Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a state located in the south east of Indian peninsula. On Eastern side, the Bay of Bengal flanks the state and on the west, the Western Ghats. Three water bodies, the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea intermingle and kiss the southernmost tip of the state. The Eastern Ghats runs through the state meeting the Western Ghats at Nilgiri Hills. In the north it has Andhra Pradesh, in the Northwest there is Karnataka and Kerala is to the West of Tamil Nadu just beyond the Western Ghats.

History

Tamil Nadu literally means Tamil country. It has a history spanning over 2000 years when various dynasties ruled over it. Some of the prominent dynasties that influenced the cultural and architectural fabric of Tamil Nadu are the Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas and Pallavas. The great Vijayanagar empire was the last of the empires to have ruled over this part of the India before the Europeans colonised it.

The advent of the Europeans was led by the British who controlled most of the erstwhile Madras Presidency. Later, after independence, Madras Presidency was renamed as Madras state. Then, in 1969, the Tamil Nadu state was formed by reorganising on linguistic grounds.

Temples

Historically, it is a very important centre of culture, religion, literature and art. Tamil Nadu is especially famous for the marvellous Dravid style of temples with huge Gopurams (entrances gates). Tamil Nadu is famous for its architecturally appealing temples scattered across the state. It is famously referred to as “The Land of Temples”. According to some estimates, there are over 30,000 temples in the State. There are 3 types of temple architecture in India namely, Nagara (North India), Dravida (South India) and Vesara (Hybrid style-Deccan India). Temples of Tamil Nadu are exquisite examples of the Dravida style. Although, each temple is of a different era, their architectural grandeur is equally beautiful.

Notable temple cities are Madurai, Kancheepuram, Chidambaram, Rameshwaram, Tiruchirapalli, Srirangam and Tirupathi. Tamil Nadu boasts 5 UNESCO World Heritage Properties. Mahabalipuram Shore temple, Thanjavur’s Brihadeshwar temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Airavateswara temple in Kumbakonam are 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites present in Tamil Nadu. The fifth is the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. Rameshwaram is one of the Chaar Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus.

Festivals

Tamil Nadu has several cultural and religious festivals celebrated all throughout the year. Kolam (Rangoli), a design pattern made on the floor by using rice flour and other colours, are made outside the gates. Some of the most well known festivals are as under:

Pongal

This festival celebrates the new harvest of the season. Celebrated around mid January, it continues for 4 days. The festival is synonymous to the Sankranti festival in Northern arts of India. Each day of the festival celebrates a particular God like the Sun, Indra, and the Earth. Cattle also forms an important part of the festival. People thank them for contributing to lives of people. It is a reminder to be grateful to everything that help us survive on the planet.

Jallikattu

This festival is a unique celebration where humans try to tame bulls! It is held on the third day of Pongal when cattle is honoured. A traditional sport as well as a festival, Jallikattu is an absolute thriller for the participants as well as the onlookers. A bull is released into an arena. The bull’s horns have flags which the participants attempt to remove by climbing on the back of the bull by hanging to its hump. Sounds interesting? We will have to ask the participants about that but, it is dangerous for sure.

Karthigai Deepam

Karthigai Deepam is a light festival in the month of November coinciding with Deepavali in the North of India. It is a 3 day festival of lighting lamps to ward off the evil prevalent the in the world and light the path of goodness.

Natyanjali Dance Festival

This is a 5-day dance festival which started at the Natraja temple, Chidambaram. Natyanjali means Dance Offering. This festival is a tribute to the Natraja which is the dancing form of Shiva. Classical Dancers from world over participate in the festival performing Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi etc. Bharatnatyam is the classical dance of Tamil Nadu, based on the Natya Shastra (the theory of dances).

Beaches

Tamil Nadu possesses a long coastal line along the Bay of Bengal on the East, the Coromandel coast. Some important coastal cities are Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Rameshwaram, Thootukudi (Tuticorin), Nagapattinam, Pulicat and Kanyakumari. Apart from being a coastal city all of them have huge historical significance. The Marina beach in Chennai is the 2nd longest urban beach in the world. Dhanushkodi beach in Rameshwaram overlooks the Palk Strait dividing India and Sri Lanka. Here, you find the famous mythological Ram Setu built by Lord Rama connecting India to Sri Lanka. Thutukudi, Nagapattinam and Ennore are some major trading ports historically as well as in modern era.

Hills

Tamil Nadu is blessed to have both the Eastern Ghats and the Western ghats running along its length. They both meet at the Nilgiris, providing Tamil Nadu with few hill stations to escape the intense hot climate it experiences. Ooty, Coonoor and Kodaikanal are some of the most popular tourist hill stations present in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu is a large state with a lot to explore. It would take a very long trip to experience the entire state in its full glory. We recommend you divide your trips to Tamil Nadu in several trips covering a combination of temples, beaches and hill stations. We ourselves covered only several parts but important ones in 3 trips. Here we are providing details of our Tamil Nadu trip that will help you plan yours: