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Relatively uninfluenced by foreign invaders, here much of ancient India survives in its purest form – in its customs, in its towering temple architecture, in its dances and costumes. Here life is more leisurely and traditional. Magnificently sculptured temples, richly woven silks, colourful festivals, cool hill stations and wide beaches are but some of the attractions of this never-never land that is nevertheless one of the country’s major industrial and agricultural states. The heart of the Dravidian culture and tradition, home of Classical dance Bharat Natyam, the visual legacy of the culture of the State is among most satisfying spectacles in India.
Tamil Nadu bordered on the north by Andhra Pradesh, on the northwest by Karnataka, on the west by Kerala and on the east and south by the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Tamil Nadu was known as Chennai State until 1968. It was created out of the former Chennai Presidency under the States Reorganization Act of 1956. Occupying the extreme south of the Indian peninsula.
Tourist Places to visit in Tamilnadu
Chennai
Chennai, India’s fourth-largest city, is the capital of Tamil Nadu state. It is the gateway to the south, represents a culture that's unique to the region. Music, Dance and Drama are an integral part of everyday life.
In 1639 AD Francis Day, a merchant of the East India Company had selected a quaint fishing hamlet called Madraspatnam as a site for settlement. Naturally protected from enemies by the Coovum River in the south, Elambore River in the west and the sea on the east, Madraspatnam was ideal for -trading. Some year’s later weavers settled in the area around the fort, which was called 'Black Town' by the British after the black skinned natives. By the early 1700s, Chennai became a large city and soon was made the capital of the State and remained as capital till today.
Coonoor
Coonoor, 1858 mts (6,096 feet) above sea level, is the second largest hill station in the Nilgris, with a population of 45,000. It lies on the eastern side of the Dodabetta Range at the head of the Hulikal Ravine. It has a climate which is slightly warmer and less wet than that of Ooty, and has its share of period churches and boarding schools, its own branch of Spencer’s and a golf course.
The town, much of it having grown in an unkempt fashion, is divided into two parts. Sim’s Park is in upper Coonoor and was named after the Honorary JD Sim, a member of the Governor-General’s Council in the1870s. Many plants that cannot thrive in Ooty’s climate do so here. The park is also the location of the prestigious Coonoor Fruit and Vegetable Show which follows the flower Show at Ooty.
Picnic spots around the station include Lady Canning’s Seat, about three kilometers away, named after Countess Charlotte Canning. Lamb’s Rock, five and a half kilometers away, looks down a precipice onto the railway line below and the surrounding forest. In the distance you can see the town of Mettupalayam, from where the steep climb to the Nilgiris begins. Further along the road to Limb’s Rock is the path to Dolphin’s Nose, a rock is worth it for the view of the Katherine Falls and the Coonoor Stream. Another picnic spot is Law’s Falls, named after the man who constructed the Coonoor Ghat road where the Coonoor and Kateri rivers meet.
Kanyakumari
The southernmost tip of India, Kanyakumari is the point where three seas meet at the Bay of Bengal-the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. On the Chitra Pournima day (full moon day in April) one can witness the Sun and the Moon are face to face at the same horizon.
PLACES TO VISIT
Kanyakumari or Kumariamman Temple : The legend behind this temple is as romantic as the place itself. Dedicated to the virgin goddess Kanyakumari (Parvati) who stands guard over the country. The temple is built at the top where the goddess is believed to have waited for her consort Shiva to come and claim her hand in marriage.
Gandhi Memorial: It has been constructed at the spot where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were kept for public view in an urn before a portion was immersed into the three seas.
Vivekanand Memorial : This memorial is on a rocky island about 200 meters from the shoreline. The memorial has been built on the Vivekananda rock where the great philosopher guide Swami Vivekananda went into meditation that transformed him into meditation that transformed him into one of the most charismatic spiritual leaders of this century. There is a ferry service every half an hour.
Guganathaswamy Temple : This l00 year old temple is said to have been built by Raja Raja Cholan.
Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal is the second of south India’s major hill resorts and is variously known as the ‘Princess of hill stations’ and the ‘Switzerland of the East’. It is also the sole hill station in India to have been founded during the British Raj by Americans. The Palni Hills in which it stands from part of the southernmost part of the Western Ghats and rise to over 2,000 mts, with a steep escarpments to the north and southwest. Kodaikanal itself lies in a shallow basin, and from its southern rim are dramatic views of the mountains descending to the plains. Until recently, Kodaikanal, which has a population only one quarter the size of Ooty’s, was a haven of quiet surrounded by eucalyptus, conifers and shola forest, with neatly terraced hillsides providing all the fresh fruit and vegetables the inhabitants could eat. As at other resorts, the last few years have seen a tourist boom, bringing throngs of Indian tourists in the peak season between April and June. That means an excess of buses at the most popular points and crowded bazaars. Even so, Kodaikanal retains its character and on Sunday mornings the valley resounds with peals of church bells, a sound you will not perhaps hear in any other hill station in India. The climate is milder than that of Ootacamund and the best months for avoiding tourists and walking the hills are January to March. From June to November the station is subject to the two monsoons which hit it one after other.
Madurai
More than 2500 years old ancient city, situated on the banks of the river Vaigai Madurai is believed to have been built by the Pandyan King Kulasekara. Legend has it that drops of Maduram (nectar) fell from Lord Shiva's locks when he came to bless its people for constructing a temple for him. Madurai's history can be divided into four periods, beginning over 2000 years ago, when it was the capital of the Pandyan Kings. Apart from a brief period it fell to the Cholas, Madurai remain with Pandyan till the decline of the empire. The 200-year-old reign of the Nayakas marked the golden era when art, architecture and learning scaled new heights.
Mudumalai Sanctuary
The hilly terrain of the western ghats, clothed in dense mixed and moist deciduous forests, make Mudumalai (the ancient hills) a most attractive wildlife reserve. The Mysore-Ooty highway runs through the park, following the course of the Moyar River, which separates Mudumalai and Bandipur. With the elevations varying from 1,150 feet to 4,100 feet, the terrain at Mudumalai comprises hills, valleys, ravines, flats, watercourses and swamps. The wild elephant, gaur, deer and primates like the bonnet macaque and langurs all inhabit the park.
Riding elephants are the best means of transportation at Mudumalai and animals can also be watched from machans that awe strategically located near water holes and salt licks. Nearest airport: Coimbatore, Rail: Ootacamund.
Thanjavur
Places of Interest
Brihadeshwara Temple and Fort: Built by great Chola King in the 10th century it is an outstanding example of Chola architecture and is listed in World heritage. On the top of the apex of 63 metres high, a dome is said to be constructed from a single piece of granite, weighing an estimated 81 tones.
The dome was hauled into place along a 6 km earthwork ramp in a manner similar to the one used by the Egyptian pyramids. Temple has been the sense of continuous worship for over thousand years. Only Hindus are allowed inside.
Thanjavur Palace and Museum: The Palace near the temple is a vast building of masonry built partly by the Nayakas around 1550 and partly by the Marathas. Two of the palace towers, the Armory and the observation tower are visible from all parts of the city. The palace houses an art gallery, a library and a hall of music.
The Raja Chola Gallery: The gallery has some fine pieces of stone and bronze sculptures from 9th to 12th centuries. Over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on palm leaves and paper are preserved in the Saraswathi Mahal Library.
The Sangeeta Mahal is an acoustic marvel, perfectly turned to bring out the best from musical instruments.
Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirapally was the Chola citadel during the Sangam age. Situated on the banks of the Kaveri River, Chola, Pandya, ruled Trichy and Pallava Kings -changing hands from time to time. The town and its fort, as/it stands today, was built by the Nayakas of Madurai. The Carnatic Wars between the British and the French were fought around this fort. Today, the city is a blend of history and tradition, a pilgrim centre as well as a thriving commercial city.
Yeracud
Yeracud, at an altitude of 1,500 meters, stand in the Servaroyan Hills above the city of Salem in Tamil Nadu. The first proper hotel in the station only opened in 1971. Until then Yeracud had not been a tourist resort but a town famous for its schools and surrounding coffee estates. Yeracud is still comparatively more peaceful and cheaper than the major southern resorts of Ooty and Kodaikanal, but every year the influx from the plains is growing larger. For the time being, its population of 35,000 gives it the atmosphere of a large village. The climate is also particularly pleasant; residents say with pride that they never need to use a fan. The most popular seasons are February – June and September-November, while late November and December tend to be cold and misty. Around April there are the pleasant showers which bring the coffee bushes into blossom. |
