Chennai, the city of Krishnamacharya's last decades

Why come here for yoga

If Mysore is where Krishnamacharya trained the teachers who carried Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga to the world, Chennai is where he spent the last thirty-seven years of his life. T. Krishnamacharya (1888–1989) moved to Madras, today's Chennai, in 1952, invited by a lawyer who sought his help after a stroke, and lectured at Vivekananda College (Wikipedia). His son T.K.V. Desikachar (1938–2016) studied with him for decades and became known for teaching yoga adapted to the individual, a method first called Viniyoga, a name he later dropped, asking that it be called simply "yoga" (Wikipedia).

The Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM)

According to its official site, the KYM was established in 1976 by T.K.V. Desikachar as a non-profit public charitable trust, to carry forward his father's teachings. The site presents Krishnamacharya as one of the pioneers of adapting yoga for therapy. Today it lists:

• Group practice at its premises in Mandaveli, and a second location in Kilpauk;
• One-to-one yoga therapy (yoga-cikitsā), including a course focused on lower back pain;
• Vedic chanting and a Healing Chants teacher training programme for 2026–27;
• Online intensives on the Yoga Sutra, prāṇāyāma and meditation, and pre-recorded modules;
• a four-week Heart of Yoga immersion, which its programmes page describes as popular.

The KYM lists recognitions from the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga and the Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department, SIRO recognition and an ISO 9001:2015 certification. Its address: New No. 31, 4th Cross Street, Rama Krishna Nagar, Mandaveli, Chennai 600028; email mails@kym.org.

What makes Chennai special for a practitioner is this approach: breath first, the posture adapted to the person, chanting as practice. If you have read Desikachar's books, you will recognise it.

Sacred places

• Kapaleeshwarar temple, Mylapore. Tamil Nadu Tourism describes a Shiva temple whose lingam is said to be self-manifested (svayambhu), entered through a 37-metre gopuram, with the goddess as Karpagambal, bronzes of the 63 Shaiva saints (Nayanars), mention in the Thevaram hymns of Sambandar and Appar, and a sacred punnai tree. It is about 7 km from Chennai's main railway station.
• The Theosophical Society, Adyar. Founded in New York, where Colonel Olcott gave his inaugural address on 17 November 1875, the Society set up its permanent international headquarters at Adyar after its 1882 anniversary; the Adyar Library opened in December 1886 (official site). Its banyan tree, about 450 years old by the Society's estimate, spreads over some 40,000 sq ft. On 16 October 2026 its FAQ said the campus was closed to visitors "for the time being".

When to go

Tamil Nadu Tourism recommends November to February, when temperatures are moderate. The India Meteorological Department adds the key fact: the northeast monsoon, from October to December, is the chief rainy season for Tamil Nadu, bringing 48 % of its annual rainfall (442.8 mm out of 921.4 mm on average), and it is also the main cyclone season of the Bay of Bengal. Its normal onset date is 20 October. Expect hot, humid weather in the summer months.

Getting there

• By air: Chennai International Airport at Meenambakkam, which Tamil Nadu Tourism describes as the fourth-busiest in India by passengers.
• By train: Chennai is a major railway hub, with a suburban network linking Beach, Chengalpet, Arakkonam and Gummidipoondi.
• Onward: Pondicherry is about 160 km south (Sri Aurobindo Ashram), Tiruvannamalai about 200 km south-west (Sri Ramanasramam).

Chennai is the natural entry point to Pondicherry and Auroville and Tiruvannamalai. Before booking, read our page on the India e-Visa.

Budget

We publish only official, dated prices. The KYM lists its programmes online, each with its own page: read the fee on the programme page or ask in writing. Temple entry at Kapaleeshwarar is a matter for the temple administration; we found no ticket price on Tamil Nadu Tourism's page.

Etiquette

• In the temple, remove your shoes and dress with shoulders and knees covered; do not photograph the deities without a priest's permission, as Sri Ramanasramam's etiquette page asks for temples and shrines.
• At the KYM, a class is a class, not a tour: book in advance, arrive on time, and tell the teacher about any health condition.
• In Adyar, the Society asks visitors to keep silent, stay on paved roads, limit phone use and not pick flowers or leaves.

Health and safety

• Cyclones and floods: the FCDO lists the east coast of India from September to December among the areas most at risk; follow local authorities' instructions.
• Emergencies: dial 112 (FCDO).
• Be wary of food or drinks offered by strangers; spiked drinks have been reported in India (FCDO).

Choosing a retreat or a training here

Many teachers in the world say they teach "in the Krishnamacharya tradition" or "Viniyoga". Before you pay one:

• Where did they study, and for how long? The KYM publishes its own programmes: check that what you are sold is listed on kym.org if it claims to be the KYM's.
• Is the course one-to-one or in a group, online or at the Mandaveli premises? The KYM lists both kinds, and the tradition's strength is individual teaching.
• If you come for yoga therapy, bring your medical reports and ask who will see you and for how many sessions. A yoga therapist does not replace your doctor.
• What certificate do you get, and from whom? Compare with what Yoga Alliance does and does not certify, and read our page on the 200-hour teacher training.

To see where Krishnamacharya taught before Chennai, read our page on Mysore.

Questions people ask

Sources

1. Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (official site, home page): non-profit public charitable trust est. 1976, MDNIY, SIRO, Tamil Nadu Health Department, ISO 9001:2015, Mandaveli and Kilpauk checked October 17, 2026
2. About KYM — Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (official site) checked October 16, 2026
3. Yoga Programmes and Workshops — Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (official site) checked October 16, 2026
4. Tirumalai Krishnamacharya — Wikipedia (1888–1989; move to Madras in 1952) checked October 16, 2026
5. T. K. V. Desikachar — Wikipedia (1938–2016; Viniyoga) checked October 16, 2026
6. The Kapaleeshwarar Temple — Tamil Nadu Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu checked October 16, 2026
7. Chennai — Tamil Nadu Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu (airport, best time) checked October 16, 2026
8. Early History — The Theosophical Society, Adyar (official site) checked October 16, 2026
9. Visitor FAQ — The Theosophical Society, Adyar (official site) checked October 16, 2026
10. The Adyar Banyan Tree — The Theosophical Society, Adyar (official site) checked October 16, 2026
11. Etiquette around Arunachala — Sri Ramanasramam (do's and don'ts in temples and shrines) checked October 16, 2026
12. Report on Northeast Monsoon 2025 — India Meteorological Department, Regional Meteorological Centre Chennai (April 2026) checked October 16, 2026
13. India travel advice: safety and security — UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office checked October 16, 2026

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