Tamil Nadu

The word Tamil Nadu literally means the Land of Tamils. The pride of Tamil Nadu is the language Tamil itself. Scholars recognize Tamil language to be one of India's two languages of antiquity. The history of Tamil Nadu dates back to more than thousand years. Tamil Nadu is located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. This state has a long coastline of nearly 1,000 Kms and there are several beaches along this area. The beaches of Tamil Nadu are dotted with coconut trees, palm trees and casuarina groves, and these beaches form an ideal spot for sunbathing and surfing. In addition to these beaches there are several hill stations in Tamil Nadu. The ancient land of Dravidian Art and Culture houses many magnificent temples with their characteristic high towers or gopurams. The ancient monuments and temples narrate the religious, artistic and cultural tales of its glorious past. The state of Tamil Nadu is bordered by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the north and Kerala on the west. On the eastern side and southern side are Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. In the eastern and western tips are Point Calimere and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuaries. Cape Comorin and Kanyakumari make the southernmost tip.

Tamil Nadu can also be called a temple state or the land of temples. There are more than 30,000 temples in the state. These temples have been constructed over the years by different rulers and the most unique feature of these are that they have the gopuram or the imposing tower over the entrance. The people of this region are ardent worshipers of Shiva, Vishnu, Parvati and Lakshmi Subramanya.

Festivals

As has been mentioned earlier Tamil Nadu is a land of temples, and so it can also be called the land of festivals. The people of Tamil Nadu are famous for perfect harmony during the festivals. The popular festivals celebrated in the state are Dussehra (Navaratri), Deepawali, Karthika and Pongal. Another important festival is the Thyagaraja festival, a festival of Carnatic music, celebrated in January at Thiruvariyar.

Cuisines

Rice is the main diet of the people of Tamil Nadu. The rice is served with vegetable dishes, spicy Sambar, Chutneys, Rasam and curd. The other delectable dishes include Idly, Dosa, Vada, Pongal, Uppuma etc.

Handicrafts

Tamil Nadu is famous for handicraft items. You can find a variety of items such as the intricately carved designs in wood, metal and stone. In addition to this, the other popular items include the exquisitely carved Bronze items and Tanjore plate.

Travel

Tamil Nadu is easily accessible by air, rail and road routes.

Air: The airports in Tamil Nadu are well connected to the major cities in India. There are domestic and international flights available from Tamil Nadu.

Railway: The railway also operate a wide network of routes connected to all the major cities of India. The express trains connect Tamil Nadu with Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad etc.

Road: There is a good network of roads connecting Tamil Nadu with rest of the country.