The prefect place to begin discovering Chennai is Fort St. George, the oldest surviving British construction in India. At the northern end of Marina, the fort was once the headquarters of the East India Company. Today it houses the Secretariat of the Tamil Nadu Government and the Legislative Assembly. Much of this fort looks almost as it did when Robert Clive, Pitt, Hastings and Wellesley resided and worked here.

The sprawling Marina Beach is the second largest in the world and stretches over 13 kms.

The statue of Cornwallis will greet you as you enter the Fort Museum. Inside is an interesting collection of souvenirs from the British Raj. To the south-east of the museum is the tallest flagpole in the country standing at a height of 45.7 m.

Within the fort is the oldest protestant church in Asia and the second oldest British building in India, St.Mary’s Church. The inside of the church has many paintings, records and registers, each with a story to tell – Elihu Yale, after whom the Yale University, USA is named was married here. Robert Clive and Margaret Maskelyne tied the nuptial knot at this church. The imperial Clive House was where Robert Clive, one of the Carnatic War heroes resided with his beautiful wife.

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