Elliot's Beach

Edward Elliot's Beach, usually called Besant Nagar Beach or simply 'the Bessie', is a natural city beach in the Besant Nagar neighbourhood of Chennai, south of Marina Beach. Its name honours Edward Elliot, who served as chief magistrate and police superintendent in the Madras Presidency. In colonial times it was largely reserved for white people; today thousands visit every day.

Its best-known landmark is the Kaj Schmidt Memorial, which honours a Danish sailor who died while trying to rescue a drowning girl. Annai Velankanni Church, a shrine to Our Lady of Good Health, stands on the shore, and the Ashtalakshmi Temple, built in 1976 in a modern style, is near the southern end. It is counted among the city's cleanest and safest beaches, with a police outpost patrolling on all-terrain vehicles, though 11 drownings were reported off it in 2010.