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99-721: Santhome is a locality in Mylapore in Chennai city (formerly Madras ) in India. The word Santhome or San Thome is derived from Saint Thomas . The tradition is that he was martyred in AD 72 at St.Thomas Mount in the city, and was interred in Mylapore . Later a church was built over his supposed tomb and today is known as the San Thome Basilica . The Basilica is one of the three churches that claim to have been built over

198-494: A 21-km run for professional athletes, a city run for everybody, a junior run for children, a master's run for senior citizens and a wheelchair run for the disabled. From 2016, the Marina Runner Marathon managed by Marina Runner Running Group is held every year in the last weekend of February, this event prides itself on promoting running along Marina Beach, the second longest Urban beach in the world. In 2008,

297-433: A church in that same place. In 1522 they started building the church under orders of King John III of Portugal and opened it in 1523. They named the east coast of Mylapore as Santhome where the church is located. In 1893 British decided to rebuild the church with the status of Cathedral and opened in 1896. Later on the church became Basilica and National Shrine of India. And also referred to be "International Shrine". It

396-579: A cost of ₹ 170,000 was also commissioned at the Marina swimming pool for managing the crowd. The corporation also planned to construct two more public conveniences at the beach. About 150 corporation staff, including a junior engineer, maintains the lawns and service lanes on the beach. As of 2013, the 3.1-km stretch of the beach from the Triumph of Labor statue to the lighthouse has 31 high-mast lamps. According to police statistics, about 5,000 people use

495-627: A court order, it was shifted on 3 August 2017 to a newly built memorial at Adyar . The other side of the road houses several historical buildings and institutions including the Chepauk Cricket Stadium , the University of Madras , the Presidency College , Vivekananda House , Queen Mary's College , Inspector General of Police Headquarters , All India Radio —Chennai, Dr. Annie Besant Park . In February 2008,

594-532: A giant chess board and an interactive fountain in the children's play area. This also includes relocation of the shops to specific locations on the sand at a cost of ₹ 41.2 million. In 2017, plans to revamp the beach under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the Indian government at a cost of ₹ 500 million have been drawn. The Marina continues to remain the most dangerous place to bathe or swim, recording

693-519: A memorial for the warriors who lost their lives in the World Wars , marks the northern end of the beach. Memorials for C. N. Annadurai , M. G. Ramachandran , J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi , former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu , are present on the northern end of the promenade known as the Anna Square . As of May 2018, a Lilliputian Children's Traffic Park was under construction near

792-400: A series of palanquins and other deities of the surrounding shrines including Mundagakanni Amman, Kolavizhi Amman, Vasuki with Valluvar, Draupadi Amman, Ankalaparameshwari Amman, Vairamudi Swami, and Chintadripet Muthukumaran are taken in procession. The Arubathimoovar on day eight draws the maximum crowd during which the 63 nayanmars along with the idol of philosopher-saint Valluvar as

891-556: A small and simple structure (church) was built over the tomb of Saint Thomas the Apostle by his disciples in AD 72. In AD 1521 the tomb was renovated by Portuguese missionaries who built a church over the tomb. After the tomb of Saint Thomas the apostle was renovated the relic of Apostle was firstly shown in the church. The body of the Apostle was taken into the town under grand procession in Santhome and Mylapore and again buried in

990-458: Is 3 to 5.5 feet (0.91 to 1.68 m) deep. The shallow end is 3.5 feet deep. It is maintained by Corporation of Chennai. It underwent renovation in 1994, 2004, and 2009 (at ₹ 7 million). On an average, the swimming pool receives 1,500 people. During the summer months of April and May, the footfall is goes up to 2,500 people. The pool can accommodate around 400 people at any given time and has 10 cloak rooms. As of 2018, there were 30 staff in

1089-493: Is 4 to 11 feet (1.2 to 3.4 m) deep. It also has a toddler pool that is 2.5 feet (0.76 m). Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) conducts regular coaching camps at the pool. The oval-shaped skating arena at the beach has an outer railing and standing area for people to watch from. As part of the 'Chennai Forever' initiative by the Tamil Nadu government , a 34-foot (10 m) tall, artificial waterfall

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1188-415: Is a major tourist attraction of the city. It is also the main place for the local people to escape from the summer heat. The beach is popular for its shops and food stalls run by about 500 shops run by about 1,212 vendors. The memorials and statues, morning walk, joggers' track , lovers' spot, aquarium, and the like make it a hangout for people of all ages. Kite flying and beach cricket are common sports at

1287-527: Is a natural urban sandy beach along the Coramandel coast on the Bay of Bengal . Primarily sandy, the beach spans about 13 km (8.1 mi), running from near Fort St. George in the north to Besant Nagar in the south and is the longest natural urban beach in India. The average width of the beach is 300 m (980 ft) and the width at the widest stretch is 437 m (1,434 ft). Marina beach

1386-650: Is a natural sandy urban beach similar to the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro , helping it earn the title. In December 2001, the Kannagi statue, which was erected in 1968 on the occasion of a World Tamil Conference held in Chennai, was removed for traffic maintenance reason as part of modernization of the beach, which led to a huge protest and demonstration by the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. When

1485-634: Is a very important church in the world and most visited site in Chennai. Now it is known as "National Shrine of St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica" or "Santhome Church" built over the holy tomb of Saint Thomas the Apostle . The glory and dignity of St. Thomas shown in this Cathedral Basilica Church. During the First Carnatic War , after the French captured Fort St George from the British, the Nawab of

1584-608: Is celebrated on 15 August every year. Mylapore is regarded by many as the cultural hub of the city. Mylapore is the home of music sabhas (cultural organizations) and musicians. December is often set aside as the Music Season when regular and continuous kutcheris are organized by the Sabhas in Mylapore. There are performances by Carnatic Music vocalists and artists during this period. The Parthasarathy Swami Sabha in Mylapore

1683-464: Is estimated to be around 150,000 to 300,000. It has long been a site of cultural importance for Brahmins , which can be attributed to Mylapore's early role as a temple centre. Smartha Brahmins , a sub-sect, were one of the first people to settle in this township. More accurate statistics are not available as Mylapore is not a separate township by itself, but a part of Chennai city. The different neighbourhoods within Mylapore have been distributed among

1782-549: Is known for its tree-lined avenues, Kapaleeshwarar Temple , Katcheri seasons, and Ramakrishna Matha among many others. St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai which is believed to house the tomb of Thomas the Apostle , is in Mylapore. The word Mylapore is the anglicized form of the Dravidian word Mayilāppūr . It is derived from the Tamil phrase மயில் ஆர்ப்பரிக்கும் ஊர் Mayil ārpparikkum ūr , which means 'land of

1881-514: Is part of Chennai South (Lok Sabha constituency) . There used to be a tram line running through Kutchery Road from Santhome via Luz, Mylapore. Mylapore is connected to other parts of the city by MTC buses, with connections including Chennai Central , T. Nagar , Tambaram , Broadway , CMBT , Vadapalani . Thirumayilai Railway Station , on the Mass Rapid Transit System network, connects Mylapore to Chennai Beach to

1980-580: Is planning to bring the beach under close watch by means of two watchtowers and at least a dozen surveillance cameras. The Chennai Corporation has agreed in principle to create the security infrastructure based on a proposal sent by the Greater Chennai Police . The watchtowers are proposed to be erected behind the Triumph of Labour statue and the Gandhi statue. In August 2012, the government sanctioned six more all-terrain vehicles for patrolling

2079-582: Is surrounded by traditional crowded street markets of Chennai selling fruits, flowers, vegetables and traditional brass ware. Mylapore is known for the Adi Kesava Perumal Temple constructed in honor of Keshava or Vishnu , a principal god in the Hindu pantheon and the "Preserver" in the Hindu trinity . The temple has an idol of Vishnu accompanied by his celestial consort Goddess Lakshmi. This

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2178-545: Is the birthplace of Peyalvar. It has sannathis for the thayar Mayuravalli, Chakkarathalvar, Sri Andal, Sri Rama & Anjaneya. It is the avatara sthalam (birthplace) of Peyalvar and has a separate sannithi for the Alvar. During the brahmotsavam the utsavar goes in a procession accompanied by Sridevi & Bhudevi in the mada streets and also gives the chance to see the Theppam festival in the centuries-old kulam (tank). Every year

2277-534: Is the oldest Sabha (Assembly) in Tamil Nadu. The Madras Music Academy in the north of the district is an important nucleus of art events in the city. Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan Auditorium conducts cultural events. The Mylapore Fine Arts located near Nageshwara Rao Park is another Sabha. The 10-day Panguni Brahmotsavam , a series of procession events of the Kapaleeshwarar temple and related shrines around

2376-499: Is under construction. As part of the beautification project, the decade-old 250-watt lamps were replaced with 690 anti-corrosive lamps along Kamaraj Salai and the service road. The renovation was completed in December 2009 at a cost of ₹ 259.2 million. Although initially the corporation planned to outsource security personnel to protect the renovated structures, the plan was dropped and about 50 corporation staff were employed to man

2475-612: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India . It is an important pilgrimage center for the Syrian Christians of Kerala . The church also has an attached museum. Church of Our Lady of Light is a Roman Catholic shrine in the locality. It is commonly called as Luz Church by the locals, which derives from the Portuguese name Nossa Senhora da Luz. Built in 1516 by the Portuguese, it is one of the oldest Churches in

2574-608: The Chennai Corporation , previously known as The Madras Corporation , took up the Marina Renovation Project with improved landscaping, seating arrangements, walkways, and lighting along the promenade, and architectural elements such as plazas, gazeboes, and pergolas were installed all along the stretch including 4 m-wide non-slippery granite footpaths near the service lane, another 5 m-wide footpath, and 15 m-wide lawns. The blueprint of

2673-732: The Independence , the Triumph of Labour statue and the Gandhi statue in 'march to Dandi' stride, which has been duplicated on the lawns of the Parliament House , were erected on the beach. In 1968, a number of statues of icons of Tamil literature was erected to mark the first World Tamil Conference, including Avvaiyar , Tiruvalluvar , Kambar , Subramania Bharathiyar , Bharathidasan , the Dravidologist Caldwell , G. U. Pope and Veeramamunivar . Anna memorial

2772-527: The World Bank , the government built 2,000 temporary Marina beach shelters each measuring about 250 sq.ft. to house families affected by the tsunami at a cost of ₹ 172.3 million. However, in 2012, new houses for residents of tenements on the Marina Beach was planned to be taken up under a Disaster Preparedness Project of the state government. As a visible change in the beach immediately after

2871-495: The 2-km-long Loop Road daily for their morning walk. As of 2017, there were 1,544 vendors on the beach, which increased to 1,962 by 2019. In 2019, the Corporation decided to restrict the licensed vendors to 900. There are toilets at six locations across the stretch and about 175 sanitary workers deployed at the beach on shift basis. The beach had facility to park 2,271 two-wheelers, 457 cars, and 80 vans and buses. Being

2970-457: The 5th day after the tsunami, normal composition of sand grains appeared to have been restored at different depths. The tsunami also resulted in various geomorphological changes in the region such as those in the contour of the 2,000 km-long Burma Plate , which sits atop the India plate , resulting in a rise in the land level of Chennai, ranging between 0.5 cm and 3 cm. Following

3069-521: The 64th nayanmar are taken in procession. The festival is dated back to 7th century CE. Nageshwara Rao Garden is known for its play area, shrubs and cultural events. Mylapore Website provides news about arts and culture of Chennai City. The Mylapore Times, a weekly neighbourhood newspaper, covers issues relating to the neighbourhood of Mylapore. Mylapore is also known for its South-Indian food. There are many famous eateries in Mylapore that are thronged by people. The Mylapore assembly constituency

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3168-548: The Anna Memorial adjacent to the Anna Swimming Pool at a cost of ₹ 20.7 million. The traffic park measures 4,140 square meters, with facilities such as a viewing gallery, walking track, children's play area, traffic sign boards, and a riding track. All along the length of the promenade, stone statues adorn the roadside area of the beach starting from the Triumph of Labour statue, the first statue erected in

3267-566: The Apostle allegedly died at Mylapore in 72 CE. Ptolemy had recorded in the second century CE that the port of Mylapore was known to the Greeks and the Romans, but does not mention any thing about St. Thomas or Christians. The Saivite Saints of the seventh century, Saint Sambandar and Saint Appar, have sung about the shrine in their hymns. Mention has been made of the early settlement of Santhome (currently known) by Arab travelers and merchants of

3366-623: The Carnatic , Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan , expected the town to be handed over to him as overlord. Anwaruddin responded by sending a 10,000 man army under Mahfuz Khan, his son, to take the fort from Dupleix by force forcing him to move south. Khan seized Santhome and formed a battle line on the north bank of the Adyar River on 22 October to prevent the French from moving up reinforcements from Pondicherry . When Kahn's forces approached

3465-764: The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. Many volunteer organizations in the city, such as the Students' Sea Turtle Conservation Network and the Sea Turtle Protection Force of the TREE Foundation, get involved in conservation of the species along the coast. Meiofaunal composition at the Marina Beach chiefly includes turbellarians , nematodes , polychaetes , oligochaetes , and harpacticoids . Species of gastrotrichs are also found in

3564-474: The DMK later came to power, the statue was installed in the same place on 3 June 2006 by the DMK party chief M. Karunanidhi . On 9 August 2003, an open-air stage located 350 ft from the sea on the sands of the Marina called Seerani Arangam , constructed in 1970, which was used by religious groups and political parties to address gatherings, was demolished by the state government (ADMK) in order to modernise

3663-527: The French ceased being suppliants to the local ruler. Santhome has some premier educational institutions. Hence, it became an administrative capital locality of the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore. These include Rosary Matriculation School, St. Bedes A. I. Hr. Sec. School, Santhome Higher Secondary school, St. Raphel's School and Dominic Savio Matric. School. The official residence of the Archbishop of

3762-690: The Gandhi Statue which has been improved with hand rails and tiles on the periphery under the project. A total of 14 galleries with seating arrangements and a 4-m internal walkway along the sands and fountains have been created on the 3.1-kilometre (1.9 mi) stretch from the Anna Square to the Lighthouse. This stretch has uninterrupted pavement and a sub-road parallel to the main road. Five reverse osmosis plants capable of providing 30,000 liters of drinking water an hour free of cost to visitors

3861-472: The Indian Ocean floor on 26 December 2004 at 6.20 am IST, struck the beach, which is about 2028 km North West from the epicentre , at 8.40 am IST. The reported height of the tsunami waves at the beach was 6 m which washed away about 206 persons on the beach, most of whom were morning joggers and children playing cricket on the beach, including a few tourists. With the assistance of

3960-520: The Madras - Mylapore Archdiocese is in Santhome adjacent to the Basilica. The consulates of Russia and Spain are also in this area. The Santhome High Road stretches from the light house side of the famous Marina beach and goes through in front of St. Thomas basilica towards Adyar . San Thome Basilica Mylapore Mylapore (also spelt Mayilapur ), or Thirumayilai , is a neighbourhood in

4059-437: The Marina. The annual idol-immersion event following the Hindu festival of Vinayaka Chathurthi takes place at the beach where most of the idols of Lord Ganesh kept on display during the festival in the city is immersed into the sea. The event occurs in the month of August–September. The beach is also the venue for several marathon and walkathon campaigns throughout the year conducted for various cause. The beach receives

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4158-715: The Parthasarathy Perumal comes to the Kesava Perumal temple and Kesava Perumal too goes to Triplicane along with Peyalvar. Mylapore has the Srinivasar temple near Chitra Kulam in Mylapore, which is administered by the Vedantha Desikar Devasthanam (SVDD). It is located beside the Adi Kesava Perumal Temple, which has an imposing gopuram that can be seen from quite a distance. The Ekambareswarar–Kamakshi Koil , commonly known as

4257-597: The Valluvar Koil, is also located in the neighborhood. The Valluvar shrine is located within the Ekambareswarar temple complex and is dedicated to the poet-saint Valluvar . Dating back to at least the early 16th century, the temple was extensively renovated in the 1970s. Considered to be the birthplace of Valluvar, the temple is the oldest ever built to Valluvar. The temple also serves as the venue for meetings of Tamil language enthusiasts. While many consider

4356-501: The available historical and archaeological evidence show, it could well be the oldest part of Chennai, with written records of early settlements going back to the first century BCE. Thiruvalluvar , the Tamil poet-philosopher, is believed to have been born here in 31 BCE. It was known for its ancient port with a flourishing trade with the Roman Empire, receiving gold in exchange for its products like pepper and fine cloth. St. Thomas

4455-523: The ban was revoked after the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act , 1960 was amended by the state government to allow the sport. Being the most prominent open space in the city, the Marina Beach hosts several events throughout the year. The annual Independence Day and the Republic Day ceremonial parades and airshows are held along the promenade along with the unfurling of the national flag in

4554-412: The beach lies, is one of the three major nesting grounds on the Indian coast. However, with the expansion of the shrimp trawling fishery in the eastern coast of India in the mid-1970s, several individuals of the species are washed ashore dead every year. The eggs laid by the females along the beach are also sold in the local market by the fishermen and traders. In 1977, a recovery program was started by

4653-497: The beach played host to India's first International Beach Volleyball Championship, BSNL FIVB Chennai Challenger:2008 , from 15 to 20 July to popularize beach volleyball . The event was organized by the Beach Volleyball Club and was sponsored by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited . Eleven Indian teams along with 60 teams from 21 countries participated in the 6-day-long tournament offering a total prize money of US$ 40,000 in

4752-409: The beach to its present extent. The beach was formed as a result of arresting the littoral drift by the port's breakwater . The area of the beach is increasing 40 sq m every year due to progradation . Since the creation of the promenade in 1884, there were several additions along the stretch. The country's first aquarium was established as one of the first additions in 1909. Shortly after

4851-414: The beach, and there are also facilities for pony rides. Beach cricket at the Marina dates back several decades. However, Chennai City Police has banned it at different points due to its interference with traffic and beach walkers. The sea is generally rough and waves are strong. There are fishermen colonies present at both ends of the beach. There are also joyrides, merry-go-rounds and mini giant wheels along

4950-411: The beach, near the memorials at the Anna Square to Mahatma Gandhi statue near the lighthouse . Most statues are of national or local legends while others have symbolic significance like the Triumph of Labour statue. The statues along the promenade are (from north to south): Earlier present near Gandhi statue traffic island was a statue for Sivaji Ganesan , which was erected on 21 July 2006. Following

5049-538: The beach. In December 2012, in a measure to regulate parking and to control the entry of vehicles into the beach, the Chennai Corporation decided to install drop gates at seven entry points on the beach's service lane, including near the PWD Building, Subash Chandra Bose statue, Dr. Annie Besant statue, Vivekanandar Illam, Avvaiyar statue, Veeramamunivar statue and the lighthouse. Despite intensive patrolling, illegal bike races and night races are also held along

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5148-540: The beach. In 2010, the Chennai Corporation procured new cleaning equipment to clean the beach at a cost of ₹ 8.011 million. These included a sand-cleaning machine capable of cleaning 15,000 m area in an hour procured at a cost of ₹ 3.267 million, three skid steer loaders to clean narrow lanes commissioned at a cost of ₹ 2.652 million, imported lawn mower, ride-on mechanical sweeper, tree pruner and hedge trimmer. An automatic ticket-vending machine at

5247-613: The beach. This spot was a place where rallies were held for the freedom movement during the British Raj, and the stage was considered a symbol of the historical events that had taken place in the Marina. This created a great controversy. In 1966, a tramp ship SS Damatis sank near the Marina due to a cyclone in the region. The beachfront was severely damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami . The tsunami waves, caused due to an M 9.2 magnitude earthquake at about 257 km south-southeast of Banda Aceh , Sumatra , Indonesia, on

5346-491: The campus sells books on Indian epics - Ramayana and Mahabharatha, talks, travels and works of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda , as well as the philosophy of Vedanta along with monthly magazines. The monks conduct lectures and interviews in English on Sunday evenings from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. San Thome Basilica , built over the tomb of Thomas the Apostle , is a Roman Catholic minor basilica at Santhome in

5445-420: The center of Santhome Church , in 1523 after the church was opened. In 1545 Saint Francis Xavier visited the church and stayed for nearly 11 months. He often prayed in the tomb and celebrated Eucharist Mass in the main church. In 1729 the tomb was first opened to the public. The Portuguese explorers came to Mylapore in 1500, they saw the tomb of St.Thomas as a small abandoned structure and they decided to build

5544-575: The central part of the city of Chennai , India . It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the celebrated Tamil philosopher Valluvar , and the Hindu saint and philosopher, Peyalvar . It is also believed by Christians to be the place of martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle , who preached along the Malabar Coast, and established the Malankara Nasrani community . Mylapore

5643-639: The city and its foundation stone marks as one of the oldest European monuments in India. The history of the church dates back to the 16th-century legend of safe arrival to land by missionaries. The church is located very near to the Santhome Basilica, where Apostle Thomas is believed to be buried. Although at the time the church was built, the locality was a thick forest, now it is part of a bustling metropolitan area. This 16th century European architecture building consists of patterns of Gothic arches and Baroque ornamentation. The feast of Our Lady of Light

5742-401: The city of Chennai. Thomas is traditionally believed to have sailed to Muziris in modern-day Kerala India in 52 CE. The Saint Thomas Christians or Nasrani Christians of Kerala are believed to have been converted by St Thomas. Tradition has it that Thomas was killed in 72 CE at Mylapore and his body was interred here. His relics were moved to Edessa in the third century. San Thome Basilica

5841-467: The city's primary area for recreation, the entire stretch features numerous statues and monuments that have come up over the years along the beach promenade, called Kamaraj Salai. While the beach stretches along the eastern side of the road, the western side is dotted with various governmental institutions and historic and stately buildings from the British rule all along its length. Victory War Memorial ,

5940-511: The civil engineer C R Narayana Rao . Mylapore is located a few kilometres to the south of the British-built Chennai city. The neighborhood is bordered by Triplicane in the north, Royapettah in the northwest, Alwarpet in the west, and Mandaveli in the south. The Bay of Bengal coast is in the east of Mylapore. It extends for around 4 km from north to south and 2 km from east to west. The population of Mylapore

6039-522: The commercial and intellectual hub of Madras city and home to British-educated lawyers and statesmen, the most elite of whom formed the Mylapore clique . Some of the luminaries based in Mylapore included Sir V. Bhashyam Aiyangar , Sir S. Subramania Iyer , Sir T. Madhava Rao , Eardley Norton , Sir P. S. Sivaswami Iyer , Pennathur Subramania Iyer , V. Krishnaswamy Iyer , and Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer . H Bhimasena Rau , C S Rama Rao Sahib , Subanthore Vasudeva Rao , CR Krishnaswamy Rao Sahib , and

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6138-428: The dangers, as the undercurrent is very turbulent. It is one of the most crowded beaches in the country and attracts about 30,000 visitors a day during weekdays and 50,000 visitors a day during the weekends and on holidays. During summer months, about 15,000 to 20,000 people visit the beach daily. Before the 16th century, there were frequent incident of inundation of land near the coast due to rise in sea level. When

6237-428: The debris of a tramp ship SS Damatis that sank off the beach during a cyclone in 1966. Police personnel and lifeguards constantly patrol the whole area, which is divided into seventy-two sections, by means of horses and all-terrain vehicles (known as beach buggies ). Five spots off the beach, including near the Anna Square, Kannagi Statue, Triumph of Labor Statue and behind Vivekananda House, have been identified by

6336-635: The design in the form of small theatre-type galleries where visitors can sit. All the 14 sections vary significantly from one another and were designed in such a way as to the differentiation of sections not leading to any break in the walkway, which is a continuous walking stretch from the Triumph of Labor Statue to the Kamaraj Statue. One of these galleries is flanked by two semi-circular stainless-steel pergolas resting on wire-cut brick columns. The galleries can accommodate over 1,000 people. The choice of natural stones and pillars used in each section of

6435-500: The different wards of the Chennai Corporation. Mylapore is known for its cultural and religious heritage. Mylapore is home to hundreds of temples, churches and mosques. Kapaleeswarar Temple is one of the most famous temples of Chennai. Originally temple relocated by the Tuluva dynasty (1491–1570 CE) from sea shore of Mylapore. The main deity of the temple is Shiva. The temple exhibits exquisite Dravidian architecture. The huge temple

6534-419: The early 19th century, a number of public buildings were constructed fronting the beach. Ever since the harbor was built, the area south of the port has accreted significantly, forming the present day's beach mainly due to the presence of wave breakers laid for the construction of the harbor, although the coast in the northern region has undergone severe erosion . Eventually, the north-drifting current widened

6633-622: The first three of the twelve Alvar saints of the sixth to ninth century CE. Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, is the oldest center of the Ramakrishna Order in the South India. Sri Ramakrishna is the main deity of the temple. Architecture of the temple is a blend of Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, Rajput, and Christian styles. The sprawling campus contains several huge quiet halls for dhyana , the Sanskrit word for meditation. The book store on

6732-415: The government allotted ₹ 89 million for the renovation of the memorials of Anna and M.G.R. This include ₹ 12 million and ₹ 43 million towards renovation of Anna Memorial and M.G.R. and Amma Memorial, respectively, ₹ 34 million towards additional construction at the M.G.R. and Amma Memorial. In 2012, the corporation allotted ₹ 48.4 million for installing two high-mast lamps, a police watchtower, and

6831-407: The highest number of drownings in the state of Tamil Nadu . Bathing and swimming are illegal at Marina beach since the undercurrent in the region is very strong, and there are no lifeguards stationed here. As many people throng the beach, quite often there are drowning mishaps. An estimated five sea-bathers are drowned every month at the beach, and most of the swimmers are dragged by the tides into

6930-544: The maximum number of visitors on the Kannum Pongal day, a day in the festival season of Pongal in mid-January, when about 150,000 people come to the beach. The annual Chennai Marathon managed by Chennai Runners is held in the beach starting from the Anna Square to Annai Velankanni Church on the Elliot's Beach in Besant Nagar . It is India's biggest city marathon and is also said to be South India's richest marathon, in which over 1,000 athletes and more than 20,000 people participate, which includes various categories such as

7029-467: The ninth and tenth centuries. Marco Polo visited the place in the late 13th century and left a detailed description of the land, the people along with their customs and religion and also visited the tomb of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Mylapore (currently Santhome ). It was considerable maritime time and the ancient German and Greek maps refer to the town as 'Maliarpha'. The later Scottish researchers like James Playfair referred it "Meliapour" Mylapore

7128-402: The north and Velachery on the south. Marina beach 13°03′15″N 80°17′01″E  /  13.05418°N 80.28368°E  / 13.05418; 80.28368 The Marina is a primarily sandy beach, with an average width of 300 m (980 ft) and the width at the widest stretch is 437 m (1,434 ft). Bathing and swimming at the Marina are legally prohibited because of

7227-543: The peacock scream'. Historically, peacocks have been known to thrive in the area, which is evident from the several statues in the Kapaleeshwarar Temple towers and in the emblem of the San Thome Basilica . Thirugnanasambandar has also mentioned mayil (peacocks) in his songs in Tevaram . Mylapore is also known as Thirumayilai. Mylapore is an ancient settlement. It was historically known as Vedapuri. As

7326-455: The police as extremely unsafe due to the presence of whirlpools and rock projections in the seabed . In 2010, 75 people drowned in the sea along the 5-km stretch of the beach. Of this, the 1-km stretch from Anna Square to the Anna swimming pool is considered the most dangerous with as many as 29 persons drowning in the sea in 2010. The deep sea in this stretch is considered to still hold parts of

7425-460: The pool and six surveillance cameras. The Anna swimming pool is located opposite the clock tower building of the University of Madras and virtually remains hidden behind the Anna Square bus terminus. The pool is said to be the first Olympic size pool to be built in Tamil Nadu. It was constructed in 1976 with a diving board. However, the diving board was removed later during a renovation. The pool

7524-419: The present day road for a long time until the harbor was built in 1881. Mount Stuart Elphinstone Grant Duff , the governor of Madras from 1881 to 1886, who was captivated by the beach on an earlier visit to the city in the late 1870s, conceived and built the promenade along the beach in 1884 by extensively modifying and layering with soft sand. He also gave it the name Madras Marina in the same year. Since

7623-412: The promenade was based on the type of the buildings on the other side of the road. The walkway was designed as low-lying as is necessary to have a clear view of the beach from the road. A total of 428 octagonal poles with seagull-shaped light fittings and additional high-mast lamps have been erected. Ten modern stainless steel bus shelters have been erected near the beach. There is a skating rink behind

7722-530: The region. Common fishes found along the beach include mullets , sharks , silver bellies , rays , ribbon fish , skates , whitebait , dussumieria , Jew fish , horse mackerel , crabs , seer , pellona , pomfret , perches , lactarius , lethrinus , flying fish , engraulis , sardines , lobsters , sabre fish , barracuda , hilsa , tunny fish , Indian salmon , leather jackets , cookup , breams , catfish , snappers , synagris , bonito , soles , polynemus , and prawns , among others. The Marina

7821-471: The renovation project included ornamental fountains, exclusive parking lots for two- and four-wheelers, a children's play area, bus shelters, ramps for physically challenged, and food courts. The whole length of the stretch from Triumph of Labor Statue to the Lighthouse measuring 3.1 km has been divided into 14 harmonious landscaped galleries dotting its span, each with an element of drama attached to

7920-487: The sea was too close to the fort. The building of the harbor near the fort resulted in sand accretion to the south of the fort and the harbor and the sea, which was washing the ramparts of the fort, moved afar at about 2.5 km away from the fort creating a wide beach between the land and the sea. Before the Madras harbor was built, the beach was just a strip of mud, teeming with mudskippers . The beach washed up close to

8019-465: The sea withdrew, several ridges and lagoons were left behind. On the southern side of Fort St. George , one such sand ridge ran from the mouth of the Cooum River to the present site of the Presidency College . On the rear side of the ridge was a huge depression on which the college grounds were later developed. The ridge is the site of the present-day beach. When Fort St. George was built in 1640,

8118-441: The smacked ship. In 2011, in addition to the tie-up with Coast Guard security personnel, the city police planned for a tie-up with the fire and rescue services department to provide a stand-by rescue team at the beach to save people from drowning. The rescue team, equipped with a rubber boat and a motor-fitted boat, was planned to be stationed at the Anna Square police station or the Marina police station. The law-enforcing agencies

8217-493: The stretch, although they are installed without permission from any government agency. There are two swimming pools along the stretch—the Marina swimming pool and the Anna swimming pool. The Marina swimming pool was built in 1947 and is located on a 1.5-acre compound opposite the Presidency College. The pool is 100 m long and 34 m wide, bigger than the standard Olympic pool size of 50 m × 25 m and

8316-754: The stretch, resulting in public nuisances and, at times, death of the racers. With a length of 13 km, including a 6 km promenade, the Marina is considered the world's second longest urban beach, although there exist in fact several longer beaches, including Praia do Cassino (254 km) in Brazil , Cox's Bazar (120 km) in Bangladesh , Padre Island on the U.S. Gulf Coast, Ninety Mile Beach in Australia and Ninety Mile Beach (88 km) in New Zealand . However, unlike most beaches, Marina

8415-401: The stretch. In 2009, a 4.5-km-long stretch along the beach was announced plastic-free zone, prohibiting the sale and use of plastic. In November 2010, the corporation imposed a fine of ₹ 100 on the usage of plastic items that are less than 20  μm thick on the entire stretch. Within a couple of years since the ban, the use of plastics on the beach was reduced by 70 percent. In 2012,

8514-658: The task of cleaning up the Marina and protecting the ecosystem. Particular efforts include protection of olive ridley turtle nests along the Neelankarai section of the beach. Marina Beach lies on the stretch of coast where olive ridley sea turtles , a species classified as Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 (critically endangered), nest during mating season, chiefly between late October and April peaking from mid-January to mid-February. The Ennore–Mamallapuram zone, on which

8613-456: The temple as the birthplace of Valluvar, some consider it as his samadhi (place of cremation). Madhava Perumal Temple is dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu . Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture , dedicated to Vishnu , who is worshiped as Madhava Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Amirtagadavalli. According to some, the temple is believed to be the birthplace of Peyalvar , one of

8712-406: The temple during the Tamil month of Panguni (March–April), is the most important annual event of the neighbourhood. People from around the country and abroad participate in the events. The main deities of the Kapaleeshwarar temple, including Shiva, Parvathi, and Nandhi taken on a 13-meter-tall chariot, led by Vinayakar chariot and followed by the attendant pantheon of nayanmars (Shaivite saints) in

8811-787: The tomb of an apostle . (Others include St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy; the Church of Saint James the Great in Santiago de Compostela , Spain.) After Thomas the Apostle was said to have landed in Calicut and preached about Jesus in Kerala , he came to Chennai and preached about Jesus and was killed in AD 72 in St. Thomas Mount and possibly buried in Mylapore (presently Santhome). And as History

8910-421: The tsunami, the intertidal area was much flatter on 27 December 2004, which usually featured a gentle slope. However, the usual slope started to appear 4 days after the tsunami and normal profile was restored in about 15 days. The receding wave after the tsunami lasted for more than 24 h. Post tsunami, there was a distinct variation in the distribution of sand grains in the beach until the 4th day. However, from

9009-964: The tsunami, there was a distinct increase in the meiofaunal density in the beach. Various meiofauna found in the beach after tsunami include foraminiferans ( Elphidium sp.), cnidarians ( Halammohydra sp., Psammohydra sp.), turbellarians ( Otoplana sp., Macrostomum sp.), nemertines , nematodes ( Halalaimus setosus , Desmodora sp., Chromadora sp., Sabatieria sp., Steineria sp., Metapselionema sp.), gastrotrichs ( Chaetonotus sp., Thaumastoderma sp.), rotifers , kinorhynchs ( Cateria sp.), polychaetes ( Hesionides sp.), archiannelids ( Polygordius madrasensis , Saccocirrus minor ), oligochaetes ( Marionina sp.), harpacticiod copepods ( Arenosetella indica , Psammastacus acuticaudatus , Leptastacus euryhalinus , Emertonia minuta , Sewellina reductus ), ostracods ( Polycope sp.), isopods ( Angeliera phreaticola ), halacarids ( Halacarus sp.), insects, and various other species. Marina Beach

9108-527: The walls however, the garrison's gunnery compelled them to retire. French Governor-General Joseph François Dupleix sent a relief force from Pondicherry that met Khan's army at the Adyar River . Although the French had only 300 troops, in the Battle of Adyar they executed a bold attack that drove the Nawab's forces into the town. The French then expelled them and forced them to retreat towards Arcot. By this action

9207-546: Was also the venue of the 2017 pro-Jallikattu protests . The mass gathering of more than a million people in protest of the ban on the traditional bull-fighting sport Jallikattu at the Marina beach in Chennai for 10 consecutive days turned several eyes on the city's beach from across the nation. The leader-less movement grew much bigger as protests began in other cities across the country and later by Tamils in 15 countries including United States of America , UK , China , Japan and Singapore . The protest came to end only after

9306-431: Was built in 1970 and the M.G.R. and Amma Memorial in 1988, shortening the stretch at its northern end. Later addition was a statue for Kamaraj. In December 2016, the then chief minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa was also buried here, inside the M.G.R. Memorial campus and a foundation stone for construction of a memorial for her there has been laid. On 8 August 2018, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi

9405-503: Was built over his original tomb in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, and rebuilt with the status of a cathedral by the British in 1893 which still stands. San Thome Basilica is the principal church of the Madras-Mylapore Roman Catholic Archdiocese. In 1956, Pope Pius XII raised the church to the status of a Minor Basilica , and on 11 February 2006, it was declared a national shrine by

9504-421: Was buried beside his mentor Annadurai at the Marina Beach. The Marina beach was famed for its pristine beauty, jolly ambiance, and rich ecosystems . However, since the middle of the 20th century, the beach and water have become polluted . Proliferation of plastic bags, human waste, and other pollutants have rendered many parts of the beach unusable. In recent years, many voluntary organizations have taken up

9603-459: Was incorporated into the administration of the Presidency of Madras . The settlement known as "Luz" developed during this period. The name finds its origins from the ' Nossa Senhora Da Luz ' (Our Lady of Light) church built by the Portuguese in 1516 CE. This church is one of the oldest standing Christian structures in all of Tamil Nadu. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the town became

9702-738: Was installed in September 2005 at a cost of ₹ 1.5 million. A visitor center near the Cooum River mouth on the Marina, similar to the Marina Barrage Visitor Centre in Singapore and San Antonio Visitor Center in the United States, has been planned as part of an initiative to create awareness of the need for clean waterways. In 2008, two floating fountains with spray height of 100 feet with color lights for night view were planned to be installed in sea waters off

9801-631: Was occupied by the Portuguese in 1523, who established the viceroyalty of " São Tomé de Meliapor " or "Saint Thomas of Mylapore." Portuguese rule lasted until 1749, except for a brief interregnum between 1662 and 1687, when the town was occupied by the Dutch . After 1749, the British East India Company took possession of the settlement in the name of Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah , the Nawab of Arcot . In that same year, Mylapore

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