Chennai (formerly Madras) the capital of Tamil Nadu, is the country's fourth largest city of India and is located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal having some of the most magnificent beaches in India. The Dravidians have been here over 5,000 years and their descendants pride themselves on being the ‘real Indians’. Due to the South having been relatively unaffected by the invasions by alien empire builders, ancient India survives here in its purest form, with antique temples at the heart and soul of the area. Paradoxically this is also the oldest European settlement with St. Thomas (Doubting Thomas), the Portuguese and the British coming here from the earliest of times. Today Chennai is an exciting city that has managed to strike a balance between the modern and the traditional, a metropolis with a distinct old - world charm.
