India, the country to be embraced for its chaos. Cultural diversity, religious turmoil, geographical distinctions and culinary experiences will enamor you with the simplicity of the country. India is a united country, but there are distinctive regions that are quite varied. We will explore them all, beginning with the South India destinations. This south India travel guide will introduce you to the best places to visit in south India.
India welcomes guests to engage in a range of experiences from an adventurous trek to the stupendous Kangchenjunga of the great Himalayas in North East India, to cultural immersion at Bengal, in North India, to time travel on the streets of Rajasthan, in West India, or dwell in spirituality on the banks of Ganges. But we will start with one of our favorite South India destinations, Kerala, where you can stretch your back and relax on the houseboat rides at the backwaters of Kerala. South India travel has many diverse options.
Introduction to the culture of South India
South India represents the original Indian culture, whereas the North Indian culture is crowded by the infiltration of many foreign cultures specially the ones, which came from the central Asia, the Middle East and Iran through the aggressors.
All the four southern states viz. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have scenic beauty, the exquisite architecture, sacred temples and exotic beaches. The ancient and medieval cities like Madras, Kanchipuram, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry, Chidambaram, Tanjore, Trichy, Madurai, Periyar, Kottayam, Kumarakom, Kochin, Trivendram, Bangalore, and Hyderabad and hill stations such as Ooty and Munnar are the must see places in Southern India.
Madras or Chennai
Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu is home to six million people. It is also referred to as the "Gateway of the South". Despite huge progress in terms of education, industrialization and urbanization, Chennai retains its traditional and conventional essence, unlike the North India. It is still known for its music, dance, art forms, festivals and ancient culture.
Modern Madras city was just a small village in the 17th century. Later on, it was chosen as a settlement site by the British traders of East India Company. Chennai has long sandy beaches, historic monuments, parks, and clear tropical sky. As far as the religious life of Chennai is concerned, it has both the ancient Hindu flavor and colonial Christian influence. On one hand, the temples in Triplicane (Thiruvallikeni) and Mylapore represent Hindu religious fervor; while on the other hand, the churches of St Thomas and other churches remind us of the religion of the colonial rulers. Chennai is connected by road to Kozhikode, Coonoor, Mysore, Kalpetta and Ooty.
Coonoor city
It is a famous hill station in the Doddabetta Range of the Nilgiri's, which is just 20km from Ooty.
Kanchipuram
Ancient Kanchipuram was a city of thousands temples. It was one of the most prominent pilgrimage centers of Hindus. Whereas, most of these temples are converted into ruins, more than 100 temples still exist in the city. In the previous millennium, Kanchipuram was the capital of Chola and Pallava Kingdoms.
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is located on the extreme southern tip of Indian peninsula. It is surrounded by majestic hills and plains on one side and beautiful Indian Ocean on the other. The beach is lined up with coconut trees, whereas paddy fields are there on the elevated patches of land. The city is dotted with temples and churches all around.
Kodaikanal City
it is located 2km above the sea level in the exotic Palani hills. It is a beautiful piece of nature with misty surroundings, crystal clear water and pleasant weather.
Madurai
Madurai is an ancient city, which is around 3000 years old. It is also very beautiful place with thick forests.
Ooty
This beautiful hill station in south is around 7500ft above sea level in the Nilgiri Mountains. It is one of the best hill-resorts in India with a maximum temperature of 25 degree Celsius in summers. It is a favorite destination of vacationers.
Rameshwaram
It is a famous pilgrimage centre for Hindus with a grand temple, where Lord Rama stayed during the course of his Sri Lanka victory.
Cochin
This is the commercial capital of Kerala; it is also the wealthiest cosmopolitan city in Kerala largely because of the gold brought to the city from the Middle Eastern countries.
Alleppey
This coastal city of Kerala has Arabian Ocean on one side and backwaters including lakes, lagoons and fresh water rivers on the other. Alappuzha is a place with exotic scenic beauty in Kerala.
Munnar city
It is beautiful hill station with misty clouds all around; located on the Western Ghats. Munnar is confluence of three rivers in Idukki district. The temperature of Munnar does not exceed 25 degree Celsius.
Bangalore
Bangalore city has various names such as the city of gardens, the air-conditioned city, Silicon Valley of India and fastest developing city in the world. Despite its huge progress Bangalorians still enjoy ancient vocal music, Veena recital and painting. The city is a heaven for food lovers and golfers. It is linked by air, railways and road-inks to the rest of the country.