Chidambaram

Chidambaram is a town and municipality in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Chidambaram taluk. The town is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Pallavas until 9th century, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Marathas and the British. The town is known for the Thillai Nataraja Temple, and the annual chariot festival held in the months of December–January (In the Tamil month of Marghazhi known as"Margazhi Urchavam") and June to July (In the Tamil month of Aani known as"Aani Thirumanjanam")

Gingee

Gingee (Senji) is a panchayat town in Villupuram district (erstwhile South Arcot district) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The nearest towns with railway stations are Tindivanam, 28 km away, and Thiruvannamalai, 29 km away. Gingee is located between three hills covering a perimeter of 3 km.

Karaikal

Karaikal is a town of the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry, with a population of 222,589 and an area of 30 km2.

Karaikal became a French Colony in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Republic of India, along with Chandernagore, Mahé, Yanaon, and Pondichéry.

Kizhoor

Kizhoor is a village situated in the Villianur Commune Panchayat, Puducherry. It is located around 22 kilometers away from Puducherry. Kizhoor comes under the Mangalam Constituency of the Union Territory of Puducherry.[1] Population of Kizhur in 2011 was 2,955 persons.[2]

Pondicherry played a dual role in the history of the freedom movement. It fought for its own freedom and also gave tremendous support to India’s independence struggle against the British. The post-independence government initiated discussions to integrate the French-Indian territories with the country. The National Youth Congress began a Satyagraha. Pro-merger processions were organized by freedom fighters who were often lathi-charged, their flags seized and torn by the French-Indian police. A momentous event in Pondicherry’s freedom movement occurred on 18 October 1954[4] when all elected members of the Representative Assembly and the Municipal Councils met to consider the joint proposals of the French and Indian Governments for a final settlement through a Referendum. This is known as Kizhoor Congress. Monsieur Balasubramanian, President of Assemblée Réprésentative, was the presiding officer of the congress which voted in secret ballot. An overwhelming majority of 170 out of 178 members favored the merger of French Indian territories with India.

Mandagapattu

Mandagapattu Tirumurti Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the village of Mandagapattu in the Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. Hewn from rock by the Pallava ruler Mahendravarman I in honour of the trinity Brahma-Shiva-Vishnu, the rock-cut cave temple is the oldest stone shrine discovered and dated in Tamil Nadu. The temple is notable for the earlest known rock-cut Sanskrit inscription written in Grantha script. It is attributed to the Pallava king Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE).

Marakkanam

Marakkanam is a coastal panchayat town & Taluk in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is well connected to the state capital Chennai and the nearby union territory of Puducherry by the East Coast Road. To the west, Marakkanam is connected to the town of Tindivanam by the SH-134. Marakkanam is situated on the declared National Waterways NW-4. On materialisation of National Waterways NW-4, Marakkanam will be connected to two states Andhra Pradesh (Kakinada) and Puducherry through north and south of Buckingham Canal.

Nagapattinam

Nagapattinam (previously spelt Nagapatnam) is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam district. The town came to prominence during the period of Medieval Cholas (9th–12th century CE) and served as their important port for commerce and east-bound naval expeditions. The Chudamani Vihara in Nagapattinam constructed by the Srivijayan king Sri Mara Vijayattungavarman of the Sailendra dynasty with the help of Rajaraja Chola I was an important Buddhist structure in those times.

A majority of the people of Nagapattinam are employed in sea-borne trading, fishing, agriculture and tourism. Kayarohanaswami Temple and Soundararajaperumal Temple, Nagapattinam are the major Hindu pilgrimage sites. Nagapattinam is the base for tourism for Sikkal, Velankanni, Poompuhar, Kodiakkarai, Vedaranyam, and Tharangambadi. Roadways is the major mode of transport to Nagapattinam, while the city also has rail and sea transport.

Nagore

Nagore is a town in the Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located approximately 12 km south of Karaikal and 5 km north of Nagapattinam,Nearby towns are Karaikal, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai. It has a population of approximately 45,000. Nagore is Famous For Tourism, The prime attraction is the renowned Nagore Dargah, a revered place of all faiths. A five centuries old Islamic shrine, Nagore Dargah attracts millions of pilgrims irrespective of caste, creed or religion. It is also famous for the lavish beaches found in the eastern part of the village and the delicious mouth-watering foods like Soondal, Vaada, Vadai, Bajji, sweet/ pepper flavoured corn. etc. The river that dissects Karaikal and Nagore have been a popular tourist attraction amongst the tourists. There are approximately 79% Muslims and 12% Hindus and 9% others. The muslims in Nagore are usually very rich in GDP as most breadwinners work in other popular countries like Singapore, Dubai and France.

Panamalai

Panamalai lies 23 kilometers from Gingee, Vilupuram in Tamil Nadu, India. The site is known as a location to various ancient structural temples built during the Pallava dynasty. One of them is the Talagirisvara Temple.

Pichavaram

Pichavaram is a village near Chidambaram in Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located between the Vellar estuary in the north and Coleroon estuary in the south. The Vellar-Coleroon estuarine complex forms the Killai backwater and the mangroves that are permanently rooted in a few feet of water. It is open also on sunday.

Poombhur

Poompugar is a town in the Mayiladuthurai district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was once a flourishing ancient port city known as Kaveri poompattinam, which for a while served as the capital of the early Chola kings in Tamilakam. Puhar is located near the end point of the Kaveri river, aside the sea coast. it is mentioned in the Periplus of Ereythrean sea. it is now established by marine archeological research conducted by the National institute of marine archeology, Goa that much of the town was washed away by progressive erosion and floods. submerged wharves and several meter lengths of pier walls have excavated in recent times have corroborated the literary references to Poompugar. It was rebuilt several times after that. Ancient Pottery dating back to the 4th century BCE have been discovered off shore by marine archeologists east of this town.

Tharangambadi

Tharangambadi, formerly Tranquebar (Danish: Trankebar), is a town in the Mayiladuthurai district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on the Coromandel Coast. It lies 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Karaikal, near the mouth of a distributary of the Kaveri River. Tranquebar was established on november 19, 1620 as the first Danish trading post in India. King Christian IV had sent his envoy Ove Gjedde who established contact with Raghunatha Nayak of Tanjore. An annual tribute was paid by the Danes to the Rajah of Tanjore until the colony of Tranquebar was sold to the British East India Company in 1845.

Tiruvannamalai

Tiruvannamalai is a Hindu pilgrimage town in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. At the foot of sacred Arunachala Hill is the vast, ancient Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, with intricately carved gopurams (towers). To the west, the huge Sathanur Dam was constructed in 1958 on the Thenpennai River. Nearby there are gardens, plus a crocodile farm and a small zoo.

Vedanthangal

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is a 30-hectare (74-acre) protected area located in the Chengalpattu District and Madurantakam taluk of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The sanctuary is about 75 kilometres (47 mi) from Chennai on National Highway 45 ([NH45]). Easily reachable from Madurantakam and Chengalpattu. More than 40,000 birds (including 26 rare species), from various parts of the world visit the sanctuary during the migratory season every year.

Vedanthangal is home to migratory birds such as pintail, garganey, grey wagtail, blue-winged teal, common sandpiper and the like.

Velankanni

Velankanni (Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi), is a Special Grade Panchayat Town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, 350 km south of Chennai (Madras) and 12 km south of Nagapattinam.

Once a port that traded with Rome and Greece, the tiny commercial center gradually lost its importance to the larger city of Nagapattinam. The canal built to link this town with Vedaranyam still lies to the west. The Vellayar, a minor branch of the Cauvery River, runs south of the town and discharges into the sea. The town was among the worst hit by the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

The town is home to one of the most visited Roman Catholic Latin Rite shrines called the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health.