India

= Tamil Nadu, India = =What is there to do in Tamil Nadu, India?= India had almost every kind of landscape you can think of. There are many mountains and national parks, which can be used for tourism and trekking. Its size promises something for almost anyone. In the summer it is extremely hot. There are many resorts and beaches. Not only are there sunny beaches, however there are wildlife sanctuaries filled with wild life. In the winter, there are many cultural festivals with food and dances that are also very colorful. The lukewarm climate is perfect for traveling to different interesting cities around India. You can either take a camel ride in the Rajasthan Desert, or sit under the teak trees in the Western Ghats, or even take a hike in the Himalayas. There are many good things about India, like the fact that you can get any stone jewelry for much cheaper than in the USA (“Tamil Nadu Tourism”). It didn’t surprise me how many things there are to do in India. People are always moving about, and you can always find something interesting to do, even if it’s just walking down the street for a few minuets, your mind will be full with thought. I love India.

=What is the culture like?= It was interesting to me that there are Todas people who live in the Nilgiri Hills. It also interested me that the majority of Tamil Nadu speak the same language. This language happens to be called Tamil. However in the north around Chennai, people speak Tenugu. These are both Dravidian languages. Ten percent of the people speak some sort of Dravidian language. Most of the people are Hindu, but five percent are Christian. Most of the Christian’s live in the south where Roman Cathloic and Protestant missions have been for over 500 years. Christianity started in A.D. 52 when people believe St. Thomas the Apostle cane to India and was martyred in Mylapore. Tamil Nadu is located in southeastern India. To the East is the Indian Ocean, and to the south is the Bay of Bengal. The area is very mountainous and is a great place for climbing (“Tamil Nadu”). All of this is very interesting to me because I did not know a lot of this before I took my travels to India. It was very neat to understand. I thought that it was different how everyone looks pretty much the same in India yet the people can be so different. People have all sorts of different beliefs there, it was striking to me. It also blew me away that people actually live in the jungle, and that there are so many places in India untouched by humans.

== =Are there a lot of temples in Tamil Nadu?= The Meenkashi Sundareswarar temple (which are actually twin temples) is one of the largest temples in India. There are twelve massive gopurams in the temple. A gopuram is a decorated tower at the entrance of a temple, they are usually found in southern India. There is a beautiful golden pond next to the Meenakshi shrine. In the Meenakshi Sundareswarar there is also a thousand pillared hall. It is one of the architectural marvels of the sixteenth century. The Alagrkoli temple is one of the most important to those who worship Vishnu. This is one of the oldest temples in India, and around of it are the ruins of an ancient town. It is said that the chief disiciple of Ramanuja regained his eyesight by prying to the deity there (“Temples in Tamil Nadu”). I thought it was interesting how important the actual temples themselves are to the Hindi people. I think it would be interesting to go to an old temple, with an abandoned town around it. You would defiantly feel some creepy vibes. I got a creepy vibe just driving by one like that; I wish I would have explored it!

=Citations:= • “Temples in Tamil Nadu” Tamil Nadu Tourism. Tamilnadu Development Corporation Limited, 22 Nov. 2004. Web. May 6, 2010.  • “Tamil Nadu.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2010. Web. 13 April 2010  • “Tamil Nadu Tourism” National Portal Content Management Team, Reviewed on: 25-02-2010 < http://india.gov.in/citizen/travel.php> [|Farewell India - The Taj Mahal] by Stuck in Customs [|Tree House] by Roshnii

Map Blurb: Come visit the exotic wonders of Tamil Nadu, India. You will not be dissappointed.