Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Mulaipari Festival is unique South Indian festival popular in Tamil Nadu, which is celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil Month of Adi (July). This festival is a famous ritual that takes place at almost every celebration for a village goddess. The women devotees in the procession carry earthen pots filled with the growing plants of nine different types of grains on their heads. Continue reading
Photo credits: Renuka Menon
Thai Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu on January 14th every year for four days. Tamilians decorate their homes with sugarcane and leaves from banana and mango trees, and draw on the floor with kolams (decorative patterns made with rice flour). Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Thirumalai Nayak Palace was built in the year 1636 by king Thirumalai Nayak, designed by an Italian architect. The courtyard in this palace is 3900 sq meters and is surrounded by massive pillars. The courtyard was mainly used for daily dance and music programmes. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor . Sunrise at Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari, or Cape Comorin, is the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent. Â The mighty Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal merge into the Indian Ocean here. Kanyakumari is famous for its glorious sunrise and sunsets due to being nearly surrounded by water. The unique location offers the possibility of seeing the moon rise and sunset simultaneously. Continue reading
Photo credits: Renuka Menon
Located in the Nilgiri district, Ooty Lake was constructed in 1825 at the urging of the Coimbatore collector Mr. John Sullivan. At the time it was built in order to provide irrigation to the people of the region. Continue reading
Photo credits: Renuka Menon
Kolam is a traditional form of street painting in Tamil Nadu that is created using colored rice powder. The designs are based on simple elements such as loops, dots and geometric patterns. Women create these auspicious patterns in front of the household deities in Pooja rooms and the area just outside the entrance of their houses.
Photo credits: Renuka
Ooty Botanical garden was designed in 1847.  One of the central features of the 55-acre property is a fossilized tree trunk believed to be 20 million years old. Other highlights include rare tree species, exotic and ornamental flowering bushes and plants, and a conservatory containing ferns and orchids. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
The  Rock Fort at Trichy is a famous and fascinating architectural marvel that is built on an 83 meter high rock, rising above the plains of Tamil Nadu. At the top of the rock is the Uchipillaiyar Kovil Temple, dedicated to Lord Vinayaka. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Chidambaram is uniquely interesting because it is the only temple complex to understood to be built primarily between the 12th and 13th centuries. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. A huge Shiva Ganga tank is the one of the main attraction of this temple. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Thirumalai Nayak Palace was built by Thirumalai Nayak, one of the greatest of the Nayakkar Kings of Madurai, with the help of an Italian architect in 1636. The palace is a classic example of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. The main palace has a rectangular courtyard flanked by tall arcades each with their own distinct carvings.
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Ooty is the most popular hill station in South India, lying in the Nilgiri mountains in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located in the Western Ghats at a height of 2500 meters, Ooty is poetically called the “Queen of Hill stations Picturesque.” Dense jungles, huge inviting lakes, towering mountains, lush greenery and rambling tea gardens make up the landscape. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Dedicated to Lord Shive, Gangaikondacholapuram Temple was built by Chola Emperor Rajendra Ist between 1012 to 1044. The structure is a replica of the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur and was built in commemoration of Rajendra’s victory through the kingdoms of northern India to reach the Ganges. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Completed in the latter half of the 8th century A.D, Mahabalipuram Shore Temple is one of the finest examples of structural temple architecture, meaning that it was built from granite block as opposed to being carved from solid stone. It belongs to a period when this temple construction style was at its peek. Continue reading
Photo credits : Ramesh Kidangoor
Chettinadu, loacated in the Sivagana district of southern Tamil Nadu, is the homeland of Nattukottai Chettiars (also known as “Nagarathars”), who are the highest class of the Chettiar Tamil community.  Nattukottai Chettiars, are often prosperous individuals in either the banking or business community.  Due to their rich cultural heritage such as their art, architecture, and antiques, their mansions are often a popular attraction for visitors. Continue reading
Tiger Cave
Monuments in Mamallapuram are comprised of three kinds of rock-cutting techniques: excavated cave temples, monolithic temple models, and structural erections. The Tiger Cave, a rock-cut Hindu temple, is located 4 km north of the main Shore temple in Mamallapuram. Continue reading
Chellar Covil
Situated about 14 km from Thekkady on the Munnar road, Chellar Covil has one of the best overlooks from the heights of Kerala into Tamil Nadu. The sleepy little hamlet offers a breathtaking view of the plains and cascading waterfalls of the neighboring state. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
These Rathas (chariots) are the most extraordinary of all the monuments in Mamallapuram. These monolithic shrines near the beach are carved out of granite boulders. There has been much fanciful speculation about them, mostly by people uninformed that similar such monuments exist elsewhere in India. These particular rathas are among the oldest and well-preserved vimana models in Tamil Nadu. Continue reading
I live in New Jersey and go to school in New York, and consequently, I have crossed the border into New York on many occasions. During my drives, I often don’t even realize when I cross the border; the only thing that lets me know is a small sign that welcomes me to the state of New York. Almost a product of its name- the United States of America- this holds true for many states across the United States. When you travel between neighboring states, the principal language is the same (English), and apart from a few exceptions, people usually both look and sound similar.
As part of my summer interning at Raxa Collective, I am currently staying in Thekkady, which is located in the Indian state of Kerala. A couple days ago, a few colleagues and I decided to go for a ride to one of the neighboring states, Tamil Nadu. Because of my experiences in the United States, I expected both Kerala and Tamil Nadu to be very similar. Boy, was I wrong. While the only indicator that signaled my entrance into Tamil Nadu was a gate manually operated by a few workers, it was clearly evident that I was somewhere different. Continue reading
View of Bodi from Bodimettu
Bodi Mettu, the highest peak in South India, is located along the Munnar-Madurai Highway near the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. From this point on a clear day one will get a bird’s-eye view of Tamil Nadu and the Bodi town. Continue reading
Organikos 