Vedanthangal: A Paradise Near Chennai

Vedanthangal is a locality out of chennai and is towards south of chennai. birds are lured by the waters and the plantation around. The temperature at that time suits the birds and hence they reach the place. 


Vedanthangal, a few kilometers (around 30 Kms) from Chennai is a spectacular water bird sanctuary that is being taken care of the local people for several years. This bird sanctuary has a special place in history of Ornithology, because birds not only visit this place or migrate for a while, but there are some very rare birds that live here. Most Ornithologists have shown interest in this place and visit the areas almost every year during the November- December season. 


With the Marghazhi Masam or one of the coolest of Tamil months in the Tamil calendar, the place is filled with different kinds of birds from all over the world. Water birds like herons, cormorants, darters, ergets, open billed storks etc. are a common sight until mid of March. These visitors to the country come right after the monsoon here and rest until their biological clock takes them back to their homes. Some birds like the grey pelicans are a rare sight and these are found quite in number at Vedanthangal. 


Despite its national importance, Vedanthangal is mostly neglected by the Government, localites prefer to invest their time and efforts to keep the place clean and host the guest birds every year. Environmental pollution is another deadly curse on places like these because some of the birds like grey pelican do not make it to vedanthangal every year. Pollution of the city adds to the misery of this beautiful place. It is also important to mention that Adyar Estuary towards Marina Beach was also once a bird sanctuary and now a dirty spot where you wouldn’t even find a few black ducks. 


The Government has taken notice of this after a long time and now seems to have taken steps to clean the Adyar river that flows down the Adyar Bridge. Vedanthangal – You must make it sometime between November December.

Madras - Chennai: Dakshinachitra - Whole South India At One Place

Recently, I had been to Chennai one of the most beautiful cities of India on a project and had stayed there for a month or so. During the weekends, I wanted go out and visit places of interest and see how this city was known to be the center of culture and tradition. I was aware of temples and all the other usual places that one would visit, but that was not just what I had been looking for. 


I wanted to see something really exquisite that would highlight the real Chennai and the real love for Chennai. Many of my friends’ always had a special place in their heart for Chennai. So I went along the ECR, a wonderful road and just after the Toll Gate I saw a place called Dakshinachitra. The name itself had something very special. And felt may be this place reflects the entire South of India and its culture. 


Yeh baat hui na. I asked my driver to stop by and we went in. Took the tickets and was really enamored by the simplicity but extremely exquisite display of Structural Engineering of south Indian homes. It seems this place had taken a long time to open and had put in several efforts to literally transport old houses from the various areas of Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Andhra and Kerala. 


I was amazed that the houses not only had beautiful old structures and pieces of excellent carvings and art, they also had the old vessels, their furniture displayed. The entire house really looked as if some people really lived there. It also showed through paintings how the people of these places would dress. It was so live and amazing. Added to this, Dakshinachitra also exhibited various art forms in its theater and just near the theater, a place under the shade of a tree had small artisans making exquisite things that were really good and in fact I bought some to take back to Delhi.

Basically, belonging to Delhi, I had the opportunity to see the Structural Architecture of the entire South India (Just as the Name of the place tells us) along the east coastal regions of Tamilnadu. You must see – the whole place has an ambience of art and culture and one will be sure to be drowned in it for the next couple of hours.

Mahabalipuram: The Picturesque ECR, Chennai

Once again on the ECR, when I was in Chennai few months back, on a weekend I visited the world famous Mahabalipuram.  This place is widely known as temple caves and is very famous in the South.  In fact, most tourists who come to Tamilnadu do make a visit to this place despite the crowd and heat of the summers.   


Foreigners throng this place to see the cave temples carved in one whole stone.  Despite, being a tourist spot, it has historical relevance and lot of sculptural relevance.  Historically, the Mahabalipuram or well known as Mamallapuam was the most famous seaport of the Pallava Kings.  The granite blocks date back to sometime in the 7th century BC. Out of the five cave temples, four of them have been carved out of one rock and it is said that the five Pandavas with their wife Draupadi lived there and the structures represent their rathas or the chariots.  


It is also said that these structures were carved similar to the five wooden chariots of the Pandavas and their wife Draupadi. The most beautiful of the lot is the Shore Temple built very close to the sea is an extremely beautiful piece of art, which was basically built with granite blocks.  It is said that this temple was once under waters and that it is considered as one of the earliest examples of South Indian Architecture.   


These are basically the most important part of Mahabalipuram one should not be missing along the ECR, Chennai Route.  Besides, these beautiful structures, one finds several shops that carve wonderful pieces of art being carved alongside the roads leading to the temples and the rathas.  Lots of these shops also sell handicraft materials made of shells and they are really tempting.  Especially, the colourful shell curtains and the decorative vases.