South India is a region of India
that traditionally includes the entire Indian
Peninsula, south of the Vindhya ranges.
The Narmada and Mahanadi rivers
form the northern boundaries of the region,
while the Arabian Sea, Indian
Ocean and the Bay of Bengal form
the region's western, southern and eastern
boundaries respectively. The southernmost
point of the region, and therefore of mainland
India, is Kanyakumari. South India
as a cultural and linguistic entity,
comprises the four southern states
of Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala
and Tamil
Nadu and the Union
Territory of Pondicherry, whose
inhabitants are referred to as South
Indians. Ethnically, South Indians are
primarily linked by the Dravidian origin
of their languages, although some communities
such as the Konkani-speaking population
of Karnataka retain distinct identities.
South India is a geographically diverse
region, encompassing two mountain ranges
- the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats
and a plateau heartland. The Tungabhadra,
Kaveri, Krishna and Godavari
rivers are important non-perennial sources
of water. Historically, a number of dynasties
including the Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras, Hoysalas
and Vijayanagara ruled over different parts
of South India prior to the British
conquest of India. South India's
diverse culture varies from the cultures
of other parts of India. Politically,
South India is dominated by regional political
parties rather than by the larger national
political parties.
From the backwaters of Kerala to
exotic coral islands and lush
green hill stations in Tamil Nadu all
have a charm of their own. The Capital
city of Karnataka, Bangalore
can match any other city in the west. Agriculture
is the single largest contributor to the
regional net domestic product. Information
Technology (IT) is a rapidly growing
industry in South India, whose main
cities constitute some of India’s major
IT hubs. Popularly called the garden
city, Bangalore is one of most jazzy
places in India. On the line of Bangalore
is coming up Hyderabad. A quite city
known for the Nizam rulers, Hyderabad is
the second place in India, which has a Cyber
City. Going further south there are
excellent beaches and temples. Who
can forget the ever-beautiful Chinese nets
along the coast in Cochin or the
spices, which are grown here. The coconut
on the beaches gives a pleasure, which cannot
be described in words. The state capital
of Tamil Nadu, Chennai formally known
as Madras is another historical place
in south.
The golden Marina beach in Chennai
is one of the longest beaches in the
world. In south India, one can
enjoy crashing breakers on the shores or
can enjoy the peace and greenery of places
like Otty. One can visit the historical
places of Karnataka or worship in the
temples of Tamil Nadu. Southern India
had many things to offer, what you need
is to explore the region. |
