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Chennai,Tamil Nadu,India

Places to Visit in Besant Nagar

Besant Nagar area of the district.

Chennai districtGet directions →Stay 1
Broken Bridge, Besant Nagar
Practical guide

Plan Besant Nagar

Who's going?Tailor Besant Nagar to your trip
DistrictChennai
RoleBesant Nagar base
Places to visit3Listed businesses1
What to expect

Highlights

  • Arupadaiveedu Temple — 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.
  • U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer Library — 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.
  • Broken Bridge — The ruined remains of a road bridge over the Adyar estuary, washed out decades ago and never fully rebuilt, now a stark concrete stub reaching into the water. It is a cult favourite for sunset views, photography and Tamil film shoots. The estuary here is a rich spot for migratory birds.
Getting there

How to visit

  • Nearest airport: Chennai International (MAA), ~16 km from the city centre
  • Rail gateway: Chennai Central (MAS) and Chennai Egmore (MS)
  • Frequent SETC/TNSTC and private buses from CMBT Koyambedu link Chennai with Puducherry, Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Tiruchirappalli and Bengaluru; confirm current timings before travel.
Timing

Best time to visit Besant Nagar

Weather in Besant NagarSeasonal guide

Live forecast loads in your browser.

Today at Besant Nagar
Sunrise5:58 am
Sunset6:21 pm
Golden hour best light5:21 pm–6:21 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:21 pm–6:46 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 279°
Moon tonight🌖 Waning gibbous · 81%
South-west monsoon. June to September is the south-west monsoon in Tamil Nadu. Expect heavy showers, mostly in bursts rather than all day — carry rain cover, allow extra time for getting around, and note that ferries and open-air sites are the first things affected.

Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.

Practical things near Besant Nagar
ToiletsPublic toilet 604 m · 7 min walkMapped Dec 2015DirectionsBus stopsBus stop 434 m · 5 min walkMapped May 2022DirectionsPharmacyApollo Pharmacy Pharmacy243 m · 3 min walkMapped Dec 2022DirectionsHospitalSantosh Hospital Pvt Ltd 772 m · 9 min walkMapped May 2021DirectionsClinicDr. Baranee's Sukra Diabetes Care Clinic635 m · 8 min walkMapped May 2021DirectionsPolice stationShastri Nagar Police Station 561 m · 7 min walkMapped Apr 2012DirectionsATMATM 423 m · 5 min walkMapped Dec 2022DirectionsBankIndian Overseas Bank 225 m · 3 min walkMapped Dec 2022DirectionsWater & snacksJunction Grocery World Convenience shop283 m · 3 min walkMapped Dec 2022DirectionsGroceries & bakeryCake Park 289 m · 3 min walkMapped Dec 2022DirectionsBarber & salonHairdresser 736 m · 9 min walkMapped Aug 2025DirectionsBookshopWords & Worth Books Private Limited Bookshop441 m · 5 min walkDaily 10:00–21:30Mapped Dec 2025DirectionsPost officeAdyar Post Office 1.9 km · 22 min walkMapped Mar 2013DirectionsSomewhere to prayVarasiddhi Vinayakar Koil Place of worship490 m · 6 min walkMapped Jun 2009DirectionsPublic art & memorialsPublic artwork 391 m · 5 min walkMapped Jan 2023DirectionsVetBlue Cross of India Vet1.1 km · 14 min walkMapped Mar 2012Directions
What the cash actually costs
  • Withdrawing from a bank that is not your own is free for a set number of times a month, then costs up to ₹23 plus GST — about ₹27 a withdrawal. This is one of the six cities where the RBI sets that allowance lower — at least three free other-bank withdrawals a month, and at least five at your own bank.
  • That free allowance belongs to Indian bank accounts. On a card issued abroad your own bank’s international withdrawal and exchange charges apply instead. If the machine offers to bill you in your home currency, choose rupees — the conversion rate on that offer is set by the machine, not by your bank.
  • Given a choice, use an ATM inside or attached to a branch: it sits in view of staff and cameras, and there is someone to ask if the machine keeps your card. A machine standing alone on a tourist street is the one to be wary of. Banks are listed here alongside the ATMs, but the map data does not record which ATMs sit inside a branch — check when you get there.

Charge cap and free-transaction limits: Reserve Bank of India, in force since 1 May 2025.

Mapped within about 1.2 km of Besant Nagar, with real walking routes rather than straight-line distances. Community-mapped data: opening hours are shown only where they are recorded, and this is not a complete list — something unmapped may well be closer. Please confirm on the ground.

Nearby bases

Where to go from Besant Nagar

Kapaleeshwarar Temple, ChennaiFeatured: Kapaleeshwarar Temple
Town / base

Chennai

The Tamil Nadu capital and the base for its temples, colonial-Madras heritage, museums and Bay of Bengal beaches.

Kapaleeshwarar TempleSri Parthasarathy TempleFort St. GeorgeGovernment Museum, Chennai
Open Chennai guide →
Chennakesava Perumal Temple, Park TownFeatured: Chennakesava Perumal Temple
Town / base

Park Town

Park Town area of the district.

Chennakesava Perumal TempleChenna Malleeswarar Temple
Open Park Town guide →
Madras High Court, Parry's CornerFeatured: Madras High Court
Town / base

Parry's Corner

Parry's Corner area of the district.

Kalikambal TempleMadras High CourtSouthern Railway HeadquartersGeneral Post Office
Open Parry's Corner guide →
Ekambareswarar Temple, SowcarpetFeatured: Ekambareswarar Temple
Town / base

Sowcarpet

Sowcarpet area of the district.

Ekambareswarar TempleSowcarpet
Open Sowcarpet guide →
George Town base
Town / base

George Town

George Town area of the district.

Kandaswamy Temple
Open George Town guide →
Luz Church, MylaporeFeatured: Luz Church
Town / base

Mylapore

Mylapore area of the district.

Mundakakanni Amman TempleLuz ChurchNageswara Rao Park
Open Mylapore guide →
Wallajah Mosque, TriplicaneFeatured: Wallajah Mosque
Town / base

Triplicane

Triplicane area of the district.

Wallajah MosquePresidency CollegeQueen Mary's CollegeAnna Memorial
Open Triplicane guide →
St. George's Cathedral, GopalapuramFeatured: St. George's Cathedral
Town / base

Gopalapuram

Gopalapuram area of the district.

St. George's Cathedral
Open Gopalapuram guide →
St. Andrew's Kirk, EgmoreFeatured: St. Andrew's Kirk
Town / base

Egmore

Egmore area of the district.

St. Andrew's KirkEgmore Railway StationNational Art Gallery
Open Egmore guide →
Saidapet base
Town / base

Saidapet

Saidapet area of the district.

Little Mount
Open Saidapet guide →
Spencer Plaza, Anna SalaiFeatured: Spencer Plaza
Town / base

Anna Salai

Anna Salai area of the district.

Rajaji HallSpencer Plaza
Open Anna Salai guide →
Chetpet base
Town / base

Chetpet

Chetpet area of the district.

Pachaiyappa's College
Open Chetpet guide →
Napier Bridge, FortFeatured: Napier Bridge
Town / base

Fort

Fort area of the district.

Napier BridgeVictory War MemorialIsland Grounds
Open Fort guide →
Anna Nagar Tower Park, Anna NagarFeatured: Anna Nagar Tower Park
Town / base

Anna Nagar

Anna Nagar area of the district.

Anna Nagar Tower Park
Open Anna Nagar guide →
T. Nagar base
Town / base

T. Nagar

T. Nagar area of the district.

Panagal ParkPondy BazaarRanganathan Street
Open T. Nagar guide →
Adyar base
Town / base

Adyar

Adyar area of the district.

Tholkappia Poonga
Open Adyar guide →
Chennai Snake Park, GuindyFeatured: Chennai Snake Park
Town / base

Guindy

Guindy area of the district.

Chennai Snake ParkGandhi Mandapam
Open Guindy guide →
Anna Centenary Library, KotturpuramFeatured: Anna Centenary Library
Town / base

Kotturpuram

Kotturpuram area of the district.

Anna Centenary Library
Open Kotturpuram guide →
Taramani base
Town / base

Taramani

Taramani area of the district.

MGR Film City
Open Taramani guide →
Koyambedu Market, KoyambeduFeatured: Koyambedu Market
Town / base

Koyambedu

Koyambedu area of the district.

Koyambedu Market
Open Koyambedu guide →
Thiruvanmiyur base
Town / base

Thiruvanmiyur

Thiruvanmiyur area of the district.

Breezy Beach
Open Thiruvanmiyur guide →
In the district

Where Besant Nagar sits in Chennai district

Nearest airportChennai International (MAA), ~16 km from the city centre
Rail gatewayChennai Central (MAS) and Chennai Egmore (MS)
Bus / road accessFrequent SETC/TNSTC and private buses from CMBT Koyambedu link Chennai with Puducherry, Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Tiruchirappalli and Bengaluru; confirm current timings before travel.
District HQChennai
LandscapeCoromandel Coast — Tamil Nadu’s capital on the Bay of Bengal

Chennai district is known for: colonial-Madras heritage, Dravidian temples, the Chola bronzes of the Government Museum, Marina Beach, Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam.

Kapaleeshwarar Temple & MylaporeFort St. George & colonial MadrasMarina Beach & the seafront
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop

Places in Besant Nagar

Every verified place in Besant Nagar — filter by what you’re after.

🍴 Where to eat in Besant Nagar →List your place →
T
The Leela Palace Chennai
Place to stay
Top pick
Hotel
The Leela Palace Chennai

Hotel in Besant Nagar. Its own site heads its front page “Best 5 Star Luxury Hotel in Chennai, Tamil Nadu | The Leela Palace Chennai”.

Call Website
Directions Commission-freeView details

Book with the place itself. India’s cyber-crime coordination centre warned in April 2025 that convincing copies of hotel and pilgrimage booking sites are being pushed through sponsored search and social ads, taking payment for rooms the property never hears about. Every listing here links to the business’s own contact details and its own Google or Bing profile — we take no commission and sit in nobody’s payment path. If a booking page reached you through an ad, check the address bar against the property’s own site before you pay. Fraud can be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.

Places to visit

The places themselves, around Besant Nagar

The best tourist places to visit in Besant Nagar — temples, viewpoints, lakes, heritage and nature, each with a full guide, how to reach it and what to see nearby.

Arupadaiveedu Temple, Besant Nagar
PlaceArupadaiveedu Temple

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.

Open guide →
U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer Library, Besant Nagar
PlaceU.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer Library

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.

Open guide →
Broken Bridge, Besant Nagar
PlaceBroken Bridge

The ruined remains of a road bridge over the Adyar estuary, washed out decades ago and never fully rebuilt, now a stark concrete stub reaching into the water. It is a cult favourite for sunset views, photography and Tamil film shoots. The estuary here is a rich spot for migratory birds.

Open guide →
For hotels, homestays and local businesses

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Read before you go

Besant Nagar guides, stories & itineraries

We have not published a story about Besant Nagar itself yet. These cover Chennai, the district it sits in, and travel in Tamil Nadu generally.

Nearby in Chennai

We have not published a story about a place in Besant Nagar itself yet. These are the nearest things we have written.

More from Chennai

Wider guides to Chennai — its coast, its culture and the routes through it.

See all 23 Chennai guides & stories →

Map

Where things are in Besant Nagar

FAQ

Besant Nagar travel FAQs

What are the best places to visit in Besant Nagar?

Top places to visit in Besant Nagar include Arupadaiveedu Temple, U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer Library, Broken Bridge — each has a full guide with how to reach it and what to see nearby on this page.

How do I reach Besant Nagar?

The nearest airport to Besant Nagar is Chennai International (MAA), ~16 km from the city centre. The rail gateway is Chennai Central (MAS) and Chennai Egmore (MS). Frequent SETC/TNSTC and private buses from CMBT Koyambedu link Chennai with Puducherry, Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Tiruchirappalli and Bengaluru; confirm current timings before travel.

What is the best time to visit Besant Nagar?

November to February is the coolest, most comfortable season to visit Besant Nagar and the rest of Tamil Nadu. April to June is very hot, and the October–December north-east monsoon brings the delta its main rains.

Image credits