On the southern side of Fort St. George, one such sand ridge ran from the mouth of the Cooum River to the present site of the Presidency College.

[18] On 8 August 2018, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi was buried beside his mentor Annadurai at the Marina Beach.

[22][23] Marina Beach lies on the stretch of coast where olive ridley sea turtles, a species classified as Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 (critically endangered), nest during mating season, chiefly between late October and April peaking from mid-January to mid-February.

[25] However, with the expansion of the shrimp trawling fishery in the eastern coast of India in the mid-1970s, several individuals of the species are washed ashore dead every year.

[31][32] The memorials and statues, morning walk, joggers' track, lovers' spot, aquarium, and the like make it a hangout for people of all ages.

[38] As part of the 'Chennai Forever' initiative by the Tamil Nadu government, a 34-foot (10 m) tall, artificial waterfall was installed in September 2005 at a cost of ₹ 1.5 million.

[40] In 2008, two floating fountains with spray height of 100 feet with color lights for night view were planned to be installed in sea waters off the beach.

These included a sand-cleaning machine capable of cleaning 15,000 m2 area in an hour procured at a cost of ₹ 3.267 million, three skid steer loaders to clean narrow lanes commissioned at a cost of ₹ 2.652 million, imported lawn mower, ride-on mechanical sweeper, tree pruner and hedge trimmer.

[45] Being the city's primary area for recreation, the entire stretch features numerous statues and monuments that have come up over the years along the beach promenade, called Kamaraj Salai.

Memorials for C. N. Annadurai, M. G. Ramachandran, J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi, former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, are present on the northern end of the promenade known as the Anna Square.

The other side of the road houses several historical buildings and institutions including the Chepauk Cricket Stadium, the University of Madras, the Presidency College, Vivekananda House, Queen Mary's College, Inspector General of Police Headquarters, All India Radio—Chennai, Dr. Annie Besant Park.

The blueprint of the renovation project included ornamental fountains, exclusive parking lots for two- and four-wheelers, a children's play area, bus shelters, ramps for physically challenged, and food courts.

A total of 14 galleries with seating arrangements and a 4-m internal walkway along the sands and fountains have been created on the 3.1-kilometre (1.9 mi) stretch from the Anna Square to the Lighthouse.

Five reverse osmosis plants capable of providing 30,000 liters of drinking water an hour free of cost to visitors is under construction.

[57] In 2012, the corporation allotted ₹ 48.4 million for installing two high-mast lamps, a police watchtower, and a giant chess board and an interactive fountain in the children's play area.

[60] The Marina continues to remain the most dangerous place to bathe or swim, recording the highest number of drownings in the state of Tamil Nadu.

[63] Police personnel and lifeguards constantly patrol the whole area, which is divided into seventy-two sections,[9] by means of horses and all-terrain vehicles (known as beach buggies).

[66] The law-enforcing agencies is planning to bring the beach under close watch by means of two watchtowers and at least a dozen surveillance cameras.

In December 2001, the Kannagi statue, which was erected in 1968 on the occasion of a World Tamil Conference held in Chennai, was removed for traffic maintenance reason[74] as part of modernization of the beach, which led to a huge protest and demonstration by the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party.

[75][76][77] On 9 August 2003, an open-air stage located 350 ft from the sea[78] on the sands of the Marina called Seerani Arangam, constructed in 1970,[79] which was used by religious groups and political parties to address gatherings, was demolished by the state government (ADMK) in order to modernise the beach.

[88] As a visible change in the beach immediately after the tsunami, the intertidal area was much flatter on 27 December 2004, which usually featured a gentle slope.

), harpacticiod copepods (Arenosetella indica, Psammastacus acuticaudatus, Leptastacus euryhalinus, Emertonia minuta, Sewellina reductus), ostracods (Polycope sp.

[90] The protest came to end only after the ban was revoked after the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 was amended by the state government to allow the sport.

The verse, dating back to 7th century CE, was written in Tamil, and it says that the sea was so rich with white waves bringing to the shore very precious gems like red corals and white pearls and that the light of the dusk (moonlight) falls on these gems at the shore and makes the area brightened with beautiful colors.

From old Sicilian recollections, I gave in 1884 to our new creation the name of Marina; and I was not a little amused when walking there last winter with the Italian General Saletta, he suddenly said to me 'On se dirai a Palerme'.

[13]In New India, the newspaper that was run by Annie Besant, the Irish theosophist and Home Rule advocate, the beauty of Marina Beach was described back in 1914.

There is nothing in all of India to match this long and pleasantest of promenades that runs by the side of the foam-crested surf from the southern extremity of the Fort to Santhome.

She also added that Madras[98] ... in keeping with her dignity as a progressive city with a population of over half a million souls, (its) delectable evening resort, Marina Beach will be converted into being 'a thing of beauty and joy forever'.In January 2014, the corporation announced a makeover of the 2.8-km stretch on the southern part of the beach from Lighthouse to Foreshore Estate, including development of walkways, benches, a gallery, bicycle tracks, concrete roads, service trenches, rainwater trenches and streetlight fittings at an estimated cost of ₹ 400 million.

[99] The corporation also plans to develop more than 300 heritage pillars, each 1.2 meters tall, on the western side of Kamaraj Salai opposite the beach.

The uniformly designed heritage pillars will be made of granite and iron on the stretch from All India Radio to Swami Sivananda Salai.