While it's Raining Cats and Dogs in Chennai, it's Time to Visit Chennai Margazhi

A raging cyclone is crossing the Indian peninsula causing havoc and rain but that is no reason to miss a visit to the world’s only city with a season dedicated to music and dance. The Margazhi festival of Chennai in southern India is a unique opportunity to fill your holiday with an enchanting glimpse in to the rich culture, tradition and food of India.

Margazhi is a month in the Indian Tamil calendar covering December and January. But it is getting to be more associated with the unique carnatic music and dance festival being held in the city of Chennai since decades and evoke nostalgic and romantic feeling in many people, especially among the expatriates who wait for a whole year, yearning for an annual visit.

The best thing about the Margazhi festival is that each day is filled with many musical and dance events in several venues till late night most of which are absolute free with no tickets or entrance fees. The festival aims to promote talent and give an opportunity for the artists to perform in public attracting both professional and amateur practitioners of the arts from around the world.

If you are after a relaxing and fulfilling holiday, it is indeed great fun to hop in and listen to some invigorating music in the mid morning, spend some time on the beach or enjoy some really ethnic food, do some browsing or shopping for exotic jewellery or clothing in the afternoon and then return for more enjoyment of some exhilarating dance in the evening. You can do all of these in any order you like for several days non-stop if you wish.

The festival is in fact an amazing panorama of true Indian culture you can only remotely sense in the hype of “Incredible India”. The artistic intensity of vocal Carnatic and Hindustani music, exotic instruments and solo performances, and riveting dance performances by lone exponents and groups will leave indelible tracks on your memories to take home, unlike a normal holiday you will soon forget about.

What makes it even more interesting is the availability of really ethnic food at many venues during the season, which is normally served only in private homely functions,

thanks to the month of Margazhi, considered inauspicious for marriages and other functions. For connoisseurs, this wonderful treat for the palette is an added attraction of the festival pampering all of your senses.

If you seriously want a rejuvenating break and don’t know how to get that well deserved tranquilising change away from your world, then Margazhi in Chennai may be what you may be looking for.  

Article first published in Technorati as http://technorati.com/lifestyle/travel/article/while-its-raining-cats-and-dogs/