Chennai is within a hundred and fifty kilometers of three important and engaging locales of India. First, and perhaps one of the most important in the Hindu religious tradition is the temple of Tirupati. Located on the last of seven hills, pilgrims make a 7-10 km journey along the ridges and valleys on stone steps, several thousand steps perhaps, that have been carved into the hillside. Vishnu is said to have stepped here, and thus the religious significance of the site. Millions on millions of pilgrims visit Tirupati so any visitor should be prepared for throngs of devotees and incredibly long queues.
Tirupati is about 150 km away from Chennai in the extreme southern portion of Andhra Pradesh. A must before arriving is electronically reserving darshan online at the temple’s website. Darshan is the act of ‘seeing’ god and will allow you to go into the inner sanctorum of the temple itself. Non-Hindus are permitted, and for anyone of any religion the experience is a moving one. The level of devotion and fervor is comparable to what one would experience visiting Mecca or Jerusalem. Taking the online approach to a visit to the temple will save you hours in line, while paying extra for a more expensive special darshan will cut your time in line by half. Even with these precautionary methods, be prepared to spend around 3 to 4 hours wandering through the immense complex before reaching the sanctum in carefully guided queues. Inside, you will notice that the stone has been smoothed down by constant use as well as the incredible amount of money donated to the temple. Outside the temple you may notice that many people shave their heads. The hair is given to the temple so they can be made into wigs and sold to add revenue to the temple association.
For a different type of amusement, consider MGM Dizee World, an amusement park with many stomach turning rides as well as the Dakshina Chitra, a handicrafts village located next to the park. The park will soon open a section devoted to children called Maryworld and the amusement park experience give you a glimpse of what Indians consider fun. As expected, this maybe very different from what you expect as well as having similarities to amusement parks around the world. For an unforgettable experience of the animal kingdom, take the 30 km journey to the Crocodile Bank. Here, you will see many thousands of alligators, crocodiles and snakes as they are bred and kept in open pools. Though frightening, it is quite safe, and an unusual experience. Demonstrations of snake venom extraction are also conducted on a daily basis.
Two tranquil spots within 50 km of Chennai are Pulicat and Kovalam. Pulicat is an old Dutch settlement noted for its lake and picnic spots, while Kovalam is a fishing village that is also a peaceful beach resort with a fort and of course, nice golden beaches. Like many towns in India, Kovalam has all of the religions of the world represented with a temple, a church, and a mosque for you to explore at your leisure.
