TRAVEL2TAMILNADU

TIRUNELVELI

Tirunelveli is an ancient city with rich cultural heritage, and is home to many temples and shrines, including the largest Shiva Temple in Tamil Nadu, the Nellaippar temple. The city is considered to be one of the oldest in the Indian subcontinent, with a history that dates back to 1000 BC. It is located on the western side of the perennial Thamirabarani. whereas its twin city Palayamkottai, is located on the eastern side.

The city is also famous for its reputed institutions and hence Palayamkottai is known as the "Oxford of South India".it can be seen that the city is surrounded by fertile paddy fields, enriched by the perennial river "Tamirabarani". The river has a wide network of canals and waterways which irrigate numerous rice fields and support the villages around the district which primarily thrive on cultivating rice. The region is also heavily dependent on the monsoon rains. 'Tiru' meaning respectable, 'Nel' meaning paddy, and 'Veli' meaning a protective fence. In other words, the etymology relates to the city having paddy fields as a protective fence.The name Halwa City is the a nickname of Tirunelveli .Halwa is the famous sweet made here which is from wheat.

NELLAIAPPAR TEMPLE

t is famous as one of the largest Shiva Temples of Tamilnadu, known for its sculptural splendours. The temple is situated in Tirunelveli Town, in the centre of the city at a distance of 2�km from the railway station. It is a twin temple dedicated to Goddess Parvathi and Lord Shiva. Even from a considerable distance, one can have a good view of the gopurams (towers). Rare jewels, the Golden Lily Tank, Musical Pillars, and the hall of Thousand Pillars are worth seeing. The temple dates back to 700 AD . The Sangili Mandapam, a big terraced hall, linking both these temples, was built in the 17th century. The towers also date back to the early 17th century.

Halwa

Tirunelveli is popular state-wide for its famous halwa (pronounced locally as alwa). The sweet dish is made primarily from wheat and sugar. Tirunelveli halwa is golden brown, has a jelly-like texture and contains a ghee (clarified butter), which gives it its distinctively greasy appearance. Best served hot, this popular sweet is generally enjoyed as a dessert. The halwa was made famous by a Marwari family settled here more than 300 years ago. The original shop started by them is the Lakshmi Vilas. Over time, other small businesses borrowed the recipe and now the halwa has become synonymous with the city.

The best places to buy Tirunelveli halwa is around the Nellaiyappar temple and avenue leading to the central railway station.Two of the most famous halwa stores are Irutu Kadai Halwa (Transliterated as the Dark Halwa store), situated near the Nellaiyappar temple and the other being chandra vilas. .

PALAYAMKOTTAI

Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai being located on either banks of the river Thamirabarani, they are often referred to as twin cities. Palayamkottai is widely known for its educational infrastructure and is called the Oxford of South India. city has a rich heritage in pedagogy with its wide array of highly competitive and dynamic schools, colleges and institutions of higher education. The most popular are the Tirunelveli Medical College, Government Siddha College, Government Engineering College, St.Xavier's College, St.John's College and Sarah Tucker College (the first women's college in Tamil Nadu).

SANKARAN KOIL

��Sankaran Koli is situated 56 kilometers North of Tirunelveli. The place is famous for the Chariot Festival in Adithabasu Vizha that is celebrated in the month of July. Lacs of people flock to this place on this occasion.

KUTRALLAM

Kutrallam, which is popularly called the "Spa of the south", is situated at an elevation of about 170 m high, on the Western Ghats. This is not only a tourist spot but also a health resort. The waterfall has medicinal properties to cure physical ailments. The main attraction of Courtallam for all its visitors are the waterfalls. There are three major waterfalls in Courtallam- the Tiger Falls, the Main Falls and the Five Falls. Old Courtallam Falls, further away from the rest, is another attractive, and perhaps the largest amongst the Courtallam falls. Other attractions include a snake park, a public aquarium, small children's parks and play areas.Courtallam, although a very small town, is packed with tourists during weekends and season-time. Courtallam, but they are virtually empty when the waterfalls dry up and the weather is too hot. It is at this off-season time, after a monsoon shower, undeniably the best time to visit Courtallam. The peak season when most tourists flock from around Tamil Nadu and Kerala, is between June and September. The weather then is usually pleasant with gentle cool breeze and the occasional drizzle. The Herbal values in Courtallam reduces Hypertions and gives relax to Mind. Its believed that helps to resolve psychological disorder .

PAPANASAM

Papanasam is located 60 kilometers from Tirunelveli. The famous Shiva temple is located at the bottom of Western Ghats that is very near to the origin of the River Tambraparani. The place is also famous for the Chitrai Vishu festival that is celebrated in the month of April when lacks of people congregate here.

THIRUCHENDUR

Thiruchendur is believed to be the place where Subramanya offered prayers for his victory. The Skandasashti festival is celebrated in November every year that is attended my scores of devotees.

MANAPPAD

Manappad is famous for a 400-year old Holy Cross Church that contains some of the fragments of the True Cross from Jerusalem. It is one of the few churches in India that is associated with St. Francis Xavier.

THUTHUKUDI

Tuticorin is also known as "Pearl City". It is a commercial seaport which serves the inland cities of Southern India. It is also one of the major seaports in India with its history dating back to the 6th century A.D. Thuthukudi is one of the major ports in the India. Thuthukudi was at one time known for its pearls and was one of the most prosperous cities on the coast. It is still a major pearl fishing center in India though the city has lost much of its splendors. Tuticorin Port is a natural deep-sea harbour formed with rubble mound type parallel breakwaters projecting into the sea for about 4 kilometres. The harbour basin extends to about 400 hectares of protected water area and is served by an approach channel of 2400 metres length and 183 metres width. Tuticorin Port boasts of 9 Cargo Berths, 1 Shallow Water Berth, 1 Passenger Jetty, 1 Oil Jetty and 2 Coal Jetties in Tuticorin Port. Works are being carried out to increase the depth of the canal and basin to handle vessels of up to 12.8m draft. The present capacity of the Tuticorin Port is 20

MUDUMALAI SANCTUARY

This sanctuary is a Project Tiger Reserve where other animals like the leopard, sambhar, sloth bear and the chital form wide variety of Indian primates including the bonnet macaque, common langur, Nilgiri langur and lion-tailed macaque. The Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, now also declared a Tiger Reserve, lies on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills (Blue Mountains), in Nilgiri Distric, on the interstate boundaries with Karnataka and Kerala states in South India.

Mudumalai, which means 'first hills�, is one of the first wildlife sanctuaries established in India. The sanctuary is divided into 5 ranges - Masinagudi, Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Kargudi and Nellakota.There are three main types of forest in the sanctuary, tropical moist deciduous occur in the western Benne Block, where rainfall is higher than in the other blocks. Tropical dry deciduous forest occurs in the middle and southern tropical dry thorn forests are in the east.

The plant species found here includes: Mangifera indica, Pongamia glabra, Terminalia arjuna, Syzygium cumini, Indian rosewood Dalbergia latifolia and the bamboos. Larger mammals such as elephant, gaur, sambar and tiger use riparian forest patches for feeding and resting.

. The sanctuary is a haven for Bengal Tigers and Indian Leopards and other threatened species. There are at least 266 species of birds in the sanctuary, including critically endangered species like the Indian White-rumped Vulture and the long-billed vulture. The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster (6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi)6,000), including all of Mudumalai National Park, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site .

KALAKADU WILD LIFE SANTUARY

This sanctuary is very popular with botanists and ornithologists as it has a great variety of fauna and bird life. Among the animals that roam here are tiger, panther, jackal and wild dogs while reptile population includes cobra, python and several other snakes. endemic plants, fish, amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species. A 1997 Census by Project Tiger counted the following wildlife: Tigers , Leopards , Jungle Cats , Wild Dogs , Elephants N.A, Gaur , Sambar , Chital , Nilgiri Tahr, Wild Pigs , Mouse Deer , Sloth Bears , Lion-tailed Macaque , Bonnet Macaque , Nilgiri langur , Common langur , Slender loris, Giant Squirrel , Crocodile .

KUNTHAKULAM BIRD SANCTUARY

It is situated 33 kilometers south of Thirunelveli. Kunthakulam is actually a small and natural scenic village. This village is covered with natural forest and ponds. During winter every year more than 10 thousand birds from various countries like Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Australia migrate here. More than 43 species of resident and migratory water birds visit here every year. More than 100,000 migratory birds start coming by December and fly away to their northern homes by June or July after they lay and hatch eggs and the young ones mature enough to fly with the older ones. The following migratory birds visit this area from different countries. Bar-headed GooseBar-headed Goose, Siberia Common Sandpiper,Lower part of Ladak Common Teal, Siberia Coot Central, Siberia Green Sandpiper, Siberia Greater flamingo Partially from Germany Pallavan, Siberia Pintail, Siberia Spotted Sandpiper, Siberia White stork, Germany.

BHARATHAR OVARI

Bharathar Ovari is a Roman Catholic Center where one can visit an ancient church. The annual carnival is celebrated for ten days in the middle of January when lacks of pilgrims congregate here.

HOTELS IN TIRUNELVELI

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