Shimmering silk and profuse incense .... towering temples and gopurams and vibrant festivals .... rhythms of dance and music, and endless, undisturbed silver lined beaches, history has remained untouched for centuries here, and has unobtrusively merged with the present. Tamil Nadu, the heart of the Dravidian culture and tradition, has been a pioneer of peace and knowledge, since time immemorial, and the visual legacy of the culture of the state, is among the most satisfying spectacles in India. 

Sharing boundaries with the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala, Tamil Nadu has an unbroken coast line, edging the Bay of Bengal. Densely forested uplands which abound in wildlife, intensively cultivated farmlands interspersed with rocky wastes, mountain chains of the Western Ghats which give way to fertile coastal plains and plateaus form the geographical features of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is watered by several perennial rain fed rivers and the 760 kilometre long Cauvery travels the entire breadth of the state. 

Tamil, the official state language, is spoken by most of the people. The main religions in the state are Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Jainism. Hindu families owe allegiance to a number of sectarian monastic institutions, or maths, of which the most important is the Shankara Math at Kumbakonam. Although Tamil Nadu is one of the most urbanized states of India, it is still a rural land; agriculture is the mainstay of life for about three-quarters of the rural population. Tamil Nadu is rich in handicrafts; notable among them are handloomed silk, metal icons, leather work, kalamkari (hand-painted fabric, using natural dyes), brass, bronze, and copper wares, and carved wood, palm leaf, and cane articles.

Tamil Nadu has a tropical climate with no wild swing between summer and winter temperatures. April and May are the hottest months with the mercury often soaring above the 40 degree Celsius mark. Coastal regions also get uncomfortably warm and humid during these months but the nights are usually cool, thanks to the sea breeze that sets in during the afternoon. 

A mild winter falls between November and February when the climate is pleasantly cool unless you wish to visit the hill stations, in which case you will need woollens.

The museum houses a fine collection of items in various sections of geology, archaeology, numismatics, anthropology, botany and zoology. Situated in the heart of the city at Egmore, it was established in 1857. The museum also has a fine collection of sculpture and armory. The bronze icons of Nataraja, Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman are some of the artifacts which give the museum its name. The Amravati gallery has some rare sculptures which were unearthed from Amravati. There are paintings here that have an amazing range: from 16th and 17 th century Rajasthani and Mughal period to some of the best pieces in Deccani art. Bronze and handicraft items are also on display.

The eastern and southern coastal boundaries of Tamil Nadu are washed by the waves of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean respectively. With an area of 130,058 sq. km and a population of over 55 million, Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest populous State in India, occupying third place in the Industrial map of India.