The fourth largest metropolis in India, it is situated on a 17 km stretch of the Coramandel coast and is popularly regarded as the 'Gateway to the South'. A city of contrasts, the nine-yard sarees co-exist with the latest in fashion here as the ancient temple architecture with the modern skyscrapers. It has beaches and parks and even sanctuaries in the very heart of the City. There are modern facilities along with a wealth of nature and a rich historic past. It seems impossible to fathom that this huge bustling city grew out of a small village when in 1639 a fishing hamlet called Madraspatnam was selected by early English merchants of the East India Company as a site for the settlement.

Situated on the shores of River Vegavati, Kanchipuram was described by Kalidasa as the best among the cities (Nagareshu Kanchi) while Yuan Chwang, the great Chinese traveler, visited the city in the 7th century and said that its people were famous for bravery and piety as well as for their love of justice and veneration for learning. The erstwhile capital of the Pallavas, it was fortified by them with ramparts and moats. It boasts of smooth, motorable roads and fine temples. Ancient Kanchipuram, the city of thousand temples, is one of the seven most sacred pilgrim centres for the Hindus. It has a thriving handloom industry producing traditional cotton and silk saris. The silk weavers of Kanchi settled more than 400 years ago have an enviable reputation as the producers of the best silk sarees in the country.

World famous for its shore temples, Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram, was the second capital of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram. Tourists are drawn to this place by its miles of unspoiled beach and rock-cut art. The sculpture of this place is particularly interesting, because it shows scenes of day-to- day life, in contrast to the rest of the state of Tamil Nadu, where carvings generally depict gods and goddesses. Mahabalipuram art is divided into four categories: open air bas-reliefs, structured temples, man-made caves and rathas ('chariots' carved from single boulders, to resemble temples or chariots used in temple processions). The place is friendly, relaxed, and the villagers are remarkably unperturbed by their crowds of visitors.