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TAMIL NADU
 Located in the southernmost part of India, Tamil Nadu is a
tourist paradise. Tamil Nadu is a large state offering
ancient sites, huge ornate temples, a strong and vibrant
culture, wildlife sanctuaries and blue beaches along its
Coromandel coast. You can revel on the Marina beach or go
cruising in the theme parks or let your mind rest in peace
in the midst of magnificent temples. Tamil Nadu is bound by
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the north and Kerala in the
west. The eastern and western most 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 Kanyakumari, the land's end. The tip
of the peninsula touches the confluence of three water
bodies; the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian
Ocean. The Tamils have an ancient history. Under the Pallava,
Chola and Pandya kings art, architecture and literature
flourished and reached great heights. Tamil language has a
history, which can be traced back to the age of the
Tolkapiyam, the Tamil Grammar text generally ascribed to 500
B.C. Sangam literature of the Tamils dates back to 500 B.C.
The Tamils have always been a hospitable race, known for
their generous nature. The influence of the various
dynasties and occupying forces that ruled the state can be
seen in its various forms. The Pallavas, the Cholas, the
Portuguese, the British, the Dutch and the French have left
their impressions in different parts of the state. Tamil
Nadu is a Dravidian name that was given to the state after
Independence. Dravidian culture is reflected in the dances,
music, and in handicrafts. The influx of the Aryans from the
north drove the Dravidians to the southern part of the
country. During the Muslim invasion, the Hindu kings of the
south formed the famous Vijayanagar Empire. It became the
stronghold of Dravidian culture. The present state of Tamil
Nadu was a part of that great empire. The rich culture of
the Dravidians not only survives but also thrives in the
various customs still very prevalent. Festivals here are
always combined with some significant, sacred activity. The
Tamil culture is one of the oldest continuous cultures in
the world. Today, Tamil Nadu is the most industrialized
state in Southern India. It is also one of the most sought
after tourist destination in the country
CHENNAI
Chennai, also known as Madras, the fourth largest city in
India and the capital of Tamil Nadu. It has good links to
the rest of the subcontinent. The international airport is a
major hub for the south of India. The place has a fine
manifestation of tradition and modernity. The city sprawls
over more than 70 sq. km. The population of this city is 6
million. Many of the Indian languages are spoken in Chennai,
though the main language is Tamil. For travelers with an
interest in the colonial history of India, Chennai is worth
exploring. For more than 2000 years the area has been
popular with seafarers, spice traders and cloth merchants.
The 16th century saw the arrival of the Portuguese, followed
by the Dutch. In 1693, the British East India Company
established a settlement in the fishing village of
Madraspatnam, the old name for Chennai. Fort St. George was
constructed over a period of 15 years and finally completed
in 1653. George town grew in the area of the fort and was
granted its first municipal charter in 1688 by King James
II, making it the oldest municipality in India. During the
18th and 19th centuries, French and British traders competed
for supremacy in India. In the 19th century, the city became
the seat of the Madras presidency, one of the four divisions
of British imperial India. After independence, it continued
to grow into what is now a significant southern gateway.
Amongst the must visits in Chennai is the second longest
beach in the world - Marina Beach.
COONOOR
Coonoor, surrounded by the tea plantations and at an
altitude of 1850 m, is the first of the three Nilgiri hill
stations - Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Kotagiri and Coonoor that
you come to when leaving behind the southern plains. Like
Ooty, it's on the toy train line from Mettupalayam. While
Kotagiri had the Kotas and Ooty the Todas, so Coonoor was
home to the Coon hill tribe (the suffix, 'oor', means
village).
THANJAVUR (TANJORE)
Thanjavur was the ancient capital of the Chola kings whose
origins, go back to the beginning of the Christian era.
Power struggles between these groups were a constant feature
of their early history, with one or other gaining the
ascendancy at various times. The Cholas' turn for empire
building came between 850 and 1270 AD and at the height of
their power. Probably the greatest of Chola emperors were
Raja Raja and his son Rajendra-I whose navy competed with
the Arabs for controls of the Indian Ocean trade routes and
who was responsible for bringing Srivijaya under Chola
control. Thanjavur is famous for its distinctive art style,
which is usually a combination of raised and painted
surfaces. Krishna is the most popular of the gods depicted
and in the Thanjavur school his skin is white rather than
the traditional blue-black. Thanjavur is the culture capital
of the region. There are 74 temples of which the most famous
is Brihadeeshwara. This is an architectural wonder and
reflects the artistic skills of the erstwhile Chola rulers.
The temple is capped by a monolithic cupola made of a single
granite block weighing 80 tons which was taken to the top by
being pulled on an inclined ramp 6 km. long, a technique
used by pyramid builders of Egypt. The temple is considered
to be artistically the most perfect of Dravida temples. It
has excellent sculptures and traces of paintings. The other
interesting places in Thanjavur include the Palace, built
partly in the 16th century by Nayaks and partly by the
Marathas, Raja Raja museum situated inside the Palace which
has the best collection of bronze figures of the south for
which Thanjavur is famous. Saraswathi Mahal library which
has over 30,000 ancient palm leaves and paper manuscripts.
Sangeet Mahal, built by Raja Serfoji in an acoustically
perfect music hall and Schwartz Church, build by Raja
Serfoji in 1779 as a token of affection for his teacher, the
Danish missionary, Rev. Schwartz.
MADURAI
 It is one of southern India’s oldest cities, and has been a
centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. Madurai’s
main attraction is the famous Sri Meenakshi Temple in the
heart of the old town, a riotously baroque example of
Dravidian architecture with gopurams covered from top to
bottom in a breathless profusion of multicoloured images of
gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The temple
seethes with activity from dawn till dusk, its many shrines
attracting pilgrims from every part of India and tourists
from all over the world. It’s been estimated that there are
10,000 visitors here on any one day! Madurai resembles a
huge, continuous bazaar crammed with shops, street markets,
temples, pilgrims, hotels, restaurants and small industries.
Although one of the liveliest cities in the south, it’s
small enough not to be overwhelming and is very popular with
travelers. In terms of the richness of the legends, the
abundance of literature and the stunning architectural and
sculptural splendour, Madurai is second to none in
representing the rich cultural traditions of India.
THIRUCHIRAPPALLY (TRICHY)
Situated on the bank of river Cauvery, Tiruchirapalli, the
fourth largest city in the State was a citadel of the early
Chola dynasty. It is famous for the Ranganathaswamy temple
complex at Srirangam, 10 km away. Built around the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, this temple has 21
towers and stone pillars with some of the finest carvings.
The temple is dedicated to lord Vishnu, who is portrayed
reclining on the serpent Adisesha, and is paid homage to by
thousands of pilgrims every day. The most famous landmark of
this bustling town is the Rock Fort temple, a spectacular
monument perched on a massive rocky outcrop, which rises
abruptly from the plain to tower over the old city. The Uchi
Pillaiyer temple is dedicated to lord Vinayaka or Ganesha. A
total of 344 steps cut into the rock lead to the temple.
There is also the Tyaumanaswami temple of lord Shiva half
way up the hillock. There are also two cave temples in the
fort with sculptures dating back to the 6th and 7th
centuries. The Sri Jambukeswara temple, at Tiruvankkaikaval,
Srirangam is an island in the Kaveri river, north of
Tiruchirapalli.
VELLORE
Situated 145 kms west of Chennai, Vellore is a dusty, semi
rural bazaar town. For tourists, it is noteworthy only for
the Vijaynagar fort and its temple which is in an excellent
state of preservation and is worth visiting. The town has a
modern church built next to an old British cemetery which
contains the tomb of a Captain who died in 1799 “of
excessive fatigue incurred during the glorious campaign
which ended in the defeat of Tipoo Sultan”. Here, too is a
memorial to the victims of the little known 'Vellore Mutiny'
of 1806. The mutiny was instigated by the second son of
Tipoo Sultan, who was incarcerated in the fort at that time
and was put down by a task force sent from Arcot. Vellore is
now best known for its multi-speciality hospital, one of the
best in the country.
KANCHIPURAM
The city of Kanchipuram forms an integral part of the golden
triangle of the Southern India along with Chennai and
Mahabalipuram. The sacred city is a beautiful place with
temples in the every nook and corner. The temple city of
Kanchipuram is one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites
in India and seat to the Shankaracharya. This Golden City of
Temples was believed to be one of the most important centers
of Hindu religion and also the most attractive one. The
place is considered a part of India’s seven sacred cities
and second holiest after Varanasi.
MAMALLAPURAM (MAHABALIPURAM)
 The town of temples, sand and sea - Mamallapuram, formely
known as Mahabalipuram is world renowned for its beautiful
Shore Temple. It was once the main port and naval base of
the great Pallava kingdom and was later made the capital of
this Dynasty. ‘Mamall ', meaning the great wrestler was the
name given to king Narasimha Varman I. Most of the temples
here is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu, were completed
between 630 A.D and 728 A.D during the reign of Narasimha
Varman II. This quaint little town of Mamallapuram is
enriched with ancient and splendid sculptures. Each of the
beautiful work of arts has a story to tell.
HILL STATIONS OF TAMIL NADU
Udagamandalam (Ooty): Nestled among the hills of
Dodabetta, Snowdon, Elk Hill, and Club Hill in the Nilgiri
range, Ooty (also Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam) is the queen
of southern hill stations and a popular tourist destination
of Tamil Nadu. The history of Ooty goes back to about 900
years when it was ruled by Vishnu Vardhana, the Hoysala king
from AD 1104 to 1141. The city also finds mention in the
writings of Jacome Ferico, the first European to visit this
place in 1603. In 1799, this hilly region came under the
control of the British East India Company. The British
established Ooty to serve as the summer headquarters of the
Madras government. A government house was built and keeping
in tune with the English lifestyle, the British set up
cottages and clubs, with facilities for tennis, golf, and
horse riding. With the establishment of numerous tea estates
in the subsequent years, Ooty made its presence felt in the
tourist map of India. With the maximum temperature going up
to 25°C, Ooty offers a pleasant climate throughout the year.
Kodaikanal: Located 120 kms away from Madurai,
Kodaikkanal is a beautiful hill station and is at an
altitude of 2133m on the southern tip of the upper Palani
hills in the Western ghats. Kodaikkanal has a bracing
climate where temperature do not vary much from summer to
winter. Fruits like plums and plantains grow abundantly on
the wooded slopes apart from a wide variety of flowers,
among which is the famous Kurinji flower which blooms once
in twelve years. Kodai's most enchanting sights include the
star shaped lake, spread over an area of 24 hectares where
fishing is allowed and boating facilities are available; one
of the world's oldest Solar Observatories that was built in
1899; and the Orchidarium at the Sacred Heart College where
about 300 species of orchids can be seen. There are also a
number of picturesque walks like Coaker's Walk and Priest's
Walk. Kodai's best view points are Pillar Rocks, and Green
Valley View. Bear Shola Falls, Silver Cascade, Fairy Falls
and Glen Falls are popular with picnickers while the Perumal
Peak is a favourite with trekkers. The Kurinji Andavar
temple 3 kms away is dedicated to Lord Subramanya.
BEACHES OF TAMIL NADU
Marina Beach: One of the longest in the world, the
beach has a wide expanse of glistening golden sands. The
area fronting the beach is beautifully landscaped. Worthy of
special mention is a group of bronze figures by the renowned
Indian sculptor, Debi Prosad Rai Chaudhari, eulogizing the
'Dignity of Labour'. These apart, the beach-front offers
some splendid examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture such
as the Madras University, the Chepauk Palace and the
Presidency College.
Muttukkadu: A Backwater and estuary, Muttukkadu is
ideal for rides on motorized boats or for wind surfing. Hire
a pedal boat or a row-boat for cruising leisurely.
Muttukkadu is ideally suited for angling and fishing.
 Kanyakumari: The southernmost end of Tamil Nadu and
of India or the point where the land's three seas meet.
Enchanting Kanyakumari or Cape Comorin is one of the most
popular tourist spots in the state and indeed, in the
country. Part of the fascination is of course due to the
fact that it is the very tip of the Indian peninsula and the
confluence of the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the
Indian Ocean. The other part is that Nature is so
spectacular at Kanyakumari, several other Indian beaches
pale by comparison. Cape Comorin is at its best during
Chitra Pournami (full moon day in April) when the sun and
moon are face to face at the same horizon but other full
moon days are also special when you can see the sun set and
the moon rise almost simultaneously, as if by prior
arrangement. This place has also been a great centre for
art, culture, civilization and pilgrimage for years. It was
also a famous centre for commerce and trade. Kanyakumari was
also under the control of the Cholas, the Cheras, the
Pandyas and the Nayaks who were the great rulers of South
India. The architectural beauty of the temples are the
beautiful work of these rulers.
Rameswaram: Rameswaram, a small island in the Gulf of
Mannar, is a major pilgrim centre .It is connected to the
mainland by road and rail bridges. Rameswaram is a major
pilgrimage centre and is also known as the Varanasi of the
south. It is a holy place because Sri Rama, on his return
from Sri Lanka, offered his thanks to Lord Shiva and
performed pooja to wash away his sins which he got by
killing the demon king, Ravana. According to Hindu
mythology, if one visits Rameswaram and prays to Lord Shiva,
all his sins will be relieved from his body. Besides this,
Rameswaram is one of the main fishing centres of Tamil Nadu.
A variety of fishes including export quality fish like
prawns, sea cucumber, lobster etc; are available here in big
quantities. Rameswaram is also famous for its dry fish much
of which is also exported.
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