Tamil Nadu
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| Tamil Nadu தமிழ்நாடு |
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| State | ||
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| Motto: Truth alone Triumphs | ||
| Anthem: Invocation to Tamil Mother | ||
 Location of Tamil Nadu (marked in red) in India |
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| Coordinates: 13.09°N 80.27°ECoordinates: 13.09°N 80.27°E | ||
| Country |  India |
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| Region | South India | |
| Established | 26 January 1950† | |
| Capital | Chennai | |
| Largest city | Chennai | |
| Districts | 32 | |
| Government | ||
| • Governor | Konijeti Rosaiah | |
| • Chief Minister | Jayalalitha (AIADMK) | |
| • Legislature | Unicameral (234 seats) | |
| • High Court | Madras High Court, Madurai Bench | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 130,058 km2 (50,216 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 11th | |
| Population (2011)[2] | ||
| • Total | 72,147,030[1] | |
| • Rank | 6th | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) | |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-TN | |
| HDI |  0.570 (medium)[3] |
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| HDI rank | 6th (2011)[4] | |
| Literacy | 90.3 per cent (2013 census) | |
| Official language | Tamil | |
| Website | tn.gov.in | |
| ^† Established in 1773; Madras State was formed in 1950 and renamed as Tamil Nadu on 14 January 1969[5] | ||
| Part of a series on |
| History of Tamil Nadu |
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Tamil pronunciation (help·info); literally The Land of Tamils or Tamil Country) is one of the 29 states of India. Its capital is Chennai (formerly known as Madras), the largest city. Tamil Nadu[6] lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Puducherry and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. It is bounded by the Eastern Ghats on the north, by the Nilgiri, the Anamalai Hills, and Kerala on the west, by the Bay of Bengal in the east, by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait on the southeast, and by the Indian Ocean on the south.Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India by area and the sixth most populous state in India. The state was ranked sixth among states in India according to the Human Development Index in 2011.[4][7] It was the second largest state economy in India in 2012.[8] The state has the highest number (10.56 per cent) of business enterprises and stands second in total employment (9.97 per cent) in India,[9] compared to the population share of about 6 per cent. In the 2013 Raghuram Rajan panel report, Tamil Nadu was ranked as the third most developed state in India based on a "Multidimensional Development Index".[10] The region has been the home of the Tamil people since at least 1500 BC.[11] Its official language is Tamil, which holds a status of being a classical language. Tamil has been in use in inscriptions and literature for over 2500 years.
Tamil Nadu is home to many natural resources, classical arts, classical music, classical literature, Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture, hill stations, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites, and eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[12][13]
Contents
- 1 History
- 2 Geography
- 3 Flora and fauna
- 4 National and State Parks
- 5 Climate
- 6 Governance and administration
- 7 Administrative subdivisions
- 8 Politics
- 9 Demographics
- 10 Education
- 11 Culture
- 12 Economy
- 13 Infrastructures
- 14 Sports
- 15 Tourism
- 16 See also
- 17 Notes
- 18 References
- 19 External links
History
Main article: History of Tamil Nadu
Prehistory
Archaeological evidence points to this area being one of the longest continuous habitations in Indian peninsula.[14] In Adichanallur, 24 km (15 mi) from Tirunelveli, archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) unearthed 169 clay urns containing human skulls, skeletons, bones, husks, grains of rice, charred rice and celts of the Neolithic period, 3,800 years ago.[15] The ASI archaeologists have proposed that the script used at that site is "very rudimentary" Tamil Brahmi.[16] Adichanallur has been announced as an archaeological site for further excavation and studies.[17] About 60 per cent of the total epigraphical inscriptions found by the ASI in India are from Tamil Nadu, and most of these are in the Tamil language.[18] Virumandi Andithevar, of the Piramalai Kallar community from the Tamil Nadu region of southern India, was identified by the Genographic Project as one of the direct descendants of the first modern human settlers in India. His Y-DNA belongs to Haplogroup C and he carries the M130 marker which defines the first migrants to South East Asia and Australia from the African coast 60,000 years ago; more than half of Australian Aborigines also carry the M130 gene.[19] Mythical traditions dictate that Lord Shiva himself taught sage Agastya this language.[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] Sage Agastya is considered to be the father of Tamil literature and compiled the first Tamil grammar called Agathiyam, but the scripts of Agathiyam no longer exist.[28] It is believed that he lived in the 7th or 6th century BC and specialised in language, alchemy, medicine and spirituality (yogam and gnanam). There are 96 books in the name of Agathiyar.[29]Indus valley script between 2000 and 1500 BC
Neolithic people of the Tamil country spoke a Dravidian language.The discovery of a Neolithic stone celt, a hand-held axe, with the Indus script on it at Sembian-Kandiyur in Tamil Nadu is, according to Iravatham Mahadevan, "Stone axe with Indus Valley script found near Mayiladuthurai,Tamil Nadu was a major discovery because for the first time a text in the Indus script has been found in the State on a datable artefact, which is a polished neolithic celt. He estimated the date of the artefact with the script to be around 1500 BC.[30]Early history (Sangam Period 300 BC – AD 300)
Bhakti Movement
Main article: Bhakti Movement
Medieval Period (600–1300)
Much later, the Pallavas were replaced by the Cholas as the dominant kingdom in the 10th century AD and they in turn were replaced by Pandyas in the 13th century AD. The Pandyan capital Madurai was in the deep south away from the coast. They had extensive trade links with the south east Asian maritime empires of Srivijaya and their successors, as well as contacts, even formal diplomatic contacts, reaching as far as the Roman kingdom. During the 13th century, Marco Polo mentioned the Pandyas as the richest empire in existence. Temples such as the Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai and Nellaiappar Temple at Tirunelveli are the best examples of Pandyan temple architecture.[38] The Pandyas excelled in both trade and literature. They controlled the pearl fisheries along the south coast of India, between Sri Lanka and India, which produced some of the finest pearls in the known ancient world.
Chola Empire
Main article: Chola dynasty
The Cholas were prolific temple builders right from the times of the first medieval king Vijayalaya Chola. These are the earliest specimen of Dravidian temples under the Cholas. His son Aditya I built several temples around the Kanchi and Kumbakonam regions. The Cholas went on to becoming a great power and built some of the most imposing religious structures in their lifetime and they also renovated temples and buildings of the Pallavas, acknowledging their common socio-religious and cultural heritage. The celebrated Nataraja temple at Chidambaram and the Sri Ranganathaswami Temple at Srirangam held special significance for the Cholas which have been mentioned in their inscriptions as their tutelary deities. Rajaraja Chola I and his son Rajendra Chola built temples such as the Brihadeshvara Temple of Thanjavur and Brihadeshvara Temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the Airavatesvara Temple of Darasuram and the Sarabeswara (Shiva) Temple, also called the Kampahareswarar Temple at Thirubhuvanam, the last two temples being located near Kumbakonam. The first three of the above four temples are titled Great Living Chola Temples among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Architectural and fine art marvels of Chola. From left to right: Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram; Natarajan, Shiva as celestial dancer; Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur; and Parvathi, the consort of Shiva.
Vijayanagar and Nayak period (1336–1646)
Main article: Vijayanagara Empire
The Muslim invasions of southern India triggered the establishment of the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire with Vijayanagara
in modern Karnataka as its capital. The Vijayanagara empire eventually
conquered the entire Tamil country by c. 1370 AD and ruled for almost
two centuries until its defeat in the Battle of Talikota in 1565 by a confederacy of Deccan sultanates. Subsequently, as the Vijayanagara Empire went into decline after the mid-16th century, many local rulers, called Nayaks,
succeeded in gaining the trappings of independence. This eventually
resulted in the further weakening of the empire; many Nayaks declared
themselves independent, among whom the Nayaks of Madurai
and Tanjore were the first to declare their independence, despite
initially maintaining loose links with the Vijayanagara kingdom.[38] The Nayaks of Madurai and Nayaks of Thanjavur
were the most prominent of Nayaks in the 17th century. They
reconstructed some of the well-known temples in Tamil Nadu such as the Meenakshi Temple.
Rule of Poligars (1692–1801)
In the early 18th century, the fall of Nayaka period brought up many small Nayakars of southern Tamil Nadu, who ruled small parcels of land called Palayams. Some of these Palaiyakkarar ('polygar' as called by British) were ruling under Nawabs of Carnatic. Nawabs granted taxation rights to the British which led to conflicts between British and the Palaiyakkarar, which resulted in series of wars to establish independent states by the aspiring Palaiyakkarar. Puli Thevar was one of the earliest opponents of the British rule in South India. He was involved in a vendetta with the Nawab of Arcot who was supported by the British. Thevar's prominent exploits were his confrontations with Marudhanayagam, who later rebelled against the British in the late 1750s and early 1760s. The author of the Thirunelveli District Gazetteer, H.R. Pate, observes as follows: Nelkatumseval is chiefly memorable as having been in the 18th-century stronghold of the redoubtable Puli Thevar, who figured for many years as the leader of the Marava Confederacy against the troops of the Nawab and the Company. Azhagu Muthu Kone (1728–1757) was an Indian revolutionary and independence activist. He is regarded for having raised one of the revolts against the British East India Company in India. Kone was born and brought up in Kattalankulam, a village in erstwhile Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. Puli Thevar (1715–1767), Vennikkaladi Kudumbar, Thalapathi in Puli Thevar Force chieftain who fought the British East India Company in the 1750s and 1760s. Rani Velu Nachiyar, First Woman Freedom fighter of India and Queen of Sivagangai. She was drawn to war after her husband Muthu Vaduganatha Thevar (1750–1772), King of Sivaganga was murdered at Kalayar Kovil temple by British generals Joseph Smith and Benjour. Before her death, Queen Velu Nachi granted powers to Maruthu brothers to rule Sivaganga. Kattabomman (1760–1799), Palaiyakkara chief of Panchalakurichi who fought the British in the First Polygar War. He was captured by the British at the end of the war and hanged near Kayattar in 1799. Veeran Sundaralingam (1700–1800) was the General of Kattapomman Nayakan's palayam, who died in the process of blowing up a British ammunition dump 1799 which killed more than 150 British soldiers to save Kattapomman Palace. Oomaithurai, younger brother of Kattabomman, took asylum under the Maruthu brothers Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu and raised army. They formed a coalition with Dheeran Chinnamalai and Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja which fought the British in Second Polygar Wars. Dheeran Chinnamalai (1756–1805), Polygar chieftain of Kongu and feudatory of Tipu Sultan who fought the British in the Second Polygar War.European rule (1801–1947)
Main article: Madras Presidency
The Vellore Mutiny on 10 July 1806 was the first instance of a large-scale and violent mutiny by Indian sepoys against the British East India Company, predating the Indian Rebellion of 1857 by half a century. The revolt, which took place in the South Indian city of Vellore, was brief, lasting only one full day, but brutal as mutineers broke into the Vellore fort and killed or wounded 200 British troops, before they were subdued by reinforcements from nearby Arcot.
India (1947–present)
Geography
Tamil Nadu covers an area of 130,058 km2 (50,216 sq mi), and is the eleventh largest state in India. The bordering states are Kerala to the west, Karnataka to the north west and Andhra Pradesh to the north. To the east is the Bay of Bengal and the union territory of Puducherry. The southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula is located in Tamil Nadu. At this point is the town of Kanyakumari which is the meeting point of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean. The south boundary of India is Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu has a coastline of about 910 km (570 mi) which is the country's third longest coastline. Tamil Nadu's coastline bore the brunt of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami when it hit India, which caused 7,793 direct deaths in the state. Tamil Nadu falls mostly in a region of low seismic hazard with the exception of the western border areas that lie in a low to moderate hazard zone; as per the 2002 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) map, Tamil Nadu falls in Zones II & III. Historically, parts of this region have experienced seismic activity in the M5.0 range.[41]
Flora and fauna
Main articles: Wildlife of Tamil Nadu and List of birds of Tamil Nadu
There are about 2000 species of wildlife that are native to Tamil
Nadu. Protected areas provide safe habitat for large mammals including elephants, tigers, leopards, wild dogs, sloth bears, gaurs, lion-tailed macaques, Nilgiri Langurs, Nilgiri Tahrs, Grizzled Giant Squirrels and Sambar deer, resident and migratory birds such as cormorants, darters, herons, egrets, Open-billed storks, Spoonbills and White Ibises, Little Grebes, Indian Moorhen, Black-winged Stilts, a few migratory Ducks and occasionally Grey pelicans, marine species such as the Dugongs, turtles, dolphins and Balanoglossus and a wide variety of fish and insects.
Common plant species include the state tree: Palmyra Palm, Eucalyptus, Rubber, Cinchona, Clumping Bamboos (Bambusa Arundinacea), Common teak, Anogeissus latifolia, Indian Laurel, Grewia, and blooming trees like Indian labumusum, Ardisia, and Solanaceae. Rare and unique plant life includes Combretum ovalifolium, Ebony (Diospyros nilagrica), Habenaria rariflora (Orchid), Alsophila, Impatiens elegans, Ranunculus reniformis, and Royal fern.[42]
National and State Parks
Main article: Protected areas of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu has a wide range of Biomes extending east from the South Western Ghats montane rain forests in the Western Ghats through the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests and Deccan thorn scrub forests to tropical dry broadleaf forests and then to the beaches, estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves, and coral reefs of the Bay of Bengal. The state has a range of flora and fauna with many species and habitats. To protect this diversity of wildlife there are Protected areas of Tamil Nadu as well as biospheres which protect larger areas of natural habitat often include one or more National Parks. The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve
established in 1986 is a marine ecosystem with seaweed and sea grass
communities, coral reefs, salt marshes and mangrove forests. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve located in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills comprises part of adjoining states of Kerala and Karnataka. The Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve
is in the south west of the state bordering Kerala in the Western
Ghats. Tamil Nadu is home to five declared National parks located in Anamalai, Mudumalai, Mukurithi, Gulf of Mannar and Guindy located in the center of Chennai city. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, Mukurthi National Park and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve are the tiger reserves in the state. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
has the largest elephant population in India. Besides these bio
reserves, there are many state and central run wild life sanctuaries for
tiger, elephant and birds.Climate
- advancing monsoon period, south west monsoon from June to September, with strong southwest winds;
- North east monsoon from October to December, with dominant north east winds;
- dry season from January to May.
Tamil Nadu is divided into seven agro-climatic zones: north east, north west, west, southern, high rainfall, high altitude hilly, and Cauvery Delta (the most fertile agricultural zone). The table below shows the maximum and minimum temperatures that the state experiences in the plains and hills.
Governance and administration
Main articles: Government of Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu Legislature
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Tamil Nadu had a bicameral legislature until 1986, when it was replaced with a unicameral legislature, like most other states in India. The term length of the government is five years, as is elsewhere in India. The present government run by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led alliance came to power in 2011 and consists of a council of 33 ministers, headed by the Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha. The Tamil Nadu legislative assembly is housed at the Fort St. George in Chennai. The state had come under the President's rule rule on four occasions – first from 1976 to 1977, next for a short period in 1980, then from 1988 to 1989 and the latest in 1991.
The local administration is divided into revenue administration and developmental administration. Revenue administrative units are classified based on the district. Each of the 32 districts in Tamil Nadu is divided into divisions, which are further divided to Taluks.[47] Each of these Taluks have a list of revenue villages under them. Tahsildar is the head of these Taluks. Developmental administration, in contrast, is carried out by Panchayat Unions (called blocks) in rural areas. These panchayat unions have a set of panchayat villages under them. In urban areas, the governance is done by municipal corporations, municipalities or town panchayats based on the size of the town.[47] Tamil Nadu has 12 municipal corporations: Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, Tirunelveli, Tirupur, Erode, Thoothukudi, Vellore, Thanjavur and Dindigul..
Tamil Nadu has been a pioneering state of E-Governance initiatives in India. A large part of the government records like land ownership records are digitised and all major offices of the state government like Urban Local Bodies – all the corporations and municipal office activities – revenue collection, land registration offices, and transport offices have been computerised. Tamil Nadu is one of the states where law and order has been maintained largely successfully.[48] The Tamil Nadu Police Force is over 140 years old. It is the fifth largest state police force in India and has the largest strength of women police personnel in the country to specifically handled violence against women in Tamil Nadu.[49] In 2003, the state had a total police population ratio of 1:668, higher than the national average of 1:717. The current Director General of Police (law and order) of Tamil Nadu is K. Ramanujan.[50]
Administrative subdivisions
Main article: Districts of Tamil Nadu
| [show] | District | Headquarters | Area | Population (2011) |
Population density |
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Politics
Pre-Independence
Prior to Indian independence Tamil Nadu was under British colonial rule as part of the Madras Presidency. The main party in Tamil Nadu at that time was the Indian National Congress (INC). Regional parties have dominated state politics since 1916. One of the earliest regional parties, the South Indian Welfare Association, a forerunner to Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu, was started in 1916. The party was called after its English organ, Justice Party, by it opponents. Later, South Indian Liberal Federation was adopted as its official name. The reason for victory of the Justice Party in elections was the non-participation of the INC, demanding complete independence of India.The Justice Party which was under E.V.Ramaswamy was renamed Dravidar Kazhagam (DK for short) in 1944. DK was a non-political party which demanded the establishment of an independent state called Dravida Nadu. However, due to the differences between its two leaders EVR and C.N. Annadurai, the party was split. Annadurai left the party to form the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The DMK decided to enter politics in 1956. In the 19th century, western scholars discovered that the Dravidian languages dominating southern India formed a different linguistic group than the Indo-Aryan languages predominant in northern India. They also classified Indians into distinct Aryan and Dravidian races. It was proposed that the generally darker-skinned Dravidians constituted a distinct race. This concept has affected thinking in India about racial and regional differences and had an impact on aspects of Tamil nationalism, which has appropriated the claim that Dravidians are the earliest inhabitants of India, and the Aryan population were oppressive interlopers from whom Dravidians should liberate themselves.
Post-Independent India
| Political Alliance |
Assembly (2011) |
Lok Sabha (2009) |
Lok Sabha (2014) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIADMK+ | 203 | 12 | 37 |
| DMK+ | 31 | 27 | 0 |
| Independent/Other | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Source: Election Commission of India.[51][52] | |||
Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1951 | 30,119,000 | — |
| 1961 | 33,687,000 | +11.8% |
| 1971 | 41,199,000 | +22.3% |
| 1981 | 48,408,000 | +17.5% |
| 1991 | 55,859,000 | +15.4% |
| 2001 | 62,406,000 | +11.7% |
| 2011 | 72,138,958 | +15.6% |
| Source:Census of India[53] | ||
Main article: Demographics of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is the seventh most populous state in India. 44 per cent
of the state's population live in urban areas, the highest among large
states in India.[7] The state has registered the lowest fertility rate in India in year 2005–06 with 1.7 children born for each woman, lower than required for population sustainability.[54][55]At the 2001 India census, Tamil Nadu had a population of 62,405,679.[56] The sex ratio of the state is 987 with 31,400,909 males and 31,004,770 females. There are a total of 14,665,983 households.[56] The total children under the age of 6 is 7,235,160. A total of 11,857,504 people constituting 21.49 per cent of the total population belonged to Scheduled Castes (SC) and 651,321 people constituting 1.18 per cent of the population belonged to Scheduled tribes (ST).[56]
The state has 40,524,545 literates, making the literacy rate 73.45 per cent. There are a total of 27,878,282 workers, comprising 4,738,819 cultivators, 6,062,786 agricultural labourers, 1,261,059 in house hold industries, 11,695,119 other workers, 4,120,499 marginal workers, 377,220 marginal cultivators, 2,574,844 marginal agricultural labourers, 238,702 marginal workers in household industries and 929,733 other marginal workers.[56]
Among the cities in 2011, the state capital, Chennai, was the most populous city in the state, followed by Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy and Salem respectively.[57] India has a human development index calculated as 0.619, while the corresponding figure for Tamil Nadu is 0.736, placing it among the top states in the country.[58][59] The life expectancy at birth for males is 65.2 years and for females it is 67.6 years.[60] However, it has a high level of poverty especially in the rural areas. In 2004–2005, the poverty line was set at
351.86/month for rural areas and 547.42/month for urban areas. Poverty in the state dropped from 51.7 per cent in 1983 to 21.1 per cent in 2001[61]
For the period 2004–2005, the Trend in Incidence of Poverty in the
state was 22.5 per cent compared with the national figure of 27.5 per
cent. The World Bank is currently assisting the state in reducing
poverty, High drop-out and low completion of secondary schools continue
to hinder the quality of training in the population. Other problems
include class, gender, inter-district and urban-rural disparities. Based
on URP – Consumption for the period 2004–2005, percentage of the
state's population Below Poverty Line was 27.5 per cent. The Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative ranks Tamil Nadu to have a Multidimensional Poverty Index of 0.141, which is in the level of Ghana among the developing countries.[62]
Corruption is a major problem in the state with Transparency
International ranking it the second most corrupt among the states of
India.[63]Religion
Language
Main article: Tamil language
Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu. English is also in common usage as an official language of India. When India adopted national standards, Tamil was the very first language to be recognised as a classical language of India.[67]
Minority languages include Telugu (5.65 per cent), Malayalam (0.89 per
cent), Kannada (2.68 per cent), Urdu (1.51 per cent), Gujarati /
Saurashtri (0.32 per cent), Hindi (0.30 per cent) and Marathi (0.10 per
cent).[54] At the 2001 census, Tamil is spoken as the first language by 89.43 per cent of the population followed by Telugu by 5.65 per cent, Kannada by 2.68 per cent, Urdu by 1.51 per cent and Malayalam by 0.89 per cent.[54]Education
Main article: Education in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the most literate states in India.[68] Tamil Nadu has performed reasonably well in terms of literacy growth
during the decade 2001–2011. A survey conducted by the Industry body
Assocham ranks Tamil Nadu top among Indian states with about 100 per
cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in primary and upper primary education.
One of the basic limitations for improvement in education in the state
is the rate of absence of teachers in public schools, which at 21.4 per
cent is significant.[69] The analysis of primary school education in the state by Pratham shows a low drop-off rate but poor quality of state education compared to other states.[70] Tamil Nadu has 37 universities, 455 engineering colleges,[citation needed] 449 Polytechnic Colleges[71]
and 566 arts and science colleges, 34335 elementary schools, 5167 high
schools, 5054 higher secondary schools and 5000 hospitals. Some of the
notable educational institutes present in Tamil Nadu are Indian Institute of Technology Madras,Indian Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, College of Engineering, Guindy, Madras Medical College and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. For the complete list of educational institutions see List of institutions of higher education in Tamil Nadu.
Culture
Literature
Most early Tamil literary works are in verse form, with prose not becoming more common until later periods. Throughout its history, Tamil literature has sought to inform and inspire, educate and entertain.Notable examples of Tamil poetry include the Tirukkural, written during the Tamil Sangams period. The poem encompasses a universal outlook, as the author, Tiruvalluvar, does not mention his religion, land, or the audience for his work. He is often portrayed as a holy saint of Tamil Nadu today. Ancient Tamil literature is predominantly secular and deals with everyday life in the Tamil Context.The only religious poems among the shorter poems occur in paripaatal. The rest of the corpus of Sangam literature deals with human relationship and emotions.[79]
கேடில் விழுச்செல்வம் கல்வி யொருவற்குThe first Tamil printing press was established at Tarangambadi by the Danish missionaries. During the Indian freedom struggle, many Tamil poets and writers sought to provoke national spirit, social equity and secularist thoughts among the common man, notably Subramanya Bharathy and Bharathidasan.
மாடல்ல மற்றை யவை
(திருக்குறள் – 400)
Learning is a wealth that none could destroy
Nothing else gives genuine joy
(Tirukkural: 400)
Festivals and traditions
Music
See also: Ancient Tamil music and Carnatic music
The Kings of ancient Thamizhagam created sangams for Iyal Isai
Nadagam (Literature, Music and Drama). Music played a major role in
sangams. Music in Tamil Nadu had different forms. In villages where
farming was the primary occupation, women who worked in the fields used
to sing kulavai songs. Odhuvars, Sthanikars or Kattalaiyars offer short
musical programmes in the temples by singing the devotional Thevaram songs. In sharp contrast with the restrained and intellectual nature of Carnatic music, Tamil folk music tends to be much more exuberant. Popular forms of Tamil folk music include the Villuppāṭṭu, a form of music performed with a bow,the urumee mellam or Naiyandi mellam which incorporates the use of the urumee and the Nāṭṭuppur̲appāṭṭu, ballads
that convey folklore and folk history. Some of the leading Tamil folk
artists in the early 21st century are Pushpuvanam Kuppuswamy, Dr. Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan, Chinnaponnu, Paravai muniammal, etc.
In terms of modern cine-music, Ilaiyaraaja was a prominent composer of film music in Tamil cinema during the late 1970s and 1980s. His work highlighted Tamil folk lyricism and introduced broader western musical sensibilities to the south Indian musical mainstream. Tamil Nadu is also the home of the double Oscar Winner A.R. Rahman[86][87][88] who has composed film music in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi films, English and Chinese films, was once referred to by Time magazine as "The Mozart of Madras".
Arts and dance
Tamils have a large number of folk dances. These are performed for every possible occasion, to celebrate the arrival of seasons, birth of a child, weddings and festivals. Tamil dance is closely intertwined with the Tamil theatrical tradition.
Other Tamil folk dances include mayilāṭṭam, where the dancers tie a string of peacock feathers around their waist; ōyilāttam, danced in a circle while waving small pieces of cloth of various colours; poikkal kuthiraiyaaṭṭam, where the dancers use dummy horses; manattam, where the dancers imitate the graceful leaping of deer; paraiyāṭṭam, a dance to the sound of rhythmical drumbeats, and thīppandāṭṭam, a dance involving playing with burning wooden torches.
Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form originating from Tamil Nadu. Prior to the colonial perriod, it used to be performed in Hindu temples by Devadasis. In this form, it as also been called sadir or chinna melam. Many of the ancient sculptures in Hindu temples are based on Bharata Natyam dance postures. Bharatanatyam is a traditional dance-form known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpturesque poses. It continues to be a popular dance style at present times and is practised by male and female dancers all over India. Terukkuttu or Kattaikkuttu is a traditional form of Tamil street theatre folk dance/drama.
Film industry
Main article: Tamil cinema
Tamil Nadu is also home to the Tamil film industry, often
colloquially referred to as 'Kollywood'. It is known for being the
second largest film industry in terms of revenue and worldwide
distribution, in India after Bollywood.[89] It is based at Kodambakkam in Chennai city.Cuisine
Main article: Tamil cuisine
Rice is the staple food of Tamils and is typically eaten mixed with coconut chutney sambhar (with or without ghee), vegetarian or non-vegetarian kulambu, rasam, curd and buttermilk. This is accompanied with various vegetarian and/or non-vegetarian dishes like kootu, aviyal, poriyal, appalam, varuval, peratal, kothsu, varieties of pickles and chicken, mutton, or fish fry.
Breakfast and snack items include dosai, Adai, idly, vadai, pongal, appam (aappam), paniyaram, puttu, uppumavu (uppuma), santhakai (a sort of noodles), idiyappam and uthappam. These items are eaten along with sambar, varieties of chatni and podi. Traditionally prepared filter coffee is unique in taste and popular all over the state.
The Chettinad region is famous for its spicy non-vegetarian cuisine, while Ambur and Dindigul are known for their Biriyani. Sweet items that are native to Tamil Nadu are Athirasam, Chakkarai Pongal (prepared during Pongal) and Kuli Paniyaram. The city of Thirunelveli is renowned for its unique sweetmeat, Thirunelveli Halwa, while Palani(pazhani) is known for its Panchamirtham.
Economy
Main articles: Economy of Tamil Nadu, List of conglomerates in Tamil Nadu and List of rivers of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is the second largest contributor to India's GDP. Tamil
Nadu's gross state domestic product for the year 2011–2012 was
4.28 trillion (short scale) or $145,868 Million. The state has shown a growth of 9.4 per cent in the year 2011–2012.[90] Tamil Nadu is the second most industrialised state in India.[91] It ranks third in foreign direct investment (FDI) approvals (cumulative 1991–2002) of
225,826 million ($5,000 million), next only to Maharashtra and Delhi
constituting 9.12 per cent of the total FDI in the country.[92] The per capita income in 2007–2008 for the state was 72,993 ranking third among states with a population over 10 million and has steadily been above the national average.[93]| Year | GSDP | Growth Rate | Share in India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 |
142,065
|
5.87%
|
7.62%
|
| 2001–02 |
139,842
|
−1.56%
|
7.09%
|
| 2002–03 |
142,295
|
1.75%
|
6.95%
|
| 2003–04 |
150,815
|
5.99%
|
6.79%
|
| 2004–05 |
219,003
|
11.45%
|
7.37%
|
| 2005–06 |
249,567
|
13.96%
|
7.67%
|
| 2006–07 |
287,530
|
15.21%
|
8.07%
|
| 2007–08 |
305,157
|
6.13%
|
7.83%
|
| 2008–09 |
320,085
|
4.89%
|
7.70%
|
| 2009–10 |
350,258
|
9.43%
|
7.77%
|
| 2010–11 |
391,372
|
11.74%
|
8.01%
|
| 2011–12 |
428,109
|
9.39%
|
8.20%
|
According to the publications of the Tamil Nadu government the Gross State Domestic Product at Constant Prices (Base year 2004–2005) for the year 2011–2012 is
428,109 crores, an increase of 9.39 per cent over the previous year. The per capita income at current price is 72,993.Agriculture
Tamil Nadu has historically been an agricultural state and is a leading producer of agricultural products in India. In 2008, Tamil Nadu was India's fifth biggest producer of Rice. The total cultivated area in the State was 5.60 million hectares in 2009–10.[96] The Cauvery delta region is known as the Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu.[97] In terms of production, Tamil Nadu accounts for 10 per cent in fruits and 6 per cent in vegetables, in India.[98] Annual food grains production in the year 2007–08 was 10035,000 mt.[96] Mango and banana are the leading fruit crops in Tamil Nadu accounting for over 87 per cent of the total fruit production. The main vegetables grown are tapioca, tomato, onion, brinjal (eggplant), and drumstick. Tamil Nadu is also a leading state in the production of flowers with the total production of horticultural crops standing at 9947,000 during 2003–04. The main flowers grown in Tamil Nadu are jasmine, mullai, chrysanthemum, marigold and rose.The state is the largest producer of bananas, flowers,[98] tapioca,[98] the second largest producer of mango,[98] natural rubber,[99] coconut, groundnut and the third largest producer of coffee, sapota,[98] Tea[100] and Sugarcane. Tamil Nadu's sugarcane yield per hectare is the highest in India. The state has 17,000 hectares of land under oil palm cultivation, the second highest in India.[101]
Leather industry
The state accounts for 70 per cent of leather tanning capacity in India and 38 per cent of leather footwear and components. The exports from Tamil Nadu are valued at about US $762 million, which accounts for 42 per cent of Indian leather exports. Hundreds of leather and tannery industries are located around Vellore, Dindigul and Erode its nearby towns such as Ranipet, Ambur, Perundurai and Vaniyambadi. The Vellore district is the top exporter of finished leather goods in the country. That leather accounts for more than 37 per cent of the country's Export of Leather and Leather related products such as finished leathers, shoes, garments, gloves and so on. The tanning industry in India has a total installed capacity of 225 million pieces of hide and skins of which Tamil Nadu alone contributes to an inspiring 70 per cent. Leather industry occupies a pride of place in the industrial map of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu enjoys a leading position with 40 per cent share in India 's export. It currently employs about 2.5 million persons Leather exports by the end of the year 2000–2001 were90 billion.
Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), a CSIR research laboratory
is located in Chennai, the state capital. Footwear Design &
Development Institute (FDDI) is located at Irungattukottai near SIPCOT
Footwear Park, 40 minutes drive from Chennai.Chennai is the biggest hub of the world leather industry. Tamil Nadu accounts for 30 per cent of leather exports and about 70 per cent of leather production in the country. The large scale presence of the Tanning industry has resulted in Tamil Nadu becoming a dominant production centre in the country for leather and leather based products. In Tamil Nadu 0.5 Million people are employed in the industries dealing with leather and leather based products.
Textiles and Engineering
Textile mills and engineering industries are present around the city of Coimbatore. It is home to textile, automotive spare parts and motor pump manufacturing units. Cities of Tirupur and Erode are the country's largest exporters of knitwear.[105] They are well known for textile manufacturing industries and exports to such extent that the districts of Coimbatore, Tirupur, Karur, Erode, Namakkal and Salem. Coimbatore is known as the "Manchester of South India"[106][107] for its cotton production. The region around Coimbatore, Tirupur, Karur and Erode is referred to[by whom?] as the "Textile Valley of India" with the export from the Tirupur 50,000 million ($1,000 million) and Karur generates around
35,500 million ($750 million) a year in foreign exchange. 56 per cent
of India's total knitwear exports come from Tirupur and Karur make above
60 per cent of India's home textiles. Gobichettipalayam, Pollachi, Theni and Vedasandur are known for its cotton spinning mills.Sankarankovil and Rajapalayam
is famous for its cotton market. Gobichettipalayam is a prominent
producer of white silk with the country's first automated silk reeling
unit present here. Kanchipuram and Arani are world famous for their pure zari silk sarees and handloom silk weaving industries. Aruppukottai, Salem, and Sathyamangalam are also famous for art-silk sarees.Sankarankovil, Andipatti, Tiruchengodu, Paramakudi, Kurinjipadi, Chennimalai are major handloom centres.Sankarankovil, Negamam, Cinnalapatti, Woraiyur, Pochampalli are famous for its soft cotton saree weavings. Madurai is well known[by whom?] for its Chungidi cotton saree. Bhavani is famous for cotton carpets.Automobiles
Tamil Nadu has seen major investments in the automobile industry over many decades manufacturing cars, railway coaches, battle-tanks, tractors, motorcycles, automobile spare parts and accessories, tyres and heavy vehicles. Major global automobile companies including BMW, Ford, Robert Bosch, Renault-Nissan, Caterpillar, Hyundai, Mitsubishi Motors, and Michelin as well as Indian automobile majors like Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, Hindustan Motors, TVS Motors, Irizar-TVS, Royal Enfield, MRF, Apollo Tyres, TAFE Tractors, DaimlerChrysler AG Company also invested () 4 billion for establishing new plant in Tamil Nadu[108] Karur is a hub for Bus body building industries. Namakkal is the major source of lorry body building. Recently India Yamaha, Yamaha Motor Corporation's Indian subsidiary, has decided to set up a new factory in Tamil Nadu.[109]Heavy industries
Tamil Nadu is one of the highly industrialised states in India. Over 11% of the S&P CNX 500 conglomerates have corporate offices in Tamil Nadu. Many heavy engineering and manufacturing companies are located in and around the suburbs of Chennai. Salem is the largest industrialised city in the state as it is a production area for Mangoes, Iron&Steel, Cotton, Silk and Power(Mettur Dam). Bharat Heavy Electricals, one of India's largest electrical equipment manufacturing companies, has manufacturing plants at Tiruchirapalli and Ranipet. India's leading steel producer, the state-owned Steel Authority of India, has a steel plant in Salem. Sterlite Industries has a copper smelter at Tuticorin and an aluminium plant in Mettur. The Chennai Petroleum Corporation is a state-owned oil and gas corporation headquartered in Chennai, and owns refineries at Manali and Panangudi. The state government owns the Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers,[110] and the world's biggest bagasse based paper mills in Karur. Jointly with the Tata Group, the state owns the world's sixth largest manufacturer of watches, under the brand name of "Titan", at Hosur. A number of large cement manufacturers, including the Chettinad Group, Ramco Cements, Tancem, the Dalmia Group, UltraTech Cements and ACC are present across the state. Ariyalur is known as "the land of the cement industry" in the state.Electronics and software
Electronics manufacturing is a growing industry in Tamil Nadu, with many telecommunications giants like Nokia, Flextronics, Motorola, Sony-Ericsson, Foxconn, Samsung, Cisco, Moser Baer and Dell having chosen Chennai as their south Asian manufacturing hub. Products manufactured include circuit boards and cellular phone handsets.[111]
76 billion ($1.6 billion) in 2003–04 to 207 billion {$5 billion} by 2006–07 according to NASSCOM[112] and to 366 billion in 2008–09 which shows 29 per cent growth in software exports according to STPI. Major national and global IT Companies such as Syntel, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Tata Consultancy Services, Verizon, Hewlett-Packard, Amazon.com, eBay, Paypal, IBM, Accenture, Ramco Systems, Computer Sciences Corporation, Cognizant Technology solutions, Tech Mahindra, Polaris, Aricent, MphasiS, MindTree, Hexaware Technologies and many others have offices in Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore is the second largest software producer in the state, next to Chennai.[113]Others
Namakkal is also one of the main source of Egg production in India. Karur is also the major manufacturer of Nylon nets (HDPE) Filaments over 65 per cent of India. Sivakasi is a major centre of fireworks and safety match production and offset printing in India with over 60 per cent of firework production contributed from Sivakasi. Kanyakumari is famous for rubber production.Infrastructures
Transport
Road
Main articles: Transport in Tamil Nadu and Road network in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu has a transportation system that connects all parts of the
state. Tamil Nadu is served by an extensive road network, providing
links between urban centres, agricultural market-places and rural areas.
There are 28 national highways in the state, covering a total distance
of 5,036 km (3,129 mi).[114] The state is also a terminus for the Golden Quadrilateral
project. The state has a total road length of 167,000 km (104,000 mi),
of which 60,628 km (37,672 mi) are maintained by Highways Department.
This is nearly 2.5 times higher than the density of all-India road
network.[115] The major road junctions are Chennai, Tiruchirapalli Madurai, Salem, Coimbatore, Tuticorin, Karur, Krishnagiri, Dindigul, Kanniyakumari. Road transport is provided by state owned Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation and State Express Transport Corporation.
Almost every part of state is well connected by buses 24 hours a day.
In 2013, the state recorded 15,563 fatalities in the 14,504 road accidents, the highest for any state in India.[116]Rail
Tamil Nadu has a well-developed rail network as part of Southern Railway. Headquartered at Chennai, the Southern Railway network extends over a large area of India's southern peninsula, covering the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, a small portion of Karnataka and a small portion of Andhra Pradesh. Express trains connect the state capital Chennai with Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkatta. Chennai Central is gateway for train towards north whereas Chennai Egmore serves as gateway for south. Tamil Nadu has a total railway track length of 5,952 km (3,698 mi) and there are 532 railway stations in the state. The network connects the state with most major cities in India. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site connecting Ooty on the hills and Mettupalayam in the foot hills which is in turn connected to Coimbatore city. The centenary old Pamban Bridge over sea connecting Rameswaram in Pamban island to mainland is an engineering marvel. It is one of the oldest cantilever bridges still in operation, the double-leaf bascule bridge section can be raised to let boats and small ships pass through Palk Strait in Indian Ocean. Chennai has a well-established suburban railway network and is constructing a Chennai Metro. Major railway junctions( 4 & above lines ) in the state are Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Erode, Dindigul, Karur, Nagercoil, Tiruchirapalli and Tirunelveli. Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Coimbatore Junction, Tiruchirappalli Junction, Madurai Junction, Salem Junction are upgraded to A1 grade level. Loco sheds are located at Erode, Arakkonam, Royapuram in Chennai and Tondaiyarpet in Chennai, Ponmalai (GOC) in Tiruchirappalli as Diesel Loco Shed. The loco shed at Erode is a huge composite Electric and Diesel Loco shed. MRTS which covers from Chennai Beach to Velachery
Airports
The first flight in the country was from Mumbai to Chennai. Tamil Nadu has international airports Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichi and Madurai and a domestic terminal called "Kamaraj Terminal" and other two domestic airports at Tuticorin and Salem. Chennai's Anna International Airport is a major international airport that is connected with 19 countries with more than 169 direct flights every week. This is the third largest airport in India after Mumbai and Delhi and has a passenger growth of 18 per cent. Other international and customs airports present in the state are Coimbatore International Airport, Tiruchirapalli International Airport and Madurai Airport. Salem Airport and Tuticorin Airport are domestic airports with daily flights. Increased industrial activity has given rise to an increase in passenger traffic as well as freight movement which has been growing at over 18 per cent per year. Besides civilian airports, Tamil Nadu also hosts four air bases for Indian Air Force at Thanjavur, Tambram, Sulur and Madurai; and two naval air stations INS Rajali and INS Parundu for Indian Navay.Seaport
Tamil Nadu has three major seaports located at Chennai, Ennore and Tuticorin, as well as seven other minor ports including Cuddalore and Nagapattinam.[96] Chennai Port is an artificial harbour situated on the Coromandel Coast and is the second principal port in the country for handling containers. Ennore Port handles all the coal and ore traffic in Tamil Nadu. The volume of cargo in the ports grew by 13 per cent during 2005.[117]Energy
Sports
Main article: Sports in Tamil Nadu
Kabbadi, a team contact sport originated in Tamil Nadu and is recognised as the state game.[124] The traditional sport of Tamil Nadu include Silambam,[125] a Tamil martial arts played with a long bamboo staff, Cockfight, Jallikattu,[126] a bull taming sport famous on festival occasions, ox-wagon racing known as Rekkala,[127][125] Kite flying also known as Pattam viduthal,[126] Goli, the game with marbles,[126] Aadu Puli, the "goat and tiger" game[126] and Kabaddi also known as Sadugudu.[126] Most of these traditional sports are associated with festivals of land like Thai Pongal and mostly played in rural areas.[126] In urban areas of Tamil Nadu, modern sports like bat and ball games are played.[126]The most popular game in Tamil Nadu like rest of India is Cricket. The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is an international cricketing arena with a capacity of 50,000 and houses the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association.[128] Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan,[129] Krishnamachari Srikkanth,[130] Laxman Sivaramakrishnan,[131] Laxmipathy Balaji,[132] Murali Vijay,[133] Ravichandran Ashwin[134] and Dinesh Karthik are someprominent cricketers from Tamil Nadu. The MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, headed by Australian bowler Glenn Mcgrath is a popular fast bowling academy for pace bowlers all over the world. Cricket contests between local clubs, franchises and teams are popular in the state. Chennai Super Kings represents Chennai among the nine Indian cities featuring in the Indian Premier League, a popular Twenty-20 cricket competition. Chennai super kings captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the most successful Franchise with two IPL titles and one champions league T20 title. Chennai super kings is the only team to make entry into the finals of the prestigious Indian premier league for five times.
Tennis is also a popular sport in Tamil Nadu with notable international players including Ramesh Krishnan,[135] Ramanathan Krishnan,[135] Vijay Amritraj[136] and Mahesh Bhupathi. Nirupama Vaidyanathan, the first Indian women to play in a grandslam tournament also hails from the state. The ATP Chennai Open tournament is held in Chennai every January. The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) owns Nungambakkam tennis stadium which hosts Chennai Open and Davis Cup play-off tournaments.
Five time World Chess champion Viswanathan Anand hails from Tamil Nadu. The state boasts a total of eight Grand Masters and numerous International Masters. Other notable chess players from the state include Manuel Aaron, the first Indian International Master,G.Akash, the youngest Indian to win a national tournament, Krishnan Sasikiran, Grandmaster, S. Vijayalakshmi, Six time Women's national champion of India and the First Women Grandmaster from India, Aarthie Ramaswamy, Women Grandmaster and former under-18 girls' World Chess champion. Maria Irudayam, the former World Carrom Champion and Ilavazhagi, the defending Women's World Carrom Champion are from Tamil Nadu.
The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), a government body, is vested with the responsibility of developing sports and related infrastructure in the state.[138] The SDAT owns and operates world class stadiums and organises sporting events.[139] It also accommodates sporting events, both at domestic and international level, organised by other sports associations at its venues. The YMCA College of Physical Education at Nandanam in Chennai was established in 1920 and was the first college for physical education in Asia. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai is a multi-purpose stadium hosting Football and Track & Field events. The Indian Triathlon Federation and the Volleyball Federation of India are headquartered in Chennai. Chennai hosted India's first ever International Beach Volleyball Championship in 2008. The SDAT – TNSRA Squash Academy in Chennai is one of the very few academies in south Asia hosting international squash events.
Snooker was invented by General Sir Frederick Roberts at the Ooty Club in Ooty, a hill station in the state.
Tamil Nadu has six 18-hole golf courses, the most popular of which are Kodaikanal Golf Club, established in 1895, Ooty Golf Course, established in 1896, and Gymkhana Club, Chennai. The Madras Boat Club, set up in 1867, hosts regular rowing races on the Adyar River. The Guindy race course in Chennai, set up in 1777, is the oldest horse racing venue in India. Adventure sports have gained popularity, especially amongst the tourists visiting the state.
Tourism
Main article: Tourism in Tamil Nadu
The tourism industry of Tamil Nadu is the second largest in India,
with an annual growth rate of 16 per cent. Tourism in Tamil Nadu is
promoted by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), a Government of Tamil Nadu undertaking. According to Ministry of Tourism statistics, 2,804,687 foreign and 111,637,104 domestic tourists visited the state in 2010.[140] The state boasts some of the grand Hindu temples built in Dravidian architecture. The Brihadishwara Temple in Thanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram built by the Cholas, the Airavateswara temple in Darasuram and the Shore Temple, along with the collection of other monuments in Mahabalipuram (also called Mamallapuram) have been declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[141][142]Madurai is home to the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple. Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam. Tiruchirappalli is the largest functioning temple in the Tamil Nadu, Tiruchirappalli where the famous Rockfort Temple is located, Rameshwaram whose temple walk-ways corridor (Praagarams) are the longest 1.2 km (0.75 mi) of all Indian temples in the world, Kanchipuram and Palani are important pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Other popular temples in Tamil Nadu include those in Chidambaram, Thiruvannaamalai, Tiruvarur, Kumbakonam, Sankarankovil, Srivilliputhur, Tiruttani, Namakkal, Vellore, Karur, Bhavani, Coimbatore, Kanniyakumari.
Tamil Nadu is also home to hill stations like Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Coonoor, Topslip, Valparai, Yelagiri and Manjolai. The Nilgiri hills, Palani hills, Shevaroy hills, Kolli Hills and Cardamom hills are all abodes of thick forests and wildlife. Tamil Nadu has many National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Elephant and Bird Sanctuaries, Reserved Forests, Zoos and Crocodile farms. Prominent among them are Mudumalai National Park, The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary and Arignar Anna Zoological Park.[143] The mangrove forests at Pichavaram are also eco-tourism spots of importance.The prominent waterfalls in the state are Courtallam, Hogenakkal, Papanasam, Manimuthar, Thirparappu, Pykara and Silver Cascade. The Chettinad region of the state is renowned for its Palatial houses and cuisine. With medical care in Chennai, Vellore, Coimbatore and Madurai, Tamil Nadu has the largest numbers in Medical tourism in India.
Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of peninsular India, is famous for its beautiful sunrise, Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Thiruvalluvar's statue built off the coastline. Marina Beach in Chennai is one of the longest beaches in the world. The stretch of beaches from Chennai to Mahabalipuram are home to many resorts, theme parks and eateries.
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The Corridor of 1000 pillars insider Rameswaram Temple.
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The Dolphin's Nose at Kodaikanal.
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