| Tamilnadu at a Glance :
Capital : Madras.
Area : 130058 sq km. (approx.)
Population : 55638318. (2001)
Literacy rate : 63.72%.
Language : Tamil; Telugu, Malayalam and English are also spoken.
Temperature : In winter 19.8° to 32° centigrade. In summer : 22.1° to 37° centigrade.
Rainy season comes twice in a year : June to September and October to December.
Rainfall : Between 650 and 1910 mm.
Best Time to Visit : December to March.
About Tamilnadu :
Tamil Nadu is the southern-most state of India. It is a beautiful state nestled in the southern Indian peninsula, on the shores of the Bay of Bengal and the deep blue Indian Ocean. Tamil Nadu is bounded by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the north and Kerala on the west. The eastern and western tips of the state are defined by the Point Calimere and Mudumalai wildlife sanctuaries while the southernmost tip of Cape Comorin or Kanyakumari, the Land's End of India. There are more than 30,000 temples in this state; which has given Tamil Nadu the title, "Land of Temples". It has everything to offer from temple architecture; rock cut edicts, lush green hills and tea slopes at Kodaikanal, Ooty and Coonoor ; flora and fauna at the game sanctuaries in Vedanthangal and Mudumalai; the sound of ankle bells of the Bharat Natyam, the classical dance with 108 postures and the Mahabalipuram beach near Madras. It is a heady combination of tropical climate, cooler hill resorts, ancient culture, and friendly people. Although Tamil Nadu is one of the most urbanized states of India, it is still a rural land; agriculture is the mainstay of life for about three-quarters of the rural population. The principal food crops are rice, maize, Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, and pulses. The cash crops include cotton, sugarcane, oilseeds, coffee, tea rubber, and chillies. The major industries of Tamil Nadu include cotton textiles, chemicals, fertilizers, paper and paper products, printing and allied industries, diesel engines, automobiles and parts, cement, sugar, iron and steel, and railway wagon and coaches. The state of Tamilnadu is the largest textiles producer in India and an important exporter of leather and leather products, cotton piece goods, tea, coffee, spices, tobacco, etc. There are a number of hydel power stations in Tamil Nadu. The atomic power plant is located at Kalpakkam, in the Chengalpattu MGR district. Chennai is the capital city of the state.
History of Tamilnadu :
The history of Tamil Nadu is very old and it is believed that human endeavour s to inhabit this area began as early as 300, 000 years ago. It is also suggested that the first Dravidians of Tamil country were part of the early Indus Valley settlers and moved south during the advent of Aryans around 1500 BC. However, the recorded history goes back only to the 4th century BC. There are references in the early Sangham literature to the social, economic and cultural life of people. The proximity to the sea established the Tamil Country on the maritime map of the world even before the dawn of Christian era. The Tamils were bonded through trade links with ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.
Culture of Tamilnadu :
Tamilians are inculcated with the virtue to appreciate culture, from a very young age, and have a deep interest in music, dance and literature. Classical dancing in the form of Bharatanatyam, has its origin in the temples of the South East, and continues to be followed with a lot of fervour and dedication in Tamil Nadu. Carnatic music is another art form, that has evolved over the ages, producing artists of great repute. Festivals are a daily feature in this region. Navaratri or Dussehra (September/October), Diwali (October/ November), Karthika (November/December) and Pongal (January) are the major occasions, celebrated with great enthusiasm. A unique festival of Carnatic music, the Thyagaraja festival, is celebrated annually in January at Thiruvariyar, the birth place of famous singer poet Thyagaraja, where one can witness the amazing spectacle of mass performance, in total harmony and rhythm.
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, painting on glass and Bharatanatyam, an evocative dance form.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.
Festivels at Tamilnadu :
Tamil Nadu has perhaps the largest number of religious celebrations in the year. Most of the temple-festivals take place in September-October and in the post-harvest months of March-June. The duration of each festivals is from three to ten days more. The main deity is draped in colorful bright costumes and adorned with very valuable and rare items of jewellery of the distant past. The deity is mounted on specially constructed carriers called 'Vahanams' and taken round the temple in processions.Tamil Nadu is a land of temples. Temples and festivals go together. Festivals are not only religious occasions but also cultural and commercial land marks. They are part of the life of the people. They help family re-unions. People meet at festivals which are designed to ensure individual happiness commingled with social joy and domestic éclat.
At Ekadasi and Skanda Shasthi festivals, devotees go on fast. All the other Hindu festivals are occasions of great feasting.The seasons of the Tamils are called Kar, Kuthir, Munpani, Pinpani, Ilavenil and Mudhuvenil. Each of two month duration they denote the cloudy, rainy and chill weather respectively.The year is also divided into two periods of six months each (1) Uttarayanam, the period of longer days and shorter nights (mid Jan to mid July) and (2) Dakshinayanam, the period of shorter days, longer nights and inclement weather (mid July to mid January). The first is the chosen period for festivities. The second is generally avoided for them. In the beginning of the Dakshinayanam, spiritual heads and monks observe Chaturmasya halting at a particular place, preaching and practicing a life of intense devotion and meditation.
How to Reach at Tamilnadu :
By Air : Chennai has an international airport which links it with all the capital cities in India and also it is linked intra state with Trichy, Madurai,Salem and Coimbatore. This has made the whole of the state of Tamil Nadu easily reachable. You can plan to visit any part of the state. The Chennai International Airport is well connected with more than 15 countries in the world and has 60 direct flights weekly. International airlines from countries like Sri Lanka, Dubai, Germany, Jakarta, Malaysia, England, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore arrive here.Moreover industrial development has increased passenger traffic and freight activity, lending more importance to this airport.
By Rail : The Southern Railways headquarters is in Chennai.Large part of Indian Peninsula covering the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry, a major portion of Karnataka and a small portion of Andhra Pradesh falls in its network.Tamil Nadu has a total railway network extends to over 6,693-kms and there are 690 railway stations in the state. Main railway stations in the State are Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Salem, Coimbatore, etc. The city is linked with broad gauge railway lines to cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Lucknow, Guwahati etc. Meter gauge rail services are there in Chennai, Tuticorin, Madurai, Rameshwaram and Tirunelveli.
By Road : Tamil Nadu's road network is most widespread extending around 170000 km. Private and government buses well connect the whole of Tamil Nadu. The State Express Transport Corporation connects Chennai with Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh Apart from this a number of national and stae highways make traveling very easy from major metropolises like new Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai.
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