pronunciation(help·info) (Tamil: தமிழ் நாடு, English: Land of the Tamils, IPA: [t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ]) is a state at the southern tip of India. Tamil Nadu is bordered by Pondicherry, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Sri Lanka, which has a significant Tamil minority, lies off the southeast coast. Tamil Nadu has had long continuous human habitation since pre-historic times. Its long history and cultural traditions are among the oldest in the world. The ancient Tamil kingdoms of Chola, Chera and Pandya are of very ancient origins. They patronised a mature culture which produced some of the oldest surviving literature in India. Colonised by the East India Company, Tamil Nadu was eventually incorporated into the Madras Presidency. After the independence of India, the state of Tamil Nadu was created in 1969 based on linguistic boundaries. The politics of Tamil Nadu has been dominated by DMK and AIADMK, who are the products of the Dravidian movement which agitated demanding concessions for the 'Dravidian' population of Tamil Nadu. Lying on a low plain along the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula, Tamil Nadu is bounded by the Eastern Ghats in the north and Nilgiri ,Anai Malai hills and Palakkad (Palghat Gap) on the west, the state has large fertile areas along the Coromandel coast, the Palk strait, and the Gulf of Mannar. The fertile plains of Tamil Nadu are fed by rivers such as Kaveri, Palar and Vaigai and by the northeast monsoon. Traditionally an agricultural state, Tamil Nadu is a also a leading producer of agricultural products. The sixth most populous state in the Indian Union, Tamil Nadu has the largest urban agglomeration nationwide. Increases in literacy has casued Tamil Nadu to report the the second lowest decadal growth in population in India. Globalisation brought increase export opportunities, making Tamil Nadu the fifth largest economy among the states of India. The growing demands for skilled labour has caused increased number of educational institutions in Tamil Nadu. It has the highest number of vocational training institutions in India. Chennai, which was known until 1996 as Madras, is the fourth largest city of India and the state capital. Chennai is the home of Marina Beach, one of longest beaches in the world. Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Salem, and Thirunelveli are other large cities (Corporations) of Tamil Nadu. The art and culture of Tamils are among the oldest in the world. Great literature, music, dance and architecture have evolved from Tamil Nadu over the past two millennia. Tamil Nadu provided the cradle in which the rich musical tradition of Carnatic music evolved. Many of the great composers such as Tyagaraja lived and flourished in Tamil Nadu. The film industry has also had a long history, its movies enjoying widespread popular support.

Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Geography 3 Governance and administration 4 Politics 5 Demographics 6 Education and social development 7 Culture and Arts 7.1 Literature 7.2 Music 7.3 Dance 7.4 Film Industry 8 Tamil Festivals 9 Economy 9.1 Agriculture 9.2 Industry 10 Tourism 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

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[edit] History

Tamil Nadu's history dates back pre-historic times and archeological evidence points to this area being one of the longest continuous habitations in India. From early pre-history Tamil Nadu was the home of the four Tamil kingdoms of the Chera, the Chola and the Pandyaand Pallavan. The oldest extant literature, dated between 200 BCE and 200 CE mentions the exploits of the kings and the princes, and of the poets who extolled them. The early Cholas reigned between 1st and 4th centuries CE. Kalabhras from the north invaded and displaced the three kingdoms between the fourth and the seventh centuries CE. They were eventually expelled by the Pandyas and the Pallavas. Around 580 CE, the Pallavas, great temple builders, emerged into prominence and dominated the south for another 150 years. They ruled a large portion of Tamil Nadu with Kanchipuram as their base. They subjugated the Cholas and reigned as far as the Kaveri River. Among the greatest Pallava rulers were Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I. Dravidian architecture reached its epitome during Pallava rule. The Cholas again rose to power by the 9th century. Under Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola, the Cholas rose as a notable power in Asia. The Chola Empire stretched as far as Bengal. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India, and annexed parts of Sri Lanka. Rajendra Chola's navies went beyond, occupying coastal Burma, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Sumatra, Java, Malaya in South East Asia and Pegu islands. He defeated Mahipala, the king of the Bengal, and to commemorate his victory he built a new capital named it Gangaikonda Cholapuram. The Cholas revelled in building magnificent temples. Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur is a classical example of the magnificent architecture of the Chola kingdom. Another example is the Chidambaram Temple in the heart of the temple town of Chidambaram. The power of the Cholas declined around the 13th century. With the decline of the Cholas, the Pandyas rose to prominence once again in the early 14th century. This was short lived; they were soon subdued by Muslim Khilji invaders from the north in 1316. Madurai was sacked. The invasion led to the establishment of the Madurai Sultanate. These Muslim invasions caused the establishment of Vijayanagara Empire in the Deccan. It eventually conquered the entire Tamil country (c. 1370 CE). As the Vijayanagara Empire went into decline after mid-16th century, the Nayak governors, who were appointed by the Vijayanagar kingdom to administer various territories of the empire, declared their independence. The Nayaks of Madurai and Nayaks of Thanjavur were most prominent of them all. They reconstructed some of the oldest temples in the country. Around 1609, the Dutch established a settlement in Pulicat. In 1639, the British, under the British East India Company, established a settlement further south, in present day Chennai. The British used petty quarrels among the provincial rulers (divide and rule) to expand their sphere of influence. The British fought and reduced the French dominions in India to Pondicherry. They consolidated southern India into the Madras Presidency. Some notable chieftains or Poligars who fought the British East India Company as it was expanding were Veerapandya Kattabomman, Maruthu Pandiyar, Pulithevan and Dheeran Chinnamalai. Pudukkottai remained as a princely state under British suzerainty. When India became independent in 1947, Madras Presidency became Madras State, comprising of present day Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh, northern Karnataka, and parts of Kerala. The state was subsequently split up along linguistic lines. In 1968, Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu, meaning Land of Tamil.

[edit] Geography

Tamil Nadu covers an area of 130,058 km² (50,215mi²),and is the eleventh largest state in India. The bordering states are Kerala to the west, Karnataka to the northwest and Andhra Pradesh to the north. To the east is the Bay of Bengal. The southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula is located in Tamil Nadu. At this point is the town of Kanyakumari which is the meeting point of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean. Tamil Nadu has a wide variety of minerals with the most reserves in India lignite (almost 90% of India's reserves), magnesite (45%) and garnet (over 40%) among others.[1] Forest cover over 17% of the state's geographical area with several wild life and bird sanctuaries.[2]

[edit] Governance and administration

Tamil Nadu had a bicameral legislature until 1986, when it was replaced with a unicameral legislature, like most other states in India. The 'Governer' is the Constitutional head of the state while the 'Chief-minister' is the head of the government and the head of the council of ministers. The Chief-Justice of the Chennai high-court is the head of the judiciary. The present Governer, Chief-minister and the Chief-Justice are S. S. Barnala, M. Karununanidhi and A. P. Shah respectively. The major administrative units of the state constitutes 39 Lok Sabha constituencies, 234 Assembly constituencies, 30 districts, 6 municipal corporations, 152 municipalities, 561 town panchayats and 12,618 village panchayats. Tamil Nadu has been a pioneering state in E-Governance initiatives in India. A large part of the government records like land ownership records are already digitised and all major offices of the state government like Urban Local Bodies - All the Corporations and Municipal Office activities - revenue collection etc, land registration offices, and transport offices have been computerized, thereby improving the quality of service and transparency in operations.

[edit] Politics

Regional parties have dominated state politics since 1967.One of the earliest regional parties was the South Indian Welfare Association, which was founded in 1916. It came to be known as the Justice Party after the name of its English-language daily, Justice.E.V. Ramasami Naicker, popularly known as "Periyar", renamed the party Dravidar Kazhagam in 1944. DK was a non-political party which demanded the establishment of an independent state called Dravida Nadu. However, due to the differences between its two leaders Periyar and C.N. Annadurai, the party was split. Annadurai left the party to form the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.The DMK decided to enter into politics in 1956. In the 19th century, Western scholars proposed that Dravidian speakers were earlier inhabitants of India than the speakers of the Indo-Aryan languages in the north of the country. This was done under the now discredited assumption that speakers of different linguistic families contituted different "races". This was a massive logical fallacy of reading linguistic families into human races. It was supposed that the generally darker-skinned Dravidians constituted a distinct race. This concept has affected thinking in India about racial and regional differences and has informed aspects of Tamil nationalism, which has at times appropriated the claim that Dravidians are the earliest inhabitants of India in order to argue that other populations were oppressive interlopers from which Dravidians should liberate themselves. History has not given any proof that Dravidian linguistic family antedates Indo-aryan linguistic family in India. Nehru's grant of a separate state essentially forced Tamil nationalism off stage. Instead Tamil regional parties now fight for access to the centre and between each other. The Anti-Hindi agitations in mid-1960s made the DMK more popular and more powerful in the state. The DMK routed the Congress Party in the 1967 elections and took control of the state government, ending Congress's stronghold in Tamil Nadu. C.N. Annadurai became the DMK's first Chief Minister, and Muthuvel Karunanidhi took over as Chief Minister and party leader after Annadurai's death in 1969.Karunanidhi's leadership was soon challenged by M.G. Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR. In 1972, he split from DMK and formed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). He was the Chief Minister of the state from 1977 until his death in 1987. After the death of MGR, the party split again into two factions, one led by Janaki Ramachandran, wife of MGR, and the other led by J. Jayalalithaa. After the defeat of AIADMK in 1989 assembly polls, both factions were merged and Jayalalithaa took control of the party. She was elected as the General Secretary of the unified AIADMK. There have been splits in both the DMK and the AIADMK, but since 1967 one of those two parties has held power in the state. In the State Elections held in May 2006, the prevailing government by the AIADMK was defeated by the DMK-led alliance. See also: List of Chief Ministers of Tamil Naduand Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2006See also: Dravidian people

[edit] Demographics

Tamil Nadu's population stood at 62,110,839 as of 00.00 hours of March 1, 2001. It is the sixth most populous State of the Indian Union behind Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. The State accounts for 6.05% of the country's population. Its population density at 478 persons per square kilometre, up from 429 in 1991, and much higher than the all-India density of 324, makes it the eleventh most densely populated State (1991 rank:10) [3]. Approximately 47% of Tamil Nadu's population live in urban areas, one of the highest percentages in India.[4] During the decade 1991-2001, Tamil Nadu reported the second lowest decadal growth in population after Kerala, among the group of States with population exceeding 20 million in 2001. While Kerala's population grew by 9.42% between 1991 and 2001, Tamil Nadu's grew by 11.19%. In fact, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Orissa are the only three States in this group to have shown a decline in decadal percentage change in population in every decade since 1971.

[edit] Education and social development

Tamil Nadu has performed reasonably well in terms of literacy growth during the decade 1991-2001. The State's literacy rate increased from 62.66% in 1991 to 73.47% in 2001.[3] which is well above the nation average. Today many of India's premier educational institutions such as IIT-Madras, Chennai; Anna University, Chennai; University of Madras, Chennai; Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai; NIT, Trichy; Chennai Medical College, Chennai and TamilNadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore are some of the many premier institutions of the state. Also Tamil nadu produces the highest number of engineering graduates in India (around 30,000) every year which attracts many software companies to setup their shop in south India. The Dravidian movement, which began in Tamil Nadu, claimed to uplift the socially repressed classes, but drew its main support from the middle classes. Educating the people and eradicating superstitions were some of their objectives. They had a commitment to social justice which led to the expansion of reservation for the middle castes (or other backward classes - OBCs) and the lower castes and tribes (the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes). Upper castes in Tamilnadu criticise that high % of reservations are being followed inspite of the fact that Upper castes are securing only around 3% seats as against their population of 13%.[[3]]. The Mid-day meals program in Tamil Nadu program, initiated by Karmaveerar Kamarajar, was expanded considerably during the rule of the AIADMK in 1983. It feeds over a fifth of the state's population. The other event is "Entry in Vaikkom Temple" The mutual interaction of various philosophies, schools of thought, and religious ideologies in the state has made it one of the most tolerant and universalistic states. Women enjoy a high level of respect and protection compared to other Indian states [[4]]

[edit] Culture and Arts

See also: Tamil PeopleSee also: Temples of Tamilnadu Tamil civilization is one of the oldest in the world. Unique cultural features, like Tanjore paintings, Bharatanatyam and Tamil architecture, give Tamil Nadu a heritage to be proud of. Chola kings conquered lands as far north as the Himalayas, and as far east as Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. The world's oldest dam was built across the Kaveri river in Tamil Nadu by King Karikala Chola. Today, the rapidly increasing IT boom in Tamil Nadu cities like Chennai,Coimbatore and Tirunelveli[5] makes Tamil Nadu one of India's economic hotspots. Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu and it achieved the classical language status in India (as well as one of the official languages of India). Tamil Nadu is known for its rich tradition of literature, music and dance which continue to flourish today.

[edit] Literature

Tamil is a vibrant language with a long and rich literary tradition. Most of the older works are in verse form, and prose gained popularity later. All through history, Tamil literature has sought to inform and inspire, educate and entertain. Tamil poetry has universal appeal as evinced by many examples.

எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய்க் கேட்பினும் அப்பொருள் மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்ப தறிவு.

'The mark of wisdom is to discern the truth From whatever source it is heard.' - (Tirukkural - 423)

Tirukural which was written nearly two millennia ago portrays a universal outlook. This is evident by the author, Thiruvalluvar who had not mentioned his religion, land, and the auidence of his work. He is portrayed as holy saint of Tamil nadu today and even for the generations to come. There is an evidential history that the kings of olden days rolled out Tamil Sangam (Tamil organization) to develop literature works in tamil. The Sangam headquartered in Madurai generated lot a notable literary works.The Tamil Bible, 'Cardila', was printed in 1554 and made Tamil the first language into print for any Indian language. This was even before the first printing machine arrived Goa, India in 1556. Cardila was printed at Lisbon by the command of the Portuguese government with the motivation by the visits of three Paravars Vincent Nasareth, Joj Kavalko and Thomas Cruz from Tuticorin, India to Portugal. In 20th century during the freedom struggle, many tamil poets and writers provoked national spirit, social equity, secularistic thoughts among the common man. Some of the notable persons are Subramanya Bharathy , E.V.Ramasami Naicker, C. N. Annadurai, etc. Even today, Tamil nadu host potential writers like Jayakanthan, Jayamohan, etc.

[edit] Music

See also: Ancient Tamil music The Kings of the olden days created sangams for Iyal Isai Nadagam (Dance, Music and Drama) to express the spiritual feels and to quench the entertainment. Music plays a major role in sangams. Music in tamil nadu had different forms across the people. In villages where farming was a major work, the ladies who work in the feilds used to sing kulavai songs. Even today, southern Tamil nadu has this tradition. Odhuvars, Sthanikars, or Kattalaiyars offer short musical programmes in the temples by singing the devotional Thevaram songs. Musicians had total reliance on divine grace. They lead the chorus in the temple congregational prayers to the accompaniment of the Sarangi. Sarangi was in use in the temples of Tamil Nadu till the end of the nineteenth century.[citationneeded] Carnatic music is the classical music of Southern India. The basic form is a monophonic song with improvised variations. There are 72 basic scales on the octave, and a rich variety of melodic motion. Both melodic and rhythmic structures are varied and compelling. This is one of the world's oldest & richest musical traditions. Carnatic music abounds in structured compositions in the different ragas. These are songs composed by great artists and handed down through generations of disciples. While the improvised elaboration of a raga varies from musician to musician, the structured portion is set. These compositions are extremely popular, with a strong accent on rhythm and lively melodic patterns. Three saint composers of the nineteenth century, Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri, have composed thousands of songs that remain favourites among musicians and audiences. The composers belonging to the Tamil Trinity of Muthu Thandavar (?1560 -?1640 CE), Arunachala Kavi (1712-1779) and Marimutthu Pillai (1717-1787) composed hundreds of devotional songs in Tamil and helped in the evolution of Carnatic music. The Nineteen Forties were a rather turbulent period for Carnatic Music in Tamil Nadu because of the Tamizh Isai controversy. More than a controversy, it was a move by some well meaning people to increase the number of Tamil songs being sung in concerts in Tamil Nadu. Started by Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar and spurred on by individuals like Sir R.K.Shanmugham Chettiar and journalist Kalki Krishnamurthy, it tried to create a lot of awareness among musicians and rasikas that language had a role in music. Today, Tamil nadu is proud to have hundreds of notable carnatic singers who spreads this music all over the world. M. S. Subbulakshmi, a renoved carnatic singer has a uniqueness of singing song in the UN security council. In sharp contrast with the restrained and intellectual nature of carnatic music, Tamil folk music tends to be much more exuberant. Popular forms of Tamil folk music include the Villuppāṭṭu, a form of music performed with a bow, and the Nāṭṭuppur̲appāṭṭu, ballads that convey folklore and folk history. Some of the leading Tamil folk artists in the early 21st century are Pushpuvanam Kuppuswamy and his wife Anitha, and Chandramukhi Chinnaponnu.

[edit] Dance

Tamils have a large number of folk dances. These are performed for every possible occasion, to celebrate the arrival of seasons, birth of a child, a wedding and festivals.Tamil dance is closely intertwined with the Tamil theatrical tradition. The most celebrated of these is karakāṭṭam. In its religious form, the dance is performed in front of an image of the goddess Mariamma. The dancer bears on his or her head a brass pot filled with uncooked rice, decorated with flowers and surrounded by a bamboo frame, and tumbles and leaps to the rhythm of a song without spilling a grain. Karakāṭṭam is usually performed to a special type of song known as temmanguppāṭṭu or thevar pāṭṭu, a folk song in the mode of a lover speaking to his beloved, to the accompaniment of a nadaswaram and melam. Other Tamil folk dances include mayilāṭṭam, where the dancers tie a string of peacock feathers around their waist; ōyilāttam, danced in a circle while waving small pieces of cloth of various colors; poykkāl kuthiraiyaaṭṭam, where the dancers use dummy horses; mān̲āṭṭam, where the dancers imitate the graceful leaping of deer; par̲aiyāṭṭam, a dance to the sound of rhythmical drumbeats, and thīppandāṭṭam, a dance involving playing with burning wooden torches. Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form originating from Tamil Nadu. Bharatanatyam is thought to have been created by Bharata Muni, a Hindu sage, who wrote the Natya Shastra, the most important ancient treatise on classical Indian dance.In ancient times it was performed as dasiattam by mandir (Hindu temple) Devadasis. In this form, it as also been called "sadir" or "chinna meLam". Many of the ancient sculptures in Hindu temples are based on Bharata Natyam dance postures. Bharatanatyam is a traditional dance-form known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpturesque poses. Today, it is one of the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is practiced by male and female dancers all over India.

[edit] Film Industry

Tamil Nadu is also home to the large Tamil film industry, producing a huge number of Tamil films each year. There are several websites dedicated to tamil movies like Behindwoods.com. Next to Bollywood movies, Tamil movies are big budget movies.Chennai has often been referred to as Kollywood, a conflation of Hollywood and Kodambakkam,the section of Chennai that houses the cinema related facilities. Kollywood is the biggest film industry in India next to Bollywood. Artists from Andhra, Kerala have contributed a lot to the growth of Tamil film Industry. Particularly singers from these states are widely accepted in Kollywood. Karnataka and Maharashtra has also contributed a lot by providing actresses. Tamil movies are the one screened outside India and non-muslim world.

[edit] Tamil Festivals

Pongal,also called as Tamizhar thirunaal (festivel of Tamils) a four-day harvest festival, is the most celebrated festival of Tamil Nadu. The Tamil language saying Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum -- literally meaning, the birth of the month of Thai will pave way for new opportunities -- is often quoted with reference to the Pongal festival. The first day, Bhogi Pongal, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials by setting them on fire to mark the end of the old and emergence of the new. The second day, Surya Pongal, is the main day which falls on the first day of the Tamil month Thai (January 14 or January 15 in western calendar). The third day, Maattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cattle, as they provide milk and are used to plough the lands. Jallikattu, a violent taming the wild bull contest, marks the main event of this day. During this final day, Kaanum Pongal — the word "kanum", literally meaning 'to view' — youths used to gather at river banks to view and select their future life partners, but that practice has declined. It is then followed in importance by Thai Poosam Kavady, Tamil New Year which generally falls on the April 14 or 15 of the Gregorian calendar. The major festival that is celebarated in Tamil Nadu is Deepavali (Diwali). It is also known as KedhAra Gowri vradham. The day marks the death of Naragasuran, who did misdeeds to the common people. Crackers and fireworks will be the unique features of this festival. Wearing new dress and sharing sweets with neighbours to mark the unity in destroying the misdeeds. The first month in the tamil calendar is Chittirai. Apart from these, other national festivals like Saraswathi Poojai (Dasara) and Vinayaka Chathurthi are also celebrated. Apart from these major festivels, in every village and town of Tamil nadu people celebrate festivels for the local gods once in a year and the time differs from place to place. In addition the Velankanni Church and The Nagore mosque stand testimony to the multi-religious nature of the state.

[edit] Economy

Tamil Nadu's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $56 billion in current prices. Possessing the fifth largest economy (2004-2005) among states in India, Tamil Nadu is also the second most industrialised state next to Maharastra.[6] It ranks second in per capita income (2004-2005) among large states. It ranks third in foreign direct investment approvals (cumulative 1991-2002) of Rs.225,826 million ($5,000 million), next only to Maharashtra (Rs.366,024 million ($8,100 million)) and Delhi (Rs.303,038 million ($6,700 million). The State's investment constitutes 9.12% of the total FDI in the country.[7] Unlike many other states, the economic resources are quite spread out, rather than concentrated in a small industrialised area. According to the 2001 Census, Tamil Nadu has the highest level of urbanization (43.86%) in India, accounting for 6% of India’s total population and 9.6% of the urban population.[8] and is the second most industrialized state in India.[4] Tamil Nadu has a network of about 110 industrial parks and estates offering developed plots with supporting infrastructure.[9] Also, the state government is promoting other industrial parks like Rubber Park, Apparel Parks, Floriculture Park, TICEL Park for Biotechnology[10], Siruseri IT Park, and Agro Export Zones among others. Annual Plan outlays have increased by a record 75% from Rs.52,000 million ($1,100 million) in 2001-2 to Rs.91,000 million ($2,000 million) in 2005-6.

[edit] Agriculture

Tamil Nadu has historically been an agricultural state, while its advances in other fields launched the state into competition with other areas. Even so, Tamil Nadu is a leading producer of agricultural products in India. Tamil Nadu agriculture is heavily dependent on the river water and Monsoon rains. The perennial rivers are Palar, Cheyyar, Ponnaiyar, Kaveri, Meyar, Bhavani, Amaravati, Vaigai, Chittar & Tamaraparani. Non-perennial rivers include the Vellar, Noyal, Suruli, Gundar, Vaipar, Valparai and Varshali. Tamil Nadu is also the leading producer of kambu, corn, rye, ground nuts, oil, seeds and sugar cane in India.At present Tamil Nadu is India's second biggest producer of rice, next to Punjab where there is perennial source of irrigation.[11] Tamil Nadu is the home to Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, known as the "father of the Green Revolution" in India.[12] The town of Namakkal is also known as the Poultry hub of India. At this time Tamil Nadu is the only state to have a formal Bio-Diesel Policy using jatropha plant crops and to distribute wasteland to the poor farmers for planting.[13]

[edit] Industry

One of the global electrical equipment public sector company BHEL has manufacturing plants at Tiruchirapalli and Ranipet. The Tamil Nadu state government owns the Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers (TNPL)[14], the world's biggest bagasse based Paper mills in Karur as well as the world's sixth largest manufacturer of watches together with TATA, under the brandname of "Titan".[15] 55% of all wind-generated electricity in India is created by windmills in Tamil Nadu. Renowned Danish wind power company NEG Micon has established its manufacturing unit in Chennai.[16] Tamil Nadu is leading producer of Cement in India, it is the home for leading cement brands in the country such as Chettinad Cements(Karur), Dalmia Cements Ariyalur, Ramco cements (Madras Cement Ltd), etc.,There is a ACC cement factory located in madukarai outskirts of Coimbatore. Many heavy engineering and manufacturing-based companies are centered in and around the suburbs of Chennai (nicknamed, "The Detroit of Asia"). Chennai boasts the presence of global vehicle manufacturing giants like Ford, Caterpillar, Hyundai, BMW and Mitsubishi as well as domestic heavyweights like MRF, TI cycles of India, Ashok Leyland, Royal Enfield, Mahindra & Mahindra, TAFE Tractors and TVS. Everything from automobiles, railway coaches, battle-tanks, tractors, motorbikes and heavy vehicles are manufactured in Tamil Nadu. A large number of textile mills and engineering industries are present around Coimbatore City. Karur is known for its bus body building industries where most of the buses used in south India are manufactured. Over 11.2% of the S&P CNX 500 conglomerates have corporate offices in Tamil Nadu. The Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant, Ennore Thermal Plant, Neyveli Lignite Power Plant,many hydroelectric plants including mettur and the Narimanam Natural Gas Plants are major sources of Tamil Nadu's electricity. Tamil Nadu sources a significant proportion of its power needs from renewable sources with Wind Power contributing over 2000 MW or over 20% of the needs. As of 2005, Tamil Nadu is one of the few Indian states with surplus power electricity, enabling the electrical authority to sell it to neighbouring states of Andra Pradesh & Karnataka.Tamil Nadu ranks first nationwide in diesel-based thermal electricity generation with national market share of over 34%.
The textile industry plays a significant role in the Indian economy by providing direct employment to an estimated 35 million people, and thereby contributing 4% of GDP and 35% of Gross Export Earnings. The textile sector contributes to 14% of the manufacturing sector. The city of Tirupur (Coimbatore district), in Tamil Nadu is the largest garment exporter in India and sometimes referred to as Textile valley of India. In 2004, the export turnover from the town was more than Rs.50,000 million ($1,100 million). Some 7,000 garment units in the town provides employment opportunity to 1 million people. 56% of India's total knitwear exports come from Tirupur. The Export Import Policy of 2002-2007 acknowledges Tirupur for its contribution to the export efforts. Next to Tirupur, the town of Karur generates around $300 million a year in foreign exchange through home textile exports such as bed linens, kitchen linens, toilet linens, table linens and wall hangings. Madurai and Kanchipuram is very famous for handloom sarees. Electronics manufacturing is a growing industry in Tamil Nadu. Companies like Nokia, Flextronics, Motorola, Foxconn and Dell have chosen Chennai as their South Asian manufacturing hub. Products manufactured include circuit boards and cellular phone handsets.[17] Ericsson also has a Research and Development facility in Chennai[18]. The town of Sivakasi is a leader in the areas of printing, fireworks, and safety matches. It was fondly called as Kutty Japan or "little Japan" by Jawaharlal Nehru. It contributes to 80% of India's production of safety matches as well as 90% of India's total fireworks production. Sivakasi provides over 60% of India's total offset printing solutions and ranks as one of the highest taxpaying towns in India. Sivakasi also is a 100% employed town, putting it in the company of very few towns in India. Tamil nadu contributes has significant amount of mineral reserves such as Lignite (87%), Vermiculite (66%), Garnet (42%), Zircon (38%), Graphite (33%), Ilmenite (28%), Rutile (27%), Monazite (25%), Magnesite (17%). The number in the bracket indicate the percentage contribution to the national share. India's leading steel producer SAIL has a steel plant in Salem, Tamilnadu.[19] Tamil nadu is a leading contributor in the IT and BPO sector. Chennai is the second leading software exporter in India, after Bangalore. India's largest IT park is housed at Chennai. Software exports from Tamil Nadu rose from Rs.76,000 million ($1,600 million) in 2003-04 to Rs.110,000 million ($2,400 million) in 2004-5.[20] Chennai is a hub for e-publishing, as there are 47 e-publishing units registered with the STPI in Chennai and 25 in Bangalore. Companies such as HCL, Wipro, TCS, Satyam, Infosys, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Covansys, Ford Information Technology, Xansa, Verizon, iSoft, iNautix, Electronic Data Systems, Bally and many others have offices in Chennai. Infosys Technologies has set up India's largest software development centre to house 25,000 software professionals at an estimated investment of Rs.12,500 million ($270 million) in Chennai.[21] India's largest IT park is housed at Chennai, jointly made by Ascendas India Ltd, a Singapore-based company engaged in providing business space solutions, and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).[22] Chennai is also the preferred destination for companies outsourcing their high-end knowledge intensive operations. Testimony to this is the presence of major market research companies such as Frost & Sullivan and equity research companies such as Irevna in Chennai. This is the next high growth area that Chennai is witnessing.

[edit] Tourism

Tamil Nadu is a land of varied beauty. It is mostly famous for its numerous Hindu temples based on the Dravidian architecture. The temples are of a distinct style which is famous for its towering Gopuram. Popular temple towns include Madurai, Trichy, Tanjore, Kanchipuram, Swamithoppe[23], Palani, Tiruvallur and Mahabalipuram. The most famous temple is the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur that is about 1000 years old and is on the UNESCO's World Heritage Site list. Tamil Nadu also has the Navagraha temples that are a popular pilgrim circuit. Near Chennai stands a small hillock called St. Thomas Mount, where the Apostle is said to have been killed in 78 AD (exact year not established). Also to be found in Chennai is the San Thome Cathedral Basilica to which his mortal remains were supposedly transferred. Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of peninsular India, is famous for its distinct and beautiful sunrise, Vivekananda Rock Memorial on the mid-sea, Thiruvalluvar statue and has some very green hilly landscape and picture-postcard perfect sceneries around the district and Nagercoil. Hill stations like Kodaikanal and Nilgiris boast some of the stunning landscapes in India. The Nilgiris also has one of the two mountain Railways in India and is being evaluated for the UNESCO's World Heritage Site list. The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary located in Gudalur near the border of Karnataka known for its elephants, tigers and deer and the Pitchavaram Mangrove forests located in Chidambaram are two of the many eco-tourism spots of importance. Though Tamil is the official first language, these days other neighbouring languages like Telugu, kannada and hindi, have been well accepted. A touris spot is Mathur Hanging Trough s located in Mathur. a hamlet located 3 km from Thiruvattar in the Kanyakumari District.