India > South

South India essentially contains the four states Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and the union territories of Puducherry(Pondicherry), Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands . With a history of over 2000 years and ruled bymany small kingdoms like the Cholas, Cheras, Pallavas, Pandyas, Kakatiyas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas, South India has always been associated with a rich culture, preserving its traditions and promoting fine arts.

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More about South India

The literary andarchitectural styles of South India today are very different from other parts of the country. Examples of this can be found at Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), Madurai, Thanjavur (Tanjore), Thiruvanthapuram (Trivandrum), Palakkad (Palghat), Thrissur(Trichur), Hampi / Hospet and Badami . Innumerable styles of dance and folk arts including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Theyyam, Mohini Attam and Kalari speak volumes about the cultural evolution.

Politics in South India is dominated by smaller regional political parties rather than by national political parties. The majority of South Indians are Dravidians, and the main languages spoken are Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada, and several dialects.

Developing very fast in economy, trade and commerce, the information technology boom has put cities like Bengaluru (Bangalore) , Chennai (Madras)  and Hyderabad / Secunderabad in the world map. Smaller metros like Tiruchirapalli (Trichy), Kochi (Cochin), Coimbatore, Vishakapatnam (Vizag) and Mangalapuram (Mangalore) are fast mushrooming into huge cities.

The terrain and vegetation of South India is varied - from the Western and Eastern Ghats to the Deccan Plateau, from the fertile river valleys to the coast, and from the forests to the rich coral reef ecosystems in the islandsof Andaman and Lakshadweep. The three major river deltas - Cauvery, Godavari and Krishna , located along the Bay of Bengal constitute the 'rice bowls' of South India.

There is an amazing variety of flora and fauna in the Project Tiger reserves, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and several other wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the region. Other protected ecologicalsites include the backwaters like the Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh , Pitchavaram in Tamil Nadu and the famed backwaters of Kerala.

Though the mountain ranges are relatively smaller, hillstations of Kodaikanal, Udagamandalam (Ooty), Coonoor, Yercaud, Gudalur, BR Hills, Munnar, Wayanad, Kemmangundi, Chickmagalur and Coorg provide the much-needed relief from the summer heat to tourists.

South India has a very tropical climate, with very hot summers (temperatures shooting above 40 deg.celsius in most areas) and cool winters. The two monsoons South West monsoon (June - Aug) and North East monsoon (end Oct - Dec) account for most of the rainfall.

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