Adyar Ananda Bhavan

Chennai (Madras)


Tuck into cheap South Indian classics, veg biryanis or thalis (₹120) in the clean AC hall upstairs, or go for snacks downstairs.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chennai (Madras) attractions

1. Parthasarathy Temple

0.3 MILES

Built under the 8th-century Pallavas and unusually dedicated to Krishna (a form of Vishnu) as the charioteer Parthasarathy, this is one of Chennai's…

2. Wallajah Big Mosque

0.48 MILES

Built entirely of granite in 1795 by the Nawab of the Carnatic, and generally known simply as the Big Mosque.

3. Marina Beach

0.63 MILES

Take an early morning or evening stroll (you don’t want to roast here at any other time) along the 3km-long main stretch of Marina Beach and you’ll pass…

4. Vivekananda House

0.65 MILES

The marshmallow-pink Vivekananda House is interesting not only for its displays on the famous ‘wandering monk’, Swami Vivekananda, but also for its…

5. Madras Lighthouse

1.3 MILES

At the southern end of Marina Beach, the fourth-incarnation Madras Lighthouse is India's only one with a lift; it's ridiculously popular, but the…

6. Thousand Lights Mosque

1.51 MILES

Chennai's main Shia mosque, built in 1810. Mostly useful as a landmark, as non-Muslims aren't allowed inside the buildings.

7. Government Museum

1.56 MILES

Housed across from the striking British-built Pantheon Complex, this excellent museum is Chennai’s best. The big highlight is building 3, the Bronze…

8. St Mary's Church

1.56 MILES

Completed in 1680, yellow-washed St Mary's Church was the first English church in Madras and is India's oldest surviving British-built church. Both Robert…