Chennai at 5 AM Feels Like a Different City 🇮🇳 | Sunrise Ride to Thiruvanmiyur Beach

What does Chennai look like before the city wakes up? I had returned to Chennai from Ireland for a holiday when my school friend Saddam suggested an early-morning ride to Thiruvanmiyur Beach to watch the sunrise. We left around 5 AM and rode through unusually quiet Chennai streets. Along the way we passed Kathipara, the green stretch around Guindy, Anna University and IIT Madras, saw cyclists and murals, and slowly watched the sky change from darkness to blue. One of my favourite moments was passing Kathipara. Usually, this is the route I take when travelling towards Chennai Airport and leaving home again. But this time we weren’t leaving Chennai — we were heading towards the sea. As we got closer to the coast, we could even smell the salty sea air before seeing the beach. By the time we reached Thiruvanmiyur Beach, many people were already there waiting for sunrise — some walking, some exercising, some spending time with friends and family. Different reasons. Same sunrise. 🌅 📍 Thiruvanmiyur Beach, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India This video was rebuilt from my original Chennai footage with a new English narration and edit for The Sindhujans. Follow for more travel stories from Ireland, Europe, India and beyond.