Elliot's Beach (popularly known as "Besant Nagar Beach" or "Bessie") is located in Besant Nagar, Chennai, India. It forms the end-point of the Marina Beach shore,[1] and is named after Edward Elliot, onetime chief magistrate and superintendent of police, Madras.[2] It has the Velankanni Church and the Ashtalakshmi Kovil nearby.[3] In the colonial era, it was a fairly exclusive place limited to white people. As of 2016, there are many restaurants near the beach. There is a police outpost at the beach and the crowd is policed by means of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to prevent drowning mishaps. In 2010, there were 11 drowning cases reported off Elliots Beach.[4] In August 2012, the government sanctioned two more all-terrain vehicles for patrolling the beach.[5]
Elliot’s or besant nagar beach, Chennai
Besant Nagar, Chennai, India.