Madurai
Madurai is one of the oldest cities of India,
with a history dating all the way back to the Sangam period of the pre
Christian era. The glory of Madurai returned in a diminished form in the
earlier part of this millennium; it later on came under the rule of the
Vijayanagar kingdom after its ransack by the ravaging armies of Delhi (Malik
Kafur). During the 16th and 18th centuries, Madurai was ruled by the Nayak
Emperors, the foremost of whom was Tirumalai Nayakar. The Sangam period poetNakkeerar is associated with some of the Tiruvilayaadal episodes of
Sundareswarar - that are enacted as a part of temple festival traditions even
today.
The Sangam age or the Golden age of Tamil
literature – produced masterpieces way back in the Pre christian era and in
early 1st millennium . Madurai was the seat of the Tamil Sangam or Academy of
learning. The entire city of Madurai, is built around the Meenakshi
Sundareswarar Temple – the temple par excellence. Concentric rectangular
streets surround the temple, symbolizing the structure of the cosmos.
As early as the 3rd century BC, Megasthanes
visited Madurai. Later many people from Rome and Greece visited Madurai and
established trade with the Pandya kings. Madurai flourished till 10th century
AD when it was captured by Cholas the arch rivals of the Pandyas.
The Cholas ruled Madurai from 920 AD till the
beginning of the 13th century. In 1223 AD Pandyas regained their kingdom and
once again become prosperous. Pandian Kings patronised Tamil language in a
great way. During their period, many master-pieces were created.
"Silapathikaram", the great epic in Tamil was written based on the
story of Kannagi who burnt Madurai as a result of the injustice caused to her
husband Kovalan. In April 1311, Malik Kafur, the general of Alauddin Khilji who
was then the ruler of Delhi, reached Madurai and raided and robbed the city for
precious stones, jewels, and other rare treasures. This led to the subsequent
raids by other Muslim Sultans. In 1323, the Pandya kingdom including Madurai
became a province of the Delhi empire, under the Tughlaks.
The 1371, the Vijayanagar dynasty of Hampi
captured Madurai and it became part of the Vijayanagar empire. Kings of this
dynasty were in habit of leaving the captured land to governors called Nayaks.
This was done for the efficient management of their empire. The Nayaks paid
fixed amount annually to the Vijayanagar empire. After the death of Krishna
Deva Raya (King of Vijayanagar empire) in 1530 AD, the Nayaks became
independent and ruled the territories under their control. Among Nayaks,
Thirumalai Nayak (1623-1659) was very popular, even now he is popular among
people, since, it was he who contributed to the creation of many magnificent
structures in and around Madurai. The Raja Gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman
Temple, The Pudu Mandapam and The Thirumalai Nayakar's Palace are living
monuments to his artistic fervor.
Madurai started slipping into the hands of
the British's East India Company. In 1781, British appointed their
representatives to look after Madurai. George Procter was the first collectorof Madurai.
Now after India's independence, Madurai is
one of the major districts of Tamilnadu State. Later on Madurai district was
bifurcated into two districts namely Madurai and Dindugul Districts. In Madurai
District, there are 15 State Assembly constituencies and two parliament
constituencies.
The history of Madurai will not be complete
without mentioning the name of RaniMangammal, the woman of great skill and
sagacity. History does not provide many instances of ruling queens in Tamil
Nadu. Though it was considered that women were not suited to succeed the throne
of a kingdom, Rani Mangammmal, however shines in almost solitary eminence as an
able and powerful ruler in Tamil Nadu.
Madurai is famous for its temples.The
Aappudaiyaar Koyil Tevara Stalam and the Koodalazhagar Divya Desam are the most
important temples one should rarely miss to go. In the vicinity of Madurai is
Tirupparamkunram, one of the 6 padai veedu shrines of Murugan (glorified in
Madurai Sangam Nakeerar’s Tirumurugaatruppadai). Also in the vicinity of
Madurai is Alagar Koyil, one of the prominent Divya Desam shrines of the Sri
Vaishnavite faith.
Ooty
Ooty, is also known as
"Udhagamandalam". It’s been rightly titled as the as Queen of Hills.
Ooty, the headquarters of The Nilgiris district is one of the famous hill
stations in India. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above mean sea
level.
The word Nilgiris means Blue Mountains. It is a land of picturesque picnic
spots and had been a popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during
the colonial days. There are plenty of interesting tourist spots like Botanical
Gardens, Lakes, Boat houses, water falls, shooting spots, Wildlife Sanctuary,
Tea estates and many more.
Chennai
Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, is
located at the North east of the state. Apart from being a major district, this
metropolis also serves as the gateway of South India. General information about
Chennai reveals that of late, the city of Chennai has developed as one of the
cosmopolitan cities in India that plays an important part in the cultural,
intellectual and historical growth of India.
Representing the Dravidian Civilization, the interesting city of Chennai
upholds the music, drama, dance, architecture, arts and crafts and sculpture
etc of India. Chennai was mainly the result of the historical accident and the
strategic necessity. Symbolizing the rise of the British during the 17th
century, in the South of India through the creation and consolidation of the
famous East India Company, Chennai was established by the British. The city
then acted as the naval base and trading centre for the British. By the end of
the 20th century the city had already developed as a major administrative
centre.
Chennai besides acting as the cultural and educational hub of South India has
also been the cradle of several historic movements. Today it is a leading city
in terms of trade and commerce. The Chennai economy has a huge industrial base
in technology, cars, manufacturing, hardware and health industry. The revenue
and the employment sectors of the city are very advanced.
Chennai is a culturally developed city replete with centres of Carnatic Music
and cultural events. Apart from the vibrant theatre life scene Chennai also has
a popular film industry with numerous studios involved in the making of Tamil,
Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, and Hindi movies which popular all across India.
Trichy
Tiruchirappalli, situated on the banks of the
river Cauvery is the fourth largest city in Tamil Nadu. It was a citadel of the
early Cholas which later fell to the Pallavas. Trichy is a fine blend of
tradition and modernity built around the Rock Fort. Apart from the Fort, there
are several Churches, Colleges and Missions dating back to the 1760s. The town
and its fort, now in Trichy were built by the Nayaks of Madurai. This city has
given great Tamil scholars whose contributions to the Tamil literature have
been very significant.
The most famous land mark of this bustling
town is the Rockfort Temple, a spectacular monument perched on a massive rocky
out crop which rises abruptly from the plain to tower over the old city. It was
one of the main centers around which the wars of the Carnatic were fought in
the 18th century during the British-French struggle for supremacy in India. The
city is a thriving commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is famous for artificialdiamonds, cigars, handloom cloth, glass bangles and wooden and clay toys.
Mahabalipuram
The Mahabalipuram History is two thousand
years old. It was the port city of South Indian dynasty of Pallavas during 7th
century. The Pallavas ruled Mahabalipuram from 3rd century to 9th century.
Located 60 km south of Chennai this town is enriched with a number of heritage
monuments.
These historic monuments were constructed during the 7th and 9th centuries, and
have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage site. During the early 18th century
Mahabalipuram grew as the pilgrimage center, now a days it has become the
favorite place of tourists where they get relaxation and enjoy sea bathing. At
a nearby place from here it has an atomic plant.
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram is one of the seven sacred cities
in India. History proclaims that Kanchipuram was ruled by the Pallava Kings.
The city is most famous for its silk production and old temples. The city is
located on the Palar river. The city has all types of people from weavers to
Vaishnavites. The city has many big temples like Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple, Sri
Ekambaranthar Temple, Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Sri Ulagalanda Perumal
Temple, Sri Kumarakottam Temple, Sri Kailasanathar Temple, Sri Kachapeswarar
Temple and much more.
The city also attracts tourist and foreigners in plenty due to its rich culture
and heritage. The city has a huge spree of Silk Weavers Society. The city is
quite famous all over the world for its Silk Variety and Quality. There is huge
demand for export of Silk saris within and outside India. There are many
eminent scholars like C.N. Annadurai who were born in this city. The city has
developed a niche for the industrial corridors for great giants like Nokia,
Motorola, Hyundai and many other. The city also has hotels and restaurants for
the comfort of tourist and foreigners.
There is a very old Mutt established by Sri Adisankaracharya Called Sri Kanchi
Kamakoti Peetam. This mutt is world renowned for its charitable activities and
Institutions. There are also other Spiritual mutts within Kanchipuram.
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is located at the southernmost
tip of peninsular India. It is the place where the waters of the Bay of Bengal,
the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meet. Kanyakumari is visited by thousands
of tourists from all over India throughout the year. The place Kanyakumari is
known so due to the temple dedicated to the virgin goddess Kanya Kumari.
Kanyakumari was referred by the British as Cape Comorin. Kanyakumari is one of
the important Hindu pilgrimage center due to the famous temple of Kanyakumari.
The multicolored sand is a unique feature of the beaches here. From theKanyakumari one can view spectacular sunrise and sunset.
It is at its best during Chaitra Purnima (full
moon day in April) when the sun and moon are face to face at the same horizon.
At this place the spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda also spent some of his
days in meditation upon a rock off the coast. Due to its proximity to the sea,
Kanyakumari enjoys a pleasant climate. The best time to visit this place is
between October and March. In summers, the temperature prevails at 34.8 degree
Celsius and in winters it is around 20.4 degree Celsius.
Rameswaram
The temple and the island of Rameswaram have
acquired this name because, Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva, the God of Gods
here on return from Sri Lanka. According to legend, after killing Ravana Lord
Rama returned with his consort Goddess Seetha to India first stepping on theshores of Rameswaram. To expiate the "dosha" of killing a brahmin,
Lord Rama wanted to offer worship to Lord Shiva. Since there was no shrine in
the island had despatched Sri Hauman to Kailash to bring an idol of Lord Shiva.
Between 1897 and 1904, the ALAR family of Devakottai completed the imposing
eastern tower of nine tiers 126 feet in height from Thiruppani funds. Between
1907 and 1925 they renovated the Sanctum Sanctorum and the prakaram(inner most
corridor) by replacing the lime stones by black granite with adequate provision
for light and ventilation and also arranged for the performance of Ashtabandana
Kumbabishekam in 1925; then on 22-2-1947 and the third Ashtabandana Maha
Kumbabishegam was performed on 5-2-1975.
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