I love my city – Chennai!

One of the reasons for that includes the presence of Marina Beach. Named after the Italian/Portuguese word Marina meaning “Coast” or “Shore”,  the 430m wide urban beach right in the heart of the city is a pride of the city. We residents like to think of it as the world’s second longest beach, a folklore that I heard many times hearsay and in media. As per Wikipedia, Marina beach is the longest natural “urban” beach in India and world’s eleventh longest at 13km (8 miles). Whatever ranking it may hold, every visitor to Chennai love Marina beach – it’s a happening place unlike rest of Chennai, which can be felt conservative by its visitors.

Though the idea of finding a parking spot near Marina beach in weekends scares the hell out of me, I do enjoy a relaxed evening in Marina beach with wife & son, which happens when we feel bored of all the shopping malls and cinemas. Today I tried my luck entering the service lane from M.G.R. Memorial side (North side) near the Labour statue, I had driven all the way to Gandhi Statue (near Lighthouse) but found no parking spot. I exited the service lane, drove to one of the side roads in Royappetah, parked in a safe neighbourhood, took an auto-rickshaw and got dropped right in front of Gandhi statue for Rs.50. This is the best way to visit Marina Beach on weekends –  either you walk here or come in a public transport.

I took the customary selfie, my first with Mahatma Gandhi statue (surprise for me!).

Selfie with Mahatma Gandhi statue in Marina Beach

Selfie with Mahatma Gandhi statue in Marina Beach

My son listed all the activities he wanted to do and did them one after the other – Ride in merry-go-around (Rs.20),  Balloon airgun shooting (Rs.20) and Horse riding (Rs.50 for half-round).

Airgun shooting of ballons in Marina Beach, Chennai

Airgun shooting of ballons in Marina Beach, Chennai

Carousel (merry-go-around) in Marina Beach, Chennai

Carousel (merry-go-around) in Marina Beach, Chennai

Under the night sky, looking to the west (with your back to the ocean), the view of the I.G. of Police head office looks majestic and breath-taking. Wife & me sat down in the sandy beach, enjoyed the breeze, kept staring at the bright moon and it’s shine on the ocean waves. The one hour we were there doing nothing, was worth the trouble of commuting here.

Shops selling every imaginable oil snack - Marina Beach

Shops selling every imaginable oil snack – Marina Beach

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