Tamil Nadu Tourism - Marina Beach
Marina Beach at 13km long, is the second longest beach in the world, after Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. It forms the shoreline of Chennai, one of India's four major metropolitan cities and is located on the Eastern coast of the country (called the Coromandel Coast). Unlike the short, rocky formations that make up the Juhu Beach in Mumbai on the west coast of India, the Marina is primarily sandy. Another famous characteristic of the beach is the set of beautiful stone statues that adorn the roadside area of the beach. Some of these statues are of famous people like Mahatma Gandhi while others have symbolic significance (like the diginity of labour). Recently, a statue of Kannagi, a heroine of one of Tamil literature's most famous classics (the (Silappadhikaram by Elangovadigal) was torn down by the ruling government for seemingly farcical reasons. The
Marina used to be famed for its pristine beauty and rich ecosystems. However,
since the middle of the 20th century, much of the beach and the water
has become polluted. A proliferation of plastic bags, human waste and
other pollutants have rendered many parts of the beach unusable. In recent
years, many voluntary organisations have taken up the task of cleaning
up the Marina and protecting the ecosystem.(With the introduction of semi
automatic cleaning machines by the government in the year 2003 the Marina
beach is very clean and every part of it can be used) Particular efforts
include protection of Olive-Ridley turtle nests along the Neelangarai
section of the beach. Despite these problems however, a visit to the Marina
is a sine qua non for any tourist coming to Chennai. |
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