Chennai is not all about the heat and humidity. With around 300+ parks, we have our fair share of green cover too. What might come as a news to many is that Chennai is one of the very few cities with a national park inside the city.
Here’s a look at some of Chennai’s beautiful Parks :
Guindy National Park
The Guindy National Park, Raj Bhavan and IIT-Madras habitat complex has historically enjoyed a certain degree of protection and has continued to support some of the last remnants of the natural habitats. The nearest railway station is the Kasturba Nagar MRTS station which is less than a kilometer away.
Area: 700 Acres
Image Courtesy: Gopinathbabu
Semmozhi Poonga
The garden that was opened on 24 November 2010 is the first botanical garden in the city.The garden remains open for morning walkers from 6 am to 8 am. For visitors, the park remains open from 10 am through 8 pm on all days except Tuesdays. An entry fee of ₹ 15 is collected from all people above 10 years of age or 130 cm height. For the early morning walk, the entry is permitted only for monthly pass holders, for which ₹ 150 is charged.
Location: Teynampet, Chennai
Area: 20 Acres
Image Courtesy: Asbin Ashok
Tholkappia Poonga
Tholkappia Poonga, also known as Adya Eco Park, is not open to public currently.It presently serves as a centre for environmental education as well as research activities. The park is kept open for students from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm. It remains closed on Sundays. The Park is currently open to groups of school children, accompanied by teachers/staff of the educational institution, with an entry fee of ₹ 5 per head.
Location: Adyar, Chennai
Area: 358 Acres
Image Source: Karuna Karan
Anna Nagar Tower Park
The park covers an area of 15.35 acres and is one of the few remaining lung spaces in the city.
Location: Anna Nagar, Chennai
Area: 15.35 Acres
Image Courtesy: Hari Sabanathan
Huddleston Park
Constructed by the members of the Theosophical Society, this garden lies on the south bank of the Adyar River and covers 260 acres.
Location: Adyar, Chennai
Area: 260 Acres
Image Courtesy: Chandrasekaran Arumugam