Gangtok, Sikkim

Prayer wheels in Gangtok
Originally uploaded by MykReeve.

A hermitic monastery was built in Gangtok in 1716. Then again in 1840, Enchey Monastery was constructed. Thutob Namgyal, the Sikkimese monarch shifted his capital from Tumlong to Gangtok in 1894. Sikkim became an Indian state in 1975.

Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu

Tuticorin salt pans
Originally uploaded by Natmandu.

Thoothukudi also known as Tuticorin, is called the "Pearl City". It is a sea port city that serves southern Tamil Nadu, including the inland cities of Coimbatore, Madurai and Tirunelveli. It is one of the oldest cities in India with its history going back to the 6th century BC. The economy of Thoothukudi is based on industries, port, salt pans and agriculture.

Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu

Ceiling Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli
Originally uploaded by bijapuri.

Situated on the banks of Kaveri River, Trichy (Tiruchirapalli) has many historic temples. Rock Fort is a huge outcrop of an 83 meters high rock, one of the oldest rocks in the world, is a military fort. There is a Ganesh temple on top of the rock, dedicated to Vinayaka, from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Tiruchirapalli.

Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu

Tirunelveli is located on the banks of the perennial Thamirabarani River, 80 km to the north of Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of India. The Thamirabarani contains traces of copper, hence its name (Thamiram means copper in Tamil).

Salem, Tamil Nadu

Mariamman festival
Originally uploaded by danielguip.

Salem is the fifth largest city of Tamil Nadu with a population of over 650,000 people. The city is completely surrounded by hills and therefore offers breathtaking views both during the ride up the hill and from the peak. Salem is also a part of the renowned tourist destination of Yercaud hills. It is a fairly cosmopolitan city.

Salem is one of the major textile centers in the country. It has a steel plant run by the Steel Authority of India and the brand Salem Stainless Steel is very widely known. Salem is one of the largest producers of traditional silver anklets, which is popular among the women of India.

Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu

Kanchi Saree
Originally uploaded by *Enigma*.

Conjeevaram is the English name of the ancient Kancheepuram. Kalidas has described the city as the best among the cities (Nagareshu Kanchi) just as Jati (Jasmine) is the sweetest among the flowers, Rambha the most beautiful amongst women, Kanchi stood second in glory only to Banaras.

Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

Mahabalipuram
Originally uploaded by mircea tudorache.

The temples of Mahabalipuram, showcase the style of rock-cut architucture, during the reigns of Narasimhavaram and his successor Rajasimhavarman. This city is also famous for the man-made rathas (chariots) carved from single boulders.

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

IMG_1315flikr
Originally uploaded by atgkool.

Coimbatore is well known for its textile industry. It is sometimes referred to as the 'Manchester of South India'. It is also reputed to have excellent educational institutions.

Tirupur in Coimbatore district is famous for its hoisery products. Tamil Nadu government has declared Coimbatore as the number two city for IT industry. The Naidus of Andhra Pradesh, who have settled here for a few centuries, provided the boost for its industrial growth.

Coonoor, Tamil Nadu

IMG_2202.JPG copy
Originally uploaded by realchk23.

Coonoor is the second largest town in Nilgiri hills after Ooty. The people of this area are primarily dependent on the tea trade. Floriculture and strawberry cultivation are taking root of late.

During the summer months, Coonoor's economy relies on the seasonal tourist traffic. With the domestic and foreign tourism on the rise, this town is no more a small quiet town in Southern India. The heavy influx of tourists to the region has strained the local infrastructure.

Madurai, Tamil Nadu

shree meenakshi closeup
Originally uploaded by thelivingna.

The land of Meenakshi temple, Madurai is the second largest city in the State of Tamil Nadu. The capital of Pandya kingdom of South India, the city has a population of over a million people.

Meenakshi Temple, shown in this picture, was built by King Kulasekaran and then he created the whole city around the temple. Some people still call the city Marudhai (fertile land).

Arcot, Tamil Nadu

"Get outta here"
Originally uploaded by Ravages.

Since 1692, the city was ruled by the Nawabs of Arcot, as viceroys of the Moghul Emperors. The Nawabs of Arcot trace their line back to 2nd Caliph Umar bin al Khattab.

Arcot was absorbed by the British Colonial Government in 1801, annexed by the British in 1852 and the state extinguished in 1855. The dynasty continues as Princes of Arcot.

Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu

TSUNAMI INDIA
Originally uploaded by attilaV.

Nagapattinam was one of the Regions severly affected by the Tsunami of 2004. The city formerly known as Negapatam, has a population of 100,000 people. Nagapattinam was an ancient Buddhist center. The Chudamani Vihara built by the support of Raja Raja Chola and a ShriVijaya King of Java. Buddhism flourished until 15th cent CE and the buildings of the Vihara survived until 18th century.

The main occupation in the town of Nagapattinam is fishing. Fishermen from Nagapattinam fish in the waters of Bay of Bengal and sell them in the town's fish market. There are a large number of ice factories for preserving the fish caught. It's fishing Industry was severely damaged by the Tsunamis that struck its coast on 26th December, 2004.

Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu

Devastated by Tsunami waves on December 26, 2004, Cuddalore Port was one of the worst affected areas on the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu. Fort St. David survived without damage. Cuddalore, being accessible from major cities like Chennai and Bangalore, received relief supplies relatively early.

Cuddalore is a large industrial city in the Tamil Nadu state of Southern India. Cuddalore literally means "Sea Town" in Tamil.

Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

Thanjavur-28.jpg
Originally uploaded by byronic501.

Thanjavur city is located on the south bank of the Kaveri River in the State of Tamil Nadu. The city is also known as Tanjore. Thanjavur was once the stronghold of Chola dynasty. Later, the city was ruled by the Nayaks of Vijayanagara and Maratha Rajas.

Tanjore Paintings are well known for their distintive style. The city of Thanjavur has substantially contributed to Carnatic music.

Thanjavur is famous for the Brihadeeswara Temple built by Rajaraja Chola, the first sailor King of India.

Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu

Paddy fields
Originally uploaded by aneez.ahmed.

Nagercoil is the Southernmost city in South India, situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula in the State of Tamil Nadu, India. The town is also the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District. It was a part of Kerala, the erstwhile Travancore State, till almost a decade after India's Independence from Britain in 1947. In 1956, it was merged with Tamil Nadu. In its earlier days, the town and its surroundings were known as Nanjilnadu.

Sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, the town has some breathtaking sceneries of the surrounding hills (the Western Ghats), lush green paddy fields on the eastern side of the town, and sandy, palm-fringed beaches on the western side.

Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu

Tunnel Rameswaram
Originally uploaded by Lillies.

Rameswaram is an island town in the State of Tamil Nadu. It is separated from the mainland by the Pamban channel.

Rameswaram is famous for the Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Rama who, it is believed, had descended on its shores and built a bridge across the Palk Strait to reach Lanka in his quest to rescue Sita from Ravana. Additionally, the temple is famous for being one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva and it is called Ramalingam. Lord Rama had constructed a Shiva Linga in order to offer thanks to the Lord after killing Ravana.

Auroville, Tamil Nadu

Auroville: Under Construction
Originally uploaded by premasagar.

The city was planned by The Mother (Mirra Alfassa), with the help of some rough sketches. The shape of the town resembles a spiral galaxy. In the middle of the town is the Matrimandie, the soul of the city.

The mother, had organized the followers of Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry, to create a universal township. After the death of The Mother in 1973, the Auroville Foundation was taken over by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, through an act of Parliament.

Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu

P1010118
Originally uploaded by luvvvleegirl.

Chengalpattu is a city of 62,000 people in Kancheepuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu. It has an average literacy rate of 81 percent, higher than the national average of 59 percent.

Karur, Tamilnadu

Pasupathieswarer Temple, Karur
Originally uploaded by Jacobine.

Karur is located in the central part of Tamilnadu. The main locations are Aravakkurichchi, Tottiyam and Musiri. The district is well connected by rail and road network.

Chennai (Madras), Tamil Nadu

Marina beach, Chennai - 2
Originally uploaded by jocalling.

Chennai is India's fourth largest metropolitan city. It is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Chennai was formarly known as Madras, with an estimated population of 7.5 million people.

Chennai is also referred to as the Detroit of South Asia. It is the automobile capital of India, with a major portion of the nation's vehicles being produced here.

The 12-kilometer long Marina Beach is one of the longest beaches in the world.

Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu

ThiruNageshwara Kovil
Originally uploaded by SPV.

This town was the capital of the Cholas in the 7th century. The name Kumbakonam comes from the Kumba (pot) in which Brahma placed the seeds of creation. It is also called the Temple Town because of the large number of temples situated in and around the town.

Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Tamil Nadu

Udhagamandalam, better known as Ooty, is the most popular hill station in Southern India. The city has a population of 80,000 people and it is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district. Once again, it was the British who constructed the first railway line in the area and made it the summer capital of the Madras Presidency.

The Nilgiri Hills were part of Hoysala empire under King Vishnuvardhana in the 12th century. It then became part of Mysore that was later surrendered to the British by Tipu Sultan.

Erode, Tamilnadu

W A I T I N G.. Erode
Originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

Erode is the turmeric capital of India. Situated at the banks of Cauvery river in Tamilnadu, Erode has a population of about 400,000 people. It is the 8th largest urban population center in the state of Tamilnadu.

Erode district is known for cotton industries, looming and dyeing industries. It is the first city in India to set up an egg processing plant.

Vellore, Tamil Nadu

The Moat
Originally uploaded by Ravages.

Vellore is situated on the banks of Palar River on the site of Vellore Fort. The historical town in the state of Tamil Nadu, has the blend of rich heritage and culture representing the ancient Dravidian civilization.

The Vellore Mutiny of 1806 was one of the earliest upsurges against the British rule in India. In fact the Sepoy Mutiny of 1806 A.D. that broke out inside the Vellore fort against the British authority is considered to be a prelude to the Great Revolt of 1857, which is often described by some historians as the First War of Independence.

Kanykumari (Cape Comorin), Tamil Nadu

Vivekanand Rock, Kanykumari
Originally uploaded by hrishik.

Kanyakumari is probably named after the virgin goddess, Kanya Devi, an avatar of Goddess Parvati. This is also the place where Lord Hanuman dropped 'Siranjeevi' while carrying the herb for wounded Laxman.

Kanyakumari is also called the Alexandria of the east. Islam, Christianity and Jainism have all contributed to the architectural wealth of this place.

Kodaikanal, Tamilnadu

Eye to Eye
Originally uploaded by premasagar.

Kodaikanal is one of the few hill stations in South India. Very serene, amidst the wooded slopes of verdant Pali hills, Kodaikanal has mighty rocks, enchanting waterfalls and a beautiful lake. Situated at 2,000 feet, this hill station is also known for its educational institutions.

On the way to any hill station you are bound to meet the early hosts, on the trees and the side of the road, the monkeys welcome you to your holiday resort.

Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu

Tiruvallur Pond
Originally uploaded by gayathriravichandran.

Tiruvallur is a town in Tamil Nadu State of Southern India. It is well known because of the Veera Raghava Swami temple which is one of the 108 sacred shrines of Vaishnavites. There is a pond nearby this temple, where the tank festival is held. There is a Shiva temple near this shrine which is also quite popular amongst the locals. There is also a 40 feet tall Viswaroopa Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami (Hanuman) Murti.

Viluppuram, Tamil Nadu

viluppuram
Originally uploaded by Srini rules.

Viluppuram is a city in Tamil Nadu state of Southern India. In 1993 it was carved out of the South Arcot District and was renamed as Viluppuram District. This district is listed as the second-most backward district in Tamil Nadu. Viluppuram District has a population of close to 3 million people.

Agartala, Tripura

Agartala FEB 2006 130
Originally uploaded by orricle.

The city of 350,000 people is located on the banks of Haora River in the Eastern State of India. Agartala is the state capital and was founded in 1838 AD by Maharaja Krishna Kishore Manikya.

The main festivals of the city, such as Durga Puja and Saraswati puja, reflect the influence of Bengali culture on the city. There is a growing population of Tripuri people in the city.