A place where creativity played with the
hands of time...!!
Tamil
Nadu has many amazing monuments, which attract tourists from all over the
world. The southern state of Tamil Nadu is referred to as the cradle of
Dravidian culture, an ancient culture distinguished by unique languages and
customs. The cultural icons are everywhere - huge temples with their
towering gopurams (spires) not seen anywhere else in the country, intricate
rock carvings, evocative music and, of course, the complex classical dance.
Tamil Nadu is a bastion of Hinduism at its most vigorous, whose past endures
into the present.
Marvelous monuments........
Mahabalipuram is noted for the famous Arjuna's Penance, an enormous relief
made on two huge boulders. Chennai possesses many ancient monuments such as
the Bharathiyar Illam, Kamaraj Memorial House, Madras War Cemetery, Senate
House, Rippon Building, Vivekananda Illam and the Valluvar Kottam.
Thirumalai Nayak Mahal, a classic example of Indo-Saracenic style is the
most visited monument in Madurai. The Padmanabhampuram Palace is a guided
tour through the maze of 108 rooms leaving visitors breathless at the
artistic expression and sheer opulence of these magnificent rooms. The Rock
Fort temple is a prominent landmark in Tiruchirappalli.
Colors of mythology......
Temples in Tamil Nadu were the fulcrum of society and even today art forms
that have their origin in religious worship continue to colour daily life.
Notable among these are splendid bronzes of deities, painting on glass and
Bharatanatyam, an evocative dance form. Tamil Nadu offers the traveller
excellent value, particularly in accommodation. Hotel prices are generally
lower than they are further north and standards are often higher.
Built in the architectural style of Thirumalai
Nayak's period and infused with Rajputana arts, which the remains are
mute witness to, the palace is said to have been ignored during the
period of Rajah Doraisingh Thevar (1898-1941). 
Arjuna's Penance, perhaps the world's largest
bas-relief, is the universe itself in stone, throbbing with a vastness
of conception. Legend has it that King Bhagiratha had to bring down to
earth the celestial Ganga to sanctify and redeem the cursed souls of his
ancestors
The Rock Fort temple complex in Tiruchirappalli is
a conglomeration of three temples - the Manikka Vinayaka temple at the
foot of the hill, the Uchhi Pillayar Koyil at the top of the hill and
the Taayumaanava Koyil (Shivastalam) on the hill. 
The memorial to the poet-saint Tiruvalluvar is
shaped like a temple chariot and is, in fact, the replica of the temple
chariot in Thiruvarur. A life-size statue of the saint has been
installed in the chariot which is 33m. tall. 
The rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, Tanjavur is a
bustling country town situated 55 kms east of Trichy. Tanjore, also
known as Thanjavur, was the ancient capital of the Chola kings and later
of the Tanjavur Nayaka and Maratha rulers.
There were 275 Siva temples and 108 Vaishnavaite
temples in the ninth century A.D. in Tamil Nadu. Of these, 230 temples
were in the original Chola Desa. The Cholas were the greatest single
dynasty, which had built the largest number of temples in India, perhaps
in the world. 
Located in Kanyakumari district, about 15 km from
Nagercoil has the rare distinction of being one of the most ancient
monuments in South India. Known for its strategic planning and military
architecture, the palace was the seat of power for the Travancore
emperors till 1790.
Built in the architectural style of Thirumalai
Nayak's period and infused with Rajputana arts, which the remains are
mute witness to, the palace is said to have been ignored during the
period of Rajah Doraisingh Thevar (1898-1941). 
It is the oldest English fort on the East Coast,
the tallest flag post in the region, the oldest Anglican Church in the
east of Suez. Constructed between 1640 and 1653 and subsequently
reconstructed in 1783, the Fort was once a town, complete with named
streets, alleys and roads.