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Marina beach, Chennai
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Spreading from the mouth of the Cooum river in the north to the Lighthouse in the south, the Marina Beach is a 12-kilometer uninterrupted stretch of golden sands and foamy sea. Often regarded as the second longest beach in the world, this urban stretch in the coastal city of Chennai has a significant history that’s as old as the city. Its colonial past Before the 16th century, the changing landscape of the coast was too premature to transform itself into the sandy beach that is seen today. There’s also evidence that when Fort St. George was built in 1640, the sea lay very close to its walls, lapping waves onto its ramparts. It was later, with the setting-up of the harbor, that the shore start accumulating sand thereby distancing itself from the sea. It is said that Sir Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff, a British official, was captivated by the serene coast during his visit in 1870s. Later, upon his return as Governor General of Madras in 1881, he built a promenade along the beach with extensive layering, thereby modifying the landscape. The beach was thus given a facelift and an Italian name meaning harbor.
