Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
West Africa djembe
Benin • 13 days, 12 nights
NEW - Rhythms & Rituals: West Africa's Spiritual Traditions
from
Oaxaca Mexico tamales
Mexico • 7 days, 6 nights
Flavors of Oaxaca: Markets, Mezcal & Home-Cooked Meals
from
View all trips
Upcoming Experiences
View All Experiences »
Members Only
Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: The Albatwitch
Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders
Members Only
Accidental Discoveries
Members Only
Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Frankenstein
Members Only
Antiques and Their Afterlives: Holiday Gift Guide
Upcoming Courses
View All Courses »
Cosmic Life: Astrobiology & the Search for Extraterrestrial Life With Dr. Graham Lau
Tree Communication With Annie Novak
Piecemaker: Sewing a Sampler Quilt With Aaron Sanders Head
Paper Botanicals With Kate Croghan Alarcón
Bee-licious: Taste Honey Like a Sommelier With C. Marina Marchese
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Conwy Suspension Bridge
Conwy Suspension Bridge
The blue spruce on the right symbolizes the spirit of John Denver.
John Denver Sanctuary
Patan Dhoka
Argyll and Bute Hospital
Argyll and Bute Hospital
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Chef Boyardee Statue
Cevapčići at Sarajevo ‘84
Sarajevo ‘84
In this salad, rice gets topped with pinches of toasted coconut, dried fish, finely-sliced herbs and vegetables, bean sprouts, a tiny knot of noodles, crushed black pepper and dried chili. 
Thai-Islam Phochana
With fat chunks of crab meat swimming in a lush coconut milk curry, it's no wonder this dish is so popular.
Raya
Meet boba tea's ancestral cousin.
Kanomwaan Pakee
Recent Stories
All Stories Puzzles Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Inside Sacré-Coeur Hospital lies an unassuming lab that peers into the mysteries of our sleeping minds.
Inside Montréal’s ‘Dream and Nightmare Laboratory’
Team Kwe's 2024 sculpture “Wenabozho and Dadibaajimad Journey on the River of Souls,” illustrating a traditional Ojibwe story of two figures—Wenabozho and his brother Dadibaajimad—on an otherworldly journey.
5 Stories for Native American Heritage Month
The sophisticated club sandwich combines ham, pineapple, bacon, peanut butter, and avocado.
This Book Contains a Century of Historical Sandwiches
Each fall, amorous male tarantulas prowl the Colorado plains in search of mates, who may or may not kill them.
Why Did the Spider Cross the Road?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All India Chennai

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Chennai

5 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Chennai, India

Updated April 5, 2021

Email
Attractions
Trips
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Hotel Deals

Unusual Attractions in Chennai

The painted and carved gopuram (temple tower)

Chennai, India

Kapaleeshwarar Temple

The painted and decorated towers of this Hindu shrine were once the tallest structures in one of the oldest cities in India.
Exterior, arches

Chennai, India

San Thome Basilica

This Gothic-style church is reputedly built atop the remains of one of Jesus's apostles.

Chennai, India

Burma Bazaar

A gray market run by Burmese Indians offers a portal to a forgotten period in history.

Chennai, India

Ramanujan Museum

One-room museum dedicated to India's most enigmatic mathematician.
Fort St. George

Chennai, India

Fort St. George

The first English fort built in India.
Are we missing something unusual?
Add it!
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Trips

Delhi and Rajasthan: Colors of India

Discover Colorful Rajasthan: From Delhi to Jaipur and Beyond.

Learn More

Explore Chennai, India

Chennai Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for Trevor
    Trevor
    1
  2. L
    lucasstrittmatter
    1
  3. S
    sriramgopalan
    1
  4. Avatar image for yamuna
    yamuna
    1
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Chennai.

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for SamM
    SamM
    1
  2. Avatar image for RHyzer
    RHyzer
    1
  3. Avatar image for MagnumPI
    MagnumPI
    1
  4. W
    Wanderer 2202
    1
  5. H
    hibbysam
    1
Join the Ranks!
Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. Avatar image for ChennaiAcupuncture
    ChennaiAcupuncture
    5
  2. Avatar image for tamilnadutesthouse
    tamilnadutesthouse
    4
  3. Avatar image for battenandreas
    battenandreas
    4
  4. K
    KimKarishma
    4
  5. Avatar image for localitychef
    localitychef
    4
Join the Ranks!
Visit a place in Chennai.

Recent Chennai Activity

  • M

    mbabb830

    has been to Kapaleeshwarar Temple

  • M

    mbabb830

    has been to San Thome Basilica

  • P

    Pyrazzz

    has been to Burma Bazaar

  • L

    leonardclason

    has been to Burma Bazaar

  • Avatar image for gauracloud

    gauracloud

    wants to go to Burma Bazaar

Stories About Chennai

A work in progress: Carved from a single block of wood, the harp-like yazh features a distinctive peacock head.

Meet the Man Recreating Ancient Musical Instruments Lost to Time

Tharun Sekar's creations include the yazh, a harp-like instrument played in India 2,000 years ago.
by Radhika Iyengar
April 5, 2021
Ravi Pandian and Chandran (right), shopkeepers at Burma Bazaar.

India Meets Myanmar at a Bustling Bazaar in Chennai

Indians who were pushed out of Burma have made this market a multicultural haven.
by Yamuna Matheswaran
March 12, 2020
At Marina Beach in Chennai, visitors waded into the foam.

How Frothy Waves of Sea Foam Coated the Coast of Chennai

Don't play in the bubbles.
by Jessica Leigh Hester
December 5, 2019

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Puzzles
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Art & Culture Trips
  • Food Trips
  • Hidden City Trips
  • History Trips
  • Wildlife & Nature Trips
  • FAQ
  • Experiences
  • Online Courses
  • Online Experience FAQ
  • Online Course FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2024 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.