Tamilnadu
 |
Area |
1,30,058 sq km |
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State
Government Portal |
 |
Population |
62,405,679 |
|
Open Forum Partners
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Capital |
Chennai |
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Important Contact Numbers |
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Principal
Languages |
Tamil |
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Development Initiatives |
History
and Geography
The State of Tamil Nadu has a hoary antiquity.
Though early sangam classics throw historical
references, we pass to recorded history only
from the Pallavas.
The southern states of India were under the
hegemony of the Cholas, the Cheras and the Pandyas
for centuries. The Pallavas held supremacy from
about the second quarter of the fourth century
AD. They were the originators of the famous
Dravidian style of temple architecture. The
last Pallava ruler was Aparajita, in whose reign
the later Cholas under Vijayalaya and Aditya
asserted themselves by about the 10th century.
At the end of the 11th century, Tamil Nadu was
ruled by several dynasties like the Chalukyas,
Cholas and Pandyas. In the two centuries that
followed, the imperial Cholas gained paramountcy
over South India.
Muslims gradually strengthened their position,
which led to the establishment of the Bahamani
Sultanate, by the middle of the 14th century.
At the same time, the Vijayanagar Kingdom quickly
consolidated itself and extended its sway over
the whole of South India, and at the close of
the century, Vijayanagar became the supreme
power in South. However, it crumbled at the
battle of Talikota in 1564 to the confederate
forces of the Deccan Sultans.
Even during the period of the tumultuous confusion
that followed the battle of Talikota, European
commercial interest had appeared as rivals in
the area of South India. The Portuguese, the
Dutch, the French and the English came in quick
succession and established trading centres known
as ‘Factories’. East India Company,
which had established its factory at Masulipatnam
(now in Andhra Pradesh) in 1611, gradually annexed
territories by encouraging enmity among the
native rulers. Tamil Nadu was one of the first
of British settlements in India. The State is
the successor to the old Madras Presidency,
which covered the bulk of the southern peninsula
in 1901. The composite Madras State was later
reorganised, and the present Tamil Nadu was
formed.
Tamil Nadu is bounded on north by Andhra Pradesh
and Karnataka, on the west by Kerala, on the
east by the Bay of Bengal, and on the south
by the Indian Ocean.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the major occupation in Tamil
Nadu. The principal food crops include paddy,
millets and pulses. Commercial crops include
sugarcane, cotton, sunflower, coconut, cashew,
chillies, gingelly and groundnut. Plantation
crops are tea, coffee, cardamom and rubber.
Major forest produces are timber, sandalwood,
pulp wood and fuel wood. Tamil Nadu occupies
a premier position in the production and extensive
application of bio-fertilizers. Efforts are
on to improve farming technologies so as to
increase yields in the low rainfall areas of
the State. Annual foodgrains production exceeds
ten million tonnes with rice contributing an
average eight million tonnes.
Industry and Minerals
Major Industries in Tamil Nadu are cotton, heavy
commercial vehicles, auto components, railway
coaches, power pumps, leather tanning industries,
cement, sugar, paper, automobiles and safety
matches.
Knowledge based industries like I.T. and Biotechnology
have become the thrust area in the industrial
scene in Tamil Nadu. TIDEL, a software technology
park, has been established in Tharamani, Chennai.
Chennai has currently about 50,000 software
professionals employed in 900 IT companies.
Global auto majors Hyundai Motors, Ford, Hindustan
Motors and Mitsubishi have commenced production
plants. Ashok Leyland and TAFE have set up expansion
plants in Chennai.
Main mineral wealth of the state is granite,
lignite and limestone. The state is an important
exporter of tanned skin and leather goods, yarn,
tea, coffee, spices, engineering goods, tobacco,
handicrafts and black granite. Tamil Nadu contributes
60 per cent of the tannery industry in India.
Chennai Refinery Limited has given rise to several
petro-based units. Major chemical and fertilizer
plants have been established at Cuddalore and
Tuticorin.
Irrigation
Important irrigation schemes and modernisation
of existing Periyar Vaigai System, Palar Basin
System and Parambikulam-Aliyar System besides
the minor system in Vellar, Pennayar, Araniyar
Amaravathi, Chithar basins totaling, an extent
of six lakh acres of existing ayacut in Tamil
Nadu have been benefited by implementing the
‘System Improvement and Farmers Turnover
Projects’ executed with assistance from
World Bank. The major irrigation system covering
one-third of irrigated extent in Tamil Nadu,
namely tank irrigation system has been given
due regard for development under WRCP, and 620
tanks maintained by Public Works Department
falling under Palar, Vaigai, and Tamaraparani
Basins have been taken up for rehabilitation
and improvement. The State has become the pioneer
State to implement the system of ‘River
basin management’ by an individual body
consisting of officials and farmers besides
various representatives of the basin. To start
with, Basin Management Boards have been formed
for Palar and Tamaraparani basins.
Power
The total installed capacity for electricity
in the State is 8,249 MW. The installed capacity
of State Sector is 5,288 MW, and that of Private
Sector is 1,058 MW. Apart from this, 1,903 MW
is available as share from Central Sector.
Transport
Roads: The length of roads network in Tamil
Nadu is 1,50,095 km, of which surfaced road
is 60,901 km.
Railways: The total length of railways is 4,181
km, the main junctions being Chennai, Madurai,
Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli.
Aviation: Chennai being the international airport
in the southern region is the main centre of
airline routes. Besides, there are airports
at Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Coimbatore and Salem.
Ports: Major ports in the State are Chennai
and Tuticorin. There are seven other minor ports
including Cuddalore and Nagapattinam.
Festivals
Pongal is the harvest festival celebrated by
the farmers in January to worship the sun, the
earth and the cattle as thanks giving for a
bounteous harvest. Pongal festival is followed
by the Jallikattu-Bull fight, in some parts
of southern Tamil Nadu. Alanganallur in Tamil
Nadu is internationally famous for Jallikattu
- Bull fight. Chithirai festival, Madurai brings
a spectacular re-enactment of the marriage of
the Pandiyan princess Meenakshi to Lord Sundareswarar.
Adipperukku is a festival celebrated on the
18th day of Tamil month, Adi, on the banks of
rivers. It marks the commencement of new farming
operations. Dance Festival, Mamallapuram, which
is set before an open air stage, created 13
centuries ago the incredible monolithic rock
sculptures of the Pallavas, next to the sea
in this ancient city of Mamallapuram. Bharatha
Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, and Odissi are
some dance forms presented by the very best
exponents of the art besides folk dances. At
the Natyanjali Dance Festival, the temple city
of Chidambaram pays special tribute to Lord
Nataraja the ‘Cosmic Dancer’. MahamagamFestival
is a holy festival that brings pilgrims to Kumbakonam
once in 12 years - the temple city that gets
its name from Kumbha - the divine pot. The summer
festival is held every year in the ‘Queen
of Hill Stations’, the evergreen Ooty,
the exquisite Kodaikkanal or the salubrious
heights of Yercaud. KanthuriFestival is a truly
secular festival, where devotees flock to the
shrine of saint Quadirwali. One of the descendants
of the Saint is chosen as a Peer or spiritual
leader, and is honoured with offerings. On the
tenth day of the festival, the Saint’s
tomb is anointed with sandalwood, and later
the holy sandal paste is distributed to everyone.
Wondrous legends surround the church, the most
famous being that of the ship wrecked Portuguese
sailors, who in the 16th century, vowed to build
a great shrine for the Virgin Mary, for saving
their lives in a terrible storm. The Velankanni
festival attracts thousands, clad in orange
robes to the sacred spot where the ship landed.
Equally famous are the Virgin Mary's miraculous
healing powers, earning for the church the name
'Lourdes of the East'.
The Navarathiri Festival, literally means the
festival of ‘nine nights’, taking
unique and different forms in different states
of India, all to propitiate the goddess Sakthi,
for power, wealth and knowledge. Rows of glittering
earthen lamps outside every home and joyous
burst of fire crackers mark Tamil Nadu’s
Festival of lights, Karthigai Deepam. In December,
Chennai celebrates her priceless heritage of
carnatic music and dance at its Music Festival
to present a galaxy of star artistes, old and
new.
