Little Mount

A protected wildlife area within Chennai. National-park access is separate from visits to the neighbouring Children’s Nature Park and Snake Park; contact the Wildlife Division before planning entry to the reserve.

A memorial built in 1953 on the spot where a portion of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes was immersed, featuring a pillared mandapam with carved motifs set in landscaped gardens. The surrounding complex also holds memorials to Rajaji, Kamaraj, Bhaktavatsalam and Sathyamurti. It is a venue for Gandhi Jayanti and Republic Day observances.

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.

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.

One of the largest libraries in Asia, opened in 2010 across a nine-storey building with capacity for over a million books, a large children's section and a 1,200-seat auditorium. Built to mark the birth centenary of C. N. Annadurai, it is a modern architectural landmark in Kotturpuram. It draws students and researchers from across the state.

A Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Nandambakkam holding around 856 Second World War burials, gathered from across south and east India. Immaculately maintained, it is a quiet, dignified and moving heritage site.

This small hillock, known in Tamil as Parangimalai, is by Christian tradition the place where St. Thomas the Apostle was martyred around 72 CE. The summit shrine of Our Lady of Expectation, rebuilt by the Portuguese in 1523, houses the venerated 'Bleeding Cross' and looks out over panoramic views of Chennai.

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.

A narrow, intensely crowded shopping street in T. Nagar often described as one of the busiest retail streets in India, especially during Deepavali and wedding season. It is packed with silk-sari showrooms, jewellery stores and bargain vendors. The crush of shoppers is itself a Chennai spectacle.

A large triangular park at the heart of T. Nagar's shopping district, named after the Raja of Panagal, Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency in the 1920s. It provides a rare green breathing space amid the crowded silk-and-jewellery shopping streets. It is a well-known local landmark and meeting point.

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.

A famous shopping street in T. Nagar named after S. Muthiah Mudaliar ('Soundarapandian Bazaar'), lined with clothing, footwear and street-food stalls. A recently built pedestrian plaza with fountains and seating has made it a popular evening promenade. It is one of the busiest retail streets in the city.