Tamil Nadu is at the heart of the Dravidian culture and tradition. The culture of Tamil Nadu had been developed and evolved over 2000 years, and it is still flourishing. The three great dynasties of Pandya, Pallavas and Cholas who ruled Tamil Nadu in the ancient India, played their major roles in developing this vibrant cultural tradition. During their reign, Tamil Nadu witnessed great strides in art, literature and architecture.

Bharatnatyam and Carnatic music are the part of Tamil Nadu culture, and so are the filter coffee and idli and dosa. Kanchipuram sarees are as much part of the millennia-old heritage of this land, as are its grand architecture and majestic temples, and exquisite bronze and Tanjore plates. Tamil is one of the oldest and richest languages of India, whose literature dates back to the Sangam Age, a golden period which lasted from 100BC to 300AD. It is one of the few Indian languages, whose initial development was independent of Sanskrit, though in the later centuries, Sanskrit influence in terms of grammar, vocabulary and literary styles were evident. Today Tamil, with its rich literature dating from 'Tholkappiyam' and 'Thirukkural' is a language of the majority of the people of Tamil Nadu, and an expression of their culture.

The main religion of Tamil Nadu is Hinduism but there are Tamil people with Christianity, Islam and even Jainism and Buddhism as their religion. In Hinduism there are many sects and caste system, and in Tamil Nadu, this caste system is not that blurred. Even now there are many differences in the culture between one sect and the other in Tamil Nadu.

In Tamil Nadu, the spirit of festivity grips the state of affairs now and then. Tamils take classical music seriously, and they have a singular festival of Carnatic music, which is known as the Thyagaraja Festival. It is being held annually in the month of January, at the town of Thiruvariyar, which happens to be the birth place of the famous singer and poet Thyagaraja. Besides of course, Dusshera, Diwali, Holi and Pongal are celebrated in the state, with lots of gaiety and grandeur.

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