tamil Nadu (Tamil pronunciation: IPA: [t ami nau]; pronunciation (helpinfo); TamiNu; literally

'The Land of Tamils' or 'Tamil Country') is one of the 29 states of India. Its capital and largest city
is Chennai (formerly known as Madras). Tamil Nadu[9] lies in the southernmost part of the Indian
Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Puducherry and the South Indian states
of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. It is bounded by the Eastern Ghats on the north, by
the Nilgiri, the Anamalai Hills, and Kerala on the west, by the Bay of Bengal in the east, by the Gulf
of Mannar and the Palk Strait on the southeast, and by the Indian Ocean on the south. The state
shares a maritime border with the nation of Sri Lanka.

Culture: Tamil Nadu has a long tradition of venerable culture.[93] Tamil Nadu is known for its rich
tradition of literature, art, music and dance which continue to flourish today. Tamil Nadu is a land
most known for its monumental ancient Hindu temples and classical form of dance Bharata
Natyam.[94] Unique cultural features like Bharatanatyam[95] (dance), Tanjore painting,[96] and Tamil
architecture were developed and continue to be practised in Tamil Nadu.

Festivals: Pongal, also called as Tamizhar Thirunaal (festival of Tamils) or Makara Sankranti
elsewhere in India, a four-day harvest festival is one of the most widely celebrated festivals
throughout Tamil Nadu.[110] 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 this 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 tenth Tamil month Thai (14 January or 15 January 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 bull taming contest, marks the main event of this day.

Language: Tamil ( ) is the official language of Tamil Nadu. English is also in common
usage as an official language of India. When India adopted national standards, Tamil was the
first language to be recognised as a classical language of India.[86] As of 2001 census, Tamil is
spoken as the first language by 96 percent of the population.
Tamil Nadu is one of the most literate states in India.[87] Tamil Nadu has performed reasonably
well in terms of literacy growth during the decade 20012011.
Religions: The main religions in Tamilnadu are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Jainism.
Hinduism, along with its various sects, is the oldest religion in the state. Hindus are followers of
number of sectarian monastic institutions (called mathas). The most important Math of the state
is the Shankara Math at Kumbakonam. The Hindus number most and are scattered in almost all
parts of the state. In Tamilnadu, there is an established caste system, which is more
pronounced than many other parts of the country. Like most parts of India, the Brahmin
community in Tamilnadu is very pious. Besides Hinduism, other important religions that are
practiced in the state are Christianity, Islam and Jainism. The history of Christianity and Islam is
also very old in Tamil Nadu. The largest concentration of Christians is in Tirunelveli and
Kanniyakumari districts of the state. The followers of Jain religion are confined to North and
South Arcot and Chennai city.
Customs:
Tamil Nadu is one of the most urbanised states of India,but it is still primarily rural. Most of
the people live in more than 64,000 nucleated villages. There is an established caste
system, and the traditional differentiations here are a lot more pronounced than in many
other parts of the country.The largest distribution of population

is mostly confined to the Chennai metropolitan covering industrial areas, townships and
villages surrounding Chennai city, and those around Madurai, Coimbatore, and
Tiruchchirappalli. More than 80% of the state's population follows Hinduism. Christianity and
Islam are also followed here