By If you are planning a tour with your family or friends, surely you should opt for South India which has plenty to keep you busy, interested and entertained. You can also learn a great deal by exploring the cultural and historical richness of South India.
South India is comprised of 4 states and 2 union territories. Through this article, we will explore all the states one by one.
Andhra Pradesh
It is the biggest state of South India area wise and is known as the ‘Rice Bowl of India’. Talking about tourist attraction, there are three main beaches in Andhra Pradesh facing the Bay of Bengal which include the following;
- Ramakrishna Mission Beach
- Bheemunipatnam Beach
- Kalingapatnam Beach
Caves are also a popular tourist attraction and while talking about Andhra Pradesh, we have the following caves in Andhra Pradesh;
- The Belum Caves
- The Borra Caves
The state is also involved in wildlife protection, especially of endangered species. It has one main sanctuary known as Nagarjunsagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Karnataka
It is famous for its classical music. One of the important beaches is The St. Mary Island. There is only one cave system found in Karnataka which has both cultural and religious significance and is known as The Temple Complex of Badami. The notable wildlife national park is Bandipur National Park.
Famous pilgrim sites are as follows;
- 1000-pillar SaaviraKambada Basadi
- Murdeshwar Temple
- Sri Lakshmi Narayana Swamy Temple
Heritage sites and palaces are as follows;
- Mysore Palace
- Bangalore Palace
- Mysore Dusshera
Kerala
It is famous for its beaches and backwater and the prominent seaside areas include Kovalam Beach and Varkala Beach. The natural landscapes include Meenmutty Falls and Athirapilly Falls. The famous pilgrim site is Padmanabha Swamy Temple. The heritage sites are Mattancherry and Jew Street.
Pondicherry
It is considered the educational hub of India. It has one wildlife reserve known as Ousteri Wetland and National Park.
Lakshadweep Islands
These are small islands located in the Arabian Sea of which, only ten are inhabited. The state is famous for its seafood and a large variety of fish can be found here.
You will a great journey through all these states of South India. Every state enjoys its own distinct features. If you haven’t decided your tour destination yet, South India is the way to go. Get yourself drenched in the art and culture, mesmerized by the scenic beauty and entertained by various cuisines. Do refer this article to others and don’t forget to take selfies. I hope you will like these tourist places in south India.
South India is a beautiful part of India where diverse cultures and religions exist. If you plant to make a trip to South India, I advise you to read a little about these cultural and religious diversities and their celebrations to enjoy even more while exploring all the tourist places in South India.
As in the rest of India, there are people from diverse backgrounds in South India with the majority of Tamil population, having much darker skin than the North Indians. There is less use of turbans than that of found when traveling through Rajasthan.
South India highlights the fact that the whole country is a mosaic that is far from homogeneous. The Tamil people often feel distant from the people of Northern India. Theirs is a Dravidian culture whose origins are neither the Ramayana, nor the Vedas and many of the texts that are considered essential for the Indians. These texts are of Aryan origin which come from the highlands and contain a very different sensitivity of the warm southern lands.
For the foreigners, north is the heart of India. For the Indians the south has many of the most important pilgrimage sites and where there is greater development of culture and technological development.
In this environment, next to the Tamil population, it is concentrated heavily in the center and in the east of the peninsula live a Muslim and Christian population living especially on the west coast. While Christians do not reach 2.5% of the total population of India, 75% of them live in the south, so that their relative weight is important. But it is not a homogeneous community. There are those who come from the old Nestorian obedience and dependent patriarch of Baghdad. There are those who follow the Syrian church. There are Catholics and followers of the evangelical churches.
Christians came from the hand of a St. Thomas that some say he was the same apostle who met Jesus Christ. But it seems that this is another saint of Syrian origin and implanted in the Indian coast Christianity linked to the Eastern rites. Then came the Portuguese and the Dutch and the Frenchmen who brought their faiths. Needless to say that the early Christians and their descendants found them and they still look new Christians little less than heretics.
For the tourist, coexistence between some communities seem fluid. Moreover, it seems an example of tolerance and respect. Visitors to South India for Easter, for example, be in the western regions processions through the streets, the shops are usually closed.
Each religion forms its own community and looks apprehensively at the other, nationalist parties put the Hindu religion on the basis of Indian essences and place non-Hindus in the category of undesirables. Of course, Christians of the Eastern rite do not celebrate the holidays with the Catholic rite because their schedules are disparate and expect it to be the one who takes steps to return to the fold of orthodoxy.
