Elliot’s Beach is located in Besant Nagar, Chennai, India. It forms the end-point of the Marina Beach shore. It has the Velankanni Church and the Ashtalakshmi Kovil nearby and is sometimes nicknamed ‘Bessie’1 On weekends, it becomes quite an experience to find parking space on the beach roads.
About Elliot’s Beach :
Elliots Beach or Besant Nagar Beach is right at the finishing point of the Marina Beach shoreline in Chennai. It was christened after the erstwhile Governor of Madras, Edward Elliot. The beach is also nicknamed Bessie.
Elliots Beach is one of the dirt-free and the most tranquil and serene of places in Chennai. It is a great place to visit for long walks and for people who would like soaking their feet in water and enjoy the expanse of the sea and the beauty that nature has to offer.
Many foreign visitors like to come to the Elliots beach to indulge in Sun bathing.
The Elliots beach is a well-known and well frequented zone for the majority of college goers in Chennai. It is quite a task on the weekends to find parking space on the beach road thanks to the abundance of people who want to enjoy the beach. The beach also has become popular with families who now find it irksome to travel all the way to the renowned Marina Beach.
Elliots Beach Attractions :
- Eateries: There are many eateries located in and around the beach where one can find scrumptious food. It adds to the charm of visiting the Elliots Beach. Few South Indian restaurants are very famous in the area, and modern day brands such as Coffee Day and Barista have followed suit by setting up shop on the edge of the beach.
- Karl Schmidt Memorial: A well-known attraction on the Elliots Beach is the Karl Schmidt Memorial, named after a Dutch sailor who sacrificed his life in the course of saving a drowning swimmer.
- Ashtalakshmi Temple: The Ashtalakshmi Temple is about 20 years old and has a contemporary style of architecture, which is different from other Temples in South India. It is devoted to Goddess Lakshmi.
- Velankanni Church is more of a pilgrim site for the Christians. The composition is smaller than the actual church at Velankanni.
Features of Elliot’s Beach in Chennai :
- The Elliot’s Beach is the favorite haunt of the locals. The Beach lures with its perfect natural setting and entertainment and leisure activities present itself on the sands. It is best visited in the summer months.
- The stretch of the Elliot’s Beach consists of lots of food stalls, shops and religious shrines. Owing to the cleanliness factor, the beach is preferred by many for a lazy outing or family picnicking.
- The Elliot’s beach is very fondly called Bessie and the Beach is the center for many other allied attractions in the city of Chennai. The Church of Our Lady of Health Madonna is located at one end of the beach. The Church is open to everyone irrespective of religion or caste.
- The southern end of the Elliot’s Beach in Chennai is home to the newly constructed Ashtalakshmi Temple. The Temple is a dedication to the eight manifestations of the Goddess of Wealth, Mahalakshmi. The Ganesh Temple and the Velankanni Church is also located in the southern end.
- There is also a stone memorial on the Elliot’s Beach built as a mark of respect to a Danish sailor, Karl Schmidt.
- The northern end of the beach has a secluded spot where the river Adyar meets the sea. This place on the Elliot’s Beach is a perfect spot for bird watching. Pond Herons and flamingoes can be easily spotted here.
Visiting Elliots Beach :
The best time to visit the Besant Nagar beach is at the wee hours of the morning when you can enjoy the sunrise and anytime in the late evening or night. It is common for tourists and residents of Chennai to hang around the Elliots Beach all day long, even enjoying the high tide and moonlight walks in the night. Sophisticated surveillance cameras with night vision amenities have been installed at the Elliots Beach, which makes the beach a safe place to visit even at night. A few cameras have been installed in a way that the registration plates of vehicles can be recorded.
You can reach there by:
- It gets very easy from air as Chennai is connected to all major cities in and across the country. The air terminal of Chennai is an international airport and one can board the place directly coming form abroad.
- It is also connected by rail to all important states in India. the local railways station comes under southern railway zone.
- You can travel by road as well. Everyday there are regular bus services for all big or small towns in and across the state. For local travel you can bank upon taxis, auto rickshaws, city buses and local trains.