Tamil Nadu
Just 1km north of Kanyakumari, this peaceful ashram (offering a variety of yoga retreats) is the headquarters of spiritual organisation Vivekananda Kendra…
Must-see attractions in Tamil Nadu
Chennai (Madras)
Behind San Thome Cathedral is the entrance to the weirdly chintzy tomb of St Thomas the Apostle.
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
This quaint little haven in a crumbling, earthy-red 1867 building houses more than 30,000 books, including rare titles on the Nilgiris and hill tribes,…
Tamil Nadu
Looking like an Indian Colossus of Rhodes, the towering statue on the smaller island next to the Vivekananda Memorial is of the ancient Tamil poet…
The Western Ghats
In mornings and evenings you can see the reserve's working elephants being fed at the elephant camp just east of the Mudumalai reception centre, where you…
Tamil Nadu
Surrounded by 16 pavilions, the huge Mahamaham Tank is one of Kumbakonam's most sacred sites. It’s believed that every 12 years the waters of India's…
Chennai (Madras)
For part of his South Indian sojourn, St Thomas supposedly lived in hiding in a cave just south of the Adyar River. This grottolike space can be entered…
Tamil Nadu
Sarangapani is Kumbakonam's largest Vishnu temple, with a 45m-high eastern gopuram embellished with low-level dancing panels as its main entrance. Past…
Tamil Nadu
The most impressive things about this fort, 20km south of Pudukkottai, are the massive boulders it's built on – it's just a wall enclosing an area about…
Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)
On the right just south of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple's fifth gopuram is the small but interesting Art Museum. On display you'll find good bronzes, tusks…
Chennai (Madras)
Built under the 8th-century Pallavas and unusually dedicated to Krishna (a form of Vishnu) as the charioteer Parthasarathy, this is one of Chennai's…
Sacred Heart Natural Science Museum
Kodaikanal (Kodai)
In the grounds of a former Jesuit seminary 4km downhill east of town, this museum has a ghoulishly intriguing miscellany of flora and fauna put together…
Madurai
This vast tank, 3km east of the old city, covers an area as big as the Meenakshi Amman Temple and is the site of the incredible annual Teppam (Float)…
Swami Vivekananda Wandering Monk Exhibition
Tamil Nadu
In lovely leafy grounds, this excellent exhibition details Swami Vivekananda's wisdom, sayings, and encounters with the mighty and the lowly during his…
Chennai (Madras)
Completed in 1680, yellow-washed St Mary's Church was the first English church in Madras and is India's oldest surviving British-built church. Both Robert…
Chennai (Madras)
The Fort Museum has exhibitions on Chennai's origins and the fort itself, and displays interesting military memorabilia and artwork from colonial times…
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
About 7km east of Ooty, Doddabetta is the highest point (2633m) in the Nilgiris. On clear days, it's one of the best viewpoints around; go early for a…
Coonoor
Over 50 years old, this estate (2km northeast of upper Coonoor) is one of the few working Nilgiri tea factories open to visitors. Guides jump in quickly,…
Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)
In the cool, green campus next to Lourdes Church, this dusty museum contains the creepy natural history collections of the Jesuit priests’ Western Ghats…
Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)
Trichy's Railway Museum is a fascinating jumble of disused train-related equipment (phones, clocks, control boards), British-era railway construction…
Tamil Nadu
The Jalakantesvara Temple, a gem of late Vijayanagar architecture, dates from around 1566, and was once occupied as a garrison. Check out the small,…
Tamil Nadu
The peach-hued seafront Dansborg fort dates from 1624 and was occupied by the British in 1801. In its prime, it was the world's second-largest Danish…
Chennai (Madras)
Completed in 1892, this imposing red Indo-Saracenic structure is said to be the world's largest judicial building after the Courts of London. The central…
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
About 15km west of Mamallapuram is this hilltop temple dedicated to Shiva, reached via approximately 500 steps. According to legend, two vultures (easily…
Tamil Nadu
Built in 1718, this notable church displays an interesting mix of Indian and European styles. In front of the altar is the tomb of German-born…
Tamil Nadu
Lusting after those exquisite handmade Chettinadu-mansion tiles? Then swing by this long-standing Athangudi workshop, where you can watch expert tile…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Pondy may have more churches than most Indian towns, but the Hindu faith still reigns supreme. Pilgrims, tourists and the curious get a head pat from the…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Looking out to sea, past a statue of Joan of Arc (opposite), Notre Dame des Anges was completed in 1855, and is arguably Pondy's most attractive church…
Coonoor
Upper Coonoor's 12-hectare Sim’s Park, established in 1874, is a peaceful oasis of sloping manicured lawns with more than 1000 plant species from several…
Tamil Nadu
In calming ashram grounds 1km north of town, this illustrated display takes you through major events in Vivekanada's life. It's included on your ticket to…
Tamil Nadu
Just across the road on the north side of Kumbakonam's sacred Mahamaham Tank, this little temple contains a fascinating trio of river goddesses. The…
Madurai
This 20th-century neo-Gothic construction's simple stained-glass windows and bold-orange vaulting are offset by a magnificent blue-and-white exterior with…
Kodaikanal (Kodai)
A narrow rock lookout overhanging a precipitous drop, with views of the valley below. Follow the trail to it for 15 minutes from Vattakanal, or walk all…
Sri Mahalakshmi Handloom Weaving Centre
Tamil Nadu
Chettinadu is known for its handwoven, contrasting-colour silk-and-cotton Kandaangi saris (now increasingly hard to find). At this small weaving complex,…
Coonoor
A favourite picnic spot in a patch of monkey-patrolled forest, Lamb's Rock has incredible views past glimmering tea and coffee plantations to the hazy…
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
With terraced lawns and over 20,000 rose bushes of more than 2000 varieties – best between May and July – the Rose Garden is a sweet place for a stroll,…
École Française d'Extrême-Orient
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
This handsome heritage building and library is home to over 11,000 Indology books and a series of Sanskrit, Tamil and Manipravalam palm-leaf manuscripts…
Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)
The hush of this 19th-century neo-Gothic church makes an interesting contrast to Trichy’s frenetic Hindu temples. Note the cakelike pink-accented arches…
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Begun in 1779 but not completed until 1791, this splendid Jesuit church (in whites, blues and yellows) is reminiscent of Goa's Portuguese-style churches,…
Chennai (Madras)
At the southern end of Marina Beach, the fourth-incarnation Madras Lighthouse is India's only one with a lift; it's ridiculously popular, but the…
