Historical Monuments in Tamilnadu — Tamil Nadu Indian State

Padmanabhapuram Palace

Padmanabhapuram Palace is a Travancore era palace located in Padmanabhapuram, Kalkulam taluk of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Kalkulam Palace. Padmanabhapuram is the former capital city of the erstwhile Hindu Kingdom of Travancore. It is around 20km from Nagercoil, and 60km from Thiruvananthapuram city. The palace is complex inside with an old granite fortress around four kilometers long. The palace is located at the foot of the Veli Hills, which forms a part of the Western Ghats. The river Valli flows nearby. Another palace known as Kuttalam Palace is situated in Kuttalam in Tenkasi, Thirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu which is also under the ownership of Kerala government. It is situated in the Tenkasi, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. Address: Thuckalay, Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu Phone: 04651 250255

Fort St. George

Fort St George is the first English fortress in India, founded in 1644 at the coastal city of Madras, the modern city of Chennai. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further settlements and trading activity, in what was originally an uninhabited land. Thus, it is a feasible contention to say that the city evolved around the fortress. The fort currently houses the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly and other official buildings. Address: N Beach Rd, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600009 Phone: 044 25671127

Meenakshi Temple

Meenakshi Temple, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva. The temple is at the center of the ancient temple city of Madurai mentioned in the Tamil Sangam literature, with the goddess temple mentioned in 6th century CE texts. Address: Venmani Road, Sellur, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625002 Phone: 0452 234 4360

Airavatesvara Temple

Airavatesvara Temple is a Hindu temple of Dravidian architecture located in the town of Darasuram, near Kumbakonam, Thanjavur District in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This temple, built by Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century CE is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram that are referred to as the Great Living Chola Temples. Address: Patteeswaram, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu 612703 Phone: 0435 2445227

Government Museum

The Government Museum or Madras Museum is a museum of human history and culture located in the Government Museum Complex in the neighbourhood of Egmore in Chennai, India. Started in 1851, it is the second oldest museum in India after the Indian Museum in Kolkata and is the tenth oldest Museum in the World. It is particularly rich in archaeological and numismatic collections. It has the largest collection of Roman antiquities outside Europe. Among them, the colossal Museum Theatre is one of the most impressive. The National Art Gallery is also present in the museum premises. Built in Indo-Saracenic style, it houses rare European and Asian painting of renowned artists, including that of Raja Ravi Varma. It is the third largest museum in the world, and with 0.6 million visitors in 2018. It has the richest collections of bronze idols, 500 of them dating to 1000 BC, in Asia. Address: Pantheon Road, Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600008 Phone: 044 28193035

Ramanathaswamy Temple

Ramanathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva located on Rameswaram island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is also one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. It is one of the 274 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where the three of the most revered Nayanars, Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar, have glorified the temple with their songs. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by Pandya Dynasty, and its principal shrines sanctum were renovated by Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan and his successor Gunaveera Cinkaiariyan of the Jaffna kingdom. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. The temple is located in Rameswaram considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas. The presiding deity, the Lingam of Ramanathaswamy, is believed to have been established and worshiped by Rama. Address: Ramanathapuram, RaMeswaram, Tamil Nadu 623526 Phone: 045732 21223

Brihadeeswarar Temple

Brihadishvara Temple, also called Rajarajesvaram or Peruvudaiyar Kovil, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in South bank of Kaveri river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the largest South Indian temples and an exemplary example of a fully realized Dravidian architecture. It is called as Dhakshina Meru. Built by Tamil king Raja Raja Chola I between 1003 and 1010 AD, the temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", along with the Chola dynasty era Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple that are about 70 kilometres and 40 kilometres to its northeast respectively. Address: Membalam Rd, Balaganapathy Nagar, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu 613007

Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram

Kamakshi Amman Temple

The Kamakshi Temple is an ancient Hindu Temple dedicated to Kamakshi, the ultimate form of Goddess Lalitha Maha Tripurasundari(Parvati). It is located in the historic city of Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India. The Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, the Akilandeswari temple in Thiruvanaikaval near Tiruchirappalli and this Kamakshi temple are the important centers of worship of Goddess, in the state of Tamil Nadu. The Temple was most probably built by the Pallava kings, whose capital was Kanchipuram. Address: New No. 6, Old No. 144/A, Kamakshi Amman Sannathi Street, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu 631502 Phone: 044 27233433

Vellore Fort

Vellore Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in heart of the Vellore city, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India built by Vijayanagara kings. The fort was at one time the headquarters of the Aravidu Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. The fort is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry. Address: Fort Round Rd, Balaji Nagar, Vellore, Tamil Nadu

Shore Temple

The Shore Temple is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is located near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. At the time of its creation, the site was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava dynasty. As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. It is one of the oldest structural stone temples of South India. Address: Shore Temple Road, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu Phone: 072220 15635

Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple

The Kanchi Kailasanathar temple is the oldest structure in Kanchipuram. Located in Tamil Nadu, India, it is a Hindu temple in the Tamil architectural style. It is dedicated to the Lord Shiva, and is known for its historical importance. The temple was built from 685-705 AD by a Rajasimha ruler of the Pallava Dynasty. The low-slung sandstone compound contains a large number of carvings, including many half-animal deities which were popular during the early Pallava architectural period. The structure contains 58 small shrines which are dedicated to various forms of Shiva. These are built into niches on the inner face of the high compound wall of the circumambulatory passage. The temple is one of the most prominent tourist attractions of the city. Address: Kailasanathar Temple Road, Pillaiyarpalayam, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu 631501

Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal

Thirumalai Nayak Palace is a 17th-century palace erected in 1636 AD by King Tirumala Nayaka, a king of Madurai's Nayaka dynasty who ruled Madurai from 1623–59, in the city of Madurai, India. This Palace is a classic fusion of Dravidian and Rajput styles. The building, which can be seen today, was the main Palace, in which the king lived. The original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure. In its heyday, the palace was considered to be one of the wonders of the South. This palace is situated 2 km south east of the Meenakshi Amman Temple. Address: Panthadi 1st St, Mahal Area, Madurai Main, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625001

Thiruchendur Murugan Temple

Thiruchendur Murugan Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to lord Murugan situated in Tamil Nadu, India. The puranic name or historical name for this temple is Jayanthipuram. This temple is the fourth Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu to get ISO certification. It is located in the eastern end of the town Thiruchendur in the district of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, India. It is 60 km south-east of Tirunelveli, 40 km from Tuticorin and 75 km north-east of Kanyakumari. The temple complex is on the shores of Bay of Bengal. Temple is open from 5 AM to 9 PM.

San Thome Church

San Thome Church, also known as St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Thomas is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Santhome, in the city of Chennai, India. It was built in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, over the tomb of Saint Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. In 1893, it was rebuilt as a church with the status of a cathedral by the British. The British version still stands today. It was designed in Neo-Gothic style, favoured by British architects in the late 19th century. This church is one of the only three known churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus, the other two being St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, Spain. Address: 38, San Thome High Road, Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600004 Phone: 044 24985455

Koodal Azhagar Temple

Koodal Azhagar Temple in Madurai, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Koodal Azhagar and his consort Lakshmi as Mathuravalli. Address: Perumal Koil Sannathi Street, Opp Periyar Bus Stand, Periyar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625001 Phone: 0452 2338542

Thanumalayan Temple

The Thanumalayan Temple, also called Sthanumalayan Temple is an important Hindu temple located in Suchindram in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India.

Kalikambal Temple

The Kalikambal Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shri Kaligambal and Lord Kamadeswarar, located in Parry's corner locality of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is located in Thambu Chetty Street, a prominent financial street at Georgetown, running parallel to Rajaji Salai. Address: 212, Thambu Chetty Street, George Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600001

Gingee Fort

Gingee Fort or Senji Fort in Tamil Nadu, India is one of the surviving forts in Tamil Nadu, India. It lies in Villupuram District, 160 kilometres from the state capital, Chennai, and is close to the Union Territory of Puducherry. The fort is so fortified, that Chhatrapati Shivaji, the Maratha king, ranked it as the "most impregnable fortress in India" and it was called the "Troy of the East" by the British. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam and the nearest airport is Chennai, located 150 kilometres away. Address: NH 77, Gingee, Villupuram, Tamil Nadu 604202 Phone: 04145 222072

Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam

The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple or Thiruvarangam is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of the Hindu deity Maha Vishnu, located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Dravidian Architecture, this temple is glorified by Alvars in their Divya Prabhanda and has the unique distinction of being not only the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, but also the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world.

Parthasarathy Temple

Address: 5, Kamatchi Amman Street, Thiru Vi Ka Industrial Estate, Saidapet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600032 Phone: 044 2844 2449

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