Tamil Nadu is a plethora of culture and tradition woven together which attracts tourists from the entire world. Located at the southern tip of India, Tamil Nadu is an enchanting place that is sure to leave you spell bound with its magnificent architecture, rich culture and exotic places. Be it the beautiful beaches, majestic temples or magnificent rock cut architecture, you will find everything in Tamil Nadu to mesmerize you and make you travel a memorable one. Capital city Chennai, commercial town of Tiruchirapalli, temple city Rameshawaram, wildlife sanctuaries, various events and festivals etc. are some of the major tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu.

This beautiful state is located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal in the midst of the deep blue Indian Ocean, bordering with Kerala in the west, Karnataka in the northwest and Andhra Pradesh in the north.

Must See Place in Tamil Nadu:-

Kodaikanal:-

Kodaikanal is one of the most popular peaceful hill stations in Tamil Nadu. The princess of Hill Stations, located in the Western Ghats, is one of the main tourist attractions of this land. This hill station stands 7200 feet above sea level and situated in upper palani hills of the westernghats near Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Kodaikanal is also popularly known as the princes of Hill Stations.

History of Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal is the only Hill Station in India developed by the Americans. During 1821, Lieutenant B. S. Ward, a British surveyor was, the first European to visit Kodaikanal, who was on the lookout for a healthy place to live, for the foreign missionaries working in Madurai and the surrounding areas to escape from the summer heat and epidemics.

Ooty:-

Ooty (Udagamandalam), known as Queen of Hill stations. One of the must visit place in Ooty is the botanical garden. It is the most famous among the tourists visiting Ooty and this can easily be understood from the fact that the botanical remain crowded through out the day and through out the year.

History

This hill-station used to be a popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during the colonial days. The town served as the summer capital of Madras Presidency in British era in India. Even the wounded soldiers of the British army were sent here to recover after a war. However, there is no historical data showing Ooty to have been under the rule of any Indian kingdom or dynasty. The closest relevance is given to King Tipu Sultan.

Madurai:-

Popularly known as Athens of the East, Madurai, like Varanasi, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in India. Situated on the banks of Vaigai River in Tamil Nadu, the city is renowned across the world for its Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.

Traveling to Madurai is always a humbling experience for a discerning tourist as the holy city has some of the grandest temples in its womb that make your visit more of a pilgrimage. The city is among the oldest in India, a flourishing seat of art and culture since the Sangam period.

History

According to a legend associated with Madurai, the city was originally a forest known as Kadambavanam. A farmer named Dhananjaya chanced upon Indra, the king of Gods worshipping a swayambhu Shivling. The farmer reported it to King Kulasekara Pandyan. The king cleared the forest and built a temple around the Ling.

A temple and a city surrounding it soon took shape. On the day of the city’s christening, Shiva himself appeared and drops of nectar fell from his hair. Hence, the place was named Madurai, derived from madhuram meaning sweetness in Tamil.

Kanyakumari:-

Kanyakumari the southernmost tip of India. The only place in India where you can see both the sunrise and sunset. Kanyakumari is one of the most exotic tourist destinations to go to in India. Once called Cape Comorin, it is also the southernmost part of the Indian mainland.

The city gets its name from the Hindu goddess Kanyakumari who was also known as Kumari Amman. The temple dedicated to Goddess Kanyakumari is located at southernmost tip of the city.

The Padmanabhapuram Palace of Kanyakumari, a symbol of rich cultural heritage, is one of the chief attractions of Tamil Nadu. Padmanabhapuram Palace is rated among the top ten palaces in the world.

History

Kanyakumari was a major pearl fishing centre in the first century. It was a maritime trade centre during the rule of Cholas, Cheras, Nayaks and the Pandayas.

Rameswaram:-

Rameswaram, an southern border of India, is known as the Varanasi of the South. Lord Rama (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the Indian epic – The Ramayana) performed thanksgiving rituals to Lord Shiva after his triumph over the demon king Ravana in the battle at Sri Lanka. Rameswaram is located on eastern side of the island in the Gulf of Mannar. Tourist places like Ramanathaswamy Temple, Ramjharoka Temple, Agnitheertham, Dhanushkodi, Dhanushkodi and Habeel Qabeel Dargah (nearly 6000 years old graveyard)

A renowned pilgrimage centre, it is visited by lakhs of pilgrims every year. Second only to Kashi Vishwanath temple, it is said that worshipping the Ramanathswamy temple at Rameshwaram guarantees salvation.

Chennai:-

Chennai, the fourth largest metropolitan city of India, is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coramandal coast. This vibrant city offers many tourist interesting spots, like Beach Resorts, Art gallery etc.

History

Earlier known as Madraspatnam, the area was ruled by various dynasties like Cholas, Cheras, Pallavas and Pandyas since the first century. Ancient coins dating back to 500 BC have also been unearthed from Chennai.

The Portuguese arrived in Chennai in 1522 and built a port to facilitate trade. The word Chennai originated from Chennapatnam which was named after Darmala Chennappa Nayakudu from whom the British acquired control of the area and surrounding regions in 1640. The French took control of Chennai in 1746. After the treaty of Aix-la-Chappel, British regained control of Chennai.

The city of Chennai was developed by the British around the area of fort St. George and it was the capital of Madras Presidency.

Tirunelveli:-

Tirunelveli, one of the most visited destinations of this state, with many famous temples and waterfalls like Courtallam. Formally known as Nellai, Tirunelveli is a city in Tamil Nadu. It is the sixth largest city of Tamil Nadu and is the head quarters of the Tirunelveli District. Bordered by Kerala in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south-east, this district lies 612 km south-west of Chennai and 140 km east of Thiruvananthapuram. Stone age tools have been found near the town.

History

Tirunelveli is believed to be an ancient settlement; it has been ruled at different times by the Early Pandyas, the Medieval and Later Cholas, the later Pandyas, the Ma’bar and Tirunelveli sultanates, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, Chanda Sahib, the Carnatic kingdom and the British.

Tamil Nadu tourism is endearingly distinctive in its own way, with tones of culture, ethnicity, naturalness and beauty. It has itself opening up to the fancy and passion of any kind of a traveller, an explorer with a keen eye for all aspects of travel or a traveller with a relaxed outlook. Tamil Nadu stands out in its ethnicity that is so unique that it is often a desired destination for tourism.

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