Chennai: Rightfully India's Worst City

Being well aware that many IndiaMikers are passionate "Chennaiites" (the city doesn't even have a proper demonym), this is an earnest yet unabashed attempt to dissuade potential travellers from wasting their time in India's least appealing city.

What is it that draws many people to the same conclusion about Chennai? Lonely Planet sums it up fairly well- "No matter how determined you are, you'd be pretty hard pressed to find much to gush about when it comes to Chennai". I find a lot wrong with Lonely Planet but in this instance the erstewhile superior guidebook of almost all India travellers has it right. But why is it that this guidebook, along with almost every traveller imaginable, regards the city with such disdain? What is it that crawls under people's skin and gives them nothing but an enduring urge to leave as soon as possible? This is a mere attempt to find out.

1) The city is cultureless

It is. Let's not beat around the bush trying to defend Chennai as the epitome of Tamil culture. The city has nothing of the sort. There are no cultural events in Chennai because there is nothing to have events about. Incidentally there's not even a social scene to build a culture around, either, because its Tamil population, by and large, do not understand drinking.

This lack of culture stems from the fact that almost all Tamil "culture" stems from several thousand years ago- when Chennai itself is barely even half a millenium old. What do you get when you have a Tamil populace based on century-old traditions and try and put them into a modern city? A plain lack of culture.

2) There's nothing to do

Well there are some things. Yet there's still little of interest, and what there is is so far spread apart, that India's fourth biggest city (the Chennai authorities frequently seem to infer "best" from "biggest") is barely worth getting off the bus for.

You can look at the Big Mosque. Half an hour. An hour if you're slow. A day if you LOVE reasonably modern Islamic architecture. It's not even a nice mosque by any standards.

You could go for a quick stroll on the Beach, but only if you can stand the pollution from the nearby harbour, as well as the incessant staring of a "modern" populace that still finds great bemusement in a real life white person frequenting their "cosmopolitan" city.

Maybe you'd like to visit Fort St. George- one of only two places in Madras of any note. I am no Colonialist- I wrote my second year college coursework on the negative effects of the Raj on North Indian trade- but it is such a shame that this interesting and historically important set of structures has been either left to rot by short-sighted Tamil politicians or build upon with huge concrete structures to accomodate one of India's worst state governments.

Or perhaps you'd like to visit the Museum, which is actually pretty good (no guesses on who built it). There we are. Get off the bus and spend at least an hour in the city's notoriously disgusting roads just to see one museum.

3) The rickshaw drivers

Because you will inevitably be on those roads in a rickshaw, whose drivers rank amongst the worst in India, if not, in terms of wider transport, the world. Chennai's drivers are ear-marked for their astronomical prices, their poor driving (yes, even by Indian standards) but, above all, their uneducated and highly disturbing racism.

And they are racist. There's no doubt that not all Chennaiites are not racist, though proportionately they are less tolerant due to Chennai's relative lack of integration with the rest of the subcontinent and the wider world. But the rickshaw drivers are racist. I accept paying double, even triple, for rides all across India, because I am foreign, but four or five times the price? Forget it. And they're even racist to fellow Indians, forgetting perhaps that it is effectively North Indians bankrolling Chennai that have kept the city (and the state) financially viable. The rickshaw drivers should always be treated with disdain and distrust.

4) It has no feel

No ambiance. No reason to say "I like the feel of Chennai". The culinary scene is non-existent. The movie scene is of a disturbingly poor and too-oft-politicised nature. It masquerades as a cosmopolitan "capital" city of major importance, but is really just a dirty collection of Tamil villagers who found themselves drawn to a British trading post that went very wrong.

5) It is the only place in India that needs re-colonising

No, really. India has flourished since the repressive rule of the British was finally deposed of in 1951. The disturbing rise in post-Colonial attitudes in Britain fails to understand the awful nature of foreign rule. But Chennai is not India. Chennai is in its own, separate category of awfulness, underlined by the fact that quite unlike Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad, all cities that have bred their own- highly impressive- domestic identities- Chennai has merely managed to breed cholera.

The only good things about Chennai are what the British left behind. Years of Tamil mis-management have left it little more than a giant slum, punctuated by disturbingly terrible attempts to install a pride in a history that does not exist. Chennai- Madras- was a Colonial trading outpost. Where Mumbai built itself into a city, Chennai built itself into an extended flea-pit for the masses, hankering on to hollow words from corrupt leaders promising radical improvements to the Tamil world. But they can't improve it. Mostly they are just as uneducated and clueless as the city's populace who vote for them.

Would the return of the British help anything? No. Of course not. Do not be so preposterous and if you understand the first thing about Raj history, you would know it's a monstrous idea anyway.

But would "colonization" by the rest of India make improvements? Probably so. Just look at Bangalore. What if Bangalore's authorities were permitted to run Chennai? Just think of the improvements. The education. The eventual growth of a much needed culture.

So until that happens, wide-eyed travellers, give India's worst city a very wide berth indeed.

Chennai is not an ancient city. It was founded by the British East India Company. I think you'll find that was rather more than "barely even half a century" ago --- by a few hundred years.

You've certainly gained some insights into the frustrating aspects of life in our city, but the rest of what you write makes me wonder how you managed to do so with your eyes shut!

Sorry Nick, I had indeed confused "century" and "millenium"- I think 1644 was the foundation date, though some dispute this an put it as late as 1654. (Oh history, you sultry mistress of variable dates)- I don't think I referred to it as ancient anywhere? I think the fact it isn't ancient contributes to the problem.

But really- I wish I had had my eyes shut in Chennai!

Sorry that you are at this point where you have to bash Chennai so so badly.

However, I find it really amusing that you define "culture" as a population that enjoys drinking, while culture in India is so damn diverse, it's hard to speak about in one conversation. So perhaps it's subjective what culture means to different people. There is no way to generalize it.

And from where did you get that Chennai has no cultural events? Are you still referring to drinking events? Go to a pub or a bar (this city is not a village; I'm an Indian who enjoys nightlife and a few drinks and gets to enjoy both in this city). And if you mean Indian cultural events, then hahaha --- this city is always having music, art, dance and drama events going on throughout the year. I do not know on what you're basing your statements.

FYI: I am not from Chennai, merely living in it right now.

CaptivePenguin,

I think we'd all agree on the rickshaw drivers here. Being an Indian but not a local, I am harassed daily. This situation will not improve unless the governance steps up. Public transport is a big pain in this city. And it's even more frustrating for a non-Indian, I understand.

And about racism, I can say I have experienced that in many places outside my own country, in highly developed countries. That's something all people might face in a new land, irrespective of their ethnicity.

Everybody agrees about the rickshaw drivers! Except, maybe the rickshaw drivers!

Oddly, CP, most of what people think of as Chennai, these days, is actually only about fifty years old! The "centre" of the city has moved quite a long way South from George Town and the Fort. Rather like London's ebtertainment centre having moved from East End to West End, Chennai's culture, as in dance, art, music (which is copious, if not to say vast) and desirable housiong areas moved South. This has left the area north of the Law Courts actually feeling like an old city, with its tiny, congested trading streets. Old, but no, not ancient.

I have no idea what the oldest buildings in Chennai are. Do we have anything from the villages that predate "Madras?" One or two of our temples are said to be ancient, but only because they occupy ancient temple sites, not (like Kanchipuram) that their actual structures of today are ancient beyond hundreds of years.

Chennai has little in the way of grand sights for the tourists. It is a busy town getting on with its life, Dealing with it can often be frustrating. I could talk about its traffic, but sometimes I think that every Indian city seems to take a weird pride in having the worst drivers! I could certainly talk about its planning: some of those fifty-year-old streets are busy sprouting their second or third generation of housing, and yes, the new apartment blocks have little in the way of charm. I could talk about its maintenace: It seems it is not possible to lay a road surface that lasts more than a year, and look at the MRTS railway, barely a couple of decades old.

I live here, and have done for a few years now. It is always possible to rant about one's home town, and the more one feels affection for it, the more intense the rant. I'm suprised, though, that a passing-through tourist should have had a bad time. Perhaps you just looked for the wrong things here?

All I know is I've spent some time as a foreign visitor to the city, twice, maybe a short week or so each, over the course of two decades, and much enjoyed it

It's good for some aimless wandering around. Plenty of Raj-era architecture around downtown that isn't described anywhere I know of. Someone should do that, could add much to its attraction. (I don't understand why e.g. Lonely Planet doesn't, for that matter. That one railway station alone is amazing, Central or Egmore or something, I forget. There are some other fascinating buildings in that wider vicinity.)

They say the city grew as a conglomerate of different towns and villages, and it very much has that feel. No real "center," as such, rather various neighborhoods each with their own touch. Of all the metros, it is renowned to be the most laid-back.

And so on. Friendly people. No complaints here. Some good sights in the wider area, too. You want a bar or a concert, yes, there are those. (Chennai's winter music season is rather famous. Of course if you're not into carnatic music, that may not do you much good.) And of course it's always a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes it just doesn't come together.

It kinda made me sad for you reading this lol.

Did you not make any friends while here? Every day they have a new adventure of some sort waiting me.

methinks the OP had some girl problems in Madras

I feel that the last two posts are possibly unnecessarily defensive - shooting the messenger, perhaps.
The OP has expressed an honest opinion. Some regular IM'ers have presented a counter argument very well above. Surely we have a responsibility to maintain some sort of coherent debate and not to resort to slagging off CaptivePenguin for an honestly rendered observation.

You are very right, Keith.

I hadn't wanted to edit my post above any further, but of course Captive gave it an honest and obviously well-considered look. So that's always appreciated, and I had meant to add that.

Captive (Penguin ), I do know about things sometimes just not coming together. Try and not blame it on that place. You are new to India, I think, is that right? It will take some time growing on you. And not all days are gonna be equally splendid on you. Like they wouldn't be anywhere.

When I said above Chennai is the most relaxed of all the metros, I've read of people landing there and finding it just as flabbergasting as any of the other metros where you'd land would be. India is just like that. Don't let it get to you. Get moving around some, and like most you may well find you start appreciating the place. (Then of course some others take the first flight home. But do try and give it some time to grow on you.)

Well i agree with op but you dont have a choice either change the city or change yourself and warn others travel warning then if it is in their kismet they need to come to hell err i mean chennai

Laughed a little at the history but had to agree overall. Its boring, as bad as Chandigarh. But, I am biassed due to a peculiar incident and to visiting the zoo..

EdwardSeco,
Surely you must enlarge on that!

Chandigarh is a fascinating city !!! Le Corbusier's masterpiece. Architects, planners, sociologists, cultural anthropologists, climatologists all have a living breathing crucible to study on so many levels.

And if you the get bored, write a grant to study Brazilia as a comparative study
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Still bored, Then do an attitudinal study of "The socialization pattern of college going singles Vs economic impact of post graduate workforce's spending habits in two cities planned and designed from the ground up"

after seeing some pics from a friend in Mumbai, where she goes to parties and clubs on occassion -- she's not Indian, she's Australian married to an Indian -- I must say Mumbai looks a hell of a lot more fun than Chennai. I would have to say that "fun" and "Chennai" don't go together in the same sentence. Or else I need to start hanging out with different peeps....