Things to do in Chennai India

Chennai First Impression

I flew into Chennai India from Sri Lanka. Upon my first arrival, the initial passport check and visa check was kind of a pain. It took a long time and they asked a lot of questions. Now, I will be the first to admit that it was nothing like getting into Bolivia or Russia, but it may be a close 3rd place. As soon as you leave the airport you can tell you are not in Kansas anymore. Chennai is not the cleanest city by any means and there was garbage everywhere. There were also barbed wire fences surrounding the malls, restaurants, and hotels. I have traveled to many areas with poor conditions but walking around the streets in Chennai were some of the worst. Another very interesting thing was that some locals would follow you for blocks before disappearing into the alleys. The first impression of Chennai was not the best.

Things to do in Chennai

1) Government Museum of Chennai

I had to start with this museum because of the utter disappointment that followed. If I could put one thousand laughing emojis as the TripAdvisor review to this place I would. This so-called government museum was in a building that looks to be an old high school gymnasium. It was dirty and had absolutely no direction. You just follow your guide around a building then another building then though a door and then then you arrive at the “Mystical Government Museum.” This tourist attraction is overpriced and nothing but a money pit. This is a common theme you will come to see in Chennai.

2) Santhome Cathedral Basilica

This cathedral is very pretty and well maintained. Of all the architecture sights I saw in Chennai the Santhome Cathedral Basilica had the best atmosphere and is worth a visit. Keep in mind it is a cathedral and it is probably set up very similar to others that you have visited before.

3) Arulmigu Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Temple

This temple is very well known and one of the oldest structures in Chennai, so I had really high hopes. I will not say it was horrible because it was not. However, it is a massive tourist attraction and it is once again a tourist money pit. I think the entrance is actually free, but everyone crowds you until you pay for a guide. It is a bit much and it takes away from the experience. Besides the crowd, the structures are quite amazing. Once inside the temple grounds you can see how the beautiful colors on the temple sparkle. There are tons of cows and calves just roaming around so that makes the experience that much more unique.

4) Vadapalani Murugan Temple

This temple experience was similar to visiting Arulmigu Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Temple. This temple was significantly less crowded by tourists and had many more locals in and around it. The temples were absolutely gorgeous and you could see the amount of work that must have gone into each temple. This temple also had a lot of cows roaming. Cows in India roam as cats do in the United States. It is a bit different but after a while, you get used to it. After a few days, I did not even notice them any longer and just referred to them as “Tim” & “Barry” as I went for my morning runs.

5) Krishna’s Butter Ball

By far the best attraction in Chennai in my opinion. Krishna’s Butterball is an enormous granite boulder that rests in place on the side of an incline. When you see it, you cannot help but wonder how it is actually staying in place. How has it never fallen off? It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, so it does draw quite a few tourists. I enjoyed this site the most because of how unusual it was and how unique it is Chennai India.

P.S. It is said that Krishna’s Butter Ball has been in the same spot just hanging on for over 1200 years.

Chennai Wrap Up

            Chennai was an interesting place and I was very happy to have visited it. However, Chennai is also a perfect example of not judging a country by one city. Chennai was a mediocre experience, but I would bet that other parts of India would leave me absolutely speechless, in a good way. If you are in Sri Lanka and you have a few extra days, then Chennai could be a good stop. It is a cheap airline ticket and you could experience a bit of India.

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