Marina Beach Chennai
Adjoining the Bay of Bengal, Chennai has one of the
loveliest beaches. The 4.5 km long Marina beach is the
second longest beach in the world. A stroll along the
Marina, whether in the morning or evening, refreshes
one. The old Saracenic buildings dotting the other side
of Kamarajar Salai, a main road along the Marina, would
bring back memories of good old British Raj. The Senate
House of the University of Madras and the old buildings
now housing government offices, such as Ezhilagam and
the Director General of Police office wear a mystical
look in the morning when the Sun rises.
A walkway along the Marina beach, bordered with a green
lawn entices you to go on a leisurely stroll. At the
intersections of this promenade stand beautiful statues
of Tamil scholars, patriots, and noted personalities.
Of these, the Statue of Labor is a splendid sculpture
depicting the efforts of a team of laborers who are
at strenuous, manual work. The sea in this part is not
recommended for swimming, as the currents are violent.
On the other side of the road the familiar Chennai skyline-
Senate House of Madras University, Chepauk Palace, Presidency
College and Vivekananda Illam (Vivekananda House). The
Marina beach tends to get crowded on weekends and public
holidays.
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Covelong Beach Chennai
The charming Covelong beach is at a distance of about
forty kilometers from Chennai. The tourists and the
travelers throng the quiet village, Covelong. The salubrious
village of Covelong is renowned for its fishing activities.
In the fishing village the swaying palms and the beautiful
beach attract people from across the globe. The environs,
ambience, peaceful, tranquility and the infrastructure
at the Covelong beach come together to make it one of
the most popular beach resorts on the Coromandal Coast.
For the adventure seekers, the breathtakingly beautiful
beach of Covelong provides an amazing array of sports
activities like windsurfing, swimming and various other
water sports. The gentle sea and surf add to the charm
of Covelong beach. The beautiful Covelong beach lies
in the lee side of an ancient Dutch fort. Some of the
walls of the fort are still present in the form of ruins.
Thus, besides the beauty of nature, the captivating
destination of Covelong is dotted with historical monuments
like forts, churches and mosques. In its own unique
way Covelong reveals the history of the state of Tamil
Nadu. The ancient Catholic Church is a must visit amongst
the many religious monuments at Covelong
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Elliot's Beach Chennai
Located in Besant Nagar, Elliot's Beach is the preferred
destination for those with a clean atmosphere in mind.
This beach, lined with fast food joints, small stores,
and a few shrines, is a popular hangout for the younger
generation today. Until not so long ago, the City's
bathing beach it is now another `lung' of Madras, popular
with a crowd less in love with the water. Elliot's beach
is pleasant, safe for swimming, ideal for lazy lounging
and picnicking.
Affectionately nicknamed "Bessie", Elliot's
Beach plays host to crowds right through the day. At
one end of the beach is the Church of Our Lady of Health,
Madonna, which greets people of all faiths. There is
also the Ashtalakshmi Temple, dedicated to the eight
manifestations of Goddess Mahalakshmi. The Schmidt Memorial
is an immediately recognizable landmark on this picturesque
beach. Four decades ago, Elliot's beach was the favorite
haunts of foreigners seeking a secluded beach to sun
bathe.
A stone memorial to a Danish sailor, Karl Schmidt,
who lost his life rescuing a drowning swimmer, is a
landmark. About a kilometer to the north of the Elliot's
beach is a nice, clean and quiet stretch of the beach,
behind the Theosophical Society headquarters. Here,
the river Adyar meets the sea. This place can be of
interest to bird watchers a variety of birds like egrets,
pond-herons and flamingoes are seen here.
To the south are the new shrines of the City, the Ashtalakshmi
Temple - the country's newest shore temple to the eight
forms of the goddess Lakshmi- a Ganesh Temple and the
Velankanni Church said to have the same miraculous attributes
as the mother shrine in the south.
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