Friday 21 February 2014

Chennai - Another Popular French Getaway

The gateway of South India, Chennai is also a prominent getaway for French tourists. Reason beyond this is its inclination towards artistic traditions and cultural heritage. Due to its Dravidian roots, the city is uniquely famous for its inherent inclination towards traditional music, dance, architecture and all other art forms. All this and much more fascinate a French traveller. When he comes to Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, he is served with loads of cultural experiences to remember for a lifetime.
At first sight, the city comes across as friendly to its tourists. Refined in every sense, this city based on a rich fusion of monumental heritage ranging from ancient era to modern history presents its best-kept secrets through sightseeing. Up close to Chennai, tourists can visit the twin towns of Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram in order to understand the Dravida heritage of Tamil Nadu.
Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram, located on Coromandel Coast, was carved out during the Pallava dynasty rule. It was from here that the dynasty conducted overseas trade of spices to the islands of Java, Sumatra and Cambodia. The frequent usage of this passage led the rulers establish their might in the form of rock cuts and sculptures in the sand. There are stone temples, rock cut bas reliefs, mandapas or pavilions and rathas or temple chariots that narrate the glory of Mahabalipuram. Out of all, the Shore Temple stands tall. Perched upon a rocky outcrop, shore temple presides over the seashore as a landmark attraction by day.
Nearby Mamallapuram is Kanchipuram, a treasure trove of Hindu temples and art from the Pallava, Chola and Pandyan dynasties. But amongst tourist circle, the destination is known more for its colourfully luxurious silk sarees with enigmatic gold weaving. In fact, the saree fabrics here are patented and in no other destination, one can find the emblematic Kanchipuram Sarees.
This is just a beginning of experiencing the cultural side of Chennai. We will be focusing on Kalakshetram in Chennai to have more expressive understanding of cultural roots in Chennai.

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