A Self-Drive tour through Chennai to explore the little-known things

Chennai is such an addictive place that if you are born here, you cannot think about settling down somewhere else. The huge expanse of the city makes it difficult even for the natives to explore it completely. You need to make deliberate efforts to discover the innermost secrets of Chennai. A drive around the city in your car can give you a chance to spot the iconic jewels of your city.

Silk Route

Although Kanchipuram sarees are technically woven in Kancheepuram, they are characteristic of Chennai. Tourists coming to Chennai buy the Kanchipuram sarees as souvenirs for their relatives. You will find these sarees at several stores in Chennai, but buying them from Nalli Silk has become a tradition for the locals. The Nalli Silk store follows the no discount strategy as opposed to other sellers, and it still witnesses heavy customer footfall because of its unparalleled handiwork and unquestionable quality.

Sacred tales

Even though Chennai is a bustling metropolis just like other towns in the world, in the bedlam that is connected with urban life, the divine and serene temples of Chennai can offer a reliable refuge to get away from the fast life for a while. You can find the city dotted with countless temples to let you offer your prayers to the holy gods or just admire the beauty of the sacred places. You would find the new as well as several ancient temples dating back to even 800 AD. These ancient temples are still recognized by their original names. It is not for no reason that Chennai is famous around the world. The city displays a whiff of the opulent heritage and culture of the Hindu religion, which was there for millennia.

St Mary's Church

In addition to the Hindu temples, Chennai has the stunning St Mary's Church, which is the oldest Anglican Church in the Asian subcontinent. It is also called the Westminster Abbey of the East. One of the forerunners of East India Company, Streynsham Master, had initiated the building of this church in 1680 as he felt inconvenience with the existing services for the religious arrangements. The walls of the church are given a thickness of five feet to endure explosions. The bomb-proof ceiling is designed to rebound cannon balls. With time, a few architectural additions have been done to the church such as the steeple, tower, sanctuary, and vestry, while still holding on the original woodwork. You will be amazed to see the amazing imitation of the Last Supper by Da Vinci at the altar. The church also houses a Bible copy recounting to 1660 AD.

Southern talkies

Located at a distance of 25 kilometers from Chennai, DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum is a brilliant cross-cultural Museum of performing arts, architecture, visual arts, lifestyle, and performing arts of the Southern India. The Madras Craft Foundation had built this museum in 1996 to exhibit, preserve, and promote the aspects of cultures of different states, and bring them to the public in an engaging manner.

The place has an assembly of eighteen authentic bygone houses that display contextual exhibitions. Each of the houses was acquired and reconstructed, which were once up for demolition by their proprietors. These houses are rebuilt by the Stapathis or artisans of the same regions where these houses belong. Several engaging activities are regularly held here such as pottery, dance performances, weaving, music concerts, etc.

The Cotton Street

The sultry weather in Chennai does not allow the residents and visitors to prefer any other material, but cotton. If you want to shop for any kind of cotton stuff, you can proceed to the Cotton Street and indulge in pristine whites, somber pastels, rich mahogany, and bright floral. The eye-boggling range of colors and spectrum of patterns is enough to remember this place for ages. With more than 60 vendors selling cotton, you can either buy their pre-matched mix of salwar and kameez or create a combination of your own. Do not forget to bargain before paying.

Storytrails

Every sight in Chennai can narrate a story, so the Storytrails organization endeavors to unearth some of these stories for the tourists. It offers short tours and walks to display the unique lifestyle of the city. Each trail through the city is a combination of mythology, folklore, and history.

Chennai is an entire world in itself; you need several days just to touch every aspect of it, forget to learn all about it. You may find the local transport a bit expensive if you are a tourist. Therefore, it is better to hire an affordable option like Self-Drive Cars in Chennai that lets you roam around the city without paying a bomb for transportation. Traveling around in a car will also protect you from the humid weather of the city.

I, Manoj Upadhyay, a digital marketer by profession, believe in just that! I cherish each aspect of life, which has driven me to the idea of my blogging website, namely Wandererfoodie.