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Home , Chennai Sangamam, Tamil Nadu

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Tamil Nadu &

Why Go? Chennai (Madras) . . .985 is the homeland of one of humanity’s living clas- . . . . . 1008 sical civilisations, a people whose culture has grown, but in many ways not fundamentally altered, since the Greeks sac- . . . .1012 rifi ced goats to Zeus. Puducherry But this state is as dynamic as it is drenched in history. () ...... 1014 In Tamil Nadu’s famous temples, fi re-worshipping devotees ...... 1021 smear tikka on their brows before heading to IT offi ces to ...... 1023 develop new software applications. Tamil Nadu has one foot (Tanjore) 1025 in the 21st century and the other in the poetry of one of the oldest literary languages on Earth. Trichy () . . . 1029 Here you can reach the ends of , where three oceans mingle. See the tiger-prowled hills of the Nilgiris, the Moth- ...... 1036 er Temple of the triple-breasted, fi sh-eyed goddess and the (Cape Mountain of Fire, where god manifests as a pillar of fl ame. Comorin) ...... 1041 It’s all packed into a state that manages to remain fi ercely The Western 1044 distinct from the rest of India, while exemplifying her oldest (Kodai) 1044 and most adventurous edges. ...... 1048 When to Go Chennai Best Places to Eat °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 32/800 » Any branch of Hotel 24/600 Saravana Bhavan (p994 ) 20/68 » Bangala (p 1034 ) 16/400 0/32 » Satsanga (p 1018 ) 8/200

-20/-4 0 Best Places to J FDNOSAJJMAM Stay Jan May Head to Nov The full- » Calve (p 1015 ) (harvest festival) the hill stations moon festival of » Visalam (p 1034 ) celebrations spill for the summer lights. » 180 McIver (p 1051 ) into the streets. ‘season’. » Carlton Hotel (p 1045 )

MAIN POINTS OF Food ENTRY Tamil Nadu’s favourite foods are overwhelmingly vegetar- Chennai Airport will be ian, with lots of and chilli. No matter where you go your probable point of you’ll fi nd , (spongy, round fermented rice cakes) entry if you’re fl ying and vada (deep-fried lentil-fl our doughnuts), all of which into Tamil Nadu from are always served with coconut and (len- overseas, although til broth). These will sometimes be your only options, and Trichy and Coimbatore luckily they’re very, very tasty (though you want to eat your have (limited) interna- idlis fresh and warm) – and they’re generally vegan friendly, tional services. From too. Thalis – all-you-can-eat meals based around rice, lentil inside India, there are dishes, (hot and sour soup) and chutneys, domestic airports at often served on a – are also good, ubiquitous, Chennai, Trichy, Coim- cheap and fi lling. batore and Madurai; The exception to the all-veg diet is food, de- these four cities are rived from food traditionally prepared in the southern re- also the state’s major gion around and Karaikkudi but available at train junctions. restaurants in most of the bigger towns. Chettinad menus often feature mutton, chicken and fi sh; it’s less fi ery and more about the use of fresh spices like cinammon, cumin and star anise. Pepper Chicken is a classic Chettinad dish. Fast Facts For a state that grows a lot of , Tamil Nadu really loves its coff ee; fi ltered coff ee (mixed with milk and sugar, of course) » Population: 72.1 million is more readily available than tea in many cheap thali joints. » Area: 130,058 sq km » Capital: Chennai (Madras) DON’T MISS » Main language: Tamil Escape from the heat of the plains by taking the toy » Sleeping prices: $ below train from Mettapulayam up into the Nilgiri hills; the ₹1000, $$ ₹1000 to ₹3000, tracks cut through tropical palms and paddy fi elds, $$$ above ₹3000 then through green, monkey-infested jungles, crosses bridges over gushing streams and fi nally chugs through Top Tip European-looking forest into the cool of . You can’t come to Tamil Nadu without admiring its If you need train tickets in ancient temples; see p 1023 for a selection with the a hurry, the Foreign Tourist most stunning architecture, rituals and festivals. Assistance Cell at Chennai Central (p 999 ) is the most helpful and effi cient we’ve ever come across; tickets for Top State Festivals booked-up trains anywhere » International Yoga Festival (4-7 Jan, Puducherry, p 1015 ) in India seem to become » (mid-Jan, Chennai, p 992 ) magically available here. » Pongal (mid-Jan, statewide, p984 ) Harvest festival. Resources » International Music festival (Jan, , p1027 ) » Teppam (Float) Festival (Jan/Feb, Madurai, p 1037 ) » TamilNadu.Com (www. » Natyanjali Dance Festival (Feb/Mar, , p 1022 ) tamilnadu.com) News and directory. » Chithrai Festival (Apr/May, Madurai, p 1037 ) » Tamil Nadu Forest De- » Summer festivals (May-Jun, statewide, p 984 ) partment (www.forests.tn.nic. » Bastille Day (14 Jul, Puducherry, p1015 ) in) National parks, ecotour- » Karthikai Deepam Festival (Nov/Dec, statewide, p 984 ) ism and permit » Chennai Festival of Music & Dance (mid-Dec–mid-Jan, information. Chennai, p 992 ) » Tamil Nadu Tourism » Dance Festival (Dec-Jan, Mamallapuram, (www.tamilnadutourism.org) p 1006 )