Tamil Nadu

There’s a rhythm to Tamil Nadu that gets under your skin — part temple bell, part bus horn, part sizzle of dosa batter on a hot plate. From misty hills to sun-bleached coasts, this is a state that feels both ancient and industrious, deeply spiritual yet constantly in motion. You can trace thousands of years of civilisation here, and still stumble across a woman stirring halva over an open fire by the roadside.

Size & Comparison

• Area: 130,058 km² — about twice the size of Tasmania, long and narrow in shape

• Population (2026): Approximately 86 million

• Overview: One of India’s most densely populated and industrialised states, with a mix of urban hubs and rural heartlands.

• Geography: On India’s southeastern coast, bordered by the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. The Western Ghats rise along its west, the Eastern Ghats frame the north and east, with coastal plains and lush hill stations in between.

Main Cities

• Chennai: The capital and largest city, coastal, cultural and full of contrast.

• Coimbatore: A major industrial and textile centre.

• Madurai: One of India’s oldest cities — spiritual, bustling, and home to extraordinary temples.

Famous Foods & Cuisine

Tamil Nadu’s food is comfort and craft in equal measure — simple ingredients, layered flavours, and a devotion to tradition.

• Rice is central to most meals, often paired with sambar (lentil and vegetable stew), rasam (spiced broth) and poriyal (dry vegetable curry).

• Common threads: coconut, lentils, legumes, and plenty of spice.

• Breakfast staples: Idli, dosa, uthappam, pongal, paniyaram.

• Sweet spot: In Tirunelveli, the famous wheat halva is still made the old-fashioned way — rich, glossy and worth the detour.

Top Things To Do & Places To Visit

• Mahabalipuram: Explore ancient rock-cut temples and the Shore Temple, carved from stone and salt air.

• Chennai: Dive into a coastal capital that mixes temples, colonial heritage, and lively beaches.

• Ooty (Udagamandalam): A cool hill station in the Nilgiri Hills — tea gardens, mist, and the iconic Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

• Madurai: Wander through the Meenakshi Temple complex and the city’s endlessly layered history.

• Pondicherry (Puducherry): The “French Riviera of the East,” where pastel facades and Tamil markets meet by the sea.

And Did You Know…

• Known as the “Land of Temples,” Tamil Nadu has thousands of them — many over a thousand years old.

• Festival traditions:

  • Jallikattu — a traditional bull-taming festival.

  • Fire-walking — devotees walking across hot coals as part of temple rituals.

• One of the oldest continuously inhabited regions in India, with ancient scripts and archaeological sites revealing civilisations that predate much of recorded history.

Nicola’s Story Around a Corner in Tamil Nadu Was…

Driving through Tamil Nadu was an experience that stayed with me. The countryside was deeply rural — field after field of people working, making, creating. We couldn’t travel far without stopping to meet another family at work.

The heat was relentless — it was March and far hotter than we expected — and yet, so much of life here seemed powered by fire. Women crouched beside hand-built stoves, twisting jalebi over open flames. A family roasted nuts on the roadside to sell to passing travellers. A man was casting bronze statues of Hindu gods — from pocket-sized to towering — using only the simplest tools.

Then came the four-storey kiln, bricks stacked and ready to fire. I asked about the workers’ children. “They’re at university,” someone said. “Studying to be doctors.” Never has hands-on felt quite so literal. It was hard work, but the smiles were wide.