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தமிழ்நாட? Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu • India

Map indicating the location of Tamil Nadu  ,80.27&spn=0.1,0.1&t=h [[Chennai]]

Coordinates:

Area| | 130,058 km (0 sq mi)

Capital| | Chennai

Largest city| | Chennai

District(s)| | 30

Language(s)| | Tamil

Governor| style="border-top: 2px dotted #DCDCDC;" | Surjit Singh Barnala

Chief Minister| | M Karunanidhi

| | 1956-11-01†

Legislature (seats)| | Unicameral (235)

ISO abbreviation| |

Website: tn.gov.in

† Established in 1773; Madras State was formed in 1956 and renamed as Tamil Nadu on January 14 1969 [1]

Coordinates: city

Tamil Nadu (Tamil: தமிழ்நாடு pronunciation (helpinfo) English: Land of the Tamils, IPA: [t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ]) is a state at the southern tip of India. Tamil Nadu is bordered by Puducherry(Pondicherry), Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Colonised by the East India Company, Tamil Nadu was eventually incorporated into the Madras Presidency. After the independence of India, the state of Madras was created in 1956 based on linguistic boundaries. The name of the state was changed to Tamil Nadu in the year 1969.

Tamil Nadu politics has been dominated by the AIADMK and DMK parties. They are fore runner for few policies instated at national level such as reservation policies for dominant caste and sectors in the society. Both parties stemmed from the Dravidian movement, which demanded greater rights for the 'Dravidian' population of Tamil Nadu.

Lying on the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula, Tamil Nadu is bounded by the Eastern Ghats in the north and Nilgiri, the Annamalai Hills, and Palakkad on the west. The state has large fertile areas along the Coromandel coast, the Palk strait, and the Gulf of Mannar. The fertile plains of Tamil Nadu are fed by rivers such as the Kaveri, Palar, and Vaigai, as well as the northeast monsoon. Traditionally a manufacturing state, Tamil Nadu is also a leading agricultural producer.

The sixth most populous state in India, Tamil Nadu has the largest national urban agglomeration. In recent times, population growth in the state has been amongst the lowest in the nation. Globalisation has brought increased export opportunities, making Tamil Nadu the third largest economy among the states of India. There has also been an increase in the number of educational institutions in Tamil Nadu, with the state containing the most vocational training institutions in India. Chennai, the state capital (known until 1996 as Madras), is the fourth largest city in India. Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Salem, Tirunelveli and Erode are other corporations of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has been ranked the fourth best state on all parameters amongst the big states in India every year since 2002, by India Today, a popular and well acclaimed Indian magazine.^[1][2].

Tamil Nadu has been continuously inhabited by humans since prehistoric times, and its historical and cultural traditions are among the oldest in the world. The Tamil kingdoms of Chera, Chola, Pandya and Pallava were responsible for the production of some of the oldest surviving literature in India. Also, Carnatic Music, Bharatanatyam dance and Indian architecture evolved within the state. Indeed, several famous composers, such as Tyagaraja, lived and flourished in Tamil Nadu.

History

Main article: History of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu's history dates back to pre-historic times and archaeological evidence points to this area being one of the longest continuous habitations in India. 24 km from Tirunelveli, in Adichanallur, archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India unearthed 12 urns with Tamil Brahmi script on them containing human skulls, skeletons and bones, plus husks, grains of rice, charred rice and Neolithic celts, giving evidence confirming it of the Neolithic period 2800 years ago. This proved that Tirunelveli area has been the abode for human habituation since the Neolithic period about 3,000 years ago^[3]. Adhichanallur has been announced as an archaeological site for further excavation and studies.^[4].

From early pre-history Tamil Nadu was the home of the four powerful Tamil kingdoms of the Chera, Chola, Pandya(Madurai) and Pallavas. The oldest extant literature, dated between 500 BCE and 200 CE mentions the exploits of the kings and the princes, and of the poets who extolled them. The early Cholas reigned between 1st and 4th centuries CE. An unknown dynasty called Kalabhras invaded and displaced the three Tamil kingdoms between the fourth and the seventh centuries CE. This is referred to as the Dark Age in Tamil history. They were eventually expelled by the Pandyas and the Pallavas. Around 580 CE, the Pallavas, great temple builders, emerged into prominence and dominated the south for another 150 years. They ruled a large portion of Tamil Nadu with Kanchipuram as their base. They subjugated the Cholas and reigned as far as the Kaveri River. Among the greatest Pallava rulers were Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I. Dravidian architecture reached its epitome during Pallava rule.

The Cholas again rose to power by the 9th century. Under Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola, the Cholas rose as a notable power in Asia. The Chola Empire stretched as far as Bengal. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India and parts of Sri Lanka. Rajendra Chola's navies went beyond, occupying coastal Burma (now Myanmar), the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Sumatra, Java, Malaya in South East Asia and Pegu islands. He defeated Mahipala, the king of the Bengal, and to commemorate his victory he built a new capital named it Gangaikonda Cholapuram. The Cholas revelled in building magnificent temples. Brihadeshwara Temple in Thanjavur is a classical example of the magnificent architecture of the Chola kingdom. Brihadeshwara temple is an UNESCO Heritage Site under "Great Living Chola Temples" http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/250. Another example is the Chidambaram Temple in the heart of the temple town of Chidambaram. The power of the Cholas declined around the 13th century. With the decline of the Cholas, the Pandyas rose to prominence once again in the early 14th century. This was short lived; they were soon subdued by Muslim Khilji invaders from the north in 1316. Madurai was sacked. The invasion led to the establishment of the Madurai Sultanate. These Muslim invasions caused the establishment of Vijayanagara Empire in the Deccan. It eventually conquered the entire Tamil country (c. 1370 CE). As the Vijayanagara Empire went into decline after mid-16th century, the Nayak governors, who were appointed by the Vijayanagar kingdom to administer various territories of the empire, declared their independence. The Nayaks of Madurai and Nayaks of Thanjavur were most prominent of them all. They reconstructed some of the oldest temples in the country.

Around 1609, the Dutch established a settlement in Pulicat. In 1639, the British, under the British East India Company, established a settlement further south, in present day Chennai. The British used petty quarrels among the provincial rulers (divide and rule) to expand their sphere of influence. The British fought and reduced the French dominions in India to Pondicherry. They consolidated southern India into the Madras Presidency. Some notable chieftains or Poligars who fought the British East India Company as it was expanding were Veerapandya Kattabomman, Pulithevan and Dheeran Chinnamalai. Pudukkottai remained as a princely state under British suzerainty.

When India became independent in 1947, Madras Presidency became Madras State, comprising of present day Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh up to Ganjam district in Orissa, northern Karnataka, and parts of Kerala. The state was subsequently split up along linguistic lines. In 1968, Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu, meaning Land of Tamil.

Geography

Tamil Nadu covers an area of 130,058  km² (50,215 mi²),and is the eleventh largest state in India. West and North of the state has lofty hills while the East and South are coastal plains. The bordering states are Kerala to the west, Karnataka to the northwest and Andhra Pradesh to the north. To the east is the Bay of Bengal.

The southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula is located in Tamil Nadu. At this point is the town of Kanyakumari which is the meeting point of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean.

Tamil Nadu has a wide variety of minerals with the most reserves in India lignite (almost 90% of India's reserves), magnesite (45%) and garnet (over 40%) among others.^[5]

Forest cover over 17% of the state's geographical area with several Protected areas of Tamil Nadu including wild life and bird sanctuaries.^[6]

Fauna and Flora

There is wide diversity of wildlife. There are many Protected areas of Tamil Nadu, including 2 , 5 and several , where many unique species and their habitats are protected ^[7]. Tamil Nadu includes a wide range of Biomes, extending east from the South Western Ghats montane rain forests in the Western Ghats through the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests and Deccan thorn scrub forests to tropical dry broadleaf forests and then to the beaches, estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves, and coral reefs of the Bay of Bengal.

Fauna

Main article: Wildlife of Tamil Nadu

There are about 2000 species of wildlife that are native to Tamil Nadu. Protected areas provide safe habitat for large mammels including Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Sloth bear, Gaur, Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri Langur, Nilgiri Tahr, Grizzled Giant Squirrel and Sambar deer, resident and migratory birds such as Cormorants, Darters, Herons, Egrets, Open-billed Stork, Spoonbill and White Ibis, Little Grebe, Indian Moorhen, Black-winged Stilts, a few migratory ducks and occasionally Grey Pelicans, marine species such as the Dugong, Turtle, Dolphin and Balano-glossus and a wide variety of fish and insects.

Flora

Tamil Nadu is the home for 3000 plant species including Eucalyptus, Palmyra, Rubber, Cinchona, Clumping Bamboos (Bambusa Arundinacea), Common teak, Anogeissus latifolia, Indian Laurel , Grewia, and blooming trees like Indian labumusum, Aredesia, and Solanancea. Rare and unique plantlife includes: Combretum ovalifolium, Ebony (Dispyros nilagrica), Habebarai reriflora (Orchid), Alsophila sp., Impatiens elegans, Ranunculus reniformis, and Royal fern.

Governance and administration

Main article: Government of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu had a bicameral legislature until 1986, when it was replaced with a unicameral legislature, like most other states in India.

The 'Governor' is the Constitutional head of the state while the 'Chief minister' is the head of the government and the head of the council of ministers. The Chief Justice of the Madras High Court is the head of the judiciary. The present Governor, Chief minister and the Chief Justice are S. S. Barnala, M. Karununanidhi and A. P. Shah respectively.The major administrative units of the state constitutes 39 Lok Sabha constituencies, 234 Assembly constituencies, 30 districts, 8 municipal corporations, 152 municipalities, 561 town panchayats and 12,618 village panchayats.

Tamil Nadu has been a pioneering state in E-Governance initiatives in India. A large part of the government records like land ownership records are already digitised and all major offices of the state government like Urban Local Bodies - All the Corporations and Municipal Office activities - revenue collection etc, land registration offices, and transport offices have been computerised, thereby improving the quality of service and transparency in operations.

State capital

Chennai, or formerly known as Madras, is the state capital. It is the fourth largest city in India and is also one of the five A1 Metropolitan cities of India.

Politics

Regional parties have dominated state politics since 1967.One of the earliest regional parties was the South Indian Welfare Association, which was founded in 1916. It came to be known as the Justice Party after the name of its English-language daily, Justice.E.V. Ramasami, popularly known as "Periyar", renamed the party Dravidar Kazhagam in 1944. DK was a non-political party which demanded the establishment of an independent state called Dravida Nadu. However, due to the differences between its two leaders Periyar and C.N. Annadurai, the party was split. Annadurai left the party to form the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The DMK decided to enter into politics in 1956.

In the 19th century, Western scholars proposed that Dravidian languages that dominates the south of India formed a different linguistic group to that of Indo-Aryan languages that are predominant in the north of the country. They also classified Indians into distinct Aryan and Dravidian races, it was supposed that the generally darker-skinned Dravidians constituted a distinct race. This concept has affected thinking in India about racial and regional differences and had an impact on aspects of Tamil nationalism, which has appropriated the claim that Dravidians are the earliest inhabitants of India, and the Aryan population were oppresive interlopers from whom Dravidians should liberate themselves. History has shown that Dravidian linguistic family predates Indo-aryan (example :- Sanskrit) linguistic family in India, however both language groups have been influenced by the other during the course of three millennia. Re-organisation of Indian states according to linguistic and ethnic basis has moderated Tamil nationalism, especially the demand for separation from the Indian Union. The Anti-Hindi agitations in mid-1960s made the DMK more popular and more powerful political force in the state. The DMK routed the Congress Party in the 1967 elections and took control of the state government, ending Congress's stronghold in Tamil Nadu. C.N. Annadurai became the DMK's first Chief Minister, and Muthuvel Karunanidhi took over as Chief Minister and party leader after Annadurai's death in 1969.Karunanidhi's leadership was soon challenged by M.G. Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR. In 1972, he split from DMK and formed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). He was the Chief Minister of the state from 1977 until his death in 1987. After the death of MGR, the party split again into two factions, one led by Janaki Ramachandran, wife of MGR, and the other led by J. Jayalalithaa. After the defeat of AIADMK in 1989 assembly polls, both factions were merged and Jayalalithaa took control of the party. She was elected as the General Secretary of the unified AIADMK. There have been splits in both the DMK and the AIADMK, but since 1967 one of those two parties has held power in the state. In the State Elections held in May 2006, the prevailing government by the AIADMK was defeated by the DMK-led alliance.

See also:  and

See also:

Human rights

In general, Tamil Nadu has a good human rights record when it comes to religious minorities. There have been exceptions - for example during the anti-Sikh riots following Indira Gandhi's assassination, Tamil Nadu saw its share of anti-Sikh violence. Also, after the Coimbatore blasts of 1998, Muslim institutions and businesses were violently attacked. With respect to caste discrimination, Tamil Nadu's record is fairly poor. There are allegations that Dalits are discriminated even today in the southern districts and in other rural areas, mostly by landed OBCs. Reservation Policy of the government is resented by Brahmins.Tamil Nadu's record of tolerance towards linguistic minorities has been exemplary, despite provocations from incidents occurring in other states.

Demographics

Tamil Nadu is the sixth most populous state in India with a population of 62,110,839 as of midnight on March 1 2001 (approximately 6.05% of India's population). It is the eleventh most densely populated state in India. In 2001, its population density was 478 persons per square kilometre^[8], having increased from 429 in 1991, significantly higher than the Indian average of 324 persons per square kilometre.^[9] Approximately 47% of Tamil Nadu's population live in urban areas, one of the highest percentages in India.^[9]

Tamil Nadu's population grew by 11.19% between 1991 and 2001, the second lowest rate for that period (after Kerala) amongst populous states (States whose population exceeded 20 million in 2001). Its decadal rate of population growth has declined for every decade since 1971, one of only three populous states (along with Kerala and Orissa) to show this trend.

Education and social development

Tamil Nadu has 32 Universities^[10], 350 engineering colleges and 1150 arts college, 2550 schools and 5000 hospitals.

Tamil Nadu has performed reasonably well in terms of literacy growth during the decade 1991-2001. The state's literacy rate increased from 62.66% in 1991 to 73.47% in 2001.^[9] which is well above the nation average. IIT Madras, Anna University, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Government College of Technology, PSG College of Technology, NIT Tiruchi,Vellore Institute of Technology in Engineering; Madras Medical College, Christian Medical College, Stanley Medical College in Medicine; LIBA, Bharathidasan Institute of Management in Management studies;Madras Christian College in Arts and Science; Presidency College, Loyola College in Science; Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Agriculture; Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) are the premier institutes in the state. Also Tamil Nadu produces the highest number of engineering graduates in India (around 30,000) every year which attracts many software companies to set up their shop in south India.



Tamil Nadu has performed well in human development. With an index of 0.531, it ranked third in India^[11]. This includes population, sex ratio, density of population, per capita income, Below Poverty Line, Infant Mortality Rate, Literacy Rate, and Women's Empowerment. Despite this, it has a number of challenges, significantly, the poverty is high, especially in the rural areas. The poverty in the state has dropped from 51.7% in 1983 to 21.1% in 2001^[12]. The World Bank is currently assisting the state in reducing poverty^[13]. High dropout and low completion of secondary schools continue to hinder the quality of training in the population. Other problems include class, gender, inter-district and urban-rural disparities.

The Dravidian movement, which championed the cause of educating the people and eradicate superstitions, began in Tamil Nadu. It championed the cause to uplift the socially repressed Dravidian people and drew considerable support from the middle classes for their effort. The movement was committed to social justice which led to the expansion of reservations for the deprived communities. Tamil Nadu now has a 69%reservation in educational institutions , the highest among all Indian states.^[14]

The Mid-day Meal Scheme program in Tamil Nadu, initiated by Kamaraj, was expanded considerably during the rule of the AIADMK in 1983. It feeds over a fifth of the state's population.

Cuisine

Main article: Tamil cuisine

Tamil cuisine has one of the oldest culinary heritages in the world.

Culture

Main article: Tamil people

Main article: Temples of Tamilnadu

Tamil Nadu has a long tradition of venerable culture. Unique cultural features like Bharatanatyam, Tanjore painting, and Tamil architecture were developed and practised in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu and is one of the two classical languages of India, the other being Sanskrit.(as well as being one of the national languages of India). [2]Tamil Nadu is known for its rich tradition of literature, music and dance which continue to flourish today.

Literature

Main article: Tamil literature

Tamil is a vibrant language with a long and rich literary tradition. Most of the older works are in verse form, and prose gained popularity later. All through history, Tamil literature has sought to inform and inspire, educate and entertain. Tamil poetry has universal appeal as evinced by many examples.

எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய்க் கேட்பினும் அப்பொருள் மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்ப தறிvu...........................

'The mark of wisdom is to discern the truth From whatever source it is heard.' - (Tirukkural - 423)

Tirukkural which was written nearly two millennia ago portrays a universal outlook. This is evident by the author, Thiruvalluvar who had not mentioned his religion, land, and the audience of his work. He is portrayed as holy saint of Tamil Nadu today and even for the generations to come. There is an evidential history that the kings of olden days rolled out Tamil Sangam (Tamil organisation) to develop literature works in Tamil. The Sangam headquartered in Madurai generated lot a notable literary works. First Tamil printing press was established at Tarangambadi by the Danish missionaries.

In 20th century during the freedom struggle, many Tamil poets and writers provoked national spirit, social equity, secularist thoughts among the common man, notably, Subramanya Bharathy. Even today, Tamil Nadu hosts creative writers like Jayakanthan, Jayamohan, Sujatha, Indira Parthasarathy, etc.

Music

See also:

The Kings of the olden days created sangams for Iyal Isai Nadagam (Literature, Music and Drama) to express the spiritual feels and to quench the entertainment. Music plays a major role in sangams. Music in Tamil Nadu had different forms across the people. In villages where farming was a major work, the ladies who work in the fields used to sing kulavai songs. Odhuvars, Sthanikars, or Kattalaiyars offer short musical programmes in the temples by singing the devotional Thevaram songs. In sharp contrast with the restrained and intellectual nature of carnatic music, Tamil folk music tends to be much more exuberant. Popular forms of Tamil folk music include the Villuppāṭṭu, a form of music performed with a bow, and the Nāṭṭuppur̲appāṭṭu, ballads that convey folklore and folk history. Some of the leading Tamil folk artists in the early 21st century are Pushpuvanam Kuppuswamy, Dr Navaneethakrishnan, Chinnaponnu, Paravai muniammal etc.

Carnatic music is the classical music of Southern India. The basic form is a monophonic song with improvised variations. There are 72 basic scales on the octave, and a rich variety of melodic motion. Both melodic and rhythmic structures are varied and compelling. This is one of the world's oldest & richest musical traditions. Carnatic music abounds in structured compositions in the different ragas. These are songs composed by great artists and handed down through generations of disciples. Three saint composers of the nineteenth century, Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri, have composed thousands of songs that remain favourites among musicians and audiences. The composers belonging to the Tamil Trinity of Muthu Thandavar (?1560 - ?1640 CE), Arunachala Kavi (1712-1779) and Marimutthu Pillai (1717-1787) composed hundreds of devotional songs in Tamil and helped in the evolution of Carnatic music. Today, Tamil Nadu has hundreds of notable carnatic singers who spread this music all over the world. M. S. Subbulakshmi, a renowned carnatic singer, had the honour of singing a song in the UN Security Council.

In terms of modern music (light, film, pop, etc.), the music of Tamil Nadu is praised very highly. Ilaiyaraaja was the most prominent composer of film music in Tamil cinema during the late 1970s and 1980s. His work highlighted Tamil folk lyricism and introduced broader Western musical sensibilities to the South Indian musical mainstream. Tamil Nadu is also the home of A.R. Rahman, one of the greatest Indian musicians and composers, who is recognised worldwide.

Arts and dance

Tamils have a large number of folk dances. These are performed for every possible occasion, to celebrate the arrival of seasons, birth of a child, a wedding and festivals. Tamil dance is closely intertwined with the Tamil theatrical tradition. The most celebrated of these is karakattam. In its religious form, the dance is performed in front of an image of the goddess Mariamman. The dancer bears on his or her head a brass pot filled with uncooked rice, decorated with flowers and surrounded by a bamboo frame, and tumbles and leaps to the rhythm of a song without spilling a grain. Karakattam is usually performed to a special type of song known as temmanguppāṭṭu or thevar pāṭṭu, a folk song in the mode of a lover speaking to his beloved, to the accompaniment of a nadaswaram and melam. Other Tamil folk dances include mayilāṭṭam, where the dancers tie a string of peacock feathers around their waist; ōyilāttam, danced in a circle while waving small pieces of cloth of various colours; poykkāl kuthiraiyaaṭṭam, where the dancers use dummy horses; mān̲āṭṭam, where the dancers imitate the graceful leaping of deer; par̲aiyāṭṭam, a dance to the sound of rhythmical drumbeats, and thīppandāṭṭam, a dance involving playing with burning wooden torches.

Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form originating from Tamil Nadu. Bharatanatyam is thought to have been created by Bharata Muni, a Hindu sage, who wrote the Natya Shastra, the most important ancient treatise on classical Indian dance. In ancient times it was performed as dasiattam by mandir (Hindu temple) Devadasis. In this form, it as also been called "sadir" or "chinna melam". Many of the ancient sculptures in Hindu temples are based on Bharata Natyam dance postures. Bharatanatyam is a traditional dance-form known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpturesque poses. Today, it is one of the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is practised by male and female dancers all over India. Therukoothhu is a folk tradition of dance-drama. Therukoothhu literally means 'street dance'.

Film industry

Main Article: Kollywood

Tamil Nadu is also home to the Tamil film industry, the second largest film industry in India. Chennai has often been referred to as Kollywood, a conflation of Hollywood and Kodambakkam, the section of Chennai that houses cinema-related facilities. Kollywood is the centre of one of the largest film industries in India alongside Bollywood.

Tamil festivals

Pongal, also called as Tamizhar Thirunaal (festival of Tamils) is a four-day harvest festival and is the most celebrated festival of Tamil Nadu. The Tamil language saying Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum -- literally meaning, the birth of the month of Thai will pave way for new opportunities -- is often quoted with reference to the Pongal festival. The first day, Bhogi Pongal, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials by setting them on fire to mark the end of the old and emergence of the new. The second day, Surya Pongal, is the main day which falls on the first day of the Tamil month Thai (January 14 or January 15 in western calendar). The third day, Maattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cattle, as they provide milk and are used to plough the lands. Jallikattu, a violent taming the wild bull contest, marks the main event of this day. During this final day, Kaanum Pongal — the word "kanum", literally meaning 'to view' — youths used to gather at river banks to view and select their future life partners, but that practice has declined.

The first month in the Tamil calendar is Chittirai and the first day of this month is celebrated as Tamil New Year, which generally falls on the April 14 or 13 of the Gregorian calendar. Aadi Perukku is celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month 'aadi', which is basically intended to celebrate the raising of water level in river Cauvery. Apart from these major festivals, in every village and town of Tamil Nadu people celebrate festivals for the local gods once in a year and the time differs from place to place. Most of these festivals are related to the goddess Maariyamman, the mother goddess of rain.

National festivals like Saraswathi Poojai (Dasara) and Vinayaka Chathurthi and the most famous Diwali are celebrated widely.

The Ayyavazhi Festival, Ayya Vaikunda Avataram is celebrated grandly in the southern districts,^[15] especially in Swamithope pathi,^[16] the religious head quarters.^[17] In addition the Velankanni Church and the Nagore mosque stand testimony to the multi-religious nature of the state.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Tamil Nadu

Macro-economic trend

Tamil Nadu's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $56 billion in current prices. Possessing the third largest economy (2004-2005) among states in India, Tamil Nadu is also the second most industrialised state next to Maharastra.^[19] It ranks second in per capita income (2004-2005) among large states. It ranks third in foreign direct investment approvals (cumulative 1991-2002) of Rs.225,826 million ($5,000 million), next only to Maharashtra (Rs.366,024 million ($8,100 million)) and Delhi (Rs.303,038 million ($6,700 million). The State's FDI investment constitutes 9.12% of the total FDI in the country.^[20] Unlike many other states, the economic resources are quite spread out, rather than concentrated in a small industrialised area.

Year	Gross State Domestic Product
1980	80,810
1985	156,480
1990	313,390
1995	782,050
2000	1,411,000

According to the 2001 Census, Tamil Nadu has the highest level of urbanisation (43.86%) in India, accounting for 6% of India’s total population and 9.6% of the urban population.^[21] and is the second most industrialised state in India.^[9] Tamil Nadu has a network of about 110 industrial parks and estates offering developed plots with supporting infrastructure.^[23] Also, the state government is promoting other industrial parks like Rubber Park, Apparel Parks, Floriculture Park, TICEL Park for Biotechnology,^[24] Siruseri IT Park, and Agro Export Zones among others.

Annual Plan outlays have increased by a record 75% from Rs.52,000 million ($1,100 million) in 2001-2 to Rs.91,000 million ($2,000 million) in 2005-6.

Agriculture

Tamil Nadu has historically been an agricultural state, while its advances in other fields launched the state into competition with other areas. Even so, Tamil Nadu is a leading producer of agricultural products in India. Tamil Nadu agriculture is heavily dependent on the river water and Monsoon rains. The perennial rivers are Palar, Cheyyar River, Ponnaiyar, Kaveri, Meyar, Bhavani, Amaravati, Vaigai, Chittar River & Tamaraparani. Non-perennial rivers include the Vellar, Noyal, Suruli, Gundar, Vaipar, Valparai and Varshali. Tamil Nadu is also the leading producer of kambu, corn, rye, ground nuts, oil, seeds and sugar cane in India. At present Tamil Nadu is India's second biggest producer of rice, next to Punjab where there is perennial source of irrigation.^[25] Tamil Nadu is the home to Dr M.S. Swaminathan, known as the "father of the Green Revolution" in India.^[26] The town of Namakkal is also known as the Poultry hub of India. Host of Sugar companies have their operations here including EID Parry I ltd, Thiru Arooran Sugars ltd, Sakthi Sugars Ltd, Bannari Amman Sugars ltd and Rajshree sugars ltd. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University with its seven colleges and thirty two research stations spread over the entire state contributes to evolving new crop varieties and technologies and disseminating through various extension agencies.

At this time Tamil Nadu is the only state to have a formal Bio-Diesel Policy using jatropha plant crops and to distribute wasteland to the poor farmers for planting.^[27]

Industry

Tamil Nadu is one of the most industrialised states in India. Many heavy engineering and manufacturing-based companies are centred in and around the suburbs of Chennai (nicknamed, "The Detroit of Asia"). Chennai boasts the presence of global vehicle manufacturing giants like Ford, Renault, Nissan, Caterpillar, Hyundai, Komatsu, BMW, and Mitsubishi as well as domestic heavyweights like MRF, TI cycles of India, Ashok Leyland, Royal Enfield, Mahindra & Mahindra, TAFE Tractors, and TVS. In a recent development, Mahindra & Mahindra on February 2007 formed a consortium with global majors Renault and Nissan to set up a USD 1 Billion greenfield automobile plant at city's suburban Oragadam, with a capacity to manufacture 4,00,000 units by 2009. This project would give a fillip to the manufacturing sector in Tamil Nadu, especially in the area of automobiles and auto components and help consolidate Chennai's position as 'Detroit of South Asia'. Everything from automobiles, railway coaches, battle-tanks, tractors, motorbikes and heavy vehicles are manufactured in Tamil Nadu. Sterlite Industries have their Copper smelter(Tuticorin) and Aluminium (Mettur) factories here. A large number of textile mills and engineering industries are present around Coimbatore City. Karur is known for its bus body building industries where most of the buses used in south India are manufactured, and in Namakkal truck bodies are built. Over 11.2% of the S&P CNX 500 conglomerates have corporate offices in Tamil Nadu.

The Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant, Ennore Thermal Plant, Neyveli Lignite Power Plant, many hydroelectric plants including mettur and the Narimanam Natural Gas Plants are major sources of Tamil Nadu's electricity. It is presently adding the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant to its energy grid. Tamil Nadu sources a significant proportion of its power needs from renewable sources with Wind Power contributing over 2000 MW or over 20% of the needs. As of 2005, Tamil Nadu is one of the few Indian states with surplus power electricity, enabling the electrical authority to sell it to neighbouring states of Andra Pradesh & Karnataka. Tamil Nadu ranks first nationwide in diesel-based thermal electricity generation with national market share of over 34%.

The textile industry plays a significant role in the Indian economy by providing direct employment to an estimated 35 million people, and thereby contributing 4% of GDP and 35% of Gross Export Earnings. The textile sector contributes to 14% of the manufacturing sector. The city of Tirupur, in Tamil Nadu is the country's largest exporter of cotton knitwear^[28] and sometimes referred to as Textile valley of India.^[29] In 2004, the export turnover from the town was more than Rs.50,000 million ($1,100 million). Some 7,000 garment units in the town provides employment opportunity to 1 million people. 56% of India's total knitwear exports come from Tirupur. The Export Import Policy of 2002-2007 acknowledges Tirupur for its contribution to the export efforts. Next to Tirupur, the town of Karur generates around $300 million a year in foreign exchange through home textile exports such as bed linens, kitchen linens, toilet linens, table linens and wall hangings. Madurai and Kanchipuram is very famous for handloom saris. Electronics manufacturing is a growing industry in Tamil Nadu. Companies like Nokia, Flextronics, Motorola, Sony-Ericsson, Foxconn, Samsung, Cisco, and Dell have chosen Chennai as their South Asian manufacturing hub. Products manufactured include circuit boards and cellular phone handsets.^[30] Ericsson also has a Research and Development facility in Chennai.^[31] Big EPC companies have set up their Engineering centres which include Saipem I Project Services ltd, Technip, Foster Wheeler, Mott Mecdonald, Petrofac and Technimont, Austrian company "Austrian Energy and Environment" have also a design office here besides local giant ECC {Larsen & Toubro}. Sanmina-SCI is the latest company to invest in Tamil Nadu to create a state of the art manufacturing facility^[32]. Nokia Siemens Networks has decided to build a manufacturing plant for wireless network equipment in Tamil Nadu^[33].

One of the global electrical equipment manufacturing public sector company BHEL has manufacturing plants at Tiruchirapalli and Ranipet. The Tamil Nadu state government owns the Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers (TNPL),^[34] the world's biggest bagasse based Paper mills in Karur as well as the world's sixth largest manufacturer of watches together with TATA, under the brand name of "Titan".^[35] 55% of all wind-generated electricity in India is created by windmills in Tamil Nadu. Renowned Danish wind power company NEG Micon has established its manufacturing unit in Chennai.^[36] Tamil Nadu is leading producer of Cement in India, it is the home for leading cement brands in the country such as Chettinad Cements(Karur), Dalmia Cements Ariyalur, Ramco cements (Madras Cement Ltd), India cements (Sankari, Ariyalur), Grasim etc. Big companies like MICO, Cognizant solutions have set up their design offices here. Engineering magor L&T are setting up big manufacturing units with an investment of 500 crores. Even temple city Madurai has attracted Honeywell to set up their centre here.

The town of Sivakasi is a leader in the areas of printing, fireworks, and safety matches. It was fondly called as Kutty Japan or "little Japan" by Jawaharlal Nehru. It contributes to 80% of India's production of safety matches as well as 90% of India's total fireworks production. Sivakasi provides over 60% of India's total offset printing solutions and ranks as one of the highest taxpaying towns in India. Sivakasi also is a 100% employed town, putting it in the company of very few towns in India.

Tamil Nadu has a significant amount of mineral reserves such as lignite (87%), vermiculite (66%), garnet (42%), zircon (38%), graphite (33%), ilmenite (28%), rutile (27%), monazite (25%), and magnesite (17%). (The numbers in the brackets indicate the percentage contribution to the national share.) India's leading steel producer SAIL has a steel plant in Salem.^[37] Tamil Nadu is a leading contributor in the IT and BPO sector. Chennai is the second leading software exporter in India, after Bangalore. India's largest IT park is in Chennai. Software exports from Tamil Nadu rose from Rs.76,000 million ($1,600 million) in 2003-04 to Rs.110,000 million ($2,400 million) in 2004-5.^[38] Chennai is a hub for e-publishing, as there are 47 e-publishing units registered with the STPI in Chennai and 25 in Bangalore. Companies such as Virtusa, HCL, Wipro, TCS, Satyam, Infosys,Polaris Software Lab,Cognizant Technology Solutions, Acme Technology Pvt Ltd, Covansys, Ford Information Technology, Xansa, Verizon, iSoft, iNautix, Electronic Data Systems, Bally and many others have offices in Chennai. Infosys Technologies has set up India's largest software development centre to house 25,000 software professionals at an estimated investment of Rs.12,500 million ($270 million) in Chennai. Chennai is also the preferred destination for companies outsourcing their high-end knowledge intensive operations. Testimony to this is the presence of major market research companies such as Frost & Sullivan and equity research companies such as Irevna in Chennai. This is the next high growth area that Chennai is witnessing.

Transportation

Tamil Nadu has a well established transportation system that connects all parts of the state. This is partly responsible for the investment in the state. Though the present transportation system is substantial, it needs to be developed further to keep pace with the rapid increase in use. Tamil Nadu is served by an extensive road network in terms of its spread and quality, providing links between urban centers, agricultural market-places and rural habitations in the countryside. There are 24 national highways in the state, covering a total distance of 2,002 km.^[40] The state is also a terminus for the Golden Quadrilateral project that is scheduled to complete in 2008. The state has a total road length of 167,000 km, of which 60,628 km are maintained by Highways Department. This is nearly 2.5 times higher than the density of all-India road network.^[41] It is currently working on upgrading its road network, though the pace of work is considered slow.^[42]

Tamil Nadu has a well developed rail network as part of Southern Railway. Headquartered at Chennai, the present Southern Railway network extends over a large area of India's Southern Peninsula, covering the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry, a major portion of Karnataka and a small portion of Andhra Pradesh. Tamil Nadu has a total railway track length of 6,693 km and there are 690 railway stations in the state. The system connects it with most major cities in India. Main rail junctions in the state include Chennai, Erode, Coimbatore, Madurai,Salem and Tiruchirapalli. Chennai has a well-established Suburban Railway network and is in the process of developing a metro. Tamil Nadu has a major international airport, Chennai International Airport, that is connected with 19 countries with more than 169 direct flights every week. This is currently the third largest airport in India after Mumbai and Delhi and has a passenger growth of 18%. It also has domestic airports at Coimbatore, Trichy, Tuticorin and Madurai make several parts of the state easily accessible. Increased industrial activity has given rise to an increase in passenger traffic as well as freight movement which has been growing at over 18 per cent per year.^[43]

Tamil Nadu has three major ports at Chennai, Ennore and Tuticorin, as well as one intermediate port, Nagapattinam, and seven minor ports, Rameswaram, Kanyakumari, Cuddalore, Colachel, Karaikal, Pamban and Valinokkan of which are currently capable of handling over 73 million metric tonnes of cargo annually (24 per cent share of India). All the minor ports are managed by the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board.^[44] Chennai Port is an artificial harbour situated on the Coromandel Coast in South-East India and it is the second principal port in the country for handling containers. Ennore Port was recently converted from an intermediate port to a major port and handles all the coal and ore traffic in Tamil Nadu. The volume of cargo in the ports grew by 13 per cent over 2005.^[45][46] The Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project will transform the Tuticorin port into a transhipment hub similar to those in Singapore and Colombo. The ports are in need of improvement and some of them have container terminals privatised.

Tourism

Tourism in Tamil Nadu is promoted by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), a Government of Tamil Nadu undertaking. TTDC was incorporated in July, 1971, with the objective of promoting tourism in Tamilnadu by providing infrastructure facilities of transport and accommodation. To fulfil this objective, TTDC has expanded its activities into 3 main operations, namely, hotels, transport and fairs. At present, TTDC operates 54 hotels, 11 boat houses, 3 restaurants, 3 snack bars, 4 telescope houses, 2 landscaping & gardening and 1 tourist service center. TTDC offers wide range of package tours and operates a fleet of 22 coaches. The tagline adopted for promoting tourism in Tamil Nadu is Enchanting Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu is a land of varied beauty. It boasts of having some of the grandest Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture in the World. The temples are of a distinct style which are famous for their towering Gopuram. The Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, built by the Cholas, and the Shore Temple along with the collection of other monuments in Mahabalipuram have been declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Rajagopuram of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam - the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world - is the tallest temple gopuram in the world. Madurai is home to one of the grandest Hindu temples in the World - Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple. Rameshwaram, Kanchipuram and Palani are important pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Other popular temples in Tamil Nadu include those in Gangai Konda Cholapuram, Chidambaram, Thiruvannamalai, Tiruttani, Swamithoppe, Tiruvallur and Suchindram. St. Thomas Mount in Chennai, the place where St. Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, was believed to have been martyred, is an important pilgrimage site for Indian Christians. The Santhome Basilica, supposedly built atop the tomb of St. Thomas, and the Vailankanni Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health - revered churches by the Catholics in India - are good examples of majestic Church architectures in Tamil Nadu. Nagore, in Nagapattinam district, is an important pilgrimage site for Muslims.

Tamil Nadu is also home to many beautiful hill stations. Popular among them are Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Coonoor, Top Slip & Yelagiri. The Nilgiri hills, Palani hills, Shevaroy hills, Cardamom hills etc... are abodes of thick forests and wildlife. Mukurthi National Park & Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve are the two tiger reserves in the state. Tamil Nadu has many National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Elephant & Bird Sanctuaries, Reserved Forests, Zoos and Crocodile farms. Prominent among them are Mudumalai National Park, The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary and Arignar Anna Zoological Park. The Mangrove forests in Pichavaram are also eco-tourism spots of importance. The state has a wide range of flora and fauna. Tamil Nadu ranks first in Angiosperm diversity amongst all the states in the country with 5640 species (32%) of the total 17,672 species, which includes 230 red-listed species and 1559 species of medicinal plants. The fauna of Tamil Nadu includes endangered/vulnerable species like Grizzled Giant Squirrel & Nilgiri Tahr.

Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of peninsular India, is famous for its distinct and beautiful sunrise, Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Thiruvalluvar statue built inside sea. The Marina Beach in Chennai is one of the longest beaches in the world. The stretch of beaches from Chennai to Mahabalipuram are home to many Resorts, Theme Parks & Eat-outs. The Waterfalls in the state include Courtallam, Hogenakal, Papanasam and Manimuthar. The Chettinad region of the state is renowned for its Palatial houses and cuisine. Tamil Nadu is also witnessing a growth in Medical tourism, as are many states in India.

See also

• History of Tamil Nadu
• Tamil people
• Tamil cuisine
• Tamil Nadu Politics
• Dance forms of Tamil Nadu
• Martial arts of Tamil Nadu

References

External links

• Tamil Nadu Government Website
• Tamil Nadu at the Open Directory Project
• Madurai Today : Anything & Everything about Madurai

	State of Tamil Nadu | History | Politics | Tamil people
Capital	Chennai
Districts	Chennai • Coimbatore • Cuddalore • Dharmapuri • Dindigul • Erode • Kanchipuram • Kanyakumari • Karur • Krishnagiri • Madurai • Nagapattinam • Namakkal • Perambalur • Pudukkottai • Ramanathapuram • Salem • Sivaganga • Thanjavur • The Nilgiris • Theni • Thoothukudi • Tiruchirapalli • Tirunelveli • Tiruvallur • Tiruvannamalai • Tiruvarur • Vellore • Viluppuram • Virudhunagar
Major cities	Alandur • Avadi • Ambattur • Chennai • Coimbatore • Cuddalore • Dindigul • Erode • Kancheepuram • Karur • Kumbakonam • Madurai • Nagercoil • Neyveli • Pallavaram • Pudukkottai • Rajapalayam • Salem • Tambaram • Thanjavur • Thoothukudi • Tiruchirapalli • Tirunelveli • Tiruppur • Tiruvannamalai • Tiruvottiyur • Vellore

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