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CHENNAI - GateWay to the South
(Planetorium, Vandalur zoo, Beach resorts, Art gallery. )
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Chennai, the gracious capital city of Tamil Nadu is the fourth largest metropolis in India. Located on a 17km stretch of the Coramandel coast, the city is trisected by the waterways of Cooum and Adyar and the Buckingham Canal. With a population of 6 million people, Chennai is a vibrant city ever growing, expanding and changing every year.
Popularly regarded as the "Gateway to the South", Chennai presents culture that is distinctly different from that of northern India. Music, dance and all other art forms of the South are cherished and nurtured in this city which, though industrialized, continues to be traditional and conventional in many ways. |
Chennai is a city where the traditional and the modern blend in life everywhere. From traditional vegetarian fair to fast foods, from nine-yard sarees to the latest in fashion, from ancient temple architecture to modern high-rise - with Indo-Saracenic and Victorian as stops along the way - from classical music and dance to discos throbbing to heady beats, Chennai has them all and many more vivid contrasts that are a pleasant surprise. And perhaps the most striking of them all is that here is a modern metropolis with beaches, parks and even sanctuaries in the heart of the City. Chennai offers a wealth of nature and a rich historic past to visitors in the ambience of a city with every modern facility.
The region of Chennai was called Tondaimandalm in those days and had its military headquarters at Puzhal, which is now a small and rather insignificant village on the outskirts of the city. |
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| Modern Chennai grew out of a small village when in 1639 a fishing hamlet called Madraspatnam was selected by early English merchants of the East India Company as a site for the settlement. |
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Chennai is a gracious city that has a clear skyline, long sandy beaches, parks, historic landmarks and tourist infrastructural facilities which make it a convenient entry point or base to start your tour of Tamil Nadu and South India. Where religion is concerned, history has certainly left its mark on this city which is believed to have been the place of St. Thomas, in the outskirt of the city. There are a number of churches in Chennai that are connected with the life and times of this apostle. There are also several ancient temples around Chennai, and, within the city itself are two magnificent temples - a temple in Triplicane and another in Mylapore. |
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KANCHEEPURAM- The City of a Thousand Temples and silks
(Tiruttani, Vellore, Vedanthangal, Elagiri Hills.) |
Ancient Kanchipuram, the city of thousand temples, is one of the seven most sacred pilgrim centres for the Hindus. There now remain about 126 temples in Kanchi and a few more in its outskirts. The city was the capital of the Early Cholas as far back as the 2nd century BC and a Pallava capital between the 6th and 8th centuries.
Given its illustrious past, it is not surprising that Kanchi was a major seat of Tamil learning as well as an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, Jains and Hindus. Today, apart from its temples, this small town is also known for its thriving handloom industry. |
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The silk weavers of Kanchi settled more than 400 years ago and have given it an enviable reputation as the producer of the best silk sarees in the country. Woven from pure mulberry silk, the sarees in dazzling colours are embellished with fine gold thread (zari) and are available in every imaginable design and variety, which can make the job of selection quite challenging.
Temple festivals are held throughout the year and apart from the temple car (ratha) festivals which are held in January, April and May, there are other days when the idols in the temples are taken out in procession on their respective vahanas or vehicles.
MAMALLAPURAM- Poetry in Stone
(Tirukkalukunram,Crocodile bank.) |
Though it is no longer a port ,Mamallapuram has retained its fame,thanks to the great Pallava artisans. It is among the most outstanding examples of Dravidian art and architecture and the jewel in the crown of the Pallava contribution to Tamil Nadu. In a land that is liberally strewn with some of the best in temple art, Mamallapuram holds its own, and stands as a silent yet eloquent witness to the glory of its creators and sculptors. Unfortunately most of the work was left incomplete, and time and naturel have also eroded the remains of this once great port.
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| Despite this, Mamallapuram's wonders in rock leave visitors enthralled, conveying as they do, an impression of beauty, harmony, gentle wit and humour. The monuments are floodlit at night and so it is possible to enjoy their beauty even after sunset. The Mamallapuram dance festival is conducted every year during Jan - Feb. It is a month long festival and dances are organised during the weekends. Classical dances such as Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Odissi are performed by well known exponents of the art. |
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CHIDAMBARAM - Seat of the Cosmic Dance
(Poompuhar, Tarangambadi, The Church of Zion, The Gate, Masilamaninathar Temple, Rehlings Gard, British Collector's House, Karaikal.) |
Chidambaram is also known as Thillai, since the place was originally a forest of Thillai(Excecaria agallecha)shrubs. It is an important pilgrim centre and a holy place for Saivaites as the famous Nataraja Temple is located here.
Dedicated to Lord Nataraja, this ancient temple of the Cholas is unique not only it is devoted solely to the art of Bharatanatyam, but also it is one of the rare temples where Shiva is represented by an idol rather than the customary Lingam. Spread over an
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| area of 40 acres with a gopuram on each side, the temple is distinguished by five sabhas or courts. |
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The eastern gopuram is 40.8 m. high and carved on it are the 108 dance poses of Bharatanatyam. The western tower has also similar carvings while the northern tower which soars to a height of 42.4 m. is the tallest.
The idol of Nataraja is installed in the Kanaka Sabha, the roof of which is covered with gold Plates. The icon is a stunning piece of sculpture that evokes a sense of continuous movement. Though non-Hindus are not allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum, replicas of this idol are easily available in most handicraft emporia and shops selling art and curio objects. |
A shrine to Govindaraja or Lord Vishnu lies adjacent to the main shrine and has a beautiful idol of the lord reclining on Adisesha, the serpent. There are two other shrines, one dedicated to Subramanya and the other to Ganesha. In the courtyard, a large Nandi looks on devotedly at its lord and master through an aperture on the wall. |
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| THANJAVUR- The Chola Legacy |
(Thiruvaiyaru, Swamimalai, Tirubuvanam, Darasuram, Kumbakonam, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam,
Velankanni, Nagore, Tirunallaru, Vedaranyam, Kodikkarai(Point Calimere)). |
| Scenically one of the most enchanting districts in the state, green, airy, Thanjavur lies to the east of Trichy and has the reputation as the Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu.It is not surprising that the great Cholas chose Thanjavur as the location of some of their most magnificent creations, since this now small city once occupied the proud position as their capital and most treasured territory. Though the history of Thanjavur is far older than the Chola period itself, it is during their reign between the 10th and 14th centuries that the city rose to dizzying heights, becoming |
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the centre of Tamil learning and culture. The Tamil University, set up recently is situated here and is devoted to the growth of Tamil literature and language. Today, what remainds of its glorious legacy are the temples of the Cholas, not less than 74 of which are around Thanjavur itself.
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One of the best temples in South India, the Brahadeeshwarar temple or the Big Temple built by the greatest Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola, is that dynasty's finest contribution to Dravidan temple architecture. What makes the construction so unique is the diversion from the usual temple building norms of having a tall gopuram and a smaller vimanam (the tower over the sanctum). At the Big temple the vimanam soars high while the gopuram remain stunted. The 64.8m tall, 14 tiered |
| pyramid shaped vimanam rises from a square base and is topped by a huge monolithic cupolas carved out from an 81.3 tonne block of granite that was installed with the aid of a 6km long inclined plane. The tower is a testimony to the engineering skill of the Chola architects who planned its construction in such a way that the shadow of the cupola never falls on the ground. |
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In keeping the 'bigness' of the temple is the gigantic Mahalingam in the shrine and the massive Nandi at the portals. Measuring 6m in length, 2.6m in breath and 3.7m in height, it is the second largest monolithic Nandi in the country.
Not far from the temple is the Palace which was built by the Nayakas and renovated by the Marathas. It dates back to the 1550s and houses an art gallery, a library and a hall of music. |
The Raja Raja Chola Art Gallery has some fine pieces of stone and bronze sculptures from the 9th and 12th centuries. Over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on palm leaf and paper are preserved in the Saraswathi Mahal Library. The Sangeetha Mahal is an acoustically perfect musical hall that testifies to the skill of its boundaries. East of the palace is the Schwartz Church which was built in 1779 by Raja Serfoji in honour of Revered Schwartz of Denmark.
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POOMPUHAR - Cholas Port Capital
(Thiruvarur, Thirunallaru, Nangoor, Sirkali, Vaitheeswarankovil)
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Poompuhar in Sirkali Taluk of Nagai district is also known as Kaveripoompattinam. Tourists have to alight at Mayiladuthurai railway junction, to proceed to Poompuhar by road, Visitors from Chennai by train have to get down at Sirkali. Poompuhar is connected to Mayiladuthurai as well as Sirkali. by road. The distance from Poompuhar to Mayiladuthurai is 24 Kms. and to Sirkali, 21 Kms.
Tourists from Chennai to Poompuhar by private carriers can take the route via Tindivanam Pondicherry, Cuddalore and Sirkali. Those who come from Madurai, Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli may proceed via Melur, Tiruppathur, Karaikudi, Tharangampadi and Akkur. They can also come via Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, and Mayiladuthurai. |
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RAMESWARAM - The Corridor of Faith
(Kurusadai islands.)
Rameswaram, a small island in the Gulf of Mannar, is a major pilgrim centre .It is connected to the mainland by road and rail bridges. |
Rameswaram is holy, because Sri Rama, on his return from Sri Lanka, offered his thanks to Lord Shiva and performed pooja to wash away his sins which he got by killing Demon King, Ravana.
Rameswaram is known for its theerthas( wells ) in and around the main temple. This place is equally sacred to both Vaishnavites and Saivites.
According to Hindu Mithology, if one will visit Rameswaram and pray Lord Shiva means, the whole sins will be relieved from the body. |
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The Ramanathaswamy temple is renowned for its magnificent corridors and massive sculptured pillars. The third corridor of Ramanathaswamy temple is the longest one in the world .
Besides pilgrimage, Rameswaram Island has several places which ideally suites for picnic programmes. There are beautiful beaches at Olaikuda, Dhanushkodi and Pamban. Olaikuda beach ( 1 km ) from the main temple is engulfed by coral reefs which makes sea bathing safe and enjoyable .With diving glasses and respiration tubes, Scuba diving can be done safely. Australian Flamingos, Sea Gulls and variety of birds migrates to Rameswaram Island during winter.
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Rameswaram is one of the main fishing centres of Tamil Nadu. Variety of fishes including export quality fish like prawns, sea cucumber, lobster etc. are available, Rameswaram is also famous for its dry fish.
KANNAYAKUMARI - Where the three seas meet
(Suchindram, Nagercoil, Pechipara Dam, Udayagiri Fort, Padmanabhapuram) |
| Described as the southernmost end of Tamil Nadu, the land end of India or the point where theland's three seas meet, enchanting Kanniyakumari or Cape Comorin is one of the most popular tourist spots in the state and indeed, in the country. Part of the fascination is of course due to the fact that it is the very tip of the Indian peninsula and the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The other part is that the nature is so spectacular at Kanniyakumari, that several other Indian beaches pale by comparison. |
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Cape Comorin is at its best during Chitra Pournami(full moon day in April) when the sun and moon are face to face at the same horizon but other full moon days are also special when you can see the sun set and the moon rise almost simultaneously, as if by prior arrangement. |
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