Frescoes adorning the walls of the inner courtyard, Brihadishwara Temple - Thanjavur ( Tanjore ), Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is the homeland of one of humanity’s living classical civilisations, stretching back uninterrupted for two millennia and very much alive today in the Tamils' language, dance, poetry and forms of Hinduism.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Stucco work in the Maratha Darbar Hall in Thanjavur Palace, Tanjore, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India . (Photo by: IndiaPictures/UIG via Getty Images)

    Royal Palace

    Thanjavur (Tanjore)

    Thanjavur’s royal palace is a mixed bag of ruin and renovation, superb art and random royal paraphernalia. The mazelike complex was constructed partly by…

  • Asura on Madurai Temple Gopuram

    Meenakshi Amman Temple

    Madurai

    The colourful abode of the triple-breasted warrior goddess Meenakshi (‘fish-eyed’ – an epithet for perfect eyes in classical Tamil poetry) is generally…

  • Thanjavur (Tanjore) - Brihadishwara Temple, Tamil Nadu, India - stock photo

    Brihadeeshwara Temple

    Thanjavur (Tanjore)

    Come here twice: in the morning, when the honey-hued granite begins to assert its dominance over the white dawn sunshine, and in the evening, when the…

  • Government Museum exterior, Chennai. Tamil Nadu, India (2004)

    Government Museum

    Chennai (Madras)

    Housed across from the striking British-built Pantheon Complex, this excellent museum is Chennai’s best. The big highlight is building 3, the Bronze…

  • Arjuna’s Penance

    Arjuna’s Penance

    Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)

    The crowning masterpiece of Mamallapuram’s stonework, this giant relief carving is one of India's greatest ancient artworks. Inscribed on two huge,…

  • Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple

    Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple

    Tamil Nadu

    The temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram ('City of the Chola who Conquered the Ganges'), 35km north of Kumbakonam, is dedicated to Shiva. It was built by…

  • Kapaleeshwarar Temple

    Kapaleeshwarar Temple

    Chennai (Madras)

    Mylapore is one of Chennai's most characterful and traditional neighbourhoods; it predated colonial Madras by several centuries. Its Kapaleeshwarar Temple…

  • Padmanabhapuram Palace

    Padmanabhapuram Palace

    Tamil Nadu

    With a forest’s worth of intricately carved rosewood ceilings and polished-teak beams, this labyrinthine palace, 35km northwest of Kanyakumari, near the…

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Hiking

Exploring India’s Western Ghats: trains, tea and terrific wildlife spotting

May 11, 2023 • 7 min read

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