The pulsating capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Chennai is known as a famous metropolitan and cosmopolitan city. The city is located on the Coromandel Coast of the state. Chennai is amongst the most important cities in southern India. Chennai is very popular in term of commerce, culture, education and economics in the country. Moreover, it is a major hub of both commerce and culture, which attracts a large number of tourists throughout the year. If you are making your first visit to Chennai and wondering which are its major tourist attractions? Then, read on to this article.
Marina Beach 
Located in Chennai, Marina Beach is a natural and famous urban beach in the city along with the Bay of Bengal. It is a 13 KM stretch of golden sands. Also, it is the longest urban beach in the country; the beach is a leisure hub of the city and ranks as the top tourist attraction in Chennai. The atmosphere is electric with flock of visitors and vendors creating a carnival-like atmosphere. An interesting point to be noted about Marina Beach is that ‘swimming in the water’ is not permitted legally due to the unstable undercurrents. Apart from the sand and surf, Marina Beach is also dotted with a number of monuments and statues of historical figures.
Kapaleeshwarar Temple 
Situated in Mylapore, Chennai, Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a huge temple of Lord Shiva. This temple dates back to 7th century. This temple is constructed in Dravidian style of architecture. Its eastern entrance has a notable 40-metre high pillar with carvings of deities. One can explore several courtyards with religious figures including a chariot, bull and an elephant along with several other shrines.
Fort St. George 
Fort St. George, (also historically known as White Town) is the name given to the first English fortress in India, established in the year 1644. It was founded at the coastal city of Chennai (erstwhile Madras). At that time, it was the centre point of merchant trade activity of the British East India Company. However, it houses the Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat of the city. Tourists can find St. Mary’s Church, the oldest Anglican Church in the country and a Fort Museum with exhibits ancient artifacts.
Thousand Lights Mosque 
In the list of tourist attractions in Chennai, the Thousand Lights Mosque is a famous place. The mosque was constructed by Nawab Umdat-ul-Umrah in 1810. The holy worship place for follower of Islam, this mosque gets its name due to the fact that there are over 1,000 lamps are illuminated in the Assembly Hall. One can fine verses from the holy book are painted on the walls of this beautiful multi-domed mosque. The Thousand Lights Mosque also has a huge library and burial ground. Presently, it is home of Ghazi Moulana Ghulam Mahadi Khan of Tamil Nadu.
Madras Crocodile Bank 
If you are a reptiles’ fan, the Madras Crocodile Bank will not let you down in any way. This place was founded in the year 1976 and is home to three rare species of crocodiles that are mugger, saltwater and gharial. You can find many species located here to make the count of these reptiles to around 25,000. Other attractions of Madras Crocodile Bank are albino and cobra snakes as well as water monitor lizard.