running along Marina Beach, the second longest Urban beach in the world. In 2008, the beach played host to India's first International Beach Volleyball Championship, BSNL FIVB Chennai Challenger:2008, from 15 to 20 July to popularize beach volleyball. The event was organized by the Beach Volleyball Club and was sponsored by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. Eleven Indian teams along with 60 teams from 21 countries participated in the 6-day-long tournament offering a total prize money of US$40,000 in the men's and US$6,400 in the women's events. In March 2016, "My leader" campaign was launched in this historical place. The main focus of this event was to attract youngsters to take up politics. Transportation Kamaraj Salai, a six-lane road and one of the arterial roads of Chennai City, runs alongside the beach providing a sea view starting from the Victory War Memorial near the Cooum River delta till the lighthouse to the south. The road extends further south beyond the lighthouse where it is known as the 'Santhome High Road', running away from the sea but parallel to the beach until Santhome. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation has a terminus called the 'Anna Square' terminus at the northern end of the beach, Triplicane Terminus near Kannagi statue/Pycrofts Road, Vivekananda House (Ice House) Terminus and Foreshore Estate terminus. Railway stations alongside the beach include the Chepauk, the Tiruvallikeni and the Lighthouse MRTS railway stations. The Poonamallee–Lighthouse (Line 4) section of the Chennai Metro (Phase II) under construction will connect the beach with other parts of the city. There was a plan to build a 9.7-km elevated road along the beach connecting the lighthouse with the East Coast Road in the south at a cost of 10,000 million. However, the plan was dropped due to opposition from the public such as the 'Save Chennai Beaches' campaign. Legacy Although the beach promenade was created in 1884, the sandy shore has been mentioned in the literature much earlier. The beach shore has a mentioning in the verse no. 2297 of the 4000 Divya Prabandham written by Peyalwar. 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