Tamilnadu is a wonderful tourist place. It has natural beauty i.e.blue beaches and clear skies. People enjoy the peace amidst the lively and magnificent temples. There are more than 30,000 temples in Tamil Nadu, which has given the state the distinctive title of 'A Land of Temples'. Built by various dynasties these temples bear a superficial resemblance to each other in that they share the same physical features - the gopuram or the imposing tower over the entrance and the spacious halls and corridors.

The history of the Tamils presents an exciting pageant of a powerful civilization whose origin dates back to ancient times. It is clear that the Tamils, who belong to the Dravidian race, were the first major occupants of the country and settled in the north-western part of India long before the coming of the Indo-Aryans. Excavations have revealed that the features of the people of the Indus Valley Civilization bore a strong resemblance to this race.

Tamil Nadu celebrates all their festivals in colourful splendour. Tamil Nadu offers the traveller excellent value, particularly in accommodation. Hotel prices are generally lower than they are further north and standards are often higher. The food in Tamil Nadu is comparatively inexpensive and good. Tamil Nadu provides the visitor with a wide variety of cuisines.

For the tourists, most important point to remember about Tamil Nadu is the rainy season between October and December when the northeast monsoon brings rain here. Throughout the year for the plains, cotton is the best wear. In the hilly areas, you will need to carry a light sweater or two, heavier woollens are a must for winter. Umbrellas are extremely needed during the hottest months and raincoats will come in handy between October and December i.e. the rainy season. The best time to visit to Tamil Nadu is between November and March.

Tamil Nadu is bounded by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the north and Kerala in the west. The eastern and western tips of the state are defined by the Point Calimere and Mudumalai wildlife sanctuaries while the northern extreme is Pulicat lake and the southernmost tip is Kanyakumari, the land's end. The people of Tamilnadu lead relaxed lifestyles. The urban social recreations include clubs, golf links, beach resorts, theme parks, race courses, art and theatre. Visits to game reserves, holiday resorts, long sandy beaches, zoological and entertainment parks and sanctuaries are the other many social pastimes available. Tourists spots include hill stations like Ooty and Kodaikkanal which are all time favourites.

General Information

Area : 130,058 sq. kms.

Capital : Chennai

Population : Approx. 61.5 million people per sq. km.

Languages : Tamil,Telugu and Kannada.

Literacy Ratio : 64%

No. of Districts : 20

Major Ports: Madras Airports Madras, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchanapalli

Tamil Nadu Tourism - Chettinad, Cuisine

TamilNadu provides the visitor with a wide variety of delicious food both for the vegetarians as well as the non-vegetarians, though most food in TamilNadu consists of grains, lentils, rice and vegetables. Spices are added to give a distinctive taste.

Breakfast or tiffin includes idly or steamed rice dumplings, dosai is a crisp pancake made from a batter of rice and lentils, vada is a deep fried doughnut made from a batter of lentils, pongal is a mixture of rice and lentils cooked together and seasoned with ghee, cashew nuts, pepper and cumin seed), uppuma is semolina cooked, seasoned in oil with mustard, pepper, cumin seed and dry lentils.

There are several variations of the dishes mentioned above which are eaten with coconut chutney, sambar which is a seasoned lentil dish and mulaga podi which is a powdered mix of several roasted lentils and red chilli blended with oil.

Lunch or a meal consists of cooked rice served with an array of vegetable dishes, sambar, chutneys, rasam which is a hot broth made with tamarind juice and pepper and curd (yoghurt). For a non-vegetarian lunch, curries or dishes cooked with mutton, chicken or fish is included. The meal is incomplete without crisp papads or appalam to accompany it.

Chettinad cuisine is a specialty of TamilNadu and will be a delight for those who like hot and spicy non-vegetarian food. This variety has several variations of fish, mutton, and chicken dishes of which the Chettinad Pepper Chicken is a traditional favourite. The Tamil style in Mughal food can be savoured in the biriyanis and paya. The latter is a dish of lamb or goat trotters, cooked in thick spicy gravy and it are eaten with either parathas or appam.

TamilNadu, especially Chennai, is famous for its filter coffee as most Tamils have a subtle contempt for instant coffee.

Tamil Nadu Tourism - Tamil Festivals, Tamil New Year

TamilNadu is a land of many festivals. January marks the beginning of the festival season in the state. Pongal is the first festival and it is celebrated with much enthusiasm. It is the harvest festival of TamilNadu. "Pongal" is actually the name of a rice and lentil dish cooked in TamilNadu, and on this festive day Pongal is cooked. It is celebrated on January 14, each year. In fact, four festivals are celebrated in TamilNadu for four consecutive days in that week. Bhogi is celebrated on January 13, Pongal on Jan 14, Maattu Pongal on Jan 15, and Kannum Pongal and Thiruvalluvar Day on Jan 16.

Bhogi:

Bhogi to rid the society of evil. People clean up their houses of all the junk that they have accumulated in the past year. All the waste stuff is burnt. Houses are freshly painted. Farm animals are bathed and decorated with colored powders and paint.

Pongal:

Pongal is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month of Thai. It is considered to be an auspicious month. The Sun God is worshipped. In rural areas, people gather in front of their houses and cook pongal in new pots. Stoves are made with clay and wood is used as fuel. When the pongal is almost made, everybody shouts in ecstasy pongal o pongal. When milk is boiled, if it overflows, it is believed to be a sign of a prosperous agricultural during the coming season.

People visit their friends and relatives. Pongal food and sweets are exchanged among neighbours and relatives. The sugarcane crop ripens at the time of Pongal. Sugarcane is harvested and it is available in markets and children can be seen crunching sugarcane.

Mattu Pongal:

The next day January 15, is the day for farm animals especially the bulls. Most farmers still use them to plough and till the land for irrigation. The farmer would find it difficult to survive without the bull. Bulls, cows and other farm animals are worshipped on this day. Bull fights or Manju Virattu also takes place on this day. These fights are also called Jalli Kettu.

Every house nurtures at least one bull to be a fierce fighter. The horns are periodically sharpened. Traditionally it is believed that a family loses its status if it has no bulls to participate in this fight. Farmers gather to display their fierce bulls. Each bull has a cloth tied around its neck containing money. The owner of the bull challenges the crowd that gathers to bring the bull under control and victoriously retrieve the cloth with the money from its neck. The bulls get restless and angry with the noise from the drums, whistles, shouts and even crackers that are burst. These bull fights can be fatal at times. The bulls are overpowered sometimes but it is understandably a difficult task. If the bull is overpowered, the owner of the bull has to invite the conqueror to his house and serve him a lavish meal.

Thiruvalluvar Day:

The poet saint Thiruvalluvar made a significant contribution to Tamil Literature with his Thirukkural. The book contains 1,330 verses in couplets. Each in these couplets talks about the different aspects of human life. People visit their native towns and villages during the harvest festival season.

Besides being Thiruvalluvar Day, it is also Kannum Pongal Day. On this day, the farmer and his entire family, go the sightseeing. In the days gone by the mode of transport used to be the bullock-cart. Today, they use the modern modes of transportation.

Chithrai Festival:

Madurai brings you a spectacular re-enactment of the wedding of the Pandiyan princess Meenakshi to Lord Sundareswarar. This ancient legend unfolds before your eyes as Lord Vishnu rides to his sister's wedding on gleaming real-gold horse chariot. The festival is celebrated mid April.

Tamil New Year:

The Tamil people rise early, bather, dress in their new clothes on the morning of April 14, and gather around the household altar or pooja room for a special religious ceremony. It is the Tamil New Year's Day. Lord Ganesha is worshipped in the New Year. He is offered fruits, sweets and fresh flowers. In the afternoon people visit the temples. The rest of the day is spent visiting various relatives, friends and exchanging New Year greetings. Presents of money, fruits, betel leaves and areca nuts are given. Gifts are also given to the postman, council workers, domestic workers and others. Business people usually start new account books for the new year on this day. Bonuses are often paid on the eve of the New Year.