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Formerly known as Madras, Chennai is India’s sixth largest city and the capital of the southern state of Tamilnadu. Being the sixth largest, the 369-year-old city is known for his rich cultural heritage and delectable South Indian cuisine. Sitting on the Coromandel coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai has the second longest beachfront of any municipality in the world.

As the gateway to the South, Chennai’s culture is distinctly different from that of any other city in India. The Tamil tradition and culture are indigenous to this region and is essentially the celebration of the beauty, which is exemplified through dance, clothing, and sculptures.

A booming cosmopolitan city, Chennai's culture reflects its diverse population. The traditional arts, music, dance and all other art forms of Tamilnadu grow and flourish here. Its street food culture boasts of some truly unique dishes such as the idli sambhar, a delicacy made with fermented black lentils and rice and a lentil based vegetable stew, and pongal, a popular Chennai dish made from rice and served with sambhar and coconut chutney. Food tours are popular and guests may sign up for a tour on bike to explore the city through the lens of gastronomy.