MARINA BEACH: Joggers at dawn… Fishing boats putting out to sea… Family groups dipping their feet in the waves every evening…Children squealing with delight as they ride horseback…the swirling beam of the lighthouse at night… Lantern-lit shops selling trinkets, shells and fast-food… and the soft splash of sea waves. That is what makes Marina beach more than a mere reprieve from the city's heat. Between the beach and the road is a promenade created by Governor Grant-Duff, who gave Marina its name in 1884. A series of statues line the promenade. The most impressive of these being the Triumph of Labour by Debiprasad Roy Choudhry.
Also on the promenade are memorials to former Chief Ministers of the State - Annadurai and M G Ramachandran. On the other side of the road is the familiar Chennai skyline - Senate House of Madras University, Chepauk Palace, Presidency College and Vivekananda Illam (Vivekananda House). Despite being one of the longest beaches in the world, Marina does tend to get crowded on weekends and public holidays.
ELLIOT'S BEACH: Located in Besant Nagar, Elliot's Beach is the preferred destination for those with a clean atmosphere in mind. This beach, lined with fast food joints, small stores, and a few shrines, is a popular hangout for the younger generation today. Affectionately nicknamed "Bessie", Elliot's Beach plays host to crowds right through the day. At one end of the beach is the Church of Our Lady of Health, Madonna, which greets people of all faiths. There is also the Ashtalakshmi Temple, dedicated to the eight manifestations of Goddess Mahalakshmi. The Schmidt Memorial is an immediately recognisable landmark on this picturesque beach. Four decades ago, Elliot's beach was the favourite haunt of foreigners seeking a secluded beach to sun bathe at.
CHRIST THE KING CHURCH: Designed and built by an Indian mason, commissioned by French clergymen, this fine example of gothic architecture stands proudly in the middle of Loyola College campus. Its pointed arches, ribbed vaults, rose windows, three-aisled nave and the flying butresses are a worthy testament to the Gothic style. The Loyola Chapel was built in 1933. Covering an area of 150 feet by 60 feet, with stained glass windows, this church is a captivating sight, inside as well as outside. The spire is 157 feet high and has a stairway leading to the top, where a cross stands. An interesting snippet about this church is that its architect S. A Gnanpragasam Pillai, did not have any formal training in civil engineering or architecture. He was responsible for planning, designing and building the whole of Loyola College. The church offers regular mass everyday for the students and people in the neighbouring areas. The church does not conduct any other services for the public. Marriages are held in the church, but only for alumni and staff of the college. The church, which is synonymous with Loyola College is a wonderful piece of architecture and defines the idyllic environment of Loyola college.
SAN THOME BASILICA: At the southern tip of Marina is the towering basilica built on the spot where St. Thomas (an apostle of Jesus Christ) was buried. This is the church of the Archbishop of Chennai - pastoral head of the Catholic community in the region. Besides the beauty of its rising spire, this Gothic styled church has a brilliant stained glass depiction of St. Thomas' encounter with the resurrected Christ.Some relics and a fragment of bone of the saint remain in the crypt below the altar.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment