Tamil Nadu Travel Guide & Tips

Food

South India, especially Tamil Nadu, has a wide range of delicious food for vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians. Most popular food items in Tamil Nadu are made from grains, lentils, rice, and fresh vegetables. However, spices are added to give a dish its distinctive taste. Spices are the main ingredient of Tamil Nadu food. The main food of Tamil Nadu varies from coastal areas to inland interior regions. While seafood is common in Chennai and Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu cuisine has different dishes to offer in hill regions.

Salem is renowned for its mangoes, Madurai is popular for milk dessert Jigarthanda, while Palani is known for Panchamirtham. The traditional food of Tamil Nadu is usually served on a banana leaf and is eaten with hand. Idli or dosa accompanied by sambhar or rasam are the highlights of Tamil cuisine. The special food of Tamil Nadu includes Santhakai, Chakkarai Pongal, Athirasam and Kuli Paniyaram.

Language

Tamil, one of the oldest classical languages, is the local language of Tamil Nadu. English is also a popular language in Tamil Nadu. Hindi is spoken and understood in major cities where the crowd is cosmopolitan. Most signboards and tourist information is written in Tamil along with English. The locals are fluent in basic English, if not in Hindi. So, there won’t be any major issues with language in Tamil Nadu.

Festivals

Pongal, the harvest festival of Tamils, is celebrated during the month of Thai in mid-January. Pongal is an important festival in Tamil Nadu, especially among the farmers. It is celebrated in Tamil Nadu over four days: Bogi Pongal, Uzhavar Thirunaal, Maatu Pongal, Kaanum Pongal. Natyanjali, celebrated in many Hindu Temples in Tamil Nadu, features classical Indian music and dance performances in February/March. Mamallapuram festival is held in the months of January and February. Gokulashtami, Deepavali, Karthigai, Vijayadasami, Navaratri, and Christmas are other important festivals of Tamil Nadu.

Tips and Facts

Below are some interesting facts about Tamil Nadu:

With an elevation of 2,637 metres, Doddabetta Peak near Ooty is the highest mountain in Tamil Nadu. The state of Tamil Nadu has the second longest coastline in India. Behind Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu has the second largest state economy in India. Tamil, official language of Tamil Nadu, is one of the classical languages.

Vivekanand Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari is the southernmost point in mainland India.