TAMIL NADU

Tamil Nadu : The colorful, exuberant, friendly land of Tamils, finds its ultimate expression in stone, in music and in religion. Tamil Nadu, situated on the eastern coast at the southern tip of the Indian Peninsula, has a coastline of about 1000 Km long. It is the home of Dravidian art and culture. The most famous temples are the Meenakshi Temple at Madurai, the Kapalishwarar and Parthasarathy temples at Chennai, and the Srirangam temple in Tiruchchirappalli. The splendid festivals, the feast of carnatic music and famous dance form - Bharat Natyam, the shimmering silk of Kachipuram and the most delicious South Indian food lingers for long in the memory of the visitor. Other facets of Tamil Nadu are its wildlife and its hill resorts that dots the Nilgiris and the nearby range. It is also one of the country's major industrial and agricultural states.



State Government : http://www.tn.gov.in

Capital :	Chennai
Area :	130,058 square Kilometers
Population :	62,405,679 (2001 census)
Literacy :	73.45% (2001)
Language :	amil
Roads :	205,706 Kms
Railways :	3,999 Kms
Airport :	Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Thanjavur, Tiruchchirappalli.
Seaport :	Chennai, Nagappattinam.
Climate :	Summer (43° - 25° C), Winter (25° - 18° C), Monsoon : October to December
Best Season :	November to March
Places of Interest :	State Tourism : http://www.tamilnadutourism.org
	Anamalai : Wildlife Sanctuary. Auroville : International Utopian City, Aurobindo Ashram. Chennai : Fort, Beach, Temples, Churches, Museums, Art Galleries, Memorials, Cultural centre, Planetarium, Port, Aquarium. [Cholamandal (20 Kms) : Artist's colony. Pulicat (15 Kms) : Backwaters, Bird-life, Beach. Thiruvanmiyur (12 Kms) : Dance, Music and Handloom academy - Kalakshetra.] Chidambaram : Temple, University. Coimbatore : Textile centre, Manchester of South India, Temple. Coonoor : Hill station, Botanical gardens. Gingee : Fort. Hogenakal : Waterfalls. Kanchipuram : One of India's seven sacred cities, Temples, Handloom silks. Kanniyakumari : Cape Comorin - Land's End, Temple, Beach, Rock Memorial, Sunrise, Sunset and Moonrise. [Padmanabhapuram (16 Kms) : Palace, Museum, Temple.] Karaikuddi : Major town of Chettinad, exquisite Woodwork. Kodaikkanal : Hill resort, Observatory, Museum, Orchidarium, Lake, Kurinji flower (blooms once in 12 years). Kodikkarai : Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary. Kotagiri : Hill station, Waterfalls. Kovilam : Beach resort. Kuttalam : Nine waterfalls, Temple. Madurai : Sri Meenakshi Temple, Handlooms, Palaces, Handicrafts, Museum. Mamallapuram : Temple, Beach resort, Lighthouse. [Crocodile Farm (10 Kms) : Crocodile & Gharial breeding and study centre. Tirukkalukkunram (10 Kms) : Temple.] Mudumalai : Wildlife sanctuary. Mundanthurai : Tiger reserve. Pudukottai : Palace, Museum, Temples. Rameswaram : One of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrim centres, Temple, Beach, one thousand pillared Mandapam. [Kurusadai (35 Kms) : Island Beach resort.] Salem : Handloom centre, Industrial town. [Namakkal (50 Kms) : Temples.] Sivakasi : Printing & Fireworks centre. Srivilliputtur : Temple with tallest tower, Temple Car festival (in August). Tanjavur : Temples, Frescoes, Palaces, Churches, Museums, Handicrafts (also in Swamimalai and Nachiarkoil), Library, Cultural centre. [Kumbakonam (30 Kms) : Major pilgrim centre, Handicrafts. Thiruvaiyaru (13 Kms) : Carnatic music centre.] Tiruchchendur : Hindu pilgrim centre. Tiruchchirappalli : Temple, Fort, Muslim and Christian antiquities, Museum. [Srirangam (10 Kms) : Unique Temple town, River Island.] Tirunelveli : Temple, Reed-mats, Handicrafts. Tiruvakkarai : Geological Park. Tiruvannamalai : Temple, Sri Ramana Maharishi Ashram. [Sathanur (35 Kms) : Dam-site picnic spot.] Udagamandalam / OOty : Hill resort, Botanical gardens, Plantations Lake, Horse racing. Vedantangal : Bird sanctuary. Vellore : Mission Hospital, Fort, Temple. Yercaud : Hill station, Lake, Waterfalls, Temple, Tribal festival (in May), Agri-Horticultural Research Farms, Castle.
Festivals :	Pongal (Janauary), Madurai Temple festival (March / April), Navaratri, Dussehra (October), Diwali (October / November).