Tamilnadu has a great tradition of heritage and
culture that developed over 2,000 years ago and still continues to
flourish. This great cultural heritage of the state of Tamilnadu evolved
through the rule of dynasties that ruled the state during various phases
of history. Many of the ruling dynasties gave patronage to art and
culture that resulted into the development and evolution of a unique
Dravidian culture that Tamilnadu today symbolizes with.
Under the rule of the Pallavas, Cholas and the Pandya kings, there were
tremendous growth and development in the field of art, architecture and
literature, which reached great heights. The history of Tamil language
can be traced back to the age of the Tolkapiyam, the Tamil Grammar text,
ascribed to around 500 B.C. Similarly, the Sangam literature dates back
to 500 B.C.
People of Tamilnadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the most urbanized states of India but most of the
people still live in villages. In Tamil Nadu, there is an established
caste system with traditional differentiations a lot more pronounced
than in many other parts of India. A large part of population is
confined to the Chennai (covering industrial areas, townships and the
surrounding villages) and those around Madurai, Tiruchchirappall and
Coimbatore. About 80 percent of the people in Tamil Nadu follow
Hinduism. A substantial percentage of population in Tamil Nadu follows
Christianity and Islam.
Languages Spoken in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu state and one of the 18
languages mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Indian constitution.
Tamil is one of the classical languages of the world, with a rich
heritage of literature. It is the most widely spoken language in Tamil
Nadu. Besides Tamil Nadu, Tamil is also spoken by a number of people in
Sri Lanka, Singapore, Mauritius and Malaysia. The antiquity of Tamil is
comparable to Sanskrit. Tamil is written in a derivative of the southern
'Brahmi' script. The alphabet of Tamil is unique (phonetic). That is, in
Tamil language letters represent sounds, rather than ideas, as is the
case in the 'Mandarin' language of China.
Religions in Tamil
Nadu
The history and culture of Tamilnadu goes back to thousands years back.
For centuries, people of various religions have been residing in the
state. 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).
Tamilnadu Cuisines
Like all other South Indian states, Tamil Nadu is also known for a wide
variety of delicious food both for the vegetarians as well as the
non-vegetarians. Grains, lentils, rice and vegetables are the main
ingredients of the traditional foods of Tamil Nadu. Spices add flavor
and give a distinctive taste to the Tamil cuisines. Some of the most
common and popular dishes of the region are idly, dosai, vada, pongal
and Uppuma. Coconut chutney and sambhar invariably form a part of most
of the Tamil dishes.
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