The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar, Tamilans or simply Tamils, are an ethnic group who speak the language Tamil as their mother tongue and trace their ancestry to Southern India and North-eastern Sri Lanka. Tamils, with a population of around 76 million and with a documented history stretching back over 2,000 years, are one of the largest and oldest extant ethnolinguistic groups in the modern world. Tamils constitute 5.9% of the population in India, 15.3% in Sri Lanka, 6% in Mauritius, 7% in Malaysia and 5% in Singapore.
Kongu Nadu is a region and aspirant state of India comprising the western part of Tamil Nadu. In the ancient Tamilakam, it was the seat of the Chera kings, bounded on the east by Tondai Nadu, on the south-east by Chola Nadu and on the south by Pandya Nadu regions.
The Chola dynasty was one of the longest-ruling dynasties in history. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BCE left by Ashoka, of the Maurya Empire. As one of the Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam, the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until the 13th century CE.
Sangam period is the period of history of ancient Tamil Nadu and Kerala spanning from c. 5th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. It is named after the famous Sangam academies of poets and scholars centered in the city of Madurai.
Tamilakam or Ancient Tamil country refers to the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and southern parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Traditional accounts and Tholkāppiyam referred these territories as a single cultural area, where Tamil was the natural language and culture of all people. The ancient Tamil country was divided into kingdoms. The best known among them were the Cheras, Cholas, Pandyans and Pallavas. During the Sangam period, Tamil culture began to spread outside Tamilakam. Ancient Tamil settlements were also found in Sri Lanka and the Maldives (Giravarus).
Dharmapuri is a district in western part of Tamil Nadu in South India. It is the first district created in Tamil Nadu after the independence of India by splitting it from then-Salem district on 02 October, 1965. The other major towns in the district are Harur, Palacode, Karimangalam, Pennagaram and Pappireddipatti. Dharmapuri District is one of the major producers of mango in the state, fine quality granite is found in the district. It is also one of the main sericulture belts in the state. Around 30 percent of the district's area is under forest cover. Cauvery river enters Tamil Nadu through this district.
The Cholas were a Tamil kingdom of the pre and post Sangam period were one of the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country. Their early capitals were Urayur and Kaveripattinam. Along with Pandyas and Cheras, Chola history goes back to the period where written records were scarce.
Periyakulam is a major city and a Municipality in Theni district in the Madurai Region . South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 42,976. Periyakulam is the northern gateway of the district.
Cholavandan is a panchayat town in Madurai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the left bank of the Vaigai River, sixteen miles north west of Madurai. It is one of 12 "town- panchayats" of Madurai district.
There are literary, archaeological, epigraphic and numismatic sources of ancient Tamil history. The foremost among these sources is the Sangam literature, generally dated to 5th century BCE to 3rd century CE. The poems in Sangam literature contain vivid descriptions of the different aspects of life and society in Tamilakam during this age; scholars agree that, for the most part, these are reliable accounts. Greek and Roman literature, around the dawn of the Christian era, give details of the maritime trade between Tamilakam and the Roman empire, including the names and locations of many ports on both coasts of the Tamil country.
Uraiyur is an area of Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, India. It was the capital of the early Cholas and Muthurajas, who were one of the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country. Sometimes spelt as Urayur, this location is also known as Thirukkozhi, Nikalaapuri, Uranthai, and Kozhiyur or Koliyur. It has a history dating back to before 200BCE There is definite mention of the Cholas, whose founder was Vijayalaya and their capital in Ashokan inscriptions in Orissa pushing back the antiquity of the Cholas as well as Uraiyur to 272–232 BCE, which was the period of Ashoka who was ruler of the Maurya Dynasty of Pataliputra. Inscriptions and rock edicts of Ashoka and the Satavahanas describe Urayur as "the citadel and centre of the Cholas".Uraiyur was ruled by Karikala Cholan.
Thirunanthikara is a village situated in Thirparappu panchayath, in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. This village comes under the post office of Kulasekharam, 3 km away, and is located along the Kulasekharam–Pechipara road. The primary revenue source for the area is natural rubber production and tapping. Many of the youth of Thirunanthikara work in Gulf countries and their money helps support the village. 20% of the people speak Malayalam, 80% speak Tamil. The traditions and customs of the people are similar to those of the people of Kerala.
Tamil Nadu is a state in the south-eastern part of the Indian Peninsula. Tamilnadu is previously a part of the United Madras Province, which was later partitioned based on languages. Tamilnadu has more than 4,000 years of continuous cultural history. Tamil Nadu has some of the most remarkable temple architecture in the country, and a living tradition of music, dance, folk arts and fine arts. Tamil Nadu is well renowned for its temple towns and heritage sites, hill stations, waterfalls, national parks, local cuisine and the natural environment and wildlife. The state has the largest tourism industry in India with an annual growth rate of 16%. In 2015, the number of domestic arrivals was at 333.5 million making the state the most popular tourist destination in the country, and foreign arrivals numbered 4.68 million, the highest in the country, making it the most popular state for tourism in the country.
Mallinatha Swamy Temple is a Jain temple in Mannargudi, an ancient town in the erstwhile Chola Empire of Tamil Nadu. Māllīnātha is the 19th Tirthankara of the Jain faith.
Aandiruppu, formerly Aandiruppu, Naalur Thiruvidaimaruthur Vouraatchi, is a village located at the southern end of Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the town of Kumbakonam. The name Thanjavur is derived from "Tanjan", a legendary asura in Hindu mythology. Thanjavur is one of the ancient cities in India and has a long and varied history dating back to the Sangam period. The town was founded by Mutharayar king Swaran Maran and rose to prominence during the rule of the Later Cholas when it served as the capital of the Chola empire. After the fall of the Cholas, the city was ruled by various dynasties such as the Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Thanjavur Nayaks, Thanjavur Marathas and British. It has been a part of independent India since 1947.
Perumukkal is a small village in the Tindivanam municipality of the Villuppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The major occupation of its residents is agriculture. In 2011 it had a population of 3,000.
The Mango Orange, officially spelt ‘mangorange’, is a small village in the Gudalur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The village is dominated by tea estates and is also very scenic. Most of the population is employed in the tea estates and there are a few schools, churches and mosques dotted around the undulating terrain.
Tondaimandalam also known as Tondai Nadu is a historical region located in the northernmost part of Tamil Nadu. The region comprises the districts which formed a part of the traditional Pallava kingdom. The boundaries of Tondaimandalam are ambiguous – between the Rivers basins of Penna River and Ponnaiyar River.
