Tamil Nadu's Seven Wonder Tour

The Senate House in Chennai

The Senate House in Chennai is certainly a worth watching monument in Tamil Nadu. It is located on the campus of the University of Madras, near the Marina beach. It's really an architectural marvel, built under the supervision of one of the greatest architects of the 19th century, Robert Fellows Chisholm. Its structure is a creative and harmonious blend of Indo-Saracenic style with Byzantine architectural features. The building is surrounded by four towers flanked by exquisite domes, painted in different colours. The Senate House is a must visit place for travellers visiting Chennai.

Kanadukathan Chettinad Palace

The palace is an outstanding specimen of the Chettinad architecture. It is just 10 km from Karaikudi town in Tamil Nadu. The palace is the main shooting spot in Tamil Nadu and hence a lot of Tamil, Telugu films are shot in this palace. The mansions have beautiful marble and granite pillars that supports a spacious verandah. The hall leads to the central courtyard, which are used for weddings and religious ceremonies erstwhile. The palace also has a small dining room for private dinners with an extendable rosewood table. The room has photographs and paintings of the British days. The first floor comprises mainly of bedrooms and living rooms that are not open to tourists.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

It is a historic Hindu temple located in the southern banks of river Vaigai in the temple city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. The temple was built during the reign of Chadayavarman Sundara Pandyan in the 12th century. The imposing 9-storey tower was built between the 13th and 16th century. There are 11 gopurams, the most attractive of them being the one at the southern entrance rising to a height of 160 feet. The Golden Lotus Tank inside the temple is surrounded by spacious corridors, the walls of which are covered with paintings depicting the Lord's miracles is also a major tourist attraction.

Rock Fort Temple, Trichy

The Rock Fort Temple in Trichy is a combination of two famous 7th century Hindu temples, one dedicated to Lord Ganesh and the other dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple stands 83m tall perched on top of the rock. To visit the temple is a big climb, with 437 steps cut into the stone, to the top, but is well worth the effort. This temple is a must visit for travellers visiting Trichy.

Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari

It is a sacred memorial built on a rock in the ocean 500m off the mainland. It is believed that Swami Vivekananda had swam to this rock for meditation in 1852 to attain enlightment. Thousands of tourist flock to Kanyakumari every year to see the sacred memorial.

Mahabalipuram Sculptures, Mahabalipuram

Situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal is an ancient sea-side town called as Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram. An erstwhile port of the Pallava dynasty, the place abounds with stone carvings, caves, rock cut temples are a major tourist attractions. A crocodile farm, venom extracting centre, schools of art and sculpture and a wide choice of resorts along the beach, attract holiday-seekers all round the year. Some other tourist places worth visiting are Sea Shore Temples, Tiger's Cave and Monolithic Rathas.

Brihadeeshwara Temple, Thanjavur

This temple is considered to be the best temples in South India. The most interesting part of this temple is the shadow of the temple, which surprisingly never cast its shadow on the ground at noon. The Brihadeshwara Temple is believed to be one of the tallest temples in the world.