Chennai -- Chennai or Madras, as it was called earlier, is known as the Gateway of Southern India and is the capital of the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The fourth largest metropolis and the third important port in India, Chennai is flanked by the breathtakingly beautiful Marina beach on the eastern side and the city skyscape with its eclectic mix of temple towers, steeples, minarets and star hotels on the other. From classical concerts to trendy nightclubs, Chettinad to multi-cuisine restaurants, museums to Internet cafes, Chennai offers choices that range from the quaint to the ultra modern.
Places to visit in Chennai include the Marina Beach, a marvellous 13 km stretch of sea and sand, the San Thome Cathederal, built on the site of a 16th century Portuguese basilica which is said to be the tomb of the apostle Thomas, who is reputed to have brought Christianity to India in the 1st century AD. The Fort St George and the Fort Museum which has a collection of objects from the tenure of the East India Company in Chennai, including letters from Robert Clive.