Besant Nagar, Chennai: Elliot's Beach, Temples and Cafés
Besant Nagar is where Chennai goes to breathe. It is leafy and residential, with a clean, walkable beach, a temple that looks out to sea and an evening café strip that locals call "Bessie". It is the gentlest part of the city to spend a day.
In this guide
Besant Nagar at a glance
| Best for | Beach walks, sunrise, a calm temple visit, evening cafés |
|---|---|
| Time needed | Half a day, or an evening |
| Best hours | Sunrise to 9 am, and 5 pm onwards |
| Getting there | Indira Nagar or Thiruvanmiyur MRTS stations, then a short auto; or a cab |
| Next door | Adyar, Thiruvanmiyur, Kalakshetra |
The neighbourhood takes its name from Annie Besant, the Theosophist and Indian independence campaigner whose society's headquarters is just across the river in Adyar.
Elliot's Beach
Elliot's Beach is smaller, cleaner and calmer than the Marina. Early mornings bring walkers, joggers and fishermen; weekend evenings bring families, balloon sellers and snack carts selling sundal, corn and bajji.
The white structure on the sand is the Karl Schmidt Memorial, which honours a sailor who drowned in 1930 trying to save someone from the sea. It is a fitting reminder: do not swim here. The currents along the Chennai coast are strong, and drownings happen every year. Paddle, walk and watch the sunrise instead.
Temples and the church
At the southern end of the beach, the Ashtalakshmi Temple is dedicated to the eight forms of the goddess Lakshmi, arranged over several levels that you climb in sequence. It faces the sea, and the sound of the waves carries into the shrines. It gets very busy on Fridays and during Navaratri.
Close by, the Arupadai Veedu Murugan Temple brings together shrines for all six sacred abodes of Murugan in one compound, a convenient visit if you cannot travel to the six originals in southern Tamil Nadu.
The Annai Velankanni Church, dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health, is modelled on the famous shrine at Velankanni. Its annual feast, ending on 8 September, draws large crowds from late August.
A short ride south in Thiruvanmiyur, the Marundeeswarar Temple is one of the ancient Paadal Petra Sthalams praised in the Tevaram hymns. Shiva is worshipped here as the Lord of Medicines, and many come to pray for health.
Kalakshetra
Founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale in 1936, the Kalakshetra Foundation is one of India's great schools of Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music. Its leafy campus, next to Besant Nagar, has traditional-style buildings under old trees. It holds regular performances and a well-known annual arts festival. Visiting arrangements change, so check the foundation's own site before you go.
Cafés and food
The stretch around 2nd Avenue and the beach road is Besant Nagar's evening hangout: cafés, bakeries, ice-cream shops and South Indian tiffin places side by side. It is busy after 6 pm, especially on weekends. For breakfast, the vegetarian chains here serve good idli and dosa early. More options are in our food guide.
Where to stay
Besant Nagar has only a handful of hotels, plus guesthouses and serviced apartments. It suits longer stays, families and anyone who prefers quiet. Adyar next door has more choice. You will spend more time in traffic reaching Mylapore, Egmore or the airport, so weigh that against the calm; see where to stay in Chennai.
See hotels in Besant Nagar on Booking.com →
Practical tips
- Sunrise: the sun rises over the sea, and Elliot's is one of the best places in the city to watch it. Check the time in the daily panchangam.
- Swimming: don't. There are no lifeguards to rely on, and the currents are dangerous.
- Crowds: weekday mornings are peaceful; Sunday evenings are packed.
- Getting around: the area is compact and walkable. Autos wait near the beach for the ride home.