What comes to your mind when you arrive at the word Chennai?  Oh wait, is that just a word?  Perhaps not!  Chennai is an amalgamation of a modern society built upon strong moral ethics of diverse everyday aspects of life instigated by the then contemporary city of Madras.  Be it the iconic monuments and temples that impart rich cultural and spiritual significance, the mark of excellence left behind by the many rulers of kingdoms that existed in Tamil Nadu and the then political leaders of independent India, the hub of technical education featuring some of the best engineering and medical universities in the country, the essence of some of the greatest music artists the country has ever produced, the elegance of film personalities and their celebrated stature among the crazy fans, and I could keep that list extending.  Chennai is not just a city, it’s a pride.  And, Chennai’s newest attraction will leave you spellbound.

A walk down the memory lane:

Over the years, the city has had several prominent structures profoundly portraying its unique identity. With the passage of time, these structures have gained the status of being iconic landmarks and defined the way the city of Chennai is associated with.  Being a long time resident, I fondly revisit memories of frequenting the happening places in the city of those days – Spencer Plaza.  Having acquired the status of being the oldest surviving and the biggest shopping mall when it was built, it housed several establishments and was abuzz with lively events.

Walking down a few meters towards the tallest skyscraper in India when it was inaugurated, the LIC building on mount road, is the India’s oldest bookshop in existence.  Higginbotham’s is a large bookstore housing several categories of publications.  Spending time browsing the sheer volumes of those publications in a quiet grandeur setting was such a pleasure.

A few kilometers ahead is the famed Chennai Central Railway station catering to lakhs of commuters to and from south India.  I fondly recollect and rejoice the typical announcements about the trains, not to mention the short tune of music before those announcements.  Nostalgic!

Further ahead towards east will take us to the longest natural urban beach in the country – the Marina beach.  Be it a travel on the city buses, the stretch of lane from the Napier bridge in the north to the light house in the south, is a delightful phenomenon.  The city has always amazed us with its captivating beauty catering to a variety of people.

A Dazzling piece of marvel in the midst of a lively corridor:

And, here comes the newest addition to the many marvels in the city.  Amid the ever busy lanes of Rajiv Gandhi salai, popularly known as the IT corridor, is the newest attraction in the city of Chennai.  For those that frequent this stretch of roadway at peak hour of traffic can relate how frustrating it gets to wait relentlessly under the scorching sun.  Such is the volume of vehicles passing through this stretch all through the day.  On such voluminous expressway is the new spellbinding overpass for pedestrians connecting the Thiruvanmiyur MRTS and the massive Ramanujan IT park.  Though the conception seems to have been borrowed from existing such structures elsewhere, it gives an impression of a miniature version of the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai with string like metal objects stretching its way to connect to the main tower at the center.

With fewer takers of this magnificent piece of architecture, it largely remains calm catering to the needs of people that love watching the bustling traffic on the road beneath and those that are obsessed with selfies.

Isn’t that Chennai’s newest attraction and a landmark?  When you have time, visit this newest structure!

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