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.
Tamil Nadu Fairs & Festivals
PONGAL FESTIVAL Pongal is the harvest festival
of Tamil Nadu. People extend their tribute to the
Sun, Nature and the Cattle wealth for helping them
with a rich harvest and Prosperity. The traditional
preparation of 'Pongal' i.e. boiling rice with jaggery
and milk, takes place at every home. The tourist
offices will organise celebrations for the benefit
of foreign and domestic tourists. This thanks- giving
festival is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil
Month Thai (Middle Of January).
History of Tamil Nadu The History of the
Tamils presents an exciting pageant of a powerful
civilization whose origin dates back to ancient
times. It is clear that the Tamils, who belong to
the Dravidian race, were the first major occupants
of the country and settled in the north-western
part of India long before the coming of the Indo-Aryans.
Excavations have revealed that the features of the
people of the Indus Valley Civilization bore a strong
resemblance to this race.
However, with the advent of the Aryans, the Dravidians
were pushed back into the deep south where they
ultimately settled. As is the case with most of
the early history of the state, it is impossible
to pin-point the exact period, when the great Tamil
Sangam (Academy) flourished, though it can be said
with some certainty that two Sangams were held well
before the Christian era and the third between 100
and 250 AD. The Tamil Sangam, which marks the Golden
Age of Tamil literature is the one major source
of knowledge about the administration, art, architecture
and economic conditions that existed then.
Among some of the greatest compositions of the four
centuries of Sangam age are Tiruvalluvar's Thirukkural
which consists of 1330 couplets about morality in
private and public life combined with some of life's
greatest truths, compositions of the saint-poetess
Avviayar, Pathupatu or ten Idylls which is a compilation
of the work of several authors on philosophy, intermingled
with descriptions of the natural world and Ettuthogai
or the eight anthologies.
Of these, the last is historically the most important
as it contains a description of the daily life of
the people. This collection of poems is the earliest
record of its kind as far as the history of the
Tamils is concerned. Even after the end of the Sangam
age, Tamil writers, under the patronage of Royal
Dynasties, continued to produce excellent literature
like the two Tamil epics Silapathikaram written
between 200 - 300 AD by Ilango Adigal, the son of
a Chera King, and Manimekalai by Sattanar also written
between the 2nd and 3rd century AD.
Both contain vivid descriptions of life during their
times. Over the ages, the south was to see other
great poets like the Nayanmars and the Alwars and,
later, the poet Kamban who composed the Tamil version
of Ramayana. The Pallavas ruled between the 6th
and 8th century AD over a large portion of Tamil
Nadu with Kanchipuram as their base. Their reign
was marked by battles with the Chalukyas of the
north and the Pandyas of the south.
Among the greatest Pallava rulers were Mahendravarman-l
and his son Narasimhavarman. Among the famous temples
built by the Pallavas are the temples of Kanchipuram,
the Kapaliswarar and Parthasarathy temples at Chennai,
and last but not the least, the magnificent poetry
in rock and stone at Mamallapuram. Kanchi has been
described extensively by the Chinese traveller Huan
Tsu Ang who visited the city in the middle of the
6th century AD, and according to him it was a major
centre of learning. Among its more famous citizens
was Dharmapala, the Vice-Chancellor of the Nalanda
University.
Quite probably the most ancient of the dynasties
of the south, the Cholas had their headquarters
first at Uraiyur and later at Thanjavur and ruled
over most of modern Tamil Nadu..
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