Chennai (Madras) Off The Beaten Path

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Chennai has always had a great local rock music scene thanks to institutes such as IIT that not only attract the intellectuals but also encourage excellence in music and sports. We recently attended the popular JRO (June Rock Out) concert at UNWIND CENTER in Adyar and it was an unforgettable experience. 4 bands performed in a span of 3 hours and made for some thorough enjoyment on 29th July 2011. Unwind center charged Rs150 pp as entry fees. Once in we were treated to a top class rock experience. The first to perform were 'Whitel Lady'- a band from Chennai. I was busy envying the lead singers long tresses! ;-) The second band (Final Surrender) to perform had come in from 'my city'- Bangalore and quite naturally their Christian Metal/Hard Rock style was something that appealed to me a lot! The third band to perform was 'Hourglass Inversion' from Pune- alternative rock was their style and they look a bit rustic on stage! The finale was of course a chennai band- the roar in the center as the crowds cheered for them was awesome!
What was truly amazing about being here was we didn't feel out of pace at all, there were rock lovers from all ages and all walks of life! One family who'd turned up were particularly interesting, their 4 year old son was right upfront- head banging! :D
June ROck Out is probably India's only live performance festival..in the past it has produced some of the best rock bands including Moksha and Thermal n a Quarter! This whole experience at Unwind Center was smoke free and enjoyable- I'd recommend it to anyone who has an ear for rock music! :-)

This was the most exciting and unusal therapeutic massage i had in India and beyond.
The Ayush Therapy Centre in Chennai. For the uninitiated it might take a bit of courage -as you are basically stripped naked and soaked in spiced oil from head to toe. And then the fun starts as 2 expert masseurs rub it in (and off afterwards). A highly recommended experience for every soul ! This massage is setting a new standard for me what a therapeutic treatment can be!
Their advertisement is saying that you might live up to the blessed age of 120 yrs if you come every day - not sure if Chennai makes up for this outlook ;-)

This is a great way to ease the effects of the heat. (Coconut is one of the "cool" foods, meaning it subtracts from your body temperature.) Every other corner and long-ish straight-away has someone selling fresh coconuts - take advantage! First they'll cut the end off (with a scary machete) so you can drink the fresh milk (through a straw, on request), then they scrape the flesh out for you to eat.

If you can get tickets to the opening show of a movie starring a popular current actor, don't miss it. Just go to watch the crowd - poojas to the screen, shouts, tears, it's brilliant. Get a box seat if you're at all timid in crowds.

The movies are supposed to follow a standard pattern of boy-meets-girl-loses-girl-gets-girl. There has to be a wedding, a major singing and dancing sequence, a death/illness/suicide attempt, some fighting, and a few other elements I can't recall at the moment. They are real eye-candy, surreal, and probably more fun if you don't understand the language but have a good imagination.

Movie theaters are everywhere, identifiable by the throngs of people outside otherwise large, nondescript buildings with billboards of the heroes plastered around the entrances.

The juice you find being squeezed everywhere is brilliant, although most people are advised against buying it, which is too bad. The main issues are the water and the cleanliness of the glasses, which are used by all comers*. But vendors are fine with making juice using bottled water if you ask (bring it or buy it there), and sports-type bottles are for sale everywhere.

"Sweet lime" is delicious.

*If you watch, though, you'll notice that no one's lips touch the glass. I end up with a face-full of liquid when I try to do it.

It is the harvest festival of thanks giving to Sun, Earth and the Cow. The festival is celebrated in the month of January for three days. Sugarcane, turmeric, sheaves of paddy, newly prepared jaggery, vegetables and pulses are offered to the Sun god. The earth and the cow are also worshiped and offerings were made. The festival ends with 'Kanum Pongal' on the third day when children enjoy watching the celebrations.

On one side of the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial is a bas relief wall with scenes of Indian commerce, industry, and life. While it doesn't rival Arjuna's Penance in nearby Mamallapuram -- and won't last nearly so long -- it is an attractive piece and a fitting tribute to the man who sparked India's economic renaissance.

Rajiv Gandhi, son of Indira and grandson of Jawaharal Nehru, was out of power but headed for a comeback when he was assassinated.

Here, in Sriperumbudur, at the very spot where a fanatic blew herself and Rajiv up, the Indian government has erected an impressive memorial to the martyred leader. (His Italian-born widow, Sonia, is now head of the ruling Congress Party.)

Sriperumbudur is on the main highway between Chennai and Kanchipuram and about half-way between those two cities.