Tamilnadu

If your idea of India is one of ancient temples thick with incense and chanting masses worshiping dimly lit deities covered with vermilion paste and crushed marigolds, then Tamil Nadu is where your mental images will be replaced by vivid memories.

Occupying a long stretch of the Bay of Bengal coastline known as the Coromandel Coast, India's southernmost state is dominated by a rich cultural and religious heritage that touches every aspect of life. For many, this is the Hindu heartland - home to one of India's oldest civilizations, the Dravidians, who pretty much escaped the Mughal influence that permeated so much of the cultural development in the North. Ruled predominantly by the powerful Chola, Pallava, and Pandyan dynasties, Dravidian culture flourished for more than a thousand years, developing a unique political and social hierarchy, and an architectural temple style that has come to typify the South. In spite of globalization and the political dominance of the North, Tamil Nadu has retained its fervent nationalist sensibility -- an almost zealous pride in Tamil language and literature, and in its delicious and varied cuisines. Outside of Chennai and the coastal stretch south to Pondicherry, it is also a state that remains virtually unchanged despite the tourism boom of the past decade, and exploring it provides a far more textured experience than provided by its popular neighbour, Kerala.