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Chennai |
Mamallapuram
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Kanchipuram
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Tiruvanamalai
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Chidambaram
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Kumbakonam |
Thanjavor |
Tiruchinapalli
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Madurai |
Rameshwaram
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Kanyakumari
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Ooty |
Kodaikanal |
Coimbatore |
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Area : 1, 30,069
sq.kms.
Language : Tamil, English
Tamilnadu lies on the southern most tip of the Indian Peninsula. It
was also known as the Coromandel Coast. And it is here the mighty
Indian Ocean the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal meet. It is here
where the powerful Raja Raja Chola conquered kingdom after kingdom.
This is the place where millions year old dynasties have left their
mark pristine white sands play peek-a-boo with the teasing surf on
unforgiving gravel and where culture and tradition is reflected in
an unabiding passion for dance and music. It is also a land
philosophers and poets whose hundred-year-old wisdom is relevant
even today.
Tamilanadu is also the cradle of Dravidian culture an ancient
culture distinguished by unique customs. Tamilnadu once known as
Coromandel Coast has a language over 2000 years old and poetry
dating back to before the birth of Christ. It also boasts some of
the most remarkable temple architecture in India and with a living
tradition of music and dance is culturally very rich. This is the
land of temples dargahs churches and forts. Temple towns and
historic sites are dotted across the plains especially in the
fertile Thanjavur delta while the hill stations of the Western Ghats
are within easy reach. Together with the former French territory of
Pondicherry with its own distinctive colonial inheritance Tamilnadu
is one of India’s most rewarding states to visit.
A vista of beaches, Rolling Meadows, lush green valleys, cascading
waterfalls, and cloud capped peaks, whispering woods, undulating tea
estates, coffee plantations and wildlife.
Tamilnadu has abundant tourist attractions like ancient places of
worship for all faiths magnificent historical monuments gurgling
water falls wondrous wildlife/bird sanctuaries, artefacts,
paintings, various dance forms, 1000-km-long sun-kissed beaches,
beautiful hill stations emerald green natural habitats avenues for
organizing eco-friendly adventure tourism activities with good
network of road rail and air linking all the destinations in the
coutry. Major airlines in the world link Tamilnadu with the other
parts of the world. The coastline has resorts and delightful fishing
villages while mountain towns such as Ugadhamandalam (Ooty) and
Kodaikanal provide a cool haven from the hot summer.
History
Tamilnadu is the home of the Tamil and their Dravidian culture. The
oldest ruling roost of the Indian peninsula Tamilnadu or Coramandel
as it was once known displays a distinct Dravidian influence dating
back to earlier than the 4th century BC. Tamil is India’s oldest
living language. It is said that the Dravidians generally believed
to have been displaced from the north settled here to give birth to
one of the earliest recorded languages-Tamil.
History records three distinct ruling dynasties-The Cholas who
occupied the territories of Thanjavur and Tirchi. Their power of
annexation also enabled them to reach as far as Sri Lanka ( in the
2nd century) right across to Southern Kerala across Madurai and
Tirunelveli at one time. The Pandiyas who vied for power during the
same era returned to power after the Cholas from 1175 to 1300. The
13th century witnessed the rise of trade and the rise of
Vijayanagara their capital.
The Pallavas of Kanchi who ruled Mamallapuram ( Mahabalipuram) in
the 4th century flexed maximum powers between AD 550 to 869. Here
Narasimhavarman II built the great Kailasnatha temple at Kanchipuram
(in 7th century) which then served so their administrative and
literary capital for the next 150 years.
The Cholas returned to power in 850 AD and ruled till 1173. Under
the crown of Raja Raja I they swept across the entire Southern
Peninsula covering Karnataka ,Kerala, Andhra and even Sri Lanka and
Lakshadweep. Rajendra Chola his predecesor went on to annexe his
kingdom right up to Bengal. The three dynasties countined to be at
war till they were fragmented and conquered by the Moghuls in 1565
and the great empire of Vijaynagar was brought to its knees.
The ultimate fall of Tamilnadu into the Moghul grasp came with the
defeat of the fleeing Nayaka kings in the 17th century. The Muslim
rule never lived past the 17th century when Haider Ali the erstwhile
ruler tried to defend his throne in Mysore from the British along
with his French supporters. A brief revival of the Moghuls arrived
with Tipu Sultan his son. This ended with the second Mysore war in
1780. The significant treaty of Versailles in 1783 brought together
the British and the French causing the Moghul rule to dwindle out.
The English under the East India Company took Malabar in 1792 and in
1801 Lord Wellesley annexed most of the South.
The French acquired land in Pondicherry in 1673. In 1742 Dupleix was
named Governer of the French India Company. The 1751 battle of
Pondicherry put an end to the French aggression in India and the
1763 Treaty of Paris ceased their rule completely. Tamilnadu
continued to be featured in the Indian history not only as the
earliest headquarters of the East India Company but also as an
important centre of freedom struggle. In 1857 Veerapandiya
Kattabomman of Tirunelveli led the revolt. In 1885 the Indian
National Congress was formed and amongst the known freedom fighters
were V.O.Chittambaram Pillai Subramania Bharathi Subramania Siva and
Dr.Annie Besant who started the Home Rule Movement in 1915. |
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