Photo credit goes to Mehul Antani.
The name for the state of Tamil Nadu is likely to not sound particularly familiar to those are unfamiliar with the country of India but after reading this humble post, hopefully the name will linger in your mind as much as this beautiful picture of a sunrise taken there might. With such exquisite natural beauty it’s no wonder that people from around the world have been looking to India as their next vacation destination. If you’re someone who enjoys traveling to places exotic or familiar, tourism to this lovely piece of India is likely to be on your short list. Especially for people in the general area of western Asia, northern Africa, and eastern Europe, since the traveling is sure to be a great deal less time-consuming. There is a great deal to take in and explore around this beautiful land so make sure you take your time to soak it in and enjoy it when you get there. If you’re traveling on one of those visiting passports from the United States, you may end up wanting to spend all three weeks of your visiting pass to the country just in this state alone.
The state of Tamil Nadu has a powerful draw about it which grants it a very serious nod of respect for how much it brings to the nation. Being ranked as the sixth most populous state in all of India (hovering at around 72 million people) it has been an incredibly industrious state for the entire nation, boasting the second largest economy for the country and the highest number of large business enterprises (nearly 11% out of all of India’s businesses are based just in this state) along with a very high employment rate. So aside from the draw of the rich history, theological and cultural heritage, we can see that Tamil Nadu has more up its sleeve than a boring tourist trap; this place is a hustling bustling valve for the heart of India.
Photo credit goes to Senthil Kumar.
Now it wouldn’t be fair to Tamil Nadu to exalt its business prowess without giving due consideration to the tourism industry which is likely to be a huge reason for such a powerful economy but also natural course that a beautiful land has. With an annual growth rate of 16 percent, the tourism industry in Tamil Nadu is certainly a beast, just in 2010 the tourism statistics calculated nearly 3 million foreign tourists and over 110 million domestic tourists, which shows that this is a place that everyone can appreciate but that Indians absolutely love. Here you can see in the picture above of one of the grand Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu, called the Shore Temple, and this is only one of many beautiful historic Hindu temples along with other illustrious monuments built in the Dravidian style of architecture. Tamil Nadu’s largest Hindu temple which is still functional is called Tiruchirappalli, but two of the most important and sacrosanct temples to Hindus in the entire world are called Kanchipuram and Palani, as they are very special pilgrimage sites. These are not places for casual travellers looking to take pictures in silly poses, so please be on your best behavior and show some respect when you visit such a place.
Now aside from the breath taking culture there is still some substantial casual fun to be had in Tamil Nadu. There are eateries, resorts, and theme parks all along the stretch of beaches from Chennai to Mahabalipuram. This state also has beautiful wildlife sanctuaries and nature preserves, featuring some very rare elephant and bird sanctuaries in particular. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous you could even visit the crocodile farms, but please remember to not be foolhardy with the local wildlife, you don’t want to turn what could be the best vacation of your life into a scar story!
If you still don’t feel a little interested at least in studying up on the culture in Tamil Nadu, then enjoy one last look at this beautiful temple below and see if you don’t change your mind just a little.
Photo credit goes to Emmanuel Dyan.