Chennai - The Capital City
Chennai (formerly called as Madras) has the Bay of Bengal bordering its east, Andhra Pradesh on its northwest, Kanchipuram on its south and the states of Kerala and Karnataka on its western side.
It has the second longest beach of Asia named The Marina beach stretched another landmark of Tamil Nadu is the St. George Fort of Chennai which is presently used as the state secretariat. The Parthasarthi temple is the one of the old temples of Chennai, Guindy National Park and Snake Park, situated close to each other near the Guindy station, are other places to visit.The oldest temple of Chennai, named Kapaleeswarar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Birla Planetarium, Elliot Beach, Valluvar Kottam, National Art and Government Museum, Anna Zoological Park, Kalakshetra and the Theosophical Society are some of the other worth visiting places.
Kanchipuram - The Seat of Shankaracharya
It is one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites in India and the seat of the Shankaracharya. The city is around 70 kms from Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
Kanchipuram is a city of Temples. The Ekambaranathar Temple in the city was constructed by the Pallavas and was later reconstructed by the Chola and Vijayanagar kings. The Vaikunta Perumal Temple, built by Nandivarma Pallava. The Varadaraja Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu This temple, which has a 100-pillared hall, was built by the Vijayanagar kings depicts the wonderful work of their artists. Displays the mastery of The Kailasanathar Temple was built by the Pallava kings in the 8th century AD. There is Kamakshi Amman Temple, which is dedicated to goddess Parvati in her incarnation as Kamakshi, the goddess of Love.
Trichy - The Abode of Kaveri
The historical city of Trichy (formerly Tiruchirappalli) lies is on the banks of the Kaveri River (also Cauvery) in Tamil Nadu. At an altitude of 83 m above sea level, is situated the spectacular Rock Fort Temple. It is an important landmark on the shores of the Kaveri. The Thayumanaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva is situated halfway to the top. The most admirable shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu named The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple lies in South India. The Jambukeshwara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva has five concentric walls and seven gopurams. The most important deity is the Shiva Lingam is almost submerged in water.
Kanyakumari - The City of Dawn
Kanyakumari is the southernmost point of peninsular India. It is the place where three oceans meet named the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean It is not only a Hindu pilgrim center, but also known for the scenic beauty of sunrise and sunset over the waters. The multicolored sand is a unique feature of the beach here.
The center of attraction is The Kanyakumari Temple, which, is dedicated to a manifestation of Parvati., the virgin goddess Two rocks reach out of the ocean, southeast of the Kumari Amman temple. The footprints of the virgin goddess imprint on this rock. Vivekananda Rock Memorial built in 1970 and Gandhi Memorial also situated here, where, Mahatma's ashes was kept for public viewing before immersion.
Madurai - The Land of Meenakshi
It is situated on the banks of the River Vaigai. Besides the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu. Madurai is also known as the second largest city in the state. According to a popular belief, it derives its name from the divine nectar (Madhu) that was showered from the locks of Lord Shiva.
Meenakshi Amman Temple is the temple of the Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Shiva . The temple has 985 beautifully sculptured pillars that form the Thousand Pillar Mandapam Hall. The other center of attraction in Madurai is the Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam.The other worth visiting places are the Tirumalai Naik Palace is a must visit spot for the tourists. Munnar, Thekkadi Wildlife Sanctuary and Palani Hills are other places of interest around Madurai.