Thousand Lights and Anna Salai: A Walker's Landmark Guide

What is Anna Salai and why does it matter?

Anna Salai was formerly called Mount Road, short for St. Thomas Mount Road, and is about 13 km long, which makes it the second-longest road in Chennai. It began as a cart track used by East India Company employees travelling between Fort St George and St. Thomas Mount, and by the early twentieth century it was a premier shopping street.

It passes through Parktown, Thousand Lights, Teynampet, Nandanam, Saidapet, Little Mount and Guindy. Embassy Park stands at the corner of Aziz Mulk 7th Street on Anna Salai in Thousand Lights, so these landmarks are easy to reach on foot or by a short ride.

Where does the name Thousand Lights come from?

The neighbourhood is named after Thousand Lights Mosque, built in 1810 by the Nawab of Arcot, Umdat ul-Umara. The site is said to have had an assembly hall where a thousand oil lamps were lit, which gave the mosque its name. It has five domes and two minarets, can hold around a thousand worshippers, and is an important Shia place of worship.

It is an active place of worship, so keep respectful if you look from the outside, and check before you assume visitors can enter. The nearby Thousand Lights Metro station also carries the name.

What else is on or near Anna Salai?

Spencer Plaza opened in 1991 on the site of the old Spencer and Co department store, which was destroyed by fire in 1983. Wikipedia lists about 700 shops, anchor stores and restaurants, banking services and parking for more than 800 cars on its eight floors. It is within walking distance of the hotel.

The LIC Building is described as Chennai's first skyscraper, and the Gemini Flyover is a well-known crossing point. The US Consulate General is at 220 Anna Salai at Gemini Circle, at the intersection with Cathedral Road. Wikipedia lists heritage names such as Higginbotham's bookstore, founded in 1904, and P. Orr & Sons from 1873 along the road.

• Thousand Lights Mosque, 1810
• Spencer Plaza, opened 1991
• LIC Building, Chennai's first skyscraper
• US Consulate General, 220 Anna Salai
• St. George's Cathedral on Cathedral Road, 1815

Which hospitals and services are close?

Apollo Hospital on Greams Road is a 5 to 10 minute walk from Embassy Park, and Sankara Nethralaya, the eye hospital, is also close by.

For cash, Spencer Plaza is listed with banking services, and bank branches and ATMs are common along Anna Salai, but we cannot name specific ones with certainty, so ask the 24-hour reception for the nearest option on the day. We also have not verified pharmacies by name, and the reception can point you to one.

How do you plan a short walk?

A simple loop is to walk from the hotel to Spencer Plaza, look at the mosque from Anna Salai, and return the same way. Chennai is hot and humid for much of the year, so go early or after the sun softens, carry water and wear comfortable shoes. Pavements can be uneven, so watch your step.

After the walk, a room with air conditioning, a mini fridge and a tea and coffee maker is welcome. Rooms start at Rs 2,800 per night, and rates should be reconfirmed when you book.

If you prefer an even shorter outing, step out to the corner of Aziz Mulk 7th Street and Anna Salai, look along the road in both directions, and notice how many different eras of building share the view. Bring a small bottle of water, keep your phone in a front pocket, and be ready to turn back if the weather changes. A short walk is often the best first introduction to a new neighbourhood.

How has the area changed over time?

Anna Salai grew as merchants built large garden houses with spacious grounds along the route, and the road became a premier shopping address by the early twentieth century. Spencer and Co opened what was described as the first department store in the Indian subcontinent in 1895, with over 80 departments, and the company owned the Spencer Plaza site from the 1860s.

The American consular presence in the city goes back to 1794, when William Abbott was appointed as the first consular agent. The post became a full consulate in 1908 and a Consulate General on August 15, 1947, and it settled at its current Gemini Circle address in 1969. Wikipedia reports that more than 20,000 people visit the consulate each month, which gives a sense of the activity in the neighbourhood.

Today the road mixes old buildings, new offices, hospitals, malls and a metro line below. It is busy, so walk with care, and expect a mix of old and new on the same block. A short walk gives you a real sense of why the area is popular with visa applicants, business travellers and hospital visitors alike.