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Guindy
National Park
Once
a distant suburb which was nearly twice its current size,
Guindy has now been engulfed by the fast growing metropolis.
Guindy Lodge, a portion was officially declared as Guindy
national park in 1977. This Predominantly dry deciduous
scrub jungle of acacia is interpersed wirh larger trees
such as sandal wood banyan and jumun. Its most famous residents
are the herds of endangered blackbuck, introduced in 1924.
Among its 130 species of birds are raptors such as the
honey buzzard and the white believed sea eagle. Winter
is the best time for birdwatching, when migrant birds visit
the forest. Also located within the park is the Madras
Snake Park established in the 1970s by Romulus
Whitaker, the American Zoologist, who also set up the Crocodile
bank outside Chennai. Today, the well maintained Snake
park houses numerous species of snakes, among them are
king cobras,
vipers and pythons. Other reptiles include crocodiles,
turles and lizards. Large information boards, strategically
placed, provide interesting details on the various species.
For those who are interested, there are live demonstrations
of
venom extraction; the venom is used as an antidote for
snake bites.
The historic 300-years-old Guindy Lodge, to the west of
the Park, is now the Raj Bhavan the
residence of the Governor of Tamilnadu. Built as a weekend
retreat by the city's British rulers, this handsome white
building was renovated and expanded in the mid-1800s by
the then Governor, Grant-Duff. Today, Guindy has some of
the city's most prestigious institutions. The area also
has many impressive memorials to modern India's leaders,
Mahatma Gandhi, K.Kamaraj and C.Rajagopalachari. |
Anna
Park
The walk starts from the victory War Memorial which
marks the north end of Kamarajar Salai. This memorial originally
commemorated the victory of the Allied armies during World War
I, and was later dedicated to the memory of those soldiers from
the Madras Presidency who lost their lives in World War II. To
its south, in Anna Park, is the Anna Samathi a memorial erected
in honour of CN Annadurai, the former chief minister of Tamil
Nadu, who introduced significant political and social reforms
in the state. Further south is the MGR Samathi, a commemorative
garden with gateways and pathways, built in honour of the popular
Tamil film icon and chief minister, MG Ramachandran. An array
of souvenir shops and eateries can be found along this stretch
of the beach, attracting tourists from the rest of the state.
Particularly interesting is the Sunday market, with its curious
jumble of goods.
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Snake
Park
It is at Sardar Vallabhai Patel Road. Visit : Wednesday to Monday from 0830 to
1730 hrs.Tuesday holiday. There are more than 40 species of common snakes are
found here. The crocodiles, chameleons, monitor lizards and tortoises
can
also
be seen
in their natural setting.
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Crocodile Bank
Not far from Mamallapuram, 42 km from Madras, this crocodile
breeding and research centre is run by Romulus Whittaker.
It was set up
in 1976. This bank was started to protect India's dwindling
crocodile population and to preserve the Irula (Snake catching),
tribe's
way of life. This bank has already produced more than 6,000
crocodiles. There is also a snake farm where anti - venom
is produced. Several
species of Indian and African Crocodiles and Alligators bred
in captivity are kept here in open pools. The snake venom extractions
are a great attraction to the visitors and it help the Irulas
(tribe) to maintain their way of life.
Open from 10.00 to 16.00.
Wednesday to Monday. Tuesday holiday. |
