An Indian City Bursting With Action

It feels good to read such wonderful well written posts about my City and it's cuisine which are truly unparalleled

Brilliant article on Chennai, Lucas. Chennai is also hosting the first ever Quilt in Jan this year. Wonder if your article can be modified to reflect that. Chennai is known as the cultural capital of India and the quilt festival happening there is big! Chennai would be most grateful for a mention. We did a post on the India Quilt Festival on our blog, Notjustashopper. You can read all about it there or simply on their website. Thank you.

@Lucas Peterson, congratulations, you managed to fully immerse yourself in Madras (always Madras!) life in a short period of time. Even most long term residents lead a cloistered life compared to you. Sadly you missed Masala Dosa in Woodlands, the second finest in Madras. The best is at Mathsya in a neighborhood called Egmore. I plan to check out both next month...but you did get around and manage a Tamil movie as well. Don't worry, dialog is usually trite and secondary to the action onscreen. Good job.

“an interesting discussion on India’s caste system “? Really? Is such a thing possible? On a recent visit to India, well meaning guides brought up the caste system again and again, usually making sure to let us know that they belonged to either the Brahmin or Warrior caste. It is hard to discuss this without sounding disrespectful, but actually, I find it really hard to respect such an inhuman cultural anachronism. It’s oppressive, tragic, and utterly wasteful of human potential to segregate your population into predesignated roles. Learning that the British exploited the caste system to aid their centuries of divide, conquer, and rule offered no surprises at all. The caste system, virulent religious nationalism, horrifying disregard for the environment, shocking poverty, and runaway birth rates ... India has its glories, but it also offers a dismal snapshot of humanity’s worst potential.

Madras, Madras, Madras forever!

A nice article, glad to see food mentioned. Also thanks for giving exchanges in dollars enough to let us figure out rupees without having to run to an exchange site or calculator. NYT please tell your travel reporters its not a sin to mention exchange rates .

Bravo. Well done, Mr. Peterson. I stayed in Chennai (Madras) multiple times, and reading this article promptly brought me back 'home' to this wonderful city with many fond memories. Well done, indeed.

Chennai is a Great place to experience the southern Indian culture & cuisine :-) A trip to Kancheepuram is also a great add-on :-)

Delightful article. As a Chennaiite I beam. Sure there are downsides but none at all to come in the way of a tourist. Chennai is a very safe, tourist attractions-rich city with perhaps the longest beach in the world. It is quite cosmopolitan and yet soaked in Tamil culture. December & January weather beats Switzerland. And that is the height of carnatic music & bharatanatyam season attracting NRIs especially South Indians to flock to perform and enjoy the world-best talent. And I am lucky to own a modest apartment in Mylapore, the very heart of the heart of Chennai. There is so much to enjoy in Chennai & around - culturally, religiously and otherwise.

I stayed in Chennai for extended periods in 1991 and 2000. The pictures and text tell me that much remains the same. Some things that are not quite right: There is no mention of the classical Indian music festival in January and February which is arguably one of the most profound cultural experiences India has to offer. If you are making a day trip south, Kanchipuram which is quite close to Mahabalipuram has many beautiful temples including the famed so called beach temple. It is surely more interesting than the light French flavor of Pondicherry, If you have time to venture further south there are magnificent temples such as Madurai, Brihadeshwara in Tanjore, and Chidambaram (dedicated to Shiva as lord of the dance). These magnificent temples will change your understanding of the human condition. Also it is incomplete to say that Shiva is the god of destruction. Among many other aspects he is the god of creation also.

It is difficult to capture all that a city like Chennai has to offer in a short article so I like that the writer focused on a few things that is spot on which are the places I go to on my trips there every six months. Make a trip, you will have a great time!

As a ‘born and bred’ Madrasi aka Chennaiite now living in Connecticut, I’m glad you got to experience a slice of what Chennai has to offer. Santhome Church, mentioned in your article, was the wedding venue for Mr.Yale, founder of Yale University. That is something I chalk up as a CT connection to Chennai. The Ripon Building, named eponymously after the British administrator, is home to the second oldest municipal corporation in the world. The Art Gallery and Connemara Public Library in Egmore are both worth a visit - the former for its art exhibits and the latter for its historic value. Dakshin Chitra en route to Mahabalipuram should be on every tourist’s agenda. The Vedanthangal bird sanctuary (roughly 50 mikes away) is a breathtaking home to migratory birds in the winter. Don’t miss the quintessential Chennai pastime of watching a CSK cricket match the next time! Any movie experience pales in comparison.

Chennai really is accessible and memorable, but is a very large, sprawling city teeming with traffic that makes simply crossing a street a time consuming and dangerous endeavor. And those on scooters and motorcycles often give up on the streets in the older parts of the city and roar down the sidewalks (where there are sidewalks...). Goats and the occasional cow wander neighborhoods, the goats living on the plentiful garbage. And the beaches the author references, while wide and endless, are hopelessly strewn with trash. None of that makes the city any less desirable as a great adventure - but not mentioning it seems unrealistic, as anyone who has been there will attest. I second the recommendation for Storytrails, and would add that taking the train in from the airport is also a great experience.

What a beautiful human spirit, all embracing, to have while traveling that the writer had and thus was able to enjoy so much. Chennai and The land of Tamil in addition to its beauty also have a dark side: the place is one of the few and perhaps last surviving bastions of discrimination against humans be it on the basis of their caste, or where they come from. Sadly, the South Indians, Tamilians in particular — I discovered it first hand — discriminate against the people of India from the North. In addition, the Tamilians have a big problem with the language called Hindi, the national language of India. All places have their bright and dark sides. But the rootedness, longevity, and expanse of discrimination against people in general in Tamil Nadu needs to be looked at. It is unacceptable in any modern society. Or a society that wants to call itself one.

Thanks for writing about one of my favorite cities. You pretty much highlighted what a rich person like you (or me) does in Chennai, without asking any of the tougher questions around how a typical median income person lives. I wish the the answers to that were changing anytime soon, but I wouldn't bet on it.

I too visited Madras (Chennai ) this past December and, as usual, enjoyed the dosas, filter coffee and an invitation to a Brahmin wedding which took place at the same hotel where I got married 44 years ago! I was quite surprised to see introduction of many new activities into the age-old “smartha” wedding such as Mehndi, Sangeet etc which appear to have been liberally borrowed from North Indian customs. The food choices too appear to have grown with introduction of not only North Indian recipes but also Italian and Chinese. I was told that the bride’s parents spent in excess of US$150,000 on this “medium-priced” , three-day wedding!! All in all, the wedding turned out to be a fun event and Chennai weather cooperated to make it even more enjoyable. Despite a non- functioning municipality, life does go on in this huge metropolis!

I just returned from three weeks in South India, centered in Chennai, where I've enjoyed many long-term visits off and on for twenty years as the center for my academic research. This article captures the positive elements of the city quite accurately. Sangeetha, Ratna, and Muragan really are the go-to locations for classic south-Indian vegetarian fare. (My favorite is a morning breakfast of upma, a savory cream-of-wheat served with the ever-present sambar.) Overlooked, however, is the arguably largest classical-music festival in the world that takes place during December and early January every year. Dozens of independent concert societies (sabhas) and venues put on hundreds and hundreds of events each year. (Even the New-Jersey-based CMANA -- "Carnatic Music Association of North America" -- has a presence there.) Just as South India cuisine and culture is uniquely different from the better-know northern traditions, the Carnatic music of the South is a wholly different sonic experience, where the voice and a remarkable array of unusual percussion instruments (from the clay pot "ghatam" to the mouth-harp "morsing" to the two-headed "mridangam" drum) reign supreme, compared to the sitar and tabla in the North. Unmentioned are the strong downsides to the city, namely the climate (excepting Dec-Feb) and pollution. Even on a good day, a face mask would not be a bad idea. I used the app "AirVisual," and not once did the air quality escape the RED zone throughout my stay.

Great to see the coverage of Chennai, my hometown! BTW, the photo of the Tuk tuks is not from the street outside the Kapaleeswarar Temple. I'm almost certain that it's another temple - the Adi Kesava Perumal Temple (as is evident from the blue road sign and the temple tower in the background of the picture). This is a Vishnu temple, and is just a few streets away from the Kapaleeswarar Temple.

My dear You missed the real Chennai and bought home a well propagated idea of Brahminical Chennai. Brahmin consists of just 3 percent of the Tamil population and you were introduced to nothing but their daily stuff. When you wrote about dosas and filter coffee, what you missed were the fish delicasies of a beach side eatery of a Fisher woman, you missed the ostracised life of Chennai slums which tell you the real story of Chennai and the culture of food which is very metropolitan, I mean formed by thousands of city migrants from rural Tamil Nadu and also from other Indian states. Dosa is typically South Indian and the so called Veg only Brahmin restaurants that sere Dosa will not tell you the Brahmind have brunch with spice less curries and rice in the mornings. Make one more trip and find the soul of Chennai which a pro-capitalist, pro-rich websites will never tell you. Chennai is built with the sweat and blood of its migrant workforce and not by the 3 percent popularly Chennai crowd. Its food and palate is defined by the taste of this working class which no air conditioned restaurant will explain.

Re. the auto-rickshaw caption. I don't think Chennai-ites would call these vehicles "tuk tuks." More commonly just called an "auto" by locals.

Definitely visit only between November and February. Summer is absolutely brutal- humid, hot and dusty. Also worth checking out is T Nagar for the best silk saris, fabric and jewelry(both gold and fake). South India is safer, gentler and easier to navigate than North India.

'perfectly crispy and whisper-thin at the edges, the slightly sour ferment of the dosa perfectly complements the sambar (lentil stew) and spicy chutneys that frequently accompany it. Or, if you’ve got a heartier appetite, try the savory potato and onion filling you’ll find in a masala dosa' oh - u makea me hungry ! ah - thanks for the tip - I've usually ordered masala dosa as I haven't seen it offered without the potato filling - usually too much - so next time I'll look for it without ! now - next planned trip to an Indian restaurant that offers that ...

As a native Chennai-ite now living abroad, your write-up certainly took me back memory lane. I was amusedly salivating while reading the Westernised, yet accurate descriptions of the authentic local cuisine, which on a side note are also quite healthy. Your choice of places to see and eat at, were quite spot-on but would love to read more on the less conventional things to do and see there! Perhaps an idea for a second trip. Apart from cinema, the political undercurrent runs strong in the city, as does its focus on education, spirituality, classical arts, cohesiveness in a multi-religious city and the inherent simplicity of its people. Hope you got a chance to take in some of these themes as well.

You should add that the southern cities are much safer for women than those in the north of India. You pulled your punches on the stifling weather, and the fact that the rainy season is in the winter. Air-conditioning essential.

Coimbatore is a lovely city with a tenth of Chennai's traffic and double the joy. Sprinkle a bit of the picturesque mountains around, respectful language, authentic and delicious food, and genuinely friendly people, you are almost in heaven.

A quick stop in Mahabalipuram is hardly sufficient to experience one of the most compelling historic and cultural sites in south India. In fact, one really needs to spend a few full days in that area, taking in the temple town of Kanchipuram and the smaller but splendid hilltop shrine at Tirukkalukanram. N/A: Unless things have changed considerably since I was last in Chennai, I certainly wouldn't recommend swimming at Marina Beach: the water is horribly polluted.

Chennai is great. Now you need to head down to Puducherry with a stop in Mahabalipuram and of course Auroville. Then over to Trichy and Madurai. Enjoy Incredible India!