Madras is located near the 13th north parallel and 80 degree longitude. The city extends its 19 km length along the Coromandel Coast and widens inland about 9 km at its widest. Its irregular shape covers about 172 sq km. It is a fairly low-lying strip of land, its highest point being only 60 m above sea level.

Madras, (recently known as Chennai) is the first city of Tamil Nadu. The former villages of Mylapore, Triplicane, Ezhambur (Egmore) etc. all are now a part of Madras and have a recorded historical past, centuries older than Madras. Madras, the present entryway to the South of India, is itself, only about 350 years old.

There are several tourist attractions in and around Madras. Protracted over an area of 13 km, Marina Beach is the second longest beach in the world. The St. George Fort, built in 1653, is at present used as the state government's secretariat. Santhome Cathedral was built around 14th/15th century and is another colonial structure worth visiting. Devoted to Lord Shiva, the Kapaleeshwar Temple is the oldest temple in Madras. Another important temple in the city dedicated to Lord Krishna is Parthsarthy Temple. The National Art Gallery, initially known as Victoria Memorial Hall, houses a good collection of old paintings and sculptures. The Snake Park has a large collection of snakes and many other reptiles. The Theosophical Society is located in huge and serene gardens with several shrines of different faiths and a Serene Garden of Remembrance. Nearby is the Kalakshetra, which was founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale for the restoration of Indian classical arts and crafts traditions.

Getting to Madras is easy enough as it is now well connected with the rest of the world with air, road and rail networks. The Kamaraj National and Anna International Airports are situated at Tirusulam about 20 kms from the city. Madras is connected by rail with all major towns and cities in India. It is also possible to travel by personal transport since Madras is connected by a good road network with all other parts of India as well as important places in Tamil Nadu.

India Holiday Travel.com provides information on Madras and different tourist places around Tamil Nadu