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Name: Tamil Nadu
Area: 130,000 sq km
Population: 60 million
Capital city: Chennai (Madras)
Main languages: Tamil
Name: Andhra Pradesh
Area: 277,000 sq km
Population: 65 million
Capital city: Hyderabad
Main languages: Telugu (Urdu in Hyderabad)
Chennai (Madras)The capital of Tamil Nadu and the gateway to the south of India is a pleasant, efficient, rapidly growing port city. It was the site of the East India Company's first settlement in 1639, but today it's more renowned as the cradle of the Tamil film industry and as a major textile manufacturing centre. The locals are zealous guardians of Tamil culture and the most vociferous opponents of attempts to make Hindi the national language.
 Monsoon in Chennai (16K) The city is basically a conglomerate of overgrown villages, but can be divided into two main parts. The older section, George Town, is full of narrow, overcrowded streets lined with shipping and forwarding agents, cheap hotels and restaurants, large office buildings, bazaars and the GPO. The modern section is focused on Mount Rd (Anna Salai), which runs south-west from George Town, and is home to the city's airline offices, theatres, banks, bookshops, craft centres, consulates, tourist offices and top-range hotels and restaurants. As a tourist attraction, Chennai is a bit of a non-event, and most travellers pass through only to conduct business or to make transport connections. Top of the city's modest attractions is Fort St George, which was built by the East India Company in 1653 and now houses the Secretariat and Legislative Assembly and a museum with fascinating memorabilia from the days of the Raj. St Mary's Church, built in 1678-80, was the first British church in India and is the oldest surviving British building in the country. The High Court Building is a monstrous Indo-Saracenic structure dominating George Town - visitors can get an interesting perspective on local culture by sitting in on courtroom sessions. The Kapeleeshwara Temple is an ancient Siva temple with a typical Dravidian gopuram (soaring pyramidal gateway). Believe it or not, the San Thome Cathedral, close to the seafront, is said to house the remains of Thomas the Apostle (Doubting Thomas). The cheapest hotels are in George Town and around Egmore Station. Top-range hotels are located along Mount Rd (Anna Salai). Nightlife is tame, a `hangover' from the days when Tamil Nadu was a dry state. Though prohibition has ended, the gloominess of some bars will certainly make you feel like a reprobate for consuming alcohol.
This spectacular temple city is one of the seven sacred cities of India. It was, successively, capital of the kingdoms of the Pallavas, Cholas and rajas of Vijayanagar. The temples and gopurams they left behind are exquisite reminders of the beauty of Dravidian architecture, from the freshness and simplicity of the Pallavas' 7th-century Kailasanatha Temple through to the Vijayanagar Empire's 16th-century Ekambareshwara Temple. The latter covers nine hectares, has a 59m high gopuram, a 1000-pillared hall and a sacred mango tree said to be 3500 years old. Kanchipuram is also famous for its hand-woven silk fabrics. The best way to see the temples is to hire a bicycle or a cycle-rickshaw driver for the day and have plenty of baksheesh ready for the temple guides, shoe-minders and riff-raff who will relish your arrival.
Coconut vendors, Kanchipuram (14K) This relaxing coastal village some 50km south of Chennai (Madras) is world famous for its romantic shore temples, which have World Heritage listing and are probably the most photographed monuments in India. The village was once the second capital and port of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram, but today it's a favourite travellers' haunt, with an excellent combination of cheap accommodation, mellow restaurants, a passable beach and the fascinating remains of a 1300-year-old Indian kingdom. The temples are refreshingly uncluttered, unlike later grandiose Dravidian architecture, and the sculptures are especially interesting because they depict day-to-day scenes rather than Hindu gods and goddesses. Highlights include Arjuna's Penance, the mythical story of the River Ganges carved in relief on the face of a huge rock; eight mandapams (shallow rock-cut halls) with figure sculptures; the Rathas, architectural prototypes of all Dravidian temples; and the beautiful wind and sea-ravaged shore temples, which represent the final flowering of Pallava art.
Detail from Arjuna's Penance (16K)
Krishna Mandapam (19K)
This restored, attractive former French colony exudes a Mediterranean aura, with its chic streets, whitewashed residences, ornamental gardens and Hotel de Ville. Apart from the charming atmosphere, excellent restaurants and cheap beer, most travellers come to Pondicherry to visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot, Auroville, 10km outside town. The ashram, whose spiritual tenets combine yoga and modern science, is one of the most popular and affluent in India. ThanjavurThis ancient Chola capital is dominated by the enormous gopurams of the 1000-year-old Brihadeshwara Temple, the crowning glory of Chola temple architecture and one of only three monuments in India with World Heritage listing. The 63m high temple has fortified walls, a moat, and a dome constructed of a single piece of granite weighing 81 tonnes, which was hauled into place along a 6km earthwork ramp in a manner similar to that used for the Pyramids. There are Saivite, Vaishnavaite and Buddhist-inspired carvings, recently discovered frescoes and an enormous Nandi (Siva's bull) guarding the inner courtyard. The labyrinthine palace in the Old Town has an excellent art gallery with a superb collection of bronze statues from the 9th and 12th centuries. Many of the towns around Thanjavur have fantastic Chola temples: they include Thirukandiyur (10km), Thiruvaiyaru (13km), Kumbakonam (40km) and Tiruvarur (55km).
Madurai, one of Tamil Nadu's oldest and liveliest cities, has been a centre of learning and devotion for centuries. It's a bustling city of a million people, reminiscent of a giant bazaar, packed with pilgrims, beggars, business-people, bullock carts and legions of under-employed rickshaw-wallahs. Its main attraction is the famous Shree Meenakshi Temple in the heart of the old town, a riotously baroque example of Dravidian architecture with gopurams covered from top to bottom in a breathless profusion of multicoloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The 17th-century temple covers six hectares, and includes nine-storey towers and a hall with 985 columns. The whole complex seethes with activity from dawn till dusk and nothing quite like it exists outside Disneyland.
Kudalagar Temple, Madurai (13K) KodaikanalThe most beautiful of the southern Indian hill stations is on the southern crest of the Palani Hills, 120km north-west of Madurai. It's surrounded by thickly wooded slopes, waterfalls and rocky outcrops, and built on the edge of an artificial landscaped lake. The town has the distinction of being the only hill station in India to be established by Americans - US missionaries established a school for European children here in the mid-1840s. It didn't take long before they were joined by the British, who built nostalgic stone cottages and laid manicured lawns. There are numerous walking tracks, some truly spectacular viewpoints, and the usual sedate boating activities on the lake. April to June or August to October are the best times to visit.
Lively Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, is central India's counterpart to the Moghul splendours of northern Indian cities like Delhi and Agra. It's a little visited metropolis of crowded bazaars and grandiose Islamic monuments, and is famous as the former seat of the outrageously wealthy nizams of Hyderabad. The city straddles the Musi River and is separated from its modern twin, Secunderabad, by the Hussain Sagar (reservoir). Most of Hyderabad's outstanding attractions were built during the Muslim Qutab Shahi dynasty, which ruled from 1543 until 1687 when it was taken over by the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb. The city's primary feature is the Golconda Fort, one of the least visited and most magnificent fortress complexes in India. Located 10km west of the city, it comprises a citadel built on a 120m high granite hill surrounded by crenellated ramparts constructed of large masonry blocks. The fort has massive gates studded with iron spikes to prevent elephants battering them; bizarre acoustics, which are fully utilised by screeching Indian tour guides; and supposedly secret underground passageways. The graceful tombs of the Qutab kings lie just outside the ramparts. Smokers feel an immediate empathy with Charminar, a huge triumphal arch in the centre of the walled city built to commemorate the end of a plague in 1591. It now ironically graces packets of those ever-so-healthy Charminar cigarettes, one of India's most popular brands. The beautiful Mecca Masjid, nearby, is one of the world's largest mosques, though its grandeur has been somewhat undermined by the chicken-wire awnings erected to stop birds nesting in the ceiling and shitting on the floor. Other notable features include the stunning white-marble Hindu temple, Birla Mandir, which graces a rocky hill overlooking the city; the modern 17m high, 350-tonne stone Buddha, which spent two years at the bottom of Hussain Sagar before being salvaged and hoisted onto the dam wall; and the Salar Jang Museum, India's answer to London's Victoria & Albert Museum, which boasts 35,000 eclectic exhibits and is housed in a good contender for the ugliest building in the world. TirukkalikundramThis pilgrimage centre's hilltop temple is famous as the place where two eagles come each day, just before noon, to be fed by a priest. Legend has it that they come from Varanasi and are en route to Rameswaram; prosaic realists say the eagles often don't turn up. Five hundred very steep steps lead to the top of the hill, and it's an interesting climb, if only to see less-fit visitors getting themselves carried up in baskets. The village at the base of the hill surrounds an amazing temple complex with enormous gopurams and makes an interesting 14km detour by bicycle or bus from Mahabalipuram.Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin)Kanyakumari is the `Land's End' of India, where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. During Chaitrapurnima (the Tamil name for the full-moon day that generally falls in April), it's possible to enjoy the unique experience of seeing the sun set and the moon rise over the ocean simultaneously. Kanyakumari is a popular pilgrimage destination, a magnet to trinket sellers, and a popular stopping place for pedantic tourists who want to be able to brag about travelling from one end of India to the other.
This `holy hill' in the south of Andhra Pradesh is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India thanks to the ancient Vaishnavaite temple of Lord Venkateshwara, the god whose picture graces the reception areas of most hotels and restaurants in southern India. He's the one with the covered eyes (because his gaze would scorch the world) and garlanded in so many flowers that only his feet are visible. Lord Venkateshwara is believed to have the power to grant any wish made in front of the idol at Tirumala. This legend guarantees a cool 30,000 pilgrims a day and has made the temple one of the richest in India, with an annual income of some five billion rupees. Despite the number of pilgrims and the fascinating crowds, very few travellers make it to Tirumala - this may be because it's considered auspicious to have your head shaved when visiting the temple.
Tribal women, Andhra Pradesh (21K) This string of 300 richly forested tropical islands lies in the Bay of Bengal between India and Myanmar and stretches almost to the tip of Sumatra. Ethnically, the islands are not part of India and, until fairly recently, they were inhabited only by indigenous tribal people. The majority of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are uninhabited, surrounded by coral reefs, and have white sandy beaches and incredibly clear water. This is an excellent place for snorkelling, scuba diving and lazing on the beach. Indian tourists may roam freely, but foreigners are constrained by a 30-day permit, allowing only limited travel. There are regular flights to Port Blair on South Andaman from Calcutta and Chennai (Madras); permits are issued at the airport on arrival. Infrequent boats from Calcutta and Chennai take four days to reach the islands; permits must be obtained in advance if arriving by boat. to the islands
Jolly Buoy Island, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (12K) Chennai (Madras) has international flights heading to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Frankfurt and London, plus domestic flights to plenty of major Indian cities, including the southern cities of Bangalore in Karnataka, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and to Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. There's also a twice weekly flight between Trichy and Colombo. The Chennai railway station is very efficient and has connections to all major Indian cities. By train, it takes 40 hours to reach Delhi, 27 hours to reach Calcutta and 24 hours to Mumbai (Bombay). State and private bus companies run daily super deluxe video buses between Tamil Nadu's main cities; prices are similar but the private buses are far more comfortable. There are flights between Hyderabad and most major Indian cities. Trains originating in Hyderabad depart from Hyderabad railway station; through trains stop at Secunderabad station just to the north. Trains to Delhi take 33 hours, Calcutta 32 hours and Bangalore 17 hours. There's the usual range of rickety and `deluxe' bus services between towns in Andhra Pradesh. Getting on a city bus in Hyderabad has been likened to `staging a banzai charge on Guadalcanal'.
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Facts at a Glance
Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Getting There & Getting Around
Lonely Planet Guides
On-line Info
