Chennai has an intriguing blend of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity. The unique culture of Tamil Nadu underpins it all, and supplies most of the highlights in the city, but there are also some great sites left behind by the British such as Georgetown, as well as number of old European churches and Hindu temples dating back centuries. Don’t expect to be blown away by the quantity of sites in Chennai, but the few it has are well worth some exploration.

Fort Museum
Located within Fort St George, this excellent museum presents the colonial legacy of the British as they tried to establish a foothold in India in the 1600s. Military uniforms, weapons and relics from the British Raj era are presented along with a nice collection of portraits of prominent figures of the day. Phone: +91 44 2567 1127.

Fort St George
Built in 1640, Fort St George is the oldest British structure in India and was once the headquarters of the East India Company. Covering a very large area, the fort now houses the impressive Secretariat Building, State Legislature, a couple of churches and the educational Fort Museum. Visitors can easily spend a day exploring the grand architecture and narrow lanes of the old fort area around Kamaraj road.

Georgetown
The commercial and historic hub of Chennai is the main highlight in the city. In addition to some lovely churches such as the Armenian Church of 1772 and the Wesleyan Church of 1820, Georgetown is a fascinating and colourful place to wander around exploring the small side-streets full of traditional shops and old houses. This is one of the few places in Chennai best explored on foot.

Little Mount Church
This fascinating church built by the Portuguese in 1551 has some incredible stories based around St Thomas, the first Christian missionary in India. St Thomas supposedly lived in a tiny cave when he first arrived here in 58 AD, which can be accessed through a hole in the back of the church. A number of relics, such as the stone cross St Thomas was holding when he was killed, are on display. The church is located near Saidapet Bridge, Saidapet; Phone: +91 44 2235 1863.

St Andrew’s Church
One of the best views of the city can be found at the top of the 50m steeple on St Andrew’s. Located in the Egmore district, this church is modelled after London’s St Martins-in-the-field, but the real highlight is climbing the many steps to reach a small viewing balcony at the top of its striking blue dome that is decorated with golden stars. It is located at Periyar E.V.R. high road; Phone: +91 44 2561 2608.

St Mary’s Church
Asia’s oldest Protestant Church is a solid example of 17^th century craftsmanship. Located within Fort St George, the church was built in 1680 and has a fascinating cemetery on the grounds containing some of Chennai’s oldest dignitaries. You’ll find the church on Kamaraj road, Georgetown; Phone: +91 44 2538 3097.

Browse the stalls along T Nagar’s Pondy Bazaar. This is a packed little strip where everything under the sun is for sale. This is your one-stop shopping spot for cheap knick-knacks, jewellery, clothing and other souvenirs. The real highlight is cheap madras cotton. You can then find an excellent tailor a stone’s throw away to create whatever garment your mind can conjure in a few hours time.

Chill out on Elliot’s Beach. Just to the south of Marina Beach is this pleasant and uneventful stretch of sand where visitors can unwind along the sea without the hustle and bustle of vendors and kids at Marina Beach. A church and a temple are located at the end of beach to give you something else to check out.

Delve into the poetry of Thiruvalluvar, the poet-saint of Tamil Nadu. The Valluvar Kottam is both a shrine to this legendary poet and an auditorium which can seat 4,000 people for special performances. The granite pillars are inscribed with the poet’s epic tale called the Thirukkural, all 1,330 verses of it. It’s an interesting memorial to a man who supported and epitomised Tamil society and culture, and is located at Valluvar Kottam high road; Phone: +91 44 2817 2177.

Examine your religious ideology at the Theosophical Society. This is a centre designed for studying religion, philosophy and science under one roof. Founded in 1875, shrines of all faiths are represented here in the expansive gardens. Browse the library with its collection of rare oriental manuscripts, or simply sit under the world’s oldest banyan tree and meditate on your place in this life. A network of rambling paths cross the 270-acre grounds, giving plenty of space for relaxing and thinking. It is located on Adyar Bridge road; Phone: +91 44 2491 3528; website: www.ts-adyar.org.

Explore Chennai’s wildlife without even leaving the city. Guindy National Park is located right in the heart of the city. Hundreds of acres are open to the public to wander the nature trails, sit by the lakes and ponder life under centuries-old towering banyan trees. You’ll surely see plenty of birds such as the kingfisher and parakeet, but if you’re lucky you may spot black buck or spotted deer as well. The park is located across from Raj Bhava, Guindy; Phone: +91 44 2235 1941.

Put on your dancing shoes. Get a first-hand encounter with Tamil’s traditional dance forms. Kalakshetra is arguably the best venue in South Asia to observe both dancers being trained and experienced dancers performing the classic Tamil art of bharatanatyam. Special events are scheduled throughout the year, but if you want to see how it works behind the scenes, visitors are always welcome to watch. It is located on East Coast road, Thiruvanmiyur; Phone: +91 44 2491 1169.

Take a Heritage Walk. Every Sunday the Mylapore Times sponsors two excellent heritage walks that take in the main highlights of Chennai. The Fort George Walk extensively covers all the attractions of this 370-year-old fort, while the Mylapore-Santhome Walk focuses on Chennai’s oldest neighbourhoods. Heritage houses, churches and temples are explored in Hindu Mylapore and Christian Santhome. Each walk takes 3 hours, is extremely cheap, and well worth the time. Phone: +91 44 2498 2244.