Getting Oriented

Getting Oriented

Tamil Nadu in many ways is South India. A state whose boundaries approximate the areas in which Tamil language, culture, and people predominate, the "land of the Tamils" runs about 805 km (500 mi) along the Bay of Bengal from north of Chennai to India's southernmost tip, Kanniyakumari. From Chennai, the base for many of the region's visitors, it's easy to reach nearby Kanchipuram and Mahabalpuram, as well as Pondicherry, farther south along the Coromandel Coast. Heading inland, the temple-blessed, ancient cities of Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, and Madurai form a sort of Tamil Nadu heartland.