Tamil Nadu, the heart of the Dravidian culture and tradition, has for
time immemorial, been a pioneer of peace and knowledge, and the visual legacy
of the culture of the state, is among the most satisfying spectacles in India.
Sharing boundaries with the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala,
Tamil Nadu has an unbroken coast line, edging the Bay of Bengal. Densely forested
uplands which abound in wildlife, intensively cultivated farmlands interspersed
with rocky wastes, mountain chains of the Western Ghats, which give way to fertile
coastal plains and plateaus form the geographical features of Tamil Nadu.
Tamilians learn to appreciate culture, from a very young age, and have a deep
interest in music, dance and literature. Classical dancing in the form of
Bharatnatyam,
has its origin in the temples of the South East, and continues to be followed
with a lot of fervour and dedication in Tamil Nadu. Carnatic music is another
art form, that has flourished over the ages, producing artists of great repute.
Festivals are a daily feature in this region. Navaratri or Dussehra (September/October),
Diwali (October/ November), Karthika (November/December) and Pongal (January)
are the major occasions, celebrated with great enthusiasm. A unique festival
of Carnatic music, the Thyagaraja festival, is held annually in January at Thiruvariyar,
the birth place of famous singer poet Thyagaraja, where one can witness the
amazing spectacle of mass performance, in total harmony and rhythm.
The places of tourist interest in the state are
Chennai, the beautiful
capital city;
Mamallapuram, the beach resort;
Kanchipuram, the
land of 1000 temples;
Madurai, famous for the Meenakshi temple;
Rameswaram,
Tiruchirapalli and
Thanjavur, the temple trio; the charming hill
resorts of
Yercaud,
Ootacamund and
Kodaikanal and
Kanyakumari,
the southern tip of India, renowned for its sunrise and sunset.
TEMPLES AND GODS
There are more than 30,000 temples in Tamil Nadu, which has given the state the distinctive title of 'A Land of Temples'. Built by various dynasties these temples bear a superficial resemblance to each other in that they share the same physical features - the gopuram or the imposing tower over the entrance, from all four directions the vimanam which is the tower over the sanctum and the spacious halls and corridors. The temple was also much more than a place of worship. It was a place for social gathering, for education, for celebration - not just of the king's victories in battles but also of local functions and ceremonies such as marriages. The temple was also used as a store house of sorts for emergencies and, many a temple also maintained hospitals. The temple was a place where art, in all its forms i.e. music, dance, drama and handicrafts received encouragement and flourished.
But, above all, the temple was a place of worship. And what was of utmost importance is the beautiful sculptures that adorned them. Every temple has architectural beauty of its own, peculiar to the presiding deity. You will not miss the Universal.
The Tamils have always been a God-fearing people and are ardent worshippers of Siva, Vishnu, their consorts Parvati and Lakshmi, Vinayaka, Subramanya (also known as Muruga). And each of these gods take on different names at different temples depending on the legend of the temple. For example, at Rameswaram, Ramanathaswamy, which means 'He who was worshipped by Rama' and at Chidambaram He is called Nataraja or the 'Cosmic Dancer'. In simple terms, for the sake of identification it is enough to know that whenever 'Eswaran' is the suffix in the name of the presiding deity, the temple is dedicated to Lord Siva. The South has very few temples where Siva is depicted as anything other than a lingam. A few notable exceptions are the temple of the Cosmic Dancer at Chidambaram and the Ardhanareeswarar temple at Tiruchengodu. Siva is also worshipped as the five elements i.e. as Sky or Space in Chidambaram, Water in Tiruvanaikkaval, Fire in Tiruvannamalai, Earth in Kanchipuram and Air in Sri Kalahasti (Andhra Pradesh). In Tamil Nadu, Vishnu is worshipped as Vishnu himself rather than as one of his incarnations, though there are some temples dedicated to Rama and Krishna both of whom are incarnations of the Lord. He is known by various names such as Varadaraja Perumal in Kanchi, Kallalagar in Madurai and Ranganathaswamy at Srirangam.
Of the consorts, there are several temples dedicated to Parvati where there are also shrines to Lord Siva. The most prominent of these of course is the twin temple dedicated to Meenakshi and Sundareswarar at Madurai, and the Kamakshi temple at Kanchi. Apart from this, the goddess is also worshipped as Kali Amman or Durga.
Vinayaka or Pillayar is perhaps the most worshipped of the gods and is also called Vigneswara or Ganapati or Ganesa. He is the elephant-headed elder son of Siva and Parvati and is extremely benign in appearance. During any festival or celebration, worship of this God is given precedence over others. The largest Pillayar temple is at Pillayarpatti near Karaikkudi. Vinayaka's younger brother Subramanya is the Lord of the mountains and his six abodes of Aarupadaiveedu - Tiruttani, Swamimalai, Palani, Thiruparankunram, Pazhamudircholai and Tiruchchendur.
Two terms that one often comes across in reference to the temples in Tamil Nadu are Saivism and Vaishnavism. As the words imply, Saivites are followers of Lord Siva while Vaishnavites are followers of Lord Vishnu. Not all that long ago, the men of the two sects could be identified by the distinct religious marks on their forehead. The Saivites wore three horizontal strokes of the vibhoothi or sacred ash while their Vaishnavite counterparts wore a long 'U' shaped decoration in white with a vertical stroke of vermillion stretching between the eye brows. These marks are no longer in use as catholicity, now marks the Hindu faith.
INDUSTRIES
The eastern and southern coastal boundaries of Tamil Nadu are washed by the
waves of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean respectively. With an area of
130,058 sq. km and a population of over 55 million, Tamil Nadu is the eleventh
largest populous State in India, occupying third place in the Industrial map
of India.
Tamil Nadu has a tropical climate with no wild swing between summer and winter temperatures. April and May are the hottest months with the mercury often soaring above the 40 degree Celsius mark. Coastal regions also get uncomfortably warm and humid during these months but the nights are usually cool, thanks to the sea breeze that sets in during the afternoon.
A mild winter falls between November and February when the climate is pleasantly cool unless you wish to visit the hill stations, in which case you will need woollens.
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