A variety of mixtures can be prepared at home as liquids to cure adults of common ailments and they are called ‘Kashayams’. The ingredients are given in the native names and are available in the country drug shops. 

Lighthouse is a visual aid to navigation and is a conspicuous structure on land, close to the shore line or in the water. By day, it may be identified by its shape, color and day mark. Generally, it is provided with a powerful light.

Senate House in Chennai is one of the finest examples of Chennai's remarkable architectural wonders situated on the Madras University Campus near Marina. It was built under the direction of the skilled architect of 19th century Robert Fellowes Chisholm. The structure of the building is a live example of the Indo-Saracenic style with a harmonious blend of Byzantine architectural features.

Government Museum, Chennai is a multi-purpose State Government Museum located on Pantheon Road between Egmore and Anna Salai spread over an area of 16.25 acres of land.  It was established in the year 1857.

Rippon Building is one of the monuments that are found in Chennai as a witness to an era that has gone by.  Today, one of the most important tourist attractions of Chennai, the Rippon Building was named after Lord Rippon, the father of Self-Government in India.

The foundation of the building was laid on December 12, 1909 by Sir Gilbert John Elliot Murray Kynyn Mound Bart and Carl of Minto, the then Viceroy and Governor General of India respectively. Pristine white, the architecture of the Rippon Building of Chennai is influenced by a number of architectural styles like the Gothic, Ionic and Corinthian.

Vivekanandar Illam on the Marina, Chennai, has a long and interesting history.  Mr. Frederic Tudor, the 'Ice King', built this structure in the year 1842 to keep ice under proper insulation so that it could be stored for months together and therefore it had the name ‘Ice house’.
 
Tudor maintained his business till the invention of making ice by 'steam process' in India and his business collapsed.  Then the Ice House was sold to Mr.Biligiri Iyengar, a prosperous advocate of the Madras High Court.

Chennai Sri Kalikambal Sametha Kamadeswarar Devasthanam is one among the famous and ancient temples of Chennai.   This temple was originally at Madras Kuppam, where Fort St. George was constructed in 1640 AD.  The English traders helped in relocating the temple to the busy industrial area, George Town of North Chennai where the Viswakarma Community people developed the temple and worshipped Goddess Kalikambal as their family Deity. The Goddess had been worshipped earlier by fishermen and hence also has the name Chenniamman.

Thousand Lights is the name of the area where the historic mosque also called Thousand Lights stands. The name is derived from the tradition that one thousand and more oil-lamps used to be lit to light up the Assembly Hall that once occupied the triangular wedge between Mount Road and Peter's Road, which is now occupied by the Mosque.

In the beginning of 19th century the place where the popular mosque stands used to be the assembling place of Shias, a sect of Muslims, in the month of Moharram. The Arcot family built an assembly hall in the year 1810 A.D. and eventually a mosque in the year 1820.

Lord Connemara, the then Governor of  Madras State laid the foundation stone for the Connemara Pubic Library on 22nd March, 1890 and it was formally opened on  5th December 1896 named after Lord Connemara. Since then, more than a century has passed and the library has become a part of history and it is continuously functioning till date.  This public library is expected to have every book published in India and is a repository of centuries-old publications, wherein lie some of the most respected works and collections in the country.

Santhome Cathedral Basilica is situated on the southern tip of Marina in Mylapore, Chennai.   It is an extraordinary shrine and very important because in the whole world, there are only three churches built over the tomb of an Apostle of Jesus Christ - the Basilica of Saint Peter built over the tomb of St.Peter in Rome, Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela built over the tomb of St.James in Spain and Basilica of the National Shrine of St.Thomas built over the tomb of St.Thomas. 

Fort St. George at Chennai is a land mark in Indian History. It is here that the first step of British acquisition of India took place when East India Company in the 17th Century acquired a strip of land from one Chinnappa Naicker to set up a permanent trading station on the Indian coastline. It was in this land, a British officer known as ‘Francis Day’ built the fort and gave it the name of St George, the patron saint of England in the mid 1600s.   This British creation marked the beginning of developing Chennai as a futuristic city.

I have seen the Smiling Buddha on the shelf of almost all gift shops that I visit, when I need to buy a gift for someone. Invariably if I am looking for a gift for a new home or a new office, it always crosses my mind to buy one of those Smiling Buddha statues.  Smiling Buddha has come to represent several beneficial attributes such as happiness, prosperity and contentment. People in East Asia such as China and Japan place the Smiling Buddha statue in their homes and offices in order to attract these attributes into their lives and the same has percolated into our society also.

Steaming hot idlis soaked in tasty sambar is typically South Indian and this combination reminds Chennaites of no other place than Rathna Café standing in the heart of Triplicane, Chennai.  All those who have been here atleast once, would vouch that they savoured that experience and would love to indulge in the same again. Smelling the aroma of lunch, I entered this old place and met the owner, Rajendra Gupta.

Rathna Café was opened in 1948 by Tiruloknath Gupta.  It originally had about 80 seats in the ground floor, 40 seats in the first floor and later on the air-conditioned wing was added.  Rajendra Gupta bought it from his uncle in the year 2002 and today it has 340 seats in Triplicane, with branches having sprung up in T Nagar, Velachery, inside Tidel Park campus and recently in Triuvanmiyur.

Women visiting beauty parlours for various treatments, skin care and hair care are increasing everyday as today women are more conscious of their looks and also believe that a better appearance enhances their personality. One of the parlours in the city of Chennai, which has been thriving is Maha Beauty Parlour which has earned a good name and their course is in popular demand among aspiring beauticians.

Maha Beauty Parlour at Mylapore, Chennai was buzzing with activity in the evening as I walked in to meet the friendly and lively proprietor, Mahalakshmi who exuded confidence and determination.