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At the northern end of the
Marina, on Kamarajar Salai is
Anna Square, the burial place of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,
Dr. C.N. Armadurai. It is located in the centre of a beautiful park, the
entrance to which is a spectacular contemporary-style arch in the shape of
twin converging elephant tusks.
MGR Memorial
The Pondy Bazaar in Chennai is an area buzzing with activities at any
point of time. There is a street in near Pondy Bazaar, which contrasts its
busy activities and is relatively calm, bearing the board 'Way to MGR
Memorial'. The memorial is maintained in fond remembrance of the famous
actor-politician who still lives in the hearts of the masses. If you
follow the pointer and walk along the placid street, it will lead you to a
house thus clearing all your doubts.
In the year 1970 MGR purchased this house to meet some of his party
members. At present the MGR Trust is maintaining this house. A number of
ardent fans of MGR pay a visit to this memorial irrespective of the
political party to which they belong.
Mrs. Janaki MGR inaugurated this memorial in May 1990. Right from the
time of inauguration till date no money is collected by way of even
entrance ticket! This memorial is being run without the support of anyone.
About 5,000 pictures and 3,000 shields are displayed here. Actually there
are lots of photographs taken right from his first film 'Sati Leelavathi'
to his last film 'Maduraiyai Meetta Sundara Pandian' (about 138 films in
all). Due to dearth of space certain photographs have not been exhibited.
Items Displayed In The Memorial
As soon as one enters the house, one can see the dark green coloured car
bearing the number plate TMX 4777, ready to 'take-off' with the sirens
glowing. Some songs featured in MGR's films are being played in a low tone
all along. The shields presented to M .G. Ramachandran are displayed in an
orderly manner, in the reception.
Once you reach the first floor, you will land in his office room. The
swords, spears, heavy wooden clubs used by the actor, his plate, tumbler,
telephone instrument, the shirts that adorned him, the medals won by him,
television, the books read by MGR, camera, trolley, the cloth bandage that
was tied on him when he was shot are all exhibited much to the amazement
of the visitors.
A stuffed lion attracts the attention of all in the first floor room. The
late MGR, for his film 'Adimai Penn' brought up this lion. He named it
Raja and took good care of it. In the year 1969 when the lion died MGR got
special permission from the government and spent about a lakh of rupees to
mummify the dead lion.
Due to his sincere efforts the lion stands erect even today. In the
ground floor, photographs taken from MGR's films, letters received by him,
MGR's identification card, his famous cap and dark glasses, pen, the
'Bharat Ratna' medal won by him, the certificate given to him when he was
conferred with the doctorate degree are all displayed.
It is amazing to note the fact that this memorial attracts curious
visitors not only from our country but also from the U.S.A., Singapore and
Malaysia.
Closed On: Tuesday
Rajiv Gandhi Memorial
Rajiv Gandhi Memorial is located at Sriperumbudur, 40-km from
Chennai, which
incidentally is the birthplace of Sri Ramanujar, the Vaishnavite saint.
The memorial is raised in honour of Rajiv Gandhi, the charismatic Prime
Minister who was assassinated here by a human bomb in 1991.
Victory War Memorial
Adjacent to the Fort St. George on the south is the War Memorial, which
housed the coastal battery and was formerly called 'Cupid's Bow'. The
Victory War Memorial honours those who have laid down their lives for
their country since the First World War.
Air: Chennai
has an airport with both domestic and international terminals. Regular
flights connect Chennai with the major cities within the country and also
with countries like USA, Singapore, U.K etc.
Rail: Chennai
is well connected by rail with the important towns and cities within and
beyond the state.
Road: State transport buses and private buses connect
Chennai with the
major towns and cities within the country. Local trains, city buses, auto
rickshaws and taxis are also available for local transportation.
Being the capital city of the state, Chennai is well equipped with various kinds of accommodation options, varying from economic class to luxurious ones.