tamil nadu travel guide ixigo.com

8/9/2019 Tamil Nadu Travel Guide Ixigo.com

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Tamil NaduOne of the southernmost states of

the Indian peninsula, Tamil Nadu is

a treasure house of natural

resources, various art forms and

magnificent Dravidian temple

architecture. It contains numerous

hill stations, beaches, temples, ofwhich eight are UNESCO World

Heritage sites.

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Famous For : State / Provinc

Tamil Nadu holds the title of being the most

urbanised state of India and happens to be

the 2nd thrgest contributer to the country's

GDP

. Home to the Tamils since 500 BCE, Tamil

Nadu has a very rich historical heritage. Thisstate has one of the longest continuous

habitations in India, dating back to the

Neanderthal period. Majorly a Hindu

dominated state, Tamil Nadu also has a

significant percent of population following

Christianity, Islam and Jainism. One can find

the largest Hindu temples in the world here,

eg. Srirangam Ranganathanswamy templeand Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple.

As far as the Biodiversity is concerned,

around 2000 species of wildlife are

indigenous to this region, and 1/3 of the

total flora of India can be found here, the

Palmyra tree being the official tree of the

state. An amazing variety of different

biomes (from beaches, eastuaries, scrub

forests to coral reefs, marshes, deciduous

Tamil Nadu Travel Guide - http://www.ixigo.com/travel-guide/tamil-nadu page 1

forests and rain forests), contribute to the

biodiversity. The temperature usually ranges

from semi arid to sub humid.

Pongal, a four day harvest festival, is the

main festival celebrated here. The Carnatic

music, Villuppattu, Bharatnatyam,

Karakettam, and many other art

forms make up a colourful potpourri of

cultural richness to the state. Tamil Nadu is

also home to the second largest filmindustry (Kollywood) in the country, after

Bollywood. The popular Indian sport

Kabaddi is known to be originated here. The

Chettinad cuisine is especially famous for its

spicyness and Ambur region in Tamil Nadu

is quite popular for Biryani. The Nilgiri

Mountain Railway, the Chola temples,

Mahabalipuram are some of the UNESCO

World Heritage sites, worth visiting.

What To

SEE5 Sight s

http://www.ixigo.com/places-to-visit-see-in-tamil-nadu-lp-

1273340

1 Thekkady

Tropical evergreen and deciduous forests,

bamboos, reed banks and savannahs

spread over the 777 sq km of hills, valleys,plains and waterlogged areas that make up

the Reserve. In 2004, the Periyar Foundation

was formed, under which the park

administration and the locals get together to

strengthen conservation efforts. The story

goes that when Lord Wellingtons son killed

a tusker at Periyar in the 1930s, the

erstwhile king of Travancore, Sree ChithiraThirunal Balarama Varma, was so saddened

that he immediately extended protection to

the denizens of the forest.

Talking about the orientation of the place,

there is only one entry point to the Periyar

Tiger Reserve, through the small village of

Thekkady, 5 km from Kumily. You can either

reach it by bus or autorickshaw, both of

which ply between the two villages. The

starting point of the Reserve is the

boathouse, roughly 2 km from the entry

gate. This distance can be either covered on

foot or in a vehicle. All treks, boat rides and

walks begin from this point. Near theboathouse is the Eco-tourism Centre, where

you can sign up for trekking as well as other

activities.

The Pamba River flows on the western side

of the Reserve. The best way of seeing the

Reserve is by taking a boat ride on the

Periyar Lake. All vehicular traffic within thesanctuary ceases from 6 pm to 6 am and,

unless accompanied by a guide, it is unsafe
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to wander around after nightfall. However, it

is pleasant to take a stroll during the day,

when theres a good chance of spottingmany birds, the Malabar giant squirrel and

the Nilgiri langur.

2 Thanjavur

Located in the the southerly state of Tamil

Nadu, Thanjavur, a majestic city located

near the banks of Kaveri River was once the

capital of the mighty Cholas. This was a

kingdom so fertile that it was called the

granary of the South; elephants rather than

oxen thrashed the abundant paddy. Richharvests, a lush country and a full river gave

people the leisure and inclination for the

fine things of life: culture, religion,

architecture and literature.

Even now, the Thanjavur of the Cholas,

Nayaks and Marathas manages to soar

grandly above the dust and crowd of

humdrum modernity. Visitors will be

surprised by glimpses of ancient buildingson almost every street. Even auto drivers

speak knowledgeably about politics and

classical music. This city is home to

Brahadeeswara Temple, an UNESCO World

Heritage Site, built in the 11th Century AD.

There are a number of other ancient

temples and forts in the city too. The city is

recognized worldwide for its antiques andmeticulous handicrafts. Tanjore is also the

birth place of Carnatic music and

Bharathanatyam.

3 Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple

Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple,

Rameswaram, Ramanathapuram,

Tamil Nadu 623526 India

Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple located on the

island town of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu,is one of the four sacred Char Dhams in the

country, the other three being

Jagannath Temple in Puri (Orissa),

Dwarkadheesh Temple in Dwarka (Gujarat)

and theBadrinath temple in Badrinath

(Uttarakhand). The temple gets its name

from Lord Rama because he came here to

worship Lord Shiva.

The Legend

After killing Ravana (a brahmin), Lord Rama

arrived at Rameshwaram from Lanka with

his wife Sita. To expiate the 'kukarma' or

'dosha' of killing a brahmin, he wanted to

worship Lord Shiva. Since there was no

Shivling in Rameshwaram, he sent Hanuman

to get the biggest Shivling from the

Himalayas. Since it took him a long time to

return, Sita made a shivling with mud and

sand that became the original

Rameshwaram shivalingam.

The Temple ComplexThe Primary deity is

Lord Ramanathswamy (Shiva) in the form of

a lingam. There is a second Shivalingam in

the temple, called Vishwalingam, that was

brought by Hanuman. As per Lord Rama's

instructions, the Vishwalingam is

worshipped first. The shrines of

Ramanathswamy and Goddess Vishalakshiare separated by a corridor. There are

separate shrines for numerous gods and

goddesses.

Architecture

Similar to many ancient temples, the

Ramanathaswamy Temple is also

surrounded by a high wall that has

Gopuram (towers) on its eastern and

western sides, and gates on its northern and

southern sides. The interiors are verystriking with long corridors running between

coloumns built on platforms that are 5 ft

high. The Pillars themselves are around 25

to 30 ft high.

An interesting structure in the form of a

chessboard is formed at the junction of the

third corridor and the path leading from the

western

gopuram to the Setumadhava shrine. This

structure is known as

Chokkattan Madapam where all the Utsava

deities are adorned and kept during

festivities and auspicious days. The outer set

of corridors are the longest in the world,with a total of 1212 pillars. The pillars of the

main tower or

rajagopuram are carved with unique

individual compositions.

Temple TanksThe island of Rameshwaram

contains 64 holy water bodies (

theerthas), of which 24 are

considered very important. 22 of thesetirthas are present within the temple. The

largest and the most important one being
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the

Agni Theertham (Bay of Bengal). Bathing in

thesetheerthas is believed to absolve one of all

crime and negativity, thus making this a very

important ritual during the pilgrimage.

4 Sri Rangam Ranga Nathar

Temple

West Uthrai Street, Srirangam,

Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India

Dedicated to Lord Rangnatha, Lord

Vishnu's reclining avataar, Sri Rangam

Ranga Nathar Temple, is one of the most

illustrious temples of South India, rich in

lores and history. Millennia old, the temple,

enclosed by 7 concentric walls, with

21 gopurams (towers), 39 pavilions,

50 shrines, Ayiram kaal mandapam (a hall of

1000 pillars) and several small water bodies

inside the complex that spread out over anarea of 156 acres, is the largest (functioning)

Hindu temple in the world. The beautiful

idol of Lord Ranganatha, Vishnu in eternal

repose, is 21 ft long.

As you enter the complex you are faced

with the 7 prakarams (the concentric walls),

with the outer 2 being lined with shops,

restaurants and flowers stalls where you

can buy the necessary ritual items to payhomage. Non-Hindus can continue their

exploration only until the second prakaram,

but beyond that, inside the gold topped

sanctum sanctorum, you will not be allowed.

Over the sanctum sanctorum, is the Ranga

Vimanam, in the shape of the Om symbol

and plated with gold. Reclining on Adisesha,

the coiled serpent, is Sri Ranganthar and at

his feet sits Rangnayaki. Additionally, inside

the sanctum, you can also see images of

Brahma, Hanuman, Garuda and the symbols

of Vishnu. The temple complex also houses

shrines of the various forms of Vishnu

including Chakkarathazhwar, Narasimha,

Rama and Gopala Krishna.

There are separate shrines for Ranganayaki

and the major saints of the Vaishnava

tradition. When you come across themajestic, granite cut sculptures of rearing

horses trampling the heads of tigers in a

planned theater like structure, you have

entered the Hall of 1000 pillars, which is

really 953 pillars. One wide aisle that runsthrough the center of the hall, intersected

by transepts running across at right angles,

is the path to take to explore the hall.

Built by the once mighty Vijaynagar empire,

the Garuda Madapa located on the south

side of the third enclosure is an addition by

the Nayaks as well as the Sesha Mandap,

where leaping animals are carved onto the

piers at its northern end. Adorned by grand

sculptures and architecture heavily rooted

in Dravidian architectural style, the

sculptures throughout the magnificent,

glorious complex include deities, dancers,

musicians, mythological creatures and

animals and scenes from courtly life.

Dominating the skyline of Tiruchirappalli is

the 236 feet Rajagopuram, the second

tallest temple tower in Asia. The 13- tiered

Rajagopuram was built in 1987 by Ahobila

Mutt and can be seen rearing in the distant

skies for miles around, while the remaining20 gopurams (tower gateway) were built

between the 14th and 17th centuries. The

inscriptions you come across in the temple

belong to the Chola, Pandya, Hoysala and

Vijayanagar dynasties- each having shapedthe destiny of this small city. They range in

the date between 9th and 16th century A.D.

Throughout its history, the temple hasbeen invaded, its idol stolen and has been

the site for military encampments of various

armies- its walls, inscriptions and sculptures

tell a thousand stories from the Vijayanagar

empires golden age. Today, the temple

continues to stand tall proudly and as

majestically as it did eons ago. Throughout

the year various festivals are celebrated in

the temple like Vaikunta Ekadeshi,

Jyestabhisheka, Brahmotsavam,

Rathothsavam (the temple chariot festival)

and many more.

The origin of the Orlov diamond, part of

the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlins

collection, can be traced back to this temple,

where it once served as the eye of the

presiding deity. Among historic diamonds,

this resplendent relic, in the shape andproportion of half a hens egg, is considered

unique as it still retains its original Indian
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rose cut style.

5 Kailasnath temple

Kanchipuram Village, Kanchipuram,

Tamil Nadu, 631501, India

Oldest temple in the ancient town ofKanchipuram, Kailasnath temple is an

incredible architectural splendour built by

the same Pallava king who built

Mamallapuram's Shore Temple,

Narasimhavarman II, in 8th century CE. With

its compounds made of sandstone, the

entire temple is a maze of incredible

carvings of mythological creatures like Yali

and has distinct influences of early

Dravidian architectural pattern.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple's walls

are replete with panels showing Nataraja,

the Lord of Dance and an avatar of Shiva, in

various postures. Called the Stone temple of

Kachipettu, Kachipettu Periya Thirukatrali,

by Rajaraja Chola, Kailasnath temple isbelieved to be the architectural inspiration

behind Brihadeeswarar temple in Thanjavur.

Magnificent and stately without beingimperious, Kailasnath temple is

Kanchipuram's crowing glory in its hallmark

understated elegance.

Where To

Eat 5 Placeshttp://www.ixigo.com/foods-in-of-tamil-nadu-lp-1273340

1 The Oasis Restaurant

The Oasis Restaurant, SH 15, Erode,

Tamil Nadu 638003

+91-99448-55155

Oasis Restaurant offers you the perfect

combination of good food at reasonable

prices. In spite of being a popular restaurantin Erode, it maintains a cozy environment

for the customers. The menu offers

authentic Indian, Chinese, tandoori, south

Indian and chettinad delicacies. The oasis

restaurant has air conditioned dining hall

and a garden restaurant a perfect place to

relax with family in the evenings.

2 L'Attitude 49

1st Floor, Grande Bay Resort ,

Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India

+91-27443060

A fine example of how metropolitanism

seems to be catching up with

Mamallapuram where Pallava dynasty still

reigns in spirit,L'Attitude 49is

one of the few rare places in Mamallapuram

where alcohol is on the menu apart fromits

excellent, wide range of seafood.

If you think you have had enough of seafood

for one trip, then take a break only after you

have indulged in at Latitude 49. While itsmostly seafood on menu, Latitude 49s

distinguishing factor is the range of ways

and styles seafood is prepared. You will find

fishes, prawns, calamari, lobsters and

prawns done in thai, chinese, malaysian and

singaporean style, each as delicious as the

next with a great view of the sea to whet

your appetite even more.

3 Kannappa ChettinaduRestaurant

22-25 Mannarpuram Junction,

Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India

The in-house restaurant of Hotel Garden

Gardenia, Kannappa Chettinadu Restaurant,

is one of the best places in town to indulge

in the gastronomic adventure that Chettinad

cuisine is. Elegant interiors with plush
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leather seating and dark wooden furnishing

welcomes you to a volley of flavors and

aroma.

Kannappa chicken Mutton Biryani, Mutton

Chops, Mutton Kheema with Chilli paratha

and Appam on the side are some of the

must try dishes out here. While you couldn't

go wrong with a plate of Idlis and Dosas, do

give paniyaram, karuppatti paniyaram, vellai

paniyaram, paal paniyaram, masalapaniyaram kuzhi paniyaram, kozhakattai-

some of the classic Chettinad vegetarian

dishes, a try. Served with sambhar and

range of tangy chutneys, your meal at

Kannappa Chettinadu Restaurant is bound

to be an unforgettable one.

4 Tava

PT Road, 7 Roads Junction, Opposite

New Hotel Punjab, Kodaikanal,

624101, India

Rs. 30

+91-4542-241153

A wide range of vegetarian dishes spanning

sev puri, gobhi paratha, and a lot more.

Their Sindhi fare is an absolute must-try.

5 That's Y Food

24/49,TV Swamy Road East, RS

Puram, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,

641002, India

+91-422-4365117

That's Y Food calls out to avid lovers of

Mughlai and North Indian cuisine. Done in

an exotic setting with dim lighting and a cozy

decor, this peppy restaurant in Coimbatore

is a perfect place to relax and unwind after a

long, tiring day of sightseeing or shopping.With an elaborate menu which boasts of

authentic and mouth-watering preparations,

the place is sure to make anyone happy.
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