Tamil Nadu Travel Guide
The state of Tamil nadu is located in the southern India, where Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are its neighbours. It is well famous as the temple city of India and also called as the Cradle of Dravidian culture.Tamil Nadu is the cradle of the south Indian temple architecture is a living museum of styles that originated in the seventh century and matured in the huge temple complexes studded with towering gateways-Gopuram-that soar on the skyline of almost every town in the state. Tiruchirapalli, a commercial town just northwest of Thanjavur, reached its heydays under the later dynasties, when the temple complex in neighboring Srirangam became one of south India's largest.
Tamil 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 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. Tamil Nadu is rich in mineral resources like limestone, bauxite, lignite, magnesite and iron ore. Cotton spinning and weaving are the major industries besides fertilizers, cement, paper, chemicals and electric motors. It ranks second (first being Kerala) in the production of fish. The most important river is the Cauvery which is an important source of water and power. The Aryans never brought their meat-eating influence to the extreme south of India, so Tamil Nadu is more or less totally vegetarian. Dosas (crispy pancakes) and idlis (steamed rice dumplings) have become enormously popular all over the country. Mounds of rice accompany every meal, sweets are a favourite, and coffee is more popular than tea. Alcohol is more likely to be available in non-vegetarian restaurants.
Places to visit: Chennai, Mahabilaphuram, Madurai -Kodaikanal, Chidambaram, Kanyakumary Rameswram, Trichy,Coonoor, Coimbatore, Meenakshi TempleKoodal Alagar Temple, Vandiyur Kanmoy Tourist Comlex, Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam, Gandhi Museum, Thirupparankunram, Alagar Koil, Vaigai Dam, Kodaikkanal, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (Thekkadi), Megamalai, Vedanthangal, Suruli Falls, Viraganur Dam, Kumbakkarai Water Falls.
Festivals: Avanimoolom Festival, Float Festival, Madurai Chithirai Festival, Govt. Chithirai Exhibition
Beaches in TamilNadu: MahabalipuramBeach, Rameshwaram Beach, Kanyakumari Beach, Covelong Beach.
Access: The Anna International Airport, 16 km south of Chennai, is the major airport of Tamil Nadu. Most major Indian cities are also connected to Chennai by regular domestic flights. The railway station at Chennai has connecting trains to/from all major cities in India. The entire state is connected through an extensive network of well-laid roads. Ferry services are also available in Chennai.