Broken Bridge

A quieter beach at the southern end of Chennai's coastline in Besant Nagar (locally called Besant Nagar Beach or 'Bessie'), known for its relaxed vibe, cafes and the heritage Kaj (Karl) Schmidt Memorial commemorating a Danish sailor who drowned in 1930 saving others.

A renowned research library founded by the scholar U. V. Swaminatha Iyer, who rescued and printed classical Tamil Sangam texts from crumbling palm-leaf manuscripts. It preserves one of the most important collections of Tamil manuscripts and rare books, housed within the Kalakshetra campus. It is a pilgrimage point for Tamil literary scholars.

A modern Murugan temple that recreates all six sacred abodes (Arupadai Veedu) of Lord Murugan in a single complex, allowing devotees to worship the six shrines without travelling across Tamil Nadu. Built by the Ganapathy Sachchidananda ashram, its tall gopuram is a Besant Nagar landmark. It is a popular family pilgrimage stop near the beach.

A modern temple consecrated in 1976 on the Bay of Bengal shore near Elliot's Beach, dedicated to the eight forms of the goddess Lakshmi across a distinctive four-tier, multi-shrine complex.

International headquarters of the Theosophical Society, moved here from New York in 1882, set on a roughly 260-acre wooded riverside estate known as Huddleston Gardens. The estate is famous for the Adyar aalamaram, a great banyan tree several centuries old, and the Adyar Library and Research Centre.

An arts academy founded in January 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale and her husband George Arundale to preserve Bharatanatyam dance and Gandharvaveda (Carnatic) music. It was recognised as an Institute of National Importance by an Act of Parliament in 1994.

An ancient seafront temple to Shiva as Marundeeswarar, the Lord of Medicines, revered as one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams and associated in tradition with sages Agastya and Markandeya.

A quieter, cleaner stretch of coast at Valmiki Nagar in Thiruvanmiyur, favoured by locals as a calmer alternative to the crowded Marina and Elliot's beaches. Its low-key shore with a small promenade is popular for morning walks and sunrise views. It gets its name from the steady sea breeze.

Also known as Adyar Poonga or Adyar Eco Park, this restored 58-acre wetland along the Adyar creek was created to revive the native flora, fauna and tidal ecology of the estuary. Boardwalks wind through mangroves, ponds and grasslands rich in birdlife. It is one of the largest urban ecological restoration projects in India.

One of India's most advanced planetariums, built in 1988 in memory of industrialist B. M. Birla and run by the Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre. It sits within the Periyar Science and Technology Centre, whose eight galleries hold over 500 hands-on exhibits.

A large government-run film studio complex established in the 1990s and named after actor-politician M. G. Ramachandran. It houses permanent sets, gardens, waterfalls and shooting floors used by the Tamil film industry, and is open to visitors as a recreation spot. It reflects Chennai's central role in South Indian cinema.

India's first reptile park, founded in 1972 by herpetologist Romulus Whitaker beside Guindy National Park. It houses a large collection of snakes, crocodiles, lizards, turtles and chameleons, including king cobras and pythons. It runs live venom-extraction and awareness demonstrations and pioneered reptile conservation education in India.