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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.
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
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. |
