ABOUT TAMIL NADU

About Tamil Nadu

Tamil NaduTamil Nadu, formerly known as Madras State, is located in the south eastern side of Indian peninsula with Kanyakumari as the southernmost tip of the land. This tip is the meeting point of Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian sea. Tamil Nadu has a long eastern coastline dotted with enchanting beaches with Bay of Bengal in the east. Arabian sea and the states of Kerala and Karnataka form the boundary in the west. The state is bounded in the north by the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It spans an area of about 130,058 km² and the population of the state is over 62,110,839. The state is watered by several perennial rain fed rivers and the 760 kilometre long Cauvery travels the entire breadth of the state. The state language is Tamil and the main religions in the state are Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Jainism. With forested slopes of the majestic hills of the Western Ghats, profuse incense of the towering temples and gopurams, vibrant festivals of music and dance, shimmering silk fabrics of brilliant colours, and an endless array of silver lined beaches, Tamil Nadu also boasts of being the land of Dravidian culture and tradition

HISTORY OF TAMIL NADU

History of Tamil Nadu
The history of the Tamils presents an exciting pageant of a powerful civilization whose origin dates back to ancient times. Tamils belong to the Dravidian race and were the first major occupants of the country and settled in the north-western part of India long before the coming of the Indo-Aryans. Excavations have revealed that the features of the people of the Indus Valley Civilization bore a strong resemblance to this race. Later with the advent of the Aryans, the Dravidians were pushed back into the deep south where they ultimately settled.
The Sangam literature is the basis of Tamil History, culture and organisations from the 3rd century AD. The Cholas , the Pallavas, the Pandyas and the Cheras had their influence on Tamil Nadu and established their kingdoms. The Pallavas established their reign at Kanchipuram in about the 4th century Ad. They held power over the land of the Tamils from 6th and 9th centuries. At the end of the 9th century the Cholas established themselves they extended their empire and established contacts in South East Asia.
In the 13 the century the Pandyas dominated. The establishment of the Vijayanagar empire brought the downfall of the Pandyas. This empire ruled till the 16th century preserving and promoting Hindu culture. The Muslim powers influenced this region politically. The Marathas also influenced Madurai and Thanjavur till the advent of the English who wrested power from the French. During the 17th and the 18th centuries, conflicts between the trading companies of Europe arose for control of the major parts in the east. The British managed to control this region in the 19th century. This region was under the domain of the East India Company and continued till independence after which the state of Tamil Nadu was formed. The region under the jurisdiction of the Madras Presidency formed into a single unit and named Tamil Nadu in 1969.

HISTORY OF TAMIL LANGUAGE

History of Tamil Language
Tamil language spoken by tamilians, inhabitants of Tamil Nadu. Tamil is the mother tongue of more than 60 million people who live in the state of Tamil Nadu, which lies in the southeastern corner of the Indian subcontinent. It is also spoken by another 30 million Tamils who have emigrated to and have settled in countries like Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, Fuji, South Africa, Australia, UK, Canada, USA, etc. Tamil is one of the oldest languages of the world. It belongs to the family of the Dravidian languages and is considered to be the source for other Dravidian languages. In addition to its antiquity, it is also rich in its literature. Some of the oldest Tamil literary works much predate the Christian era by at least three centuries. According to Prof. George Hart, University of California, Berkeley, a well-known Tamil Scholar, "The quality of Tamil literature is such that it is fit to stand beside the great literatures of Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Persian and Arabic. The subtlety and profundity of its works, varied scope and universality qualify Tamil to stand as one of the great classical traditions of the world." Tamil language has the special claim of being at once classical and vigorous like the modern Indian languages. Its history can be traced back to the age of Tolkappiyam the earliest extant Tamil grammar generally to 500 B.C. Among the Dravidian language it is least influenced be 'sanskrit' though there is a certain degree of influence.
The earliest extant literature of the Tamils is called Sangam literature and it is dated between 500 BC. and 200 A.D. Though a considerable part of the early poetry has been lost, some of the bards and patrons decided to preserve apart of it in certain anthologies (about 4th century A.D.). These are the Ten Idylls (Pattuppattu) and the Eight Anthologies (Ettuttohai). Four hundred and seventy three poets, of whom thirty are women, have been identified. These are mainly classified into two. Akam or esoteric dealing with love and Puram or exoteric dealing with war.
In this period, Tamil literature was considerably bound by literary conventions. The poets were keen on keeping up the tradition. The land was treated as five regions viz. mountains, forests, fields, coasts and deserts and the theme of love in five aspects viz. union, patience, sulking, wailing and separation. The poet dealing with a certain aspect of love restricted himself to a particular region, season, hour, flora and fauna. These literary conventions are explained in Tolkappiyam.
Purananuru is 400 verses on Puram themes. It serves as a window on the Tamil people 2000 years ago. Agananuru is 400 poems on love themes. The length of these poems varies from 13 to 37 lines. There are other collections like Natrinai, Kuruntogai, Ain-kurunuru, Paripadal, etc., which are quite well known.
Thiruvalluvar's Thirukkural is acclaimed to be the greatest Tamil classic. It expresses the most profound thoughts on the many problems of life. Each verse is a couplet composed with great economy of words. The book is divided into 133 chapters each containing 10 verses. The chapters are arranged in three books dealing with virtue, wealth and pleasure. It is one of the greatest and most succinct books ever written, by popular and critical opinion.
Round about the 3rd century A.D., Tamil produced two epics Silappadhikaram and Manimekhalai. The author of Silappadhikaram was the son of a Chera King Ilango Adikal. The title means the "Story of the Anklet" and the epic describes the moving story of Kannagi.
Manimekhalai is the daughter of Madhavi and Kovalan, the hero of Silappadhikaram. Kamba Ramayanam is an immortal classic in Tamil. Though Kambar based his work on the Sanskrit Ramayana of Valmiki, his rendering shows that he was a supreme artist. It is different in plot, in construction and in the delineation of character. Kambaramayanam runs to 10,368 verses.
Tamil is rich in devotional literature Nayanmars are the exponents of Saivism and Alwars that of Vaishnavism. Thiru Gnanasambandar, Thirunanukkarasar, Sundarar and Manikkavacakar are the four great Nayanmars. The great Alwars are 12 in number. Kulasekhara Alwar and Andal are specially remembered. There are 5 major kavyams and 5 minor kavyams in Tamil.
Coming to the period between 13th & 18th centuries, The Muslim and Christian impact on Tamil literature. Umaruppulavar has composed a long poem of 5000 verses Seerapuraanam on the life of prophet Muhammed. The Christian influence began with the Portuguese and continued with the Danes, the Dutch, the French and the British. Beschi, Caldwell and Winslow have made significant contributions to Tamil. The Italian priest Beschi (1680-1747) composed the magnificent poetical work Tembavani (The Insatiable Beauty) on the life of St.Joseph.
Twentieth century has produced many talented men of letters in various fields, Poetry, Prose, Drama, Novel, Biography, Short Story etc. Dr. Swaminatha Iyer unearthed many literary works and edited them. Swami Vedachalam, Thiru V.Kalyanasundera Mudaliar and V. O.Chidambaram Pillai are great writers of the modern period. However, the greatest poet of modern Tamil is Subramania Bharati whose patriotic poems have inspired thousands of readers in his time. Personal freedom, national liberty and the fundamental equality of all men find eloquent expression in his verses.Madhavayya, MRM Abdul Raheem, Kupa, Rajagopalan, Kaviko Abdul Rahman, Kalki Krishnamoorthy, Kavingar Vaira Muthu and Manavai Mustafa have contributed much to the field of Tamil fiction. These writers along with Bharati ushered in the new epoch of renaissance in Tamil literature

THIRUKKURAL

Thirukkural

Courtesy: www.thirukkural2005.org
What others say about Thirukkural

“There hardly exists in the literature of the world a collection of maxims in which we find such lofty wisdom as in Thirukkural”
- Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Laureate
“Thirukkural is a contribution of the Tamil creative genius to the world cultural treasure and should be familiar to the whole world and admired and beloved by all in the same way as the poems of Homer, the dramas of Shakespeare, the pictures of Rembrandt, the cathedrals of France and the sculptures of Greece”
- Prof. Kamil Zevelebil, Tamil scholar
“The Kural is an integral painting of a civilization which is harmonious in itself and which possesses a clearly recognizable unity."
- Dr. G. U. Pope, Christian Missionary and Translator of Thirukkural in English
“Humility, charity and forgiveness of injuries are not described by Aristotle. Now these three are everywhere forcibly inculcated by this Tamil Moralist – Thiruvalluvar.”
- Sir A. Grant, British Scholar and Politician
“Thiruvalluvar’s Kural is one of the gems of the world literature. He stands above all races, castes, and sects, and what he teaches is a general human morality and wisdom. No wonder, that the Kural has been read, studied and highly praised in the land of its origin for centuries, but also found many admirers in the west, ever since it has become known.”
- Professor M. Winternitz, Germany
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A beautiful flash presentations about Thirukkural
Truth
Wisdom
Self Control
In Praise Of God
Restrain The Tongue
Listening To The Wise
Agni Siragugal - Wings of Fire
Greetings
Please visit the following site www.ildc.gov.in to download the Tamil fonts.

Tamil Font conversion website sarma.co.in/FConversion

TAMIL NADU GEOGRAPHY

Tamil Nadu Geography
Traditionally, the land of Tamils has been divided into 5 major physiographic divisions - the Kurinji or mountainous region, the Mullai or forest region, the Palai or arid region, the Marudham or the fertile plains and the Neidhal or coastal region. (Interactive map of Tamil Nadu)
The Eastern and Western ghats meet in Tamil nadu and run along its eastern and western borders. All of Tamil Nadu's famous hill stations, i.e Udhagamandalam, Kodaikanal, Kothagiri and Yercaud are situated in this region. The 25km wide Palakkad gap and Shencottah gap are the only breaks into the long chain of hills that border western Tamil Nadu. Contrasting with the low rocky hills of the Eastern ghats, the hills of the Western ghats have dense forests. This area receives abundant rainfall and the scenic valleys of Cumbum and Pollachi are dotted with plantations of tea, coffee and spices. However, the upper reaches of the Eastern ghats are not without their share of beauty and Yercaud in the Shevaroy hills is famous for its fruit orchards and banana and coffee plantations. Cinchona from which quinine - a drug for treating malaria - is extracted, and eucalyptus grow abundantly in the Nilgiris. Forests of medicinal herbs are found in Palani hills and Courtallam. Palmyrah trees grow by the thousands in Tirunelveli and its products are used as raw materials for several cottage industries. Rubber is the main plantation crop in Kanniyakumari and the more exotic sandalwood grows, though not in very large numbers, in the Javadhu hills of Vellore district. The perennial river of the state is the Cauveri which originates in Coorg in the neighbouring Karnataka.
The fertile Coromandel plains are irrigated by the Cauvery and its delta in Thanjavur - Nagapattinam region is known as the granary of Tamil Nadu. The other rivers in the state are the Palar, Pennar, Vaigai and Tamiraparani. The arid, desert-like land in the state is confined to a small area in Tirunelveli district and is known as the Palai. The coastal Tamil Nadu comprises the Coromandel coast which has its northern half and the Fisheries coast which is the southern half. Mylapore, Poompuhar and Mamallapuram were the famous ancient ports on the Coromandel from where merchant ships sailed to Rome, Greece and the far east.
There are mangrove forests at Pichavaram and prominent bird sanctuaries at Pulicat Lake and Vedanthangal, though the latter is not on the coast itself. Once famous for its pearls, the Fisheries coast is a major tourist attraction since it has some of the most important pilgrim centers in India.

TAMIL NADU TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Tamil Nadu Tourist Attractions

The Tanjavore Palace
The Palace, adjacent to the temple is a vast structure of fine masonry, built partly by the Nayaks around 1550 AD, and partly by the Marathas. Ramanathapuram
The district headquarters and an ancient town, Ramanathapuram, is worth visiting for its Ram Vilas Palace. This palace of the Sethupati Rajas, houses oil portraits of the Rajas, of the past centuries. Ceilings and walls are decorated with early eigteenth century murals, depicting subjects such as business meetings with the English, and battles with the Maratha Sarabhoji, as well as scenes from epics.
Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal, a charming and beautiful hill station, stands amidst sylvan beauty on the southern crest of the upper Palani Hills near Madurai in Tamil Nadu. It is located 120 kms away from Madurai. It is at an altitude of 2133m on the southern tip of the upper Palani hills in the Western ghats. Kodaikkanal has a bracing climate where temperature do not vary much from summer to winter. Fruits like plums and plantains grow abundantly on the wooded slopes apart from a wide variety of flowers, among which is the famous Kurinji flower which blooms once in twelve years. Kodai's most enchanting sights include the star shaped lake, spread over an area of 24 hectares where fishing allowed and boating facilities are available; one of the world's oldest Solar Observatories that was built in 1899; and the Orchidorium at the Sacred Heart College where about 300 species of orchids can be seen. There are also a number of picturesque walks like Coaker's Walk and Priest's Walk. Kodai's best view points are Pillar Rocks, and Green Valley View. Bear Shola Falls, Silver Cascade, Fairy Falls and Glen Falls are popular with picnickers while the Perumal Peak is a favourite with trekkers. The Kurinji Andavar temple 3.2 kms away is dedicated to Lord Subramanya.Ooty
Ootacamund, the queen of the hill stations of South India, is situated in the Nilgiris at an altitude of 2240 metres. Ooty is nited for its extraordinary scenic beauty and salubrious climate amidst the "Nilgiris" or "Blue Mountains".green Udhagamandalam better known as Ooty is the most popular hill station in the South. Udhagamandalam is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district where the two ghats meet. Nature has been generous with this region which is by far the most beautiful in the state. Apart from coffee and tea plantations, trees like conifers, eucalyptus, pine and wattle dot the hillside in Udhagamandalam and its environs. Summer temperature is rarely higher than 25°c with a minimum of 10°c and winter is are distinctly cooler with a high of 21°c and a low 5°c.Chennai Fort St. George
It is located on the seashore near the harbour, Fort St. George was built for the East India Co. in 1640 AD. The first bastion of British power in India, it once housed the British Regiments'mess and later the lighthouse. Today it houses the Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly and Council as well as the offices of the State's Secretariat. Fort St. George's towering flagstaff is, even today, the tallest in India. The black charnockite pillars of the building provide an insight into British military architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries. Glimpses of early Chennai are preserved in Clive Corner, Wellesley House, Fort Museum and St. Mary's Church. Udayagiri Fort
Built by King Marthanda Varma (1729-1758AD) in Kanyakumari, this fort also has a foundry for casting guns. De Lennoy's tomb is located within this fort. Genji
It is located on the Tindivanam - Thiruvannamalai road about 25 kms. from Tindivanam and is about 132 kms. from Chidambaram. This place is associated with Raja Desingh. There is a 700 year old fort running over three hills of huge and steep boulders. According to tradition the original fort was laid by Kone Chiefs. The fort was ruled by Vijayanagar Nayaks, Marathas, Moghuls, Carnatic Nawabs, the French and the British. Rajagiri and Krishnagiri are two important fortifications here and it is a popular picnic spot. Tarangambadi
Once the site of a Danish settlement in Chidambaram, Tarangambadi has the remains of the Dansborg fort built by Ore Gedde, the commander of the Royal Dutch Navy, in the 17th century. The fort constructed in 1620 with two storeys was the most important building which housed the top echelons of the Danish officials. Apart from the ramparts, the rest of the buildings are in good condition.
Little Mount Shrine
Little Mount Shrine in Chennai is the place where St. Thomas is said to have lived and preached in a small cave. Tanjore Brihadeeshwara Temple
The beautiful Chola Temple of Brihadeeshwara is capped by a monolithic cupola made of a single granite block weighing 80 tons which was taken to the top with the help of a 6 km long ramp, an old technique used by the Egyptians for building pyramids. Its bronzes and handicrafts make Tanjore one of the highlights of a visit to South India. Shree Meenakshi Temple
This temple in Madurai is dedicated to the consort of Lord Shiva with its towering gopurams (rising high above the surrounding country side). Every day, the Meenakshi Temple attracts pilgrims in thousands, from all over India. The temple is named after the daughter of a Pandyan king who, according to legend, was born with three breasts. At the time of the birth, the king was told that the extra breast would disappear, when she met the man she was supposed to marry, and this happened when she met Lord Shiva on Mount Kailas. Shiva arrived in Madurai, later, in the form of Lord Sundereshwara, and married her. The Meenakshi temple is an excellent example of Dravidian architecture, with gopurams or multi pillared halls, covered from top to bottom, in a profusion of multicoloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The temple occupies an area of around six hectares, and has four entrances to it.
Nataraja Temple
Chidambaram was a Chola capital from 907 to 1310 and the Nataraja Temple was erected during the reign of Vira Chola Raja (927-997). The complex is said to be the oldest in southern India. It covers 13 hectares and has four gopurams, the north and south ones towering at 49m high. Two of the gopurams are carved with the 108 classical postures of Nataraja, Siva in his role as the cosmic dancer.Other notable features of the temple are the 1000-pillared hall, the Nritta Sabha court carved out like a gigantic chariot, and the image of Nataraja himself in the inner sanctum. There are other temples in the complex, including those dedicated to Parvati, Subrahmanya and Ganesh, and a newer Vishnu temple.
Marudhamalai Temple
Dedicated to Lord Subramanya, this hilltop temple at Coimbatore is one of the most visited temples in the region, the reason being that the residing deity Dandayuthapani is believed to have performed several miracles here. Thai Poosam and Tirukarthigai festivals are celebrated with great pomp and gaiety at this temple. Marudhamalai is 12 kms from the Railway Station. Thirumoorthy Temple
It is situated at the foot of Thirumoorthy Hills adjoining the Thirumoorthy Dam. This is about 20 kms. from Udumalpet on the Highway from Palani to Coimbatore. A perennial stream flows by the side of the Sri Amalingeswarar temple and nearby there is a waterfalls. The Crocodile Farm at Amaravathi Dam is just 25 kms. from here. This place is being developed as a District Excursion Centre. Regular buses are available from Udumalpet. Perur Temple
This Temple is 7 kms from Coimbatore Railway Station and was constructed by Karikal Cholan over 1500 years ago. There are shrines to the presiding deity Patteeswarar and his consort Pachainayaki and some elegantly carved sculptures in the Kanagasabai hall. Devotees flock to this temple in hundreds during the Panguni Uthiram festival which is celebrated in March every year.Bhavani
The Sangameshwarar temple at Bhavani is situated at the confluence of the rivers Bhavani and the Cauvery. This place is called as "Tiruveni of South India". It is an important pilgrim centre. Lord Sangameshwarer with His consort Vedanayaki is the presiding deity. It is said that during the East India Company regime the then Collector of Coimbatore and Salem Districts, William Garrow, who had his headquarters at Bhavani, worshipped the Goddess Vedanayaki. One night the Goddess directed him in his dream to vacate his bungalow immediately. The moment he vacated, the entire bungalow collapsed. In reverence of this miracle, he presented to the temple an ivory cradle which is still in the temple with his signature.Kodumudi
It is 40 kms. from Erode and 105 kms. from Coimbatore. A special feature of this place is that shrines for Siva, Vishnu and Brahma are located in one temple complex. Siva is known as Muchukundeswarar, Vishnu as Veera Narayana Perumal. The temple is one of the important temples in Periyar district Koodal Azhagar Temple
Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, this is one of the most ancient temples in Madurai. The temple displays the God in a variety of postures - sitting, standing, reclining. Sakkiswarar Temple
Built by the Cholas, this temple is located near the Kamakshi Amman Temple in Kanchipuram.Vaikuntha Perumal Temple
An important Vishnu temple built by the Pallava King Nandivarman Pallavamalla, in the 7th century AD in Kanchipuram. Numerous inscriptions are found in the temple, relating to the wars between the Pallavas and the Chalukyas.Kailasanatha Temple
Built by Rajasimha and his son Mahendra the 3rd, in the 8th century AD at Kanchipuram.Ekambareswarar Temple
Another ancient temple at Kanchipuram, renovated by the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Vijayanagar kings. The 57 metre high Rajagopuram, is one of the tallest towers in South India.Devarajaswamy Temple
Also known as Varadarajar temple, it is a massive and impressive edifice at Kanchipuram. The shrine of Devarajaswamy is located on an elephant-shaped rock called Hastagiri.Kamakshi Amman Temple
This is one of the three holy places of Shakti worship in Kanchipuram. The other two are in Madurai and Varanasi. The temple in its present form was built by the Cholas, during the 14th century AD.Tiruvanaikkaval
The Jambukeshwara temple, here, is dedicated to Shiva, and it houses five concentric walls, and seven gopurams. Legend has it, that an elephant once worshipped the Lord, under the holy Jambu tree, hence the name Jambukeshwara. The principal deity is the Shiva lingam, almost submerged in water, which flows from the subterranean spring, in the sanctum sanctorum. Rock Fort Temple
This temple crowns a massive outcrop of rock, that soars 83 metres upwards, from the surrounding plains. It is reached by a steep flight of 437 steps, cut into the rock. Halfway up is the Sri Thayumanaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has a 100-pillared hall, and a Vimana, covered with gold. On the southern face of the rock, are several beautifully carved, rock-cut cave temples, of the Pallava period. Non - Hindus are not allowed into the sanctum sanctorum, at the summit. Built by the Nayaks, who were the founders of the city, it was one of the main centres, around which, the wars of the Carnatic were fought in the 18th century, during the British - French struggle for supremacy in India.Srirangam (Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple)
This temple, 6 kms north of the city, is among the most revered shrines to Lord Vishnu in South India, and probably, the largest temple complex in India. Enclosed by seven rectangular walled courtyards, this 13th century temple has 21 gopurams. The town, and the temple, are set on a 250-hectare island in the Cauvery, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The temple is very well preserved, with excellent carvings, and numerous shrines to various gods, though the main temple is dedicated to Vishnu. Ramanathaswamy Temple
Close to the sea, on the eastern side of the island, is this 17th century temple, renowned for its magnificent pillar corridor, running to a length of 1200 metres, and flanked by ornate pillars. This is the longest corridor in India. Construction of the temple began, in the 12th century AD, and additions were made to the building, over the succeeding centuries by various rulers, and, today, its gopuram is 53.6 metres high. There are 22 sacred wells in the temple, the water of each tasting different from the others. Agnitheertham
Located in Rameshwaram, 100 metres away from the temple. Here Rama worshipped Lord Shiva, to cleanse away the sin of killing Ravana. Gandamadana Parvatham
Situated on the highest point in the island, 2 km north of Rameswaram town centre, is the venerable shrine, housing the imprint of Lord Rama's feet placed on a chakra.Dhanushkodi
Dhanushkodi, at the eastern end of the island, is located 8 kms away from Rameswaram. This is the place where Rama is said to have bathed, and the boulders that pepper the sea between here and Srilanka, known as Adam's bridge, were the stepping stones used by Hanuman to find Rama's wife Sita, after she was abducted by Ravana, the King of Lanka. Dhanushkodi was completely washed away by the sea, in the 1964 cyclone. The only surviving relic of the past is the Kothandaramaswamy temple, which still contains the icons of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman and Vibhishana. Legend states that Vibhishana, brother of Ravana, surrendered to Rama at this spot. Tirupullani
Also known as Dharbasayanam, the Vishnu temple at Tirupullani, is dedicated to Lord Adi Jagannatha Perumal.Uthirakosamangai
The site is famous for the Shiva temple, the deity of which is carved in emerald. The annual 'Arudhra' festival in December, attracts a large number of tourists. Erwadi
An important site for Muslim pilgrims, Erwadi houses the tomb of Ibrahim Sahid Aulia. The annual festival in honour of this saint, takes place in December.Rathas
These are architectural prototypes of all Dravidian temples at Mamallapuram, showcasing the imposing gopurams and vimanas, multi-pillared halls and sculptured walls, which dominate the landscape of Tamil Nadu. The rathas are named after the Pandavas, the heroes of the Mahabharata epic. Although they are widely known as "Five Rathas", there are actually eight of them. Shore Temples
The shore temples at Mamallapuram were built in the 7th century, during the reign of Rajasimha, and depict the final phase of Pallava art. These beautiful temples, ravaged by wind and sea, were given the World Heritage listing, a few years ago. The two spires of the temples, contain a shrine for Lord Vishnu and for Lord Shiva. The Mahabalipuram dance festival is held every year from January 15 to February 15. During this period, dances from all over the country are staged here, including Kathakali from Kerala, Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh as well as tribal dances, puppet shows and classical and traditional music concerts.Vellamalai
The temple of Vellamalai is 25 km from Vellore. The main temple is dedicated to Shiva's son Lord Murugan. It is carved from massive stone. The main temple is at top of hill and there is another temple at the bottom of hill. Shoes must be removed at the base of hill. There's a good view of the countryside around Vellamalai-the ground is stony and strewn with boulders. the cloth knots tied to trees are prayers that wishes be granted.