuseumchennai.org

The lighthouse is located on Kamarajar Salai (Beach Road) opposite to the office of the Director General of Tamil Nadu Police and All India Radio’s Chennai station.

It is a triangular cylindrical, red-and-white-banded, concrete one with lantern and double gallery and is 11 stories high. The last floor has the best view of the city. The tower is attached to a three-story circular harbor-control building. The total height of the tower is 45.72 meters (150.0 ft) with the light source standing at a height of 57 meters (187 ft) from the mean sea level. The source consists of 440V 50 Hz main supply, with a range of 28 nautical miles. It is built in 1976, during the British Colonial era. And also we can know about the history of the lighthouse in Chennai on the ground floor which is printed and pasted in a banner in the wall.

It is the only lighthouse in the country within city limits. It has an elevator that runs on solar power, making it a green Lighthouse. This is the only lighthouse with a lift open to the public in India The location on the beach gives visitors numerous activities to indulge in, such as swimming, beach sports, and trying out the local eateries. It has got a very good air-conditioned museum will showcase the history of marine navigation, where oil-bearing large wicks, kerosene lights, petroleum vapor, and electrical lamps used in the past takes us to old golden days.

Even on hot afternoons the top of the lighthouse is breezy and cool. We can enjoy a comfortable stay at a more reasonably priced range of hotels near Lighthouse.

It is worth spending a few extra minutes to go up Marina to the lighthouse for a spectacular 360-degree view of the sea and the city views of Chennai at a reasonable fare of Rs. 20 per adult. The decades-old architecture still stands strong. A beauty!!

This town hall is a historical momentum of Chennai. It is one of the finest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture.

It was located on EVR Periyar Salai near Moore market and between Ripon Building and Chennai central railway station.

It was constructed with red brick and painted with lime mortar. It is the rectangular building has an Italianate tower capped by Travancore style roof. It has been a venue of important public and social events.

Eminent personalities including Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda, Gokul Krishna Gokhale, Subramania Bharathi, and Sardar Vallabhai Patel have addressed meetings in the hall. Many famous artists staged their play in this hall.

The first cinema show in Chennai held in this hall. In later years, it has been a site for sale of literature. Lilypond behind was the scene of much beauty.

This is the heritage building escaped from demolition for metro rail project now houses the South Indian Athletic Association Club. It is a must visit place for architecture admirers.

Image Attribution : Sudhamshu

It is the only Parsi fire temple in Tamil Nadu and the surrounding region, including Puducherry and Kerala. The temple is 104 years old.

It is one of the 177 odd fire temples in the world, of which some 150 are in India. The flame in the temple burns continuously since the temple was built.

The actual fire in the temple is inside a sanctum sanctorum where only the Parsi priest is allowed to enter. The fire at the temple has never been extinguished. Priests tend to fire five times a day during prayers.

It’s a must-visit the place to exclaim about Parsis tradition and sacred activities.

Thiruvanmiyur beach is one of the famous beaches in South Chennai. Thiruvanmiyur is very close to the IT-Hub.

Main factor in this beach is more cleanliness. The local community people are involved in cleanup the beach.

It’s a pleasant & clean beach to go with family & kids. Kids will love to play there in the sand. Not suitable for swimming.

Foodies can enjoy the many food vendors and local food stalls around Thiruvanmiyur Beach. There are many fish stalls spots the area where you can enjoy freshly prepared seafood like fried fish, prawn..etc.

Many guest houses, lodges and resorts are close by on this beach.

This beach was less crowded beach when compared to Besant Nagar beach, Marina Beach and all.

The Nearby Thiruvanmiyur Beach is the popular Marundeeswarar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. You could also visit Kalakshetra which is world famous for dance school and handicrafts.

Image Attribution : Korinthenknacker

The Mahabalipuram Shore Temple built in 700-728 AD is one of the oldest structural stone temples of South India built under the reign of Narasmhavarman II. The temple located in Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal and hence is named the Shore Temple. The temple is a complex of temples and shrines, built with blocks of granite dating from the 8th century AD.

The monuments and temples at Mahabalipuram including the Shore Temple complex were collectively classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.

History of Mahabalipuram Shore Temple

The south Indian state of Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram was nicknamed “Seven Pagodas” since the first European explorers reached it. Legend has it that apart from the Shore Temple, six other temples once stood with it.

King Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava Dynasty is accredited for the architectural elegance of the Shore Temple as a structural temple complex. The Cholas later built additional parts of the temple after it took over Mahabalipuram from the Pallavas.

In December 2004, The Tsunami that struck the coastline of Coromandel exposed an old collapsed temple and also some ancient rock sculptures that used to decorate walls and temples during the Pallava period. It is inferred that this temple complex was the last in a series of temples that is believed to have existed in the submerged coastline. Only a portion of the Shore Temple was damaged during the Tsunami that occurred in December 2004.

Legend behind the temple

Myth associates the temple with the famous story of Prahalada and his father King Hiranyakashipu. Prahalada was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. The King in his arrogance and rage dared to abuse the Lord and so was eventually killed by the Lord. According to the legend, Prahalada’s son Bali founded Mahabalipuram in this place.

Another myth goes on to state that the Gods caused floods to submerge a part of this temple and the city as they were envious of its architectural beauty.

The Mahabalipuram Shore Temple Structure

The Shore Temple complex encompasses three temples built on the same platform. The main Shore Temple with its chief deity Lord Shiva (in Lingam Form) faces east. This temple is five-storeyed and is built with sculpted granite stones.

The temple has three shrines – main and the second shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva while the third one dedicated to a reclining form of Lord Vishnu. The entrance to the temple is from the western gateway through a barren vault Gopuram.

Other Prominent Features of the Temple

• The temple’s sanctum sanctorum having a small Mandapam, enshrines Lord Shiva, and is surrounded by a heavy outer wall with a small space in between for circumambulation.
• The other shrines found in the temple are that of Ksatriyasimmesvara, Lord Vishnu and Goddess Durga.
• Like the Vishnu shrine, the inner and outer walls around the two Shiva shrines include rich cultural depictions.
• The temple tower or Shikaras of the two temples dedicated to Lord Shiva are octagonal in shape and have been built in the Dravidian style of architecture.
• The interior walls of the sanctum of the east facing Kshatriyasimhesvara temple features the Dharalinga and the Somaskanda panel.
• The outer walls of the Shore Temple also consist of artistic structures carved out of boulders, which have worn away in time due to its exposure to wind and water.
• At the entrance wall is a row of bulls representing Nandi (the holy vehicle of Lord Shiva).
• Shore temple stands as a background of the Mahabalipuram Dance Festival held in January/February every year.
• Shore Temple acts as a prominent landmark during the day grasping the first rays of the rising sun and was once believed to be a signal for navigation of ships at night.
• The temple does not involve active worship today but devotees can sometimes be seen worshipping and offering flowers to the deities.
• The temple structure is being conserved by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Significance of the Mahabalipuram Temple

The Shore temple marked an important transition from rock cut structures to free standing structural temple. It is a fine example of the Dravidian style of architecture. The significance of the Shore Temple also lies in the blend of religious harmony as it houses the shrines of both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

How to reach Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram in Chengalpattu district is well connected through road to all major cities in Tamil Nadu. The nearest airport is at Chennai (around 55 kilometres away).

Epilogue

The Shore Temple is a perfect destination to explore if you are a lover of art and history. Soak in the beauty of the Shore Temple and the sea while you are in Mahabalipuram.

Mahabalipuram related Articles

• Mahabalipuram stone sculptures

How to reach Mahabalipuram?