TOURISM

Mohammad Yaseen Khaleel

HISTORY

The ancient name is Tamizhagam

History of 5000 years and more It was ruled by The Chera,

Chola and Pandya and the Pallavas of Kanchipuram

The rise of Muslim power in India had its impact on Tamil Nadu

The establishment of the East India Company at Madras in 1639 was a crucial chapter in

the history of Madras 

MODERN HISTORY

•After independence in 1947, the Madras province, comprising Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala in the west and Andhra Pradesh in the north continued as the State of Madras•Demand for a separate Telugu speaking state compelled the Government of India to bifurcate the state into two•The old capital Madras city was retained by the new Madras state•Under  the  states  reorganization  Act 1956, Madras lost the Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk to the newly formed Kerala State•In 1969, January, Madras State changed its name to Tamil Nadu. The capital city was renamed as Chennai in 1996.

GEOGRAPHY

State Capital Chennai

Population  61.5 million people per sq. km.Area (sq. km) 130,058

Literacy Ratio 64%

No of  Districts 32

 Language Tamil

•a state in southern India • bordered on the north by the State of Andhra Pradesh •on the northwest by the Karnataka State • on the west by the Kerala State • and on the east and south by the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean

TOURISMOfficial slogan of the state is “enchanting Tamil Nadu”

•The state boasts the largest tourism industry in India with an annual growth rate of 16%.[2] In 2013, the number of domestic arrivals was at 244.2 million making the state the most popular tourist destination in the country

•foreign arrivals amounted to 3.99 million, the second-highest in the country

•combined aggregate gives it the most popular state for tourism in the country

•GDP of $98 million is the fourth largest economy of the country and Tourism is one of the main sources of its revenue

•Tourism in the state is promoted by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation headquartered in the capital city of Chennai and was founded in 1971

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Chola Temples

Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram

The Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram

Religious Sites

Ekambareswarar Temple, built in 600 CE by the Pallava dynasty, one of the many ancient temples inKanchipuram.

Tamil Nadu has the credit of having 34000 Hindu temples which are several centuries Old.[7] The cities in ancient Tamil Nadu is believed to have revolved around the magnificent temples built by the Pallava, Chola and Pandya empires

Erwadi  grave of Hazrat Sulthan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed

Religious Sites

Meenakshi Amman Temple Madurai also called as "Temple city"

Six Abodes of Murugan

Ramanathaswamy TempleRameshwaram

Velankanni 16th century Basilica

Hill Stations

Tamil Nadu situated in the southern end of the Western and Eastern ghats is the home to several hill stations. Popular among them areUdagamandalam(Ooty), Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Coonoor, Valparai, Yelagiri, Sirumalai, Kalrayan Hills and the Kolli Hills. The Nilgiri hills, Palani hills, Shevaroy hills and Cardamom hills are all abodes of thick forests and wildlife.

Udagamandalam

Popularly known as “ooty”

By Air : Coimbatore at a distance of 100 Km is the nearest airport which is connected to Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore.» By Road : Ooty is connected by good motorable road to Chennai and Coimbatore. There are regular bus services connecting Ooty to Coimbatore, Trichy and BangaloreBy Rail : Ooty on the narrow gauge railway is connected to Mettupalayam which is directly connected to Coimbatore and Chennai. 

Hill Stations

Kodaikanal

By Air : The nearest airport is at Madurai (120 km from Kodaikanal).

By Rail : The nearest railway stations are the Kodai Road Railway Station (80-km) and the Palani Railway Station (64-km).Local Transport : Taxis and vans are available for local transportation. There are no auto-rickshaws in Kodaikanal

"Princess of Hill stations"

Hill Stations

Yercaud

 By Air : Trichy, located 163 km away is the nearest airport to Yercaud. Other airports are Coimbatore (190 km away) and Bangalore. All of them are connected to Chennai international airportBy Rail : Nearest railway station to Yercaud is Salem junction, which is 36 km away. All southbound trains passing via Salem By Road : One can also travel to Yercaud via road. It is just half hour drive from Salem. Regular state run and private buses and taxis ply from Salem and Chennai to Yercaud.

“jewel of south India”

WaterFalls

Courtallam

Hogenakkal falls as Niagara Falls of Asia

Catherine falls

Beaches

Marina Beach

Marina Beach one of the world's largest and longest beaches, is located on the eastern side of Chennai, adjoining the Bay of Bengal.

Poompuhar Beach[

Once a legendary port city with trade links to ancient Greece and Rome, today Poompuhar is a small coastal town with a superb shoreline that attracts a number of tourists for its vistas during sunrise.

Beaches

Kanniyakumari

Located at the southernmost tip of India, where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal meet, lies the Kanyakumari Beach, an important pilgrim center. Kanniyakumari is famous for its spectacular sunrises and sunsets, especially on full moon days. The beach itself is a beautiful sight with multi-coloured sand.

Elliot Beach

This beach is located in Besant Nagar. Formerly a popular bathing beach, today, it is the favourite rendezvous of the younger generation. Good roads, pavements, illuminated sands, makes a visit to this beach a real pleasure.

Festivals in Tamilnadu

Pongal Festival Natyanjali Dance FestivalKarthigai Deepam

Kavadi Festival Jallikatu Bull Fight

Guindy National Park

Mudumalai National Park

Mudumalai which translates into "Ancient Hill Range" is situated at the base of the Nilgiri Hills, is the home to several endangered and vulnerable species such as the Nilgiri Tahr,Indian elephant, Tiger, Gaur, Flying Squirrel, Sambar, Nilgiri langur and Indian Leopard to name a few. It shares its borders with Kerala and Karnataka and is separated from Karnataka's Bandipur National Park by the Moyar river

Originally a part of the private forest reserve surrounding the Guindy Lodge in the sub-urbs of Chennai, a portion of it was declared as the Guindy National Park in 1977 and is one of the very few national parks situated within a metropolis.The park is the home to the endangered Blackbuck and the Spotted deer and has over 130 varieties of birds including raptors such as the honey buzzard and the white-bellied sea eagle. Bird-watching is popular in winter, when migrant birds visit the region. Also located within the park is theSnake Park where one can see the King Cobra, the Python among other reptiles.