Welcome to Chennai

The city I grew up in, one of the biggest cities in India, Chennai, is the one I am going to be writing about in this essay.  This coastal city in the southern part of India has a lot of historical and cultural references to it and is frequently named by the Lonely Planet as one of the top ten cities in the world to visit.  With its population of over eight million, it is one of the major economic hubs in the country.  In the rest of the paragraphs to follow, I intend to introduce the city with reference to its landmarks, food, and culture.

Being a multi-cultural city, Chennai is marked with historical landmarks pertinent to different cultures, the first of which is the UNESCO World Heritage site at Mahabalipuram.  This set of rock-cut monoliths dated back to 600 AD is the epitome of ancient Indian architecture and a major tourist attraction.  The next important cultural landmark is a 16^th century church, the San Thome Basilica, right in the heart of the city.  This British style architecture lies next to the coast, often lit by one of the tallest towers in the city, the lighthouse.  A short walk from the basilica is one the longest urban beaches in the world, Marina, the coast of which is filled with the statues of historical figures of the country, making it another important tourist attraction. 

Another exciting thing about Chennai is its variety of cuisines, ranging from traditional spicy south Indian restaurants to Chinese, Italian, and French cuisines.  The highlight of food culture in Chennai is the delicious and rather inexpensive food trucks and stalls found throughout the city, with each of these stalls following a unique style of cooking.  The food culture in Chennai is so diverse that there are food festivals organized in the city every year, just to give tourists a glimpse of its cuisines.

The cultural aspect of the city is highlighted through its Broadway-like shows, most of which are either classical music or dance based.  Every December, Chennai hosts the largest musical sessions in the country featuring classical Indian music, a must experience for the people visiting it for the first time.  Apart from music and dance based shows, the city is also known for hosting a variety of theatrical comedies, the major genre of which is political satire. 

Being multi-cultural in every aspect, no wonder Chennai is often listed as top cities to visit in the world.  The economics of the city and the opportunities it provides to different sections is the reason for its thriving population. (Ashwin)