ellamey TamilNadu

State Capital Chennai

Population 56 million approx

Area 130000 sq. km

Language Tamil

Best Season January to September

Tamil Nadu is the cradle of South Indian temple architecture that originated in the 7th century and matured in the huge temple complexes studded with towering gateways called Gopurams that soar above the markets of almost every town. Quite a contrast to the temple heritage is provided at Pondicherry which remained a French colony for a long time. French is still widely spoken, and seaside villas and cobbled streets are more reminiscent of South France than South India ! Another facet of this diverse state is the two hill stations of Ootacamund and Kodaikanal. Both are little patches of England in India !!

A unique festival of Karnatic music, the Thyagaraja festival, is held annually in January at Thiruvariyar, the birth place of famous singer poet Thyagaraja, where one can witness the amazing spectacle of mass performance, in total harmony and rhythm. The places of tourist interest in the state are Chennai, the beautiful capital city; Mamallapuram, the beach resort; Kanchipuram, the land of 1000 temples; Madurai, famous for the Meenakshi temple; Rameswaram, Tiruchirapalli and Thanjavur, the temple trio; the charming hill resorts of Yercaud, Ootacamund and Kodaikanal and Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India, renowned for its sunrise and sunset.

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Tamilnadu Lake TravelTamil Nadu is bounded by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the north and Kerala in the west. The coastal eastern and southern boundaries are lapped by the waters of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean respectively. The eastern and western tips of the state are defined by the Point Calimere and Mudumalai wildlife sanctuaries while the northern extreme is Pulicat lake and the southernmost tip is Cape Comorin or Kanniyakumari - the Land's End of India.

With an area of 130,058 sqkm and population over 55 million, Tamil Nadu is the 11th largest state in India. The Union Territory of Pondicherry is a small enclave in the district of South Arcot. Traditionally, the land of Tamils has been divided into 5 major physiographic divisions - the Kurinji or mountainous region, the Mullai or forest region, the Palai or arid region, the Marudham or the fertile plains and the Neidhal or coastal region.

The Eastern and Western ghats meet in Tamil nadu and run along its eastern and western borders. All of Tamil Nadu's famous hill stations, i.e Udhagamandalam, Kodaikanal, Kothagiri and Yercaud are situated in this region. The 25km wide Palakkad gap and Shencottah gap are the only breaks into the long chain of hills that border western Tamil Nadu.

Contrasting with the low rocky hills of the Eastern ghats, the hills of the Western ghats have dense forests. This area receives abundant rainfall and the scenic valleys of Cumbum and Pollachi are dotted with plantations of tea, coffee and spices.

However, the upper reaches of the Eastern ghats are not without their share of beauty and Yercaud in the Shevaroy hills is famous for its fruit orchards and banana and coffee plantations. Tamil Nadu has a wealth of flora and fauna and some of its major wildlife sanctuaries like Mudumalai and Anaimalai(Indira Gandhi W.S) are situated in the hills of the Western ghats which is the habitat of elephants, tigers, bisons and a variety of monkey and deer. Nilgiris Hills, Tamil Nadu VacationsOf the 3000 and more plant species found in Tamil Nadu, a majority are found in the mixed deciduous forests of this region.

One of the most noteworthy flowers is the Kurinji of Kodaikkanal which blooms once in 12 years. Cinchona from which quinine - a drug for treating malaria - is extracted, and eucalyptus grow abundantly in the Nilgiris. Forests of medicinal herbs are found in Palani hills and Courtallam. Palmyrah trees grow by the thousands in Tirunelveli and its products are used as raw materials for several cottage industries. Rubber is the main plantation crop in Kanniyakumari and the more exotic sandalwood grows, though not in very large numbers, in the Javadhu hills of Vellore district.

The perennial river of the state is the CAUVERI which originates in Coorg in the neighbouring Karnataka. The fertile Coromandel plains are irrigated by the Kaveri and its delta in Thanjavur - Nagapattinam region is known as the granary of Tamil Nadu. The other rivers in the state are the Palar, Pennar, Vaigai and Tamiraparani.

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The major tourist places in the state are:

Anamalai : Wildlife sanctuary.

Auroville : International Utopian city being built, Aurobindo Ashram Associations.

Chidambaram : Temple, Tamil culture centre.

Coimbatore : Industrial centre, temple.

Coonoor : Hill stations, Botanical garden.

Covelong : Beach resort.

Gingee : Fort, picnic spot.

Hogenakal : Waterfalls.

Kanchipuram : one of India’s seven sacred cities, temples, handloom silk.

Kanyakumari : Land’s end, temple, beach, rock memorial, sunrise, sunset and moonrise.

Padmanabham : Ancient capital, palace, museum, temple.

Chennai : Fort, beaches, temples, churches, museums, art galleries, parks, memorials, culture centres.

Cholamandal : artists’ colony.

Pulicat : Backwaters, bird-life, boating, beach.

Suchindram : Hanuman temple, exquisite sculpture.

Kodaikanal : Hill resort, solar physics laboratory, museum, orchidarium, lake, Kurinji flower which blossoms once in 12 years.

Point Calimere : wildlife sanctuary- Black Buck and Flamingo.

Kotagiri : Hill stations, waterfalls.

Thiruvanmiyur : Kalakshetra – dance, music and handloom academy.

Madurai : Temples, handlooms, palaces, handicrafts, museum.

Mahabalipuram : Temple, sculpture, beach resort, crocodile farm.

Mudumalai : Wildlife sanctuary.

Mandanthurai : Tiger sanctuary, Wildlife Sanctuary.

Nagore : Muslim dargah, pilgrimage centre for all faiths. Annual fair.

Poompuhar : Excavations of historic port, art gallery, beach.

Pudukottai : Palace, Museum, temples.

Rameswaram : One of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrimage centre, temple, place associated with Sri Rama, beach, one thousand pillared Mandapam.

Thanjavur : Temples, Frescoes, palaces, art gallery, churches, museums, handicrafts.

Kumbakonam : Pilgrimage centre, temples, handicrafts.

Tiruchchirappalli : Temple, fort, Muslim and Christian antiquities, museum.

Srirangam : Unique temple town, major Hindu pilgrimage centre, river island.

Tirunelveli : Temples, handicrafts.

Tiruvannamalai : Temple, Sri Ramana Maharishi Ashram.

Ootacamund : Hill resort, botanical gardens.

Vendanthangal : Bird sanctuary.

Vellore : Famous Mission Hospital, fort and temple.

Yercaud : Hill station, lake, park, waterfalls, temple.

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There are more than 30,000 temples in Tamil Nadu, which has given the state the distinctive title of 'A Land of Temples'. Built by various dynasties these temples bear a superficial resemblance to each other in that they share the same physical features - the gopuram or the imposing tower over the entrance, from all four directions the vimanam which is the tower over the sanctum and the spacious halls and corridors. The temple was also much more than a place of worship. It was a place for social gathering, for education, for celebration - not just of the king's victories in battles but also of local functions and ceremonies such as marriages. The temple was also used as a store house of sorts for emergencies and, many a temple also maintained hospitals. The temple was a place where art, in all its forms i.e. music, dance, drama and handicrafts received encouragement and flourished.