Cities of South India - South India City Guide - South Indian Cities

Bangalore City
An air-conditioned city, a garden city, the Silicon Valley of India, the fastest developing city in the world, these are some of the attributes used to describe this beautiful city which has a lot to offer you.

Chennai City
Chennai the gracious capital city of Tamil Nadu is the fourth largest metropolis in India. Located on a 17km stretch of the Coramandel coast, the city is trisected by the waterways of Cooum and Adyar and the Buckingham Canal.

Hyderabad City
Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, along with its twin city Secunderabad has over 400 years of history. Hyderabad is a heady mixture of heritage, traditionally hospitality and a thriving software revolution. A revolution that has already attracted Microsoft to set its only overseas base here.

Kanyakumari City
Surrounded by Majestic Hills and the plains bordered by colourful sea-shores, fringed with coconut trees and paddy fields, here and there are few elevated patches of red cliffs with undulating valleys and plains between the mountainous terrain and the sea - coast, so closely interwoven with Temples and Churches and other edifices lies the district, 'Kanyakumari'.

Madurai City
Madurai, probably over 2500 years old, is the oldest city in Tamil Nadu. Its origin and name emerge from a misty and lovely legend. In a forest near a lotus pond, Indra, King of Gods, Worshipped Lord Siva as a Swayambu Lingam.

Mysore City
Mysore is more than palaces, parks and temples … the exotic fragrance of Mysore Jasmine… the melodious strains of the Veena… the rich aroma of filter coffee… traditional carvings on fragrant sandalwood, rosewood and ivory … the rustle of rich silks … delicious Nanjangud bananas … Hot 'N' Spicy Bisi-bele-hulianna … mouthwatering Mysore Pak, a traditional sweetmeat … It is a gourmet's delight and a Shopper's paradise.

Ooty City
Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam, which stands 7,349 feet above sea level in the Nilgiris, is known as the Queen of southern hill resorts of India. Ooty, as it is popularly known, spreads over 36 square miles, and the temperature ranges from 25 degree celsius in summers, to near freezing in winters.

Rameshwaram City
Rameswaram, a small island in the Gulf of Mannar, is a major pilgrim centre .It is connected to the mainland by road and rail bridges. Rameswaram is holy, because Sri Rama, on his return from Sri Lanka, offered his thanks to Lord Shiva and performed pooja to wash away his sins which he got by killing Demon King, Ravana.

Tirupati City
The abode of the 'Kaliyuga' deity Lord Venkateswara, popularly known as Balaji, Tirupati has for centuries remained a destination divine and this feeling grows on one as one goes round the various temples and spots of natural beauty surrounding this major town.

Visakhapatnam City
The land of the golden beaches was just over half a century ao a small fishing village. One would be amazed at the manner in which this port city with a natural harbour developed into one of the fastest growing cities in Asia.

Warangal City
The city was once the heartland of Telugu culture. The capital of the Kakatiya rulers. Warangal today contains some of the best forms of architecute, especially in temples.

Kanchipuram City
Kanchipuram is known as one of India's Seven Sacred cities. Kanchipuram was, one of India's seven sacred cities. Kanchipuram was the historical capital of the Pallavas. It was under the Pallavas from 6th to 8th century A.D and later became the citadel of Cholas, Vijayanagar Kings, the Muslim and the British. It has been a centre of Tamil learning, cultural and religious background for centuries.

Mahabalipuram City
Globally renown for its shore temples, Mahabalipuram was the second capital of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram. 58 kilometres from Madras on the Bay of Bengal, this tiny sea - side village of Mahabalipuram, is set in a boulder - strewn landscape. Tourists are drawn to this place by its miles of unspoiled beach and rock-cut art. The sculpture, here, is particularly interesting because it shows scenes of day-to- day life, in contrast with the rest of the state of Tamil Nadu, where the carvings generally depict gods and goddesses.

Pondicherry City
Situated on the Coromandel coast, about 160 kms south of Chennai, lies the Union Territory of Pondicherry. The French ruled this territory for 300 years, and today, it stands as a living monument of the French culture in India. It is bound on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the other three sides by the South Arcot District of Tamil Nadu. About 150 kilometres south of Pondicherry, on the east coast, lies Karaikal, while Mahe is situated on the Malabar coast. Yanam is situated in the adjoining East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

Trichy City
Tiruchirappalli, situated on the banks of the river Cauvery is the fourth largest city in Tamil Nadu. It was a citadel of the early Cholas which later fell to the Pallavas. Trichy is a fine blend of tradition and modernity built around the Rock Fort. Apart from the Fort, there are several Churches, Colleges and Missions dating back to the 1760s. The town and its fort, now in Trichy were built by the Nayaks of Madurai. This city has given great Tamil scholars whose contributions to the Tamil literature have been very significant.

Hampi City
Saint Vidyaranya established the seat of Vijayanagara empire in 1336 A.D, with the help of his devotee disciples Hakka and Bukka. The empire later became famous for its support towards renovation/reconstruction of temples through out India. It also became renowned for re-establishment of Indian culture, its support for music, art and literature.

Mumbai City
Following the first war of Independence in 1857, the East India Company was accused of mismanagement, and Bombay reverted to the British crown. With the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, exports, specially cotton, from Bombay became a major part of the colonial economy.

Pune City
For a period of over one hundred years the district of Pune has been a bastion of the all-powerful Maratha empire. Pune District is marked by numerous awesome land and sea forts, a testimony to Raja Shivaji's daring exploits. Later, Pune was handed over to the Peshwa family, whose Maratha power rose to be a major political force. In 1818, Pune was taken over by the East India Company.

Nashik City
Situated about 200 kms. from Mumbai, Nashik stands on the banks of the holy river Godavari. It has a personality of its own due to its mythological, historical, social and cultural importance. It is also the site for the triennial Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years. It is known for best quality Grapes. Temples and ghats on the banks of Godavari have made Nashik one of the holiest places for Hindus all over the World.

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