Standing near Marina Beach at Chepauk, the Senate House is one of the finest and earliest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture in India. Designed by Robert Chisholm and completed in 1879, it served as the ceremonial and convocation hall of the University of Madras.
Chisholm drew on a remarkable range of influences, weaving in ideas from Byzantine, Rajput and South Indian traditions to create a wholly new hybrid style. After decades of neglect the building underwent a major restoration, returning much of its original grandeur.
Road km to Chennai; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
A weekday in the cooler months, in soft morning or late-afternoon light, is best for appreciating and photographing the facade.
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List your place10 more places around Chennai, each worth a day of its own.
A Dravidian-style Shiva temple in Mylapore whose origins are traditionally traced to the 7th-century Pallava period; the present structure was rebuilt in the 16th century under Vijayanagara (Tuluva-dynasty) patronage after the earlier seashore temple was lost. Shiva is worshipped here as Kapaleeshwarar and his consort Parvati as Karpagambal.
1.4 km · 17 min walk
One of Chennai's oldest temples, this Dravidian-style Vishnu shrine in Triplicane is dedicated to Krishna as Parthasarathy, the charioteer of Arjuna. Attributed to the Pallavas and among the 108 Divya Desams, it enshrines five forms of Vishnu and is celebrated in the early-medieval Tamil hymns of the Alvar saints.
Built by the English East India Company and completed around 1644, Fort St. George was the first English fortress in India and the nucleus around which the city of Madras (Chennai) grew. It still functions as a working seat of government, housing the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and Secretariat, alongside the Fort Museum and St. Mary's Church.
Established in 1851, the Government Museum in Egmore is one of the oldest museums in India (widely cited as the second oldest after the Indian Museum, Kolkata). Set in a complex of striking red Indo-Saracenic buildings, it is celebrated for its Bronze Gallery of Chola-era bronzes, including a famous Nataraja, and for the historic Connemara Public Library.
A neo-Gothic Roman Catholic minor basilica rebuilt by the British in 1893-1896, it is traditionally held to stand over the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle and is one of only three churches in the world believed to be built over an apostle's tomb (alongside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and Santiago de Compostela in Spain).
1.2 km · 15 min walk
A natural urban beach stretching along the Bay of Bengal, widely regarded as the longest natural urban beach in India, known for its wide sands, promenade, colonial-era lighthouse and rows of statues. The sea here is dangerous for swimming due to strong rip currents and steep drop-offs.
A monument built in the mid-1970s (inaugurated 1976) honouring the ancient Tamil poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar and his classic work, the Thirukkural. Shaped like a temple chariot with a tall tower, it houses a large statue of Thiruvalluvar and has all 1330 Kural couplets inscribed on its granite corridors.
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 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.
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.
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Add a nearby businessEntry: No general public entry fee; access is limited (indicative)
At Chepauk on Wallajah Road, near Marina Beach and the Chepauk Palace, a short ride from Chennai Central (indicative)
We have not assessed physical access at this place yet. Across India, step-free routes, handrails and accessible toilets are the exception rather than the rule, and pavements are often interrupted — if step-free access matters to you, contact the site or a local operator before committing to the trip.
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
A weekday in the cooler months, in soft morning or late-afternoon light, is best for appreciating and photographing the facade.
Entry: No general public entry fee; access is limited (indicative). Timings: Interior access is restricted and largely event- or permission-based, so opening for casual visitors is limited (indicative).
Reach Chepauk on Wallajah Road, easily paired with a walk along nearby Marina Beach. Admire and photograph the building from the exterior, which is how most visitors experience it. If you wish to see the interior, look out for special public openings or heritage events, as routine access is limited.
Around half an hour is enough to take in the exterior; longer if an interior opening or event coincides with your visit.
Nearby you can pair Presidency College (180 m), Triumph of Labour (190 m), Chepauk Palace (230 m), Kannagi Statue (230 m).
The area around Chepauk and Wallajah Road is busy with traffic, so take care when stopping to photograph the building from the roadside.
We have not published a story about Senate House, University of Madras itself yet. These cover Chennai, the town it sits in, and the wider district.
Senate House, University of Madras sits in Chennai, so these cover the streets, buildings and surroundings around it.
Written about Chennai as a whole rather than about Senate House, University of Madras — its history, its streets, and how to spend a day in it.
Photographs: Jonas Buchholz (Jbuchholz) (CC BY-SA 3.0), N. Vivekananthamoorthy (CC BY-SA 4.0), Pinakpani (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.