Tamilnadu – Dravidian Culture and Architectural Splendor

Situated in the southern most tip of India, the state of Tamilnadu is a rich state in terms of history, culture and tradition. The state has a history that goes back thousands of years and is famous for its richness in its language Tamil, which is the first among all the Dravidian languages. This region has been ruled by kings of various dynasties and clans and all of them have left an indelible impression on the language, culture, religion, architecture and history of the state. The sheer numbers of architectural wonders in this state is bound to amaze the interested tourist.

The capital city of Chennai is a very vibrant city with a lot of nightlife activities. This city is a modern city equipped with all the trappings of a modern life and is filled with seven star hotels, discos, clubs and bars. Other places of interest in the city include the Snake Park, Vandalur Zoo and the Birla Planetarium. Children find this city a fun place to visit as this city is home to a number of amusement parks like Kishkinda, MGM and VGP. Sea lovers will simply love the world famous Marina Beach, which is one of the largest natural beaches in the world. The city also reflects its cultural history through many of its temples; among them the Kapaleshwara Temple and the Ashtalaksmi temple are two very popular temples. The outskirts of Chennai, namely the ECR road is dotted with many pleasure resorts and hotels. Very close to Chennai at a distance of 40miles is the town of Mahabalipuram. This ancient ruin city is one of the heritage centers of UNESCO and has numerous temples with beautiful carvings made from during the Pallava Dynasty more than 2000 years back.

The whole state of Tamilnadu can be called a temple state, as almost all of its districts boast of one famous temple. The most famous temples among them are the Thanjavur Brihadeeswara, Chidambaram, Madurai Meenakshi, Rameswaram t and Srirangam temples. Wildlife lovers can visit the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, famous for its cheetahs and elephants. For the laid back tourist the state offers calm and beautiful hill stations like Ooty, Kodaikanal and Yercaud. The state is well connected by a very good road and railway network and its capital Chennai boasts of a busy international airport. Accommodation is available according to your budget and the best time to visit is Sep-Feb. when the temperatures are moderate throughout the state. The language is Tamil but English is understood by the majority.

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