Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu, is the most prominent state of India. The
capital. Madras is a cosmopolitan city and the capital
of the state. Tamil Nadu is a bastion of Hinduism, whose
past endures into the present. Temples with towering spires
called gopurams are a common feature of this state, seldom
seen anywhere else in the country. Temples in Tamil Nadu
were the fulcrum of society and even today art forms that
have their origin in religious worship continue to colour
daily life. Notable among these are splendid bronzes of
deities, glass painting and Bharatnatyam. Kanchipuram,also called
Kanjeevaramis famous throughout the country as the center
where lustrous silk sarees are woven. Likewise Thanjavur
is an important center for bronze figure casting. Mahabalipuram
has a vast wealth of sculptures. In contrast to the temple
heritage Pondicherry is known for long a French colony.
Yet another facet of this surprisingly diverse state is
two hill stations Ootacamund and Kodaikanal. Both are
little patches of England, being much loved by the expatriate
population of the Raj. Both places provide delightful
relaxation during an extended tour of the south, having
a wide range of hotel accommodation. The cuisine of Tamil
Nadu, more or less totally vegetarian, has become enormously
popular all over the country.
Chennai
Chennai was originally a cluster of small villages until English merchants of the British East India Company selected it as the site for a factory and trading port in 1639. The British developed it as a major urban center and naval base, and by the 20th Century the city had become an administration hub. Chennai formerly known as Madras is the capital city of Tamil Nadu and is the fourth largest metro city in India. Despite the strong British influence, Chennai has retained its traditional Tamil Hindu culture and effectively blended it with the foreign influence. The city is widely spread in about 180 Sq. Kms. It is a major trade center, being well linked by road, rail and air to important cities besides being a sea port. Compared to the other major metros of India, it is far less congested and polluted. Chennai, is a journey into timeless India, a kaleidoscope of moods. rich in the treasures of history, from temples and shrines to forts and palaces, the landscape of the past lives easily with the present
Climate: (deg
C)-Summer- Max. 37, Min. 22.1. Winter- Max. 32, Min. 19.8., Best Season: Throughout the year (Preferably October
to March).
Places Of Interest:
Fort St. George & St. Mary's Church, Gandhi Mandapam,
Anna Square, Kapaleeswara Temple, Light House, Marina
Beach & Aquarium, Parthasarathy Temple, San Thom Cathedral,
Snake Park, Theosophical Society, Valluvar Kottam, Ripon
Buildings and War Memorial Fort Museum and Govt. Museum
& Art Gallery.
Excursions:
Covelong- 38 kms, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary- 85 kms,
Pulicat- 61 kms, Kanchipuram- 71 kms, Ennore Beach- 18
kms, Muttukudu- 30 kms, Red Hills- 14 kms, Mahabalipuram-
61 kms, Cholamandal Artists Village- 20 kms, Elliots Beach-
11 kms, Crocodile Bank- 42 kms, Pundi Reservoir- 60 kms,
Thirukkalikundram- 80 kms, Anna Zoological Park (Vandalur).
Reach -
By Air: Directly linked to the major cities.
By Rail: Connected with Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bombay,
Calcutta, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kodai
Road, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Ooty, Rameshwaram,
Trichy, Tirupati Trivandrum and Varanasi.
By Road: Bombay- 1329 kms, Bangalore- 334 kms, Hyderabad- 669 kms,
Kanyakumari- 693 kms, Madurai- 461 kms, Mahabalipuram-
60 kms, Pondicherry- 162 kms, Rameshwaram- 619 kms, Kanchipuram-
71 kms, Tirupati- 143 kms, Ooty- 535 kms, Kodaikanal-
498 kms, Trivandrum- 709 kms, and Thanjavur- 334 kms.
Mamallapuram
(Mahabalipuram)
64 kms from Madras, connected by regular bus-services.
A major beach resort famous for its magnificent monuments
hewn out of rock.
Places of Interest:
Rathas, Arjuna's Penance, Krishna Mandapa, Shore Temple,
Mahishasurmardini Cave, Varaha Mandapa and Mandapams.
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, the capital of the Pallava and dynasty is
one of the serene sacred cities of India. It is situated
76 kms from Madras, 35 kms from Chingleput & 64 kms from
Mahabalipuram via Chingleput.
Places of Interest:
Kailashnath Temple, Shri Vaikuntaperumal Temple, Shri
Varadaraja Temple, Ekambareshwara Temple and Shri Kamakashi
Temple.
Vedanthangal
Bird Sanctuary
80 kms away from Madras, the sanctuary is famous for migratory
birds (November to February) viewing from an observation
tower. It is 30 km away from its nearest railway station
Chingleput.
Pondicherry
A French colony upto 1954, Pondicherry is a living monument
of French Culture in India. The Aurobindo Ashram and 'Auroville'
the international township are famous all over the world.
Temperature: (deg C)-Summer- Max 40.8, Min 31.2. Winter- Max 31.1,
Min 25., Best Season: Throughout the year (preferably
October to March).
Places of Interest:
Botanical Gardens, Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus, The
Promenade, Govt. Park, Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Roman
Rolland Library, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, French Institute
, Museums & Art Galleries.
Excursions:
Auroville- 10 kms, Arikamedu- 10 kms, Chunnambar Boat
House- 8 kms, Mailam- 45 kms, Mandagapattu- 50 kms, Ousteri
Lake- 15 kms.
Reach -
By Air: The nearest airport is Madras- 160 kms.
By Rail: Villupuram- 32 kms connected directly
to Madras.
By Road: Bangalore- 503
kms, Chidambaram- 68 kms, Kanchipuram- 113 kms, Madras-162
kms, Mamallapuram- 134 kms, Thanjavur- 170 kms, Thiruvannamalai-
103 kms, Trichy- 198 kms.
Thanjavur
(Tanjore)
The world famous Brihadeeswara temple is situated here.
It is built by Raja Chola The empire builder in the early
Dravidian style.
Temperature: (deg
C) Summer- Max 36, Min 32. Winter- Max 23, Min 18., Best Season: October to March.
Places Of Interest:
Brihadeeswara Temple, The Palace, Sangeetha Mahal, Saraswati
Mahal, Library, Raja Museum, Temple Museum, Schwarz Church.
Excursions:
Velankani-95 kms, Point Calimere/Kodikarai-30 kms, Poompuhar-100
kms.
Reach -
By Air: Nearest airport Tiruchirapalli- 54 kms
is connected with Cochin & Madras.
By Rail: Directly connected to Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Madras
and Chidambaram.
By Road: Chidambaram- 113
kms, Kanyakumari- 394 kms, Kumbakonam- 38 kms, Madras-
310 kms, Madurai- 159 kms, Pudukkotai- 58 kms, Rameshwaram-
222 kms, Tiruchirapalli- 54 kms.
Madurai
Madurai, the most famous of the temple towns of the south
is known for the Meenakshi Temple.
Temperature:
(deg C) Summer- Max. 37.5, Min. 36.3; Winter- Max.
21.6, Min. 20.9., Best Season: Throughout the year.
Places of Interest: Meenakshi Temple- 1.6
kms, Tirumalai Nayak Palace- 2 kms, Mariamman Tank, Koodal
Alagar Temple, Gandhi Museum and Government Museum (Timings:
1000-1300 hours & 1400-1800 hours. Closed on Wednesdays).
Excursions: Alagar Koil- 21 kms, Tiruparan Kundram- 8 kms, Pazhamudhirchglai-
25 kms, Srivilliputhur- 74 kms, Vaigai Dam- 69 kms, Kodaikanal-
120 kms, Trichy- 142 kms.
Reach -
By Air: Connected with Madras, Calicut and Bombay.
By Rail: Connected via Madras with all the main
places.
By Rail: Madras- 472 kms, Trichy- 142
kms, Rameshwarm- 139 kms, Kanyakumari- 232 kms, Tirunelveli-
151 kms, Kodaikanal- 120 kms, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary-
136 kms, Palani- 122 kms, Thanjavur- 223 kms, Bangalore-
446 kms, Bombay- 1454 kms.
Coimbatore
Coimbatore known as the "Manchester of South India" is
a commercial city of Considerable importance, the chief
commodity being textiles.
Temperature: (deg C)-Summer Max- 39.4, Min- 23.3; Winter Max- 32.8,
Min 20.7., Best Season: October to March.
Places Of Interest:
Perur Temple, Marudhamalai Temple, Agricultural University,
V.O.C.Park, Forest College, G.D.Naidu Industrial Exhibition,
Glass Forest Museum.
Excursions:
Anamalais Wildlife Sanctuary/Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary-
90 kms Top Slip- 37 kms, Bhavani- 102 kms, Bhavani Sagar
Dam- 80 kms, Chennimalai- 80 kms, Coonoor- 70 kms, Kodumudi-
105 kms, Kotagiri- 118 kms, Palani- 105 kms, Udhagamandalam/Ooty-
89 kms.
Reach -
By Air: Connected with Madras, Bangalore & Bombay.
By Rail: Connected with all important places of
south.
By Road: Bangalore- 363 kms, Madras-
526 kms, Madurai- 226 kms, Palani- 105 kms, Trichy- 203
kms, Udhagamandalam ( Ooty or Ootaacamund )- 89 kms, Yercaud-
190 kms.
