2019 – Posted in: STATE SERIES

TAMIL NADU

Introduction

Tamil Nadu was one of the first British settlements in India. The State is the successor to the old Madras Presidency, which covered the bulk of the southern peninsula in 1901. The composite Madras State was later reorganized, and the present Tamil Nadu was formed.

Tamil Nadu is bounded on the north by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, on the west by Kerala, on the east by the Bay of Bengal, and on the south by the Indian Ocean.

Background

At the end of the 11th century, Tamil Nadu was ruled by several dynasties like the Chalukyas, Cholas, and Pandyas.
Muslims gradually strengthened their position, which led to the establishment of the Bahamani Sultanate, by the middle of the 14th century. At the same time, the Vijayanagar Kingdom quickly consolidated itself and extended its sway over the whole of South India, and at the close of the century, Vijayanagar became the supreme power in South.
The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the English came in quick succession and established trading centers known as ‘Factories’. East India Company, which had established its factory at Masulipatnam (now in Andhra Pradesh) in 1611, gradually annexed territories by encouraging enmity among the native rulers.

Capital	Chennai
State borders with	Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry
No. of Districts	32
Date of Formation	26 January 1950
Language	Tamil, English
State Animal	Nilgiri tahr
State Bird	Emerald dove
State Tree	Palmera Palm
State Flower	Gloriosa Lily
Food Crops	Paddy, Millets, Pulses
Commercial Crops	Sugarcane, Cotton, Sunflower, Coconut, Cashew, Chillies, Gingelly, Groundnut
Plantation Crops	Tea, Coffee, Cardamom, Rubber
Forest Produces	Timber, Sandalwood, Pulp wood, Fuel wood
Industries	Cotton, Heavy Commercial vehicles, auto components, railway coaches, power pumps, leather tanning industries, cement, sugar, paper, automobiles, safety matches
Knowledge-based industries	IT, Biotechnology
Minerals	Granite, Lignite, Limestone
Irrigation system	Tank irrigation system, River basin
Irrigation Scheme	Periyar Vaigai System, Palar Basin System and Parambikulam-Aliyar System
Rivers	Cheyyar, Cauvery, Meyar, Ponnaiyar, Chittar, Tamraparani, Bhavani
Lakes	Ooty lake, Red hills lake, Kaliveli lake, Chembarambakkam lake, Sholavaram lake
Dams	Bhavanisagar reservoir, Vaigai dam, Amaravathi Dam, Stanley reservoir, Aliyar reservoir
Ports	Chennai, Tuticorin, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam
Festivals	Pongal (harvest festival), Chithirai festival, Adipperukku, Mamallapuram, Natyanjali dance festival, Mahamagam festival, Kanthuri festival, Velankanni festival, Navarathiri, Karthigal Deepam.
Dances	Bharatha Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Odissi
Temples	Brihadeeshwara, Ramanathaswamy, Kapaleesawarar, Meenakshi Amman, Nataraja
Wildlife sanctuaries	Grizzled Squirrel Wild Life Sanctuary (Srivilliputhar) Point Calimere (Bird Sanctuary)
National Parks	Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Mudumali National park & Tiger reserve, Guindy National Park, Mukurthi National Park
Tiger Reserve	Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve
Biosphere Reserve	Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve – 1^st BR of India, Agasthyamalai
UNESCO world heritage Sites	Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Nilgiri Mountain Railways
Tribes	Irulas, Kotas, Kaniyan, Kotas, Kanikkaran, Badagas, Koraga, Todas
Institutions	Central leather research institute Indira Gandhi centre for atomic research Sugarcane breeding institute Animal welfare board of India Institute of forest genetics and tree breeding Salim Ali centre for ornithology and natural history National Institute of ocean technology Integrated coastal and marine area management Integral coach factory
Art & Crafts	Tanjore style of painting; Kanchipuram silk; Toda women embroider geometrical patterns on shawl, called poothkuli

Tourist centres

Chennai, Mamallapuram, Poompuhar, Kancheepuram, Kumbakonam, Dharasuram, Chidambaram, Tiruvannamalai, Srirangam, Madurai, Rameswaram, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Thanjavur, Velankanni, Nagoor, Chithannavasal, Kazhugumalai (monument centres), Courtallam, Hogenakkal, Papanasam, Suruli (water-falls), Ooty (Udhagamandalam), Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Elagiri Kolli Hills (hill stations), Guindy (Chennai), Mudumalai, Annamalai, Mundanthurai, Kalakad (wild life sanctuaries), Vedanthangal and Point Calimere (bird sanctuaries), Arignar Anna Zoological Park, near Chennai, are some of the places of tourist interest.

Pongal

Pongal is the harvest festival celebrated by the farmers in January to worship the sun, the earth and the cattle as thanks giving for a bounteous harvest. Pongal festival is followed by the Jallikattu-Bull fight, in some parts of southern Tamil Nadu. Alanganallur in Tamil Nadu is internationally famous for Jallikattu – Bull fight.

Facts

Name Tamil Nadu came from Tamil language, first Indian classical language.
The state is an important exporter of tanned skin and leather goods, yarn, tea, coffee, spices, engineering goods, tobacco, handicrafts and black granite.
Tamil Nadu contributes to 60 per cent of the tannery industry in India.
Kanyakumari is the southernmost tip of Indian Peninsula and meeting point of Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean
Tamil Nadu ranks first in Angiosperm diversity in Indian State.
Mamallapuram is a group of rock cut monuments and temples carved between 7th and 8th centuries AD in Mahabalipuram.
The magnificent Meenakshi temple at Madurai was built by the Pandyas.

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