Chennai was Madras until 1996, and it is a place where tradition and technology sit side by side. The city grew up around Fort St George, which the East India Company began building in 1644, and the fort still stands near the seafront, now home to the state government. A short distance south, in the old quarter of Mylapore, the Kapaleeshwarar Temple rises in a colourful tower of carved gods and animals, and the streets around it are lined with shops selling jasmine, brass lamps and sweets.
With more than four million people, the city is the capital of Tamil Nadu and a centre of music, dance and film. The Marina, a long beach along the seafront, is crowded each evening with families, vendors and kite-flyers. Filter coffee, idli and dosa, served on banana leaves, are the staples of breakfast, and a plate of rice and sambar at a small restaurant is a satisfying meal for very little money.
The ride to Mahabalipuram follows the East Coast Road, one of the most pleasant roads in southern India. It leaves the city through the suburbs, then runs along the coast for about fifty kilometres, with the sea on one side and backwaters, salt pans and casuarina groves on the other. Fuel is easy in the city and along the road, and the surface is mostly good, though traffic can be heavy at weekends, with buses and cars heading for the beaches. Early morning is best, when the air is cool and the light is clear.
The climate is hot and humid, with the northeast monsoon from October to December bringing heavy rain, and the best riding months are January to March. Take water, a hat and plenty of patience for the city streets. By the time the road opens out along the sea, you will have forgotten the traffic.