In the early 17th century, the Cooum and Adyar rivers flowed towards the Coromandel Coast and into the Bay of Bangal with only a few fishermen to witness their progress. Today the area between the two estuaries is the center of India's fourth-largest city and the capital of Tamil Nadu, Compared with India's other major cities, Chennai is a quiet backwater, conservative in its ways, with considerable importance placed on old-fashioned values and traditions. For all this Chennai is a clean and efficient city . It has an excellent public transport system and its airport is modern and well planned.

Fort St Georage , which now houses the Tamil Nadu State Legislature and Secretariat , is an excellent museum . Next to the fort is St Mary's , consecrated in 1680 , India's oldest Anglican church . The Parthasarathy Temple at Triplicane , dedicated to Krishna , was built in the 18th century by one of the Pallava King , with later additions by the rajas of Vijayanagar in the 16th century. Close to the bank of the Adyar River is the headquarters of the Theosophical Society , estd in 1882 seven years after the Theosophical movement was founded in New York . Guindy National Park is a large open area designed for relaxation

It includes a Children's Park and Deer Park , but the most interesting section is the Snake Park.The Government Art Museum , on Pantheon Road ,has section devoted to anthropology and natural history. The one gallery not to be missed is that devoted to the museum's fine bronze collection.