Nature and Modernity- The best of both worlds in Sembakkam!
Sembakkam is a quiet, consecrated municipal in Kancheepuram district, located within the south side of the ever so bustling city of Chennai. Situated approximately 30 kms away from the city centre, Sembakkam has recently been in the news on account of proximity to the adjacent IT Parks and the recent growth in real estate activity.
About Sembakkam
Positioned advantageously in St Thomas Mount Taluk of Kancheepuram district, Sembakkam lies within the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). The area enjoys superb access through road, rail and air bases and is connected to all the important landmarks within a 10 km radius. Recently the Sembakkam Municipality received its prestigious ISO 9001:2008 certification from an evaluating body— a recognition that is not just noteworthy but well-deserved as well.
However, Sembakkam has become hugely popular among home buyers for the simple reason that the area provides a wonderful work life balance. There is a hurried measure of pace combined with a perfect harmony of peace with many temples such as the Chandra Mouleeswarar temple, the Jambulingeswarar temple- a temple of lord shiva and Aghilandeswari amman.
The exquisite Skandasharamam temple has been built recently with lord murugan, pancha muga Vinayagar, Shiva lingam and lord Mahalakshmi. Besides these there are many other temples in and around the area. The Guruswamy Nagar temple is believed to be one of the more pristine and well-maintained must-visit temples here.
There is a reserve forest area within the precincts of Sembakkam and it serves as a green lung to the town. Besides which, families frequent the immaculate Sembakkam Park which has many amenities such as a library, water fountain, orchids, lawn, shuttle ground, a walking path. Moreover, the Sembakkam Lake is located in this area and one can easily access the nearby Cove long beach.
These factors have contributed to make Sembakkam a highly coveted destination.
The challenges of a growing area
The Sembakkam Lake is situated between Sembakkam, the Chitlapakkam town panchayats and the Pallavaram municipality.Once sprawled across 150 acres, the Lake is now believed to be much smaller in size due to encroachments.
Considered to be a rich treasure trove of water, the lake receives the excess water supply from the nearby Chitlapakkam Lake and other reservoirs in Hasthinapuram and Nemilichery. The value of the lake can further be gauged from the fact that every monsoon,the lake assists in recharging the ground water table and provides an ongoing source of water supply in the nearby areas.
However in recent times the lake was subjected to massive garbage dumping and encroachments. Nevertheless the issue was recently taken up seriously and authorities have planned constructing a weir and putting up a fence around the lake in order to curb encroachments. There are plans for reconstructing the outlet point, de-silting and height increment of the lake bund as well.
Once complete, the redevelopment activities planned for the Semabakkam Lake will go on to make this place a nature lovers paradise.
Covelong Beach
The covelong beach is merely 45 mins or 27-28 kms Sembakkam, if one travels via the Medavakkam-Mambakkam Rd or the Vandalur-Kelambakkam Rd. The beach is renowned for its fishing activities and a charming seaside façade. Many activities such as windsurfing, swimming among other water sports can be enjoyed at the beach. In fact, as you walk along the beach, you will also come across the ruins of an ancient Dutch fort. A leisurely stroll in the Covelong (Kovalam) village will take you to an archaic Catholic Church.
At a distance of a few kilometres from Covelong, one can reach Mahabalipuram and visit the 7th century shore temples or the Crocodile farm.