Opened in 1976 in memory of the poet-saint Thiruvalluvar, Valluvar Kottam is a massive auditorium, constructed on reclaimed land from an unused lake filled with the city's garbage and debris. The auditorium can seat up to 4000 people.

All 1330 verses of the poet's epic - the Thirukkural, are inscribed on the granite pillars that surround the auditorium. The auditorium itself is not supported by any pillars!

There is a 101-feet high temple chariot structure with a life-size image of the poet in it. The base of the chariot shows in bas-relief the 133 chapters of the Thirukkural.

Over 3000 blocks of stone were used to create this memorial to Tamil culture.

Open from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm.
Closed on Fridays and National holidays.

Originally called Ice House, this landmark was re-christened Vivekananda Illam in 1963. This was in remembrance of Swami Vivekananda's brief sojourn here. (in 1 897 when he delivered seven historic lectures at Chennai).

The building served the Tudor Ice Company, which used it for storage of ice from 1842 to 1874. Its structure was such that Ice could remain without melting for long periods. The Government took over the building in 1930 and it has been renovated recently, with a statue of Swami Vivekananda installed. Today, it houses a Gallery of 150 rare photographs on the life of Swami Vivekananda. It also houses a section on India's cultural heritage and on the history of the building itself.

Open from 9.00 am to 12.30 pm and from 3.00 pm to 6.30 pm
Closed on Wednesdays.

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