Tamil NaduTravel Guide

Tamil Nadu has many beautiful hill stations such as Valparai, Coonoor, Yercaud, Topslip, Udhagamandalam, Yelagiri and ManjolaiKodaikanal. Flora and fauna are abundant in the Palani Hills, Nilgiri Hills, Kolli Hills, Shevaroy hills and Cardamom hills.

Where is Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a state in India that is located in the country's southernmost portion. The state is bounded by the states of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and is home to the union territory of Puducherry. The Bay of Bengal, Eastern Ghats, Indian Ocean, Annamalai Hills and Palk Strait envelope Tamil Nadu from all the sides.

About Tamil Nadu

Native residents of the state are called Tamilians and have inhabited in the state since 500 BC. The major tourist spots in the state are diverse in nature such as heritage sites having Dravidian temples and architecture. Tamil Nadu is ranked as the second largest tourism destination in the country and also plays an important role in adding to the country's GDP.

The Tamil population is predominantly Hindu. The state possesses many works of Hindu literature and important texts include the Ramanuja'sVishistadvaita, Nayanmar'sShaivism and Advaita Vedanta. Some of the most important Hindu figures in the state include KanchiParamacharya, Murugan, Sakthi, RamanaMaharishi and Sivan. Christians and Muslims comprise nearly 11% of the entire state's population.

Exploring the State

Some of the most popular temples in the state are the Nellaiappar Temple situated in the heart of Tirunelveli, Airavateshwara Temple in Darasuram and the Brihadishwara Temple in Thanjavur (which was built by the Cholas). Mahabalipuram has many temples and monuments which are listed under the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Some more popular temples include the ones in Coimbatore, Chidambaram, Bhavani, Karur, Tiruvar, Namakkal and Tiruttani.

The KalakkadMundanthurai Tiger Reserve and Mukthi National Park are the main tiger reserves in the state. Many biosphere reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, and bird and elephant sanctuaries can be found in the state. The Pichavaram forests are a delight for eco-tourists as they have vast mangroves.

Kanyakumari is the southernmost tip of India and is known for its beautiful sunrise. Chennai is home to the Marina beach, which features among the longest beaches of the world. Hogenakkal, Pykara, Manimuthar, Papanasam and Courtallam are the waterfalls present in the state. The Chettinad region is famous throughout the country for its palaces and cuisine. Tamil Nadu also figures among one of the most visited destinations for medical tourism.

Getting There

The Meenambakam International Airport located in Chennai receives flights from most of the important cities in the world such as Sharjah, Singapore, New York, Kuala Lumpur, London, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Colombo, Frankfurt, Muscat, Kuwait and Bangkok.

The railway station at Chennai is an important junction and receives trains from all the Indian cities such as New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. The station has direct trains to all the minor and major cities in India. Major railheads in the state are Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Chennai and Coimbatore.