History

Tamil Nadu is one of the most ancient regions in Indian history which dates back some 6000 years. The state represents the nuceus of Dravidian culture in India, which antedated the Aryan culture in India by almost a thousand years. Tamil Nadu was variously ruled by the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas prior the Christian era. Karikalan Chola, the greatest of the earlier Chola.

With the establishment of East India Company at Madras in 1639, a new chapter was opened in the Tamil Nadu. Slowly and steadily the state came under British sway.

When India became independent, the old Madras Province comprising Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and part of Kerala continued as the state of Madras. After some years of agitation for separate, Andhra Pradesh was created. On 14th January 1969, Madras state changed its name to Tamil Nadu. The capital city Madras was renamed Chennai in 1996.

At a Glance:-

Area	1,30,058 Sq. km
Capital	Chennai
Boundaries	East-Bay of Bengal,
	West-Kerala,
	North-Andhra Pradesh,
	South-Gulf of Mannar,
	North-West-Karnataka.
Language	Tamil, English
Literacy Rate	64%
Best Time To Go	January to September.
Airport	Tiruchirapally, Coimbattore, Salem, Chennai ( International Airport in the southern region is the main centre of airline routes).
Roads	The length of road network in Tamil Nadu is nearly 1,70,000 km.
Important Hill Resorts	Name	Altitude	Nearest Railhead
	Coonoor	1858 m.	Coonoor
	Kodaikanal	2133 m.	Kodaikanal Road 80 km.
	Kotagiri	1983 m.	Coonoor 21 km.
	Ooty	2286 m.	Udhagamandalam.
	Yercud	1515 m.	Salem 35 km.

Dance's of Tamilnadu

BHARATA NATYAM

Bharata Natyam, which originates from the state of Tamil Nadu in South India, is one of the oldest and most popular dance styles in India. The word itself is a combination of :--

BHARATA NATYAM = BHAVA (expression) + RAGA (musical mode) + TALA (rhythm) NATYAM (dance)

This style is a direct descendant of devotional dances performed in the temples of South India from the tenth century to the middle of this century. The art of Bharata Natyam has been carried by 'nattuvanars' and ritualistic dancers called devadasis, in the temples of south India.

Bharata Natyam is poetry in motion. Exploring its history in the Natya Sastra, written by the great sage Bharata, it is a highly traditional & stylized dance form. Bharata Natyam has been immortalized in successive generations, as much by the grace of great dancers as by the nimble fingers of renowned sculptors who have demonstrated the perfection of Bharata's technique.

Bharatanatyam's blend of the abstract & the emotional is derived from its fusion of two prime elements, nritta (pure dance or dance without interpretive meaning) & nritya (expressive dance). Bharatanatyam derives much of its intense, dramatic impact from the juxtaposition & contrast with which both elements are utilized. Nritta comprises adavus, which are the basic dance units of Bharatanatyam. Each adavu contains 3 essential elements, a basic standing position (sthanaka), movement of the legs & feet (chari) & decorative hand gestures (nritta-hasta).

Folk Dances

Mayil Attam

This is done by girls dressed as peacocks, resplendent with peacock feathers and a glittering head-dress complete with a beak. This beak can be opened and closed with the help of a thread tied to it, and manipulated from within dress.

Bommalattam or Puppet Show

Puppet shows are held in every village during festivals and fairs. There are always kinds of puppets used for this show made of cloth, wood, leather, etc. They are controlled by strings or wires. The persons stand behind a screen and the puppets are held in front. The stories enacted in the puppet shows are from Ved-puranas, history and folklore. These shows are very entertaining and hold both adults and childrens quite for many hours.

Kummi

Kummi is one of the most important and ancient forms of village dances of Tamilnadu. It originated when there were no musical instruments, with the participants clapping their hands to keep time. This is performed by women; many varieties of Kummi, such as, Poonthatti Kummi, Deepa Kummi, Kulavai Kummi, Kadir Kummi, Mulaipari Kummi etc are known. The women stand in a circle and dance clapping their hands rhythamically. This dance is usually performed during temple festivals, Pongal, the harvest festival, family functions like the one to celebrate the coming of age (onset of puberty) of the girl-child etc. The first line of the song is sung by the leading lady, which the others repeat.

Kai Silambu Attam

This dance is performed in temples during Navaratri festival. The dancers wear ankle-bells and hold anklets or silambu in their hands, which make noise when shaken. They perform various stepping styles jumps. The dance is in praise of all female deities, the most preferred being the powerful angry goddess - Kali or Durga.