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South India

January 08, 2023

South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India,[4] consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry, comprising 19.31% of India's area (635,780 km2 or 245,480 sq mi) and 20% of India's population. Covering the southern part of the peninsular Deccan Plateau, South India is bounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. The geography of the region is diverse with two mountain ranges – the Western and Eastern Ghats – bordering the plateau heartland. The Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Tungabhadra, Periyar, Bharathappuzha, Pamba, Thamirabarani, Palar, and Vaigai rivers are important perennial rivers.

South India
Region
From Top, left to right: Ross Beach (Andaman), Venkateswara Temple (Andhra Pradesh), Mysore Palace (Karnataka), Backwaters of Alappuzha (Kerala), Bangaram island (Lakshwadeep), Matrimandir (Puducherry), Thiruvalluvar Statue (Tamil Nadu), Charminar (Telangana).
Map of states and union territories in South India
Country India
States and union territories
Most populous cities
Area
 • Total635,780 km2 (245,480 sq mi)
Highest elevation
(Anamudi)
2,695 m (8,842 ft)
Lowest elevation
(Kuttanad)
−2.2 m (−7.2 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total253,051,953
 • Density400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)South Indian
Dravidian
Kannadiga
Malayali
Laccadivian
Pondicherrian
Tamilian
Telugite
Time zoneIST (UTC+5:30)
Official languages
HDI (2019) 0.755 (High)
Literacy (2011)81.09%[2]
Sex ratio (2011)986 ♀/1000 ♂[3]
Minority languages
Zonal Councils of India

The majority of the people in South India speak at least one of the four major Dravidian languages: Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam (all 4 of which are among the 6 Classical Languages of India). Some states and union territories also recognize a minority language, such as Deccani Urdu in Telangana,[5] and Tamil and French in Puducherry. Besides these languages, English is used by both the central and state governments for official communications and is used on all public signboards.

During its history, a number of dynastic kingdoms ruled over parts of South India, and the Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent across southern and southeastern Asia affected the history and culture in those regions. Major dynasties established in South India include the Cheras, Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Bahmani, Deccan Sultanates, Cochin, Kakatiyas, Kadambas, Hoysalas, Zamorin, Vijayanagara, Maratha, Travancore, Arakkal, and Mysore. Jews, Saint Thomas Christians, Mappila Muslims, and Europeans entered India through the southwestern Malabar Coast of Kerala. Parts of South India were colonized under Portuguese India, French India and the British Raj. The Hyderabad State ruled by the Nizams was the last princely state of India.

South India witnessed sustained growth in per-capita income and population, structural changes in the economy, an increased pace of technological innovation. After experiencing fluctuations in the decades immediately after Indian independence, the economies of South Indian states have registered a higher-than-national-average growth over the past three decades. South India has the largest gross domestic product compared to other regions in India. The South Indian states lead in some socio-economic metrics of India. The HDI in the southern states is high and the economy has undergone growth at a faster rate than in most northern states. Literacy rates in the southern states is higher than the national average, with approximately 81% of the population capable of reading and writing. The fertility rate in South India is 1.9, the lowest of all regions in India.

Etymology

 
South India

South India is also known as Peninsular India, and has been known by several other names too. The term "Deccan", referring to the area covered by the Deccan Plateau that covers most of peninsular India excluding the coastal areas, is an anglicised form of the Prakrit word dakkhiṇa derived from the Sanskrit word dakshiṇa meaning south.[4] Carnatic, derived from "Karnāḍ" or "Karunāḍ" meaning high country, has also been associated with South India.[6]

History

Main article: History of South India

Historical references

See also: Dakshinapatha

Historical South India has been referred to as Deccan, a prakritic derivative of an ancient term 'Dakshiṇa' or Dakshinapatha. The term had geographical as well as the geopolitical meaning and was mentioned as early as Panini (500 BCE).

Ancient and Medieval era

See also: Spice trade
 
Ancient Silk Road map. The Spice trade was mainly along the water routes (blue).
 
Extent of Vijayanagara Empire
 
The Chola Empire during Rajendra Chola I, c. 1030

Carbon dating shows that ash mounds associated with Neolithic cultures in South India date back to 8000 BCE. Artifacts such as ground stone axes and minor copper objects have been found in the Odisha region. Towards the beginning of 1000 BCE, iron technology spread through the region; however, there does not appear to be a fully developed Bronze Age preceding the Iron Age in South India.[7] The region was in the middle of a trade route that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu linking the Mediterranean to East Asia.[8][9] Trade with Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Syrians, Jews, and Chinese began during the Sangam period (c. 3rd century BCE to c. 4th century CE).[10] The region was part of the ancient Silk Road connecting the East with the West.[11]

Several dynasties – such as the Cheras of Karuvur, the Pandyas of Madurai, the Cholas of Thanjavur, the Zamorins of Kozhikode, the Travancore royal family of Thiruvananthapuram, the Kingdom of Cochin, the Mushikas of Kannur, the Satavahanas of Amaravati, the Pallavas of Kanchi, the Kadambas of Banavasi, the Western Gangas of Kolar, the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, the Chalukyas of Badami, the Hoysalas of Belur, and the Kakatiyas of Orugallu – ruled over the region from the 6th century BCE to the 14th century CE. The Vijayanagara Empire, founded in the 14th century CE. was the last Indian dynasty to rule over the region. After repeated invasions from the Sultanate of Delhi and the fall of Vijayanagara empire in 1646, the region was ruled by Deccan Sultanates, the Maratha Empire, and polygars and Nayak governors of the Vijayanagara empire who declared their independence.[12]

Colonial era

The Europeans arrived in the 15th century; and by the middle of the 18th century, the French and the British were involved in a protracted struggle for military control over South India. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799 and the end of the Vellore Mutiny in 1806, the British consolidated their power over much of present-day South India, with the exception of French Pondichéry. The British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857.[13] During the British colonial rule, the region was divided into the Madras Presidency, Hyderabad State, Mysore, Travancore, Kochi, Jeypore, and a number of other minor princely states. The region played a major role in the Indian independence movement: of the 72 delegates who participated in the first session of the Indian National Congress at Bombay in December 1885, 22 hailed from South India.[14]

Post-independence

 
Map of South India (1953–1956) before the States Reorganisation Act of 1956

After the independence of India in 1947, the region was organised into four states: Madras State, Mysore State, Hyderabad State and Travancore–Cochin.[15] Andhra State was created in 1953 to protect the interests of Telugu people of Madras State from Tamil dominance. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 reorganized the states on linguistic lines, resulting in the creation of the new states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.[16][17] As a result of this Act, Andhra Pradesh was created through the merger of Andhra State with the Telugu-speaking districts of Hyderabad State in 1956.[18] Madras State retained its name and Kanyakumari district was added to it from the state of Travancore-Cochin.[18] The state was subsequently renamed Tamil Nadu in 1968.[18] The Marathi-speaking Marathwada region of Hyderabad State was transferred to Bombay State and ceased to be a part of South India. Kerala emerged from the merger of Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk of South Canara districts of Madras State with Travancore–Cochin.[18] Mysore State was re-organised with the addition of the districts of Bellary and South Canara (excluding Kasaragod taluk[note 1]) and the Kollegal taluk of Coimbatore district from Madras State; the districts of Belgaum, Bijapur, North Canara, and Dharwad from Bombay State; the Kannada-majority districts of Bidar, Raichur, and Gulbarga from the Hyderabad State; and the province of Coorg.[18] Mysore State was renamed as Karnataka in 1973. The Union territory of Puducherry was created in 1954, comprising the previous French enclaves of Pondichérry, Karaikal, Yanam, and Mahé.[19] The Laccadive Islands, which were divided between South Canara and the Malabar districts of Madras State, were united and organised into the union territory of Lakshadweep. Goa was created as a union territory by taking military actions against the Portuguese by the government of India, later it has been declared as a state due to its drastic growth.[20] Telangana was created on 2 June 2014 by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh; and it comprises ten districts of the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh.[21][22]

Geography

Main article: Geography of South India
 
Satellite image of South India
 
The peak of Anamudi (2,695 metres (8,842 ft) above sea level) is the highest point of elevation in South India

South India is a peninsula in the shape of an inverted triangle bound by the Arabian Sea on the west, by the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Vindhya and Satpura ranges on the north.[23] The Narmada river flows westwards in the depression between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, which define the northern spur of the Deccan plateau.[24] The Western Ghats run parallel to the Arabian Sea along the western coast and the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea forms the Konkan region. The Western Ghats continue south until Kanyakumari.[25][26] The Eastern Ghats run parallel to the Bay of Bengal along the eastern coast and the strip of land between them forms the Coromandel region.[27] Both mountain ranges meet at the Nilgiri mountains. The Nilgiris run in a crescent approximately along the borders of Tamil Nadu with northern Kerala and Karnataka, encompassing the Palakkad and Wayanad hills and the Sathyamangalam ranges, extending to the relatively low-lying hills of the Eastern Ghats on the western portion of the Tamil Nadu–Andhra Pradesh border, forming the Tirupati and Annamalai hills.[28]

The low-lying coral islands of Lakshadweep are situated off the southwestern coast of India. The Andaman and Nicobar islands lie far off the eastern coast. The Palk Strait and the chain of low sandbars and islands known as Rama's Bridge separate the region from Sri Lanka, which lies off the southeastern coast.[29][30] The southernmost tip of mainland India is at Kanyakumari where the Indian Ocean meets the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.[31]

 
Birds view of Krishna river Back water at Srisailam dam

The Deccan plateau is the elevated region bound by the mountain ranges.[32] The plateau rises to 100 metres (330 ft) in the north and to more than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) in the south, forming a raised triangle within the downward-pointing triangle of the Indian subcontinent's coastline.[33] It also slopes gently from West to East resulting in major rivers arising in the Western Ghats and flowing east into the Bay of Bengal.[34] The volcanic basalt beds of the Deccan were laid down in the massive Deccan Traps eruption, which occurred towards the end of the Cretaceous period, between 67 and 66 million years ago.[35] Layer after layer was formed by the volcanic activity that lasted 30,000 years;[36] and when the volcanoes became extinct, they left a region of highlands with typically vast stretches of flat areas on top like a table.[37] The plateau is watered by the east-flowing Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, and Vaigai rivers. The major tributaries include the Pennar, Tungabhadra, Bhavani, and Thamirabarani rivers.[38]

Climate

 
Climatic zones
 
Southwest monsoon currents

The region has a tropical climate and depends on monsoons for rainfall. According to the Köppen climate classification, it has a non-arid climate with minimum mean temperatures of 18 °C (64 °F).[39] The most humid is the tropical monsoon climate characterized by moderate to high year-round temperatures and seasonally heavy rainfall above 2,000 mm (79 in) per year. The tropical climate is experienced in a strip of south-western lowlands abutting the Malabar Coast, the Western Ghats; the islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar are also subject to this climate.[40]

A tropical wet and dry climate, drier than areas with a tropical monsoon climate, prevails over most of the inland peninsular region except for a semi-arid rain shadow east of the Western Ghats. Winter and early summer are long dry periods with temperatures averaging above 18 °C (64 °F); summer is exceedingly hot with temperatures in low-lying areas exceeding 50 °C (122 °F); and the rainy season lasts from June to September, with annual rainfall averaging between 750 and 1,500 mm (30 and 59 in) across the region. Once the dry northeast monsoon begins in September, most precipitation in India falls in Tamil Nadu, leaving other states comparatively dry.[41] A hot semi-arid climate predominates in the land east of the Western Ghats and the Cardamom Hills. The region – which includes Karnataka, inland Tamil Nadu and western Andhra Pradesh – gets between 400 and 750 millimetres (15.7 and 29.5 in) of rainfall annually, with hot summers and dry winters with temperatures around 20–24 °C (68–75 °F). The months between March and May are hot and dry, with mean monthly temperatures hovering around 32 °C (90 °F), with 320 millimetres (13 in) precipitation. Without artificial irrigation, this region is not suitable for agriculture.[42]

The southwest monsoon from June to September accounts for most of the rainfall in the region. The Arabian Sea branch of the southwest monsoon hits the Western Ghats along the coastal state of Kerala and moves northward along the Konkan coast, with precipitation on coastal areas west of the Western Ghats. The lofty Western Ghats prevent the winds from reaching the Deccan Plateau; hence, the leeward region (the region deprived of winds) receives very little rainfall.[43][44] The Bay of Bengal branch of the southwest monsoon heads toward northeast India, picking up moisture from the Bay of Bengal. The Coramandel coast does not receive much rainfall from the southwest monsoon, due to the shape of the land. Tamil Nadu and southeast Andhra Pradesh receive rains from the northeast monsoon.[45] The northeast monsoon takes place from November to early March, when the surface high-pressure system is strongest.[46] The North Indian Ocean tropical cyclones occur throughout the year in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, bringing devastating winds and heavy rainfall.[47][48][49]

Flora and fauna

Main articles: Wildlife of Karnataka, Wildlife of Tamil Nadu, Wildlife of Kerala, and List of birds of South India
 
South India also has the largest elephant population.
 
Nilgiri tahrs are commonly found around the Nilgiri Mountains.
 
Lion-tailed macaques are native to the Western Ghats of South India.

There is a wide diversity of plants and animals in South India, resulting from its varied climates and geography. Deciduous forests are found along the Western Ghats while tropical dry forests and scrub lands are common in the interior Deccan plateau. The southern Western Ghats have rain forests located at high altitudes called the South Western Ghats montane rain forests, and the Malabar Coast moist forests are found on the coastal plains.[50] The Western Ghats is one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[51][52]

Important ecological regions of South India are the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve – located at the conjunction of Karnataka, Kerala and, Tamil Nadu in the Nilgiri Hills – and the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve - located at the conjunction of Kerala and, Tamil Nadu in the Agastya Mala hills - and the Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats. Bird sanctuaries – including Thattekad, Kadalundi, Vedanthangal, Ranganathittu, Kumarakom, Neelapattu, and Pulicat – are home to numerous migratory and local birds.[53][54] Lakshadweep has been declared a bird sanctuary by the Wildlife Institute of India.[55] Other protected ecological sites include the mangrove forests of Pichavaram, and the backwaters of Pulicat lake, in Tamil Nadu; and Vembanad, Ashtamudi, Paravur, and Kayamkulam lakes in Kerala. The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 10,500 km2 of ocean, islands and the adjoining coastline including coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves. It is home to endangered aquatic species, including dolphins, dugongs, whales and sea cucumbers.[56][57]

South India is home to one of the largest populations of endangered Bengal tigers and Indian elephants in India, being home to one-third of the tiger population and more than half of the elephant population,[58][59] with 14 Project Tiger reserves and 11 Project Elephant reserves.[60][61] Elephant populations are found in eight fragmented sites in the region: in northern Karnataka, along the Western Ghats, in Bhadra–Malnad, in Brahmagiri–Nilgiris–Eastern Ghats, in Nilambur–Silent Valley–Coimbatore, in Anamalai–Parambikulam, in Periyar–Srivilliputhur, and in Agasthyamalai[62] Other threatened and endangered species found in the region include the grizzled giant squirrel,[63] grey slender loris,[64] sloth bear,[65] Nilgiri tahr,[66] Nilgiri langur,[67] lion-tailed macaque,[68] and the Indian leopard.[69]

Symbols of states of South India
Name Animal Bird Tree Fruit Flower
Andaman and Nicobar Islands[70] Dugong (Dugong dugon) Andaman wood pigeon (Columba palumboides) Andaman padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides) Andaman crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia hypoleuca)
Andhra Pradesh[71] Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) Neem (Azadirachta indica) Mango (Mangifera indica) Common jasmine (Jasminum officinale)
Karnataka[72] Indian elephant (Elephas maximus) Indian roller (Coracias indica) Sandalwood (Santalum album) Mango (Mangifera indica) Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
Kerala[73][74] Indian elephant (Elephas maximus) Great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) Cana fistula (Cassia fistula)
Lakshadweep[75][76] Butterfly fish (Chaetodon falcula) Noddy tern (Anous stolidus) Bread fruit (Artocarpus incisa)
Puducherry[77] Indian palm squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) Bael fruit (Aegle marmelos) Cannonball (Couroupita guianensis)
Tamil Nadu[78][79] Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) Emerald dove (Chalcophaps indica) Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) Glory lily (Gloriosa superba)
Telangana[80] Chital deer (Axis axis) Indian roller (Coracias indica) Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) Mango (Mangifera indica) Tanner's cassia (Senna auriculata)

Transport

 
Map showing highway distribution with population density

Road

South India has an extensive road network with 20,573 km (12,783 mi) of National Highways and 46,813 km (29,088 mi) of State Highways. The Golden Quadrilateral connects Chennai with Mumbai via Bangalore, and with Kolkata via Visakhapatnam.[81][82] Bus services are provided by state-run transport corporations, namely the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation,[83] Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation,[84] Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation,[85] Telangana State Road Transport Corporation,[86] Kerala State Road Transport Corporation,[87] and Puducherry Road Transport Corporation.[88]

State National Highway[89] State Highway[90] Motor vehicles per 1000 pop.[91]
Andhra Pradesh 7,356 km (4,571 mi) 10,650 km (6,620 mi) 145
Karnataka 6,432 km (3,997 mi) 20,774 km (12,908 mi) 182
Tamil Nadu 5,006 km (3,111 mi) 10,764 km (6,688 mi) 257
Telangana 2,635 km (1,637 mi) 3,152 km (1,959 mi) N/A
Kerala 1,811 km (1,125 mi) 4,341 km (2,697 mi) 198
Andaman and Nicobar 330 km (210 mi) 38 km (24 mi) 152
Puducherry 64 km (40 mi) 246 km (153 mi) 521
Total 22,635 km (14,065 mi) 49,965 km (31,047 mi)

Rail

The Great Southern of India Railway Company was founded in England in 1853 and registered in 1859.[92] Construction of track in the Madras Presidency began in 1859 and the 80 miles (130 km) link from Trichinopoly to Negapatam and a link from Tirur to the Port of Beypore at Kozhikode on the Malabar Coast, which eventually got expanded into the Mangalore-Chennai line via Palakkad Gap were opened in 1861.[93] The Carnatic Railway Company was founded in 1864 and opened a Madras–Arakkonam–Conjeevaram–Katpadi junction line in 1865. These two companies subsequently merged in 1874 to form the South Indian Railway Company.[94] In 1880, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, established by the British, built a railway network radiating from Madras.[95] In 1879, the Madras Railway constructed a line from Royapuram to Bangalore; and the Maharaja of Mysore established the Mysore State Railway to build an extension from Bangalore to Mysore.[96] In order to get access to the west coast, Malabar region of the country through Port of Quilon, Maharajah Uthram Thirunal of Travancore built the Quilon-Madras rail line jointly with the South Indian Railway Company and the Madras Presidency.[97] The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway was founded on 1 January 1908 by merging the Madras Railway and the Southern Mahratta Railway.[98][99]

On 14 April 1951, the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway, and the Mysore State Railway were merged to form the Southern Railway, in the first zone of Indian Railways.[100] The South Central zone was created on 2 October 1966 as the ninth zone of Indian Railways and the South Western zone was created on 1 April 2003.[101] Most of the region is covered by the three zones, with small portions of the coasts covered by East Coast Railway and Konkan Railway, In 2019, the Government of India announced the formation of the South Coast Railway zone in the southeast, with headquarters at Visakhapatnam.[102]

Metro rail is operated by Namma Metro in Bangalore, Chennai Metro in Chennai, Kochi Metro in Kochi and Hyderabad Metro in Hyderabad. Chennai MRTS provides suburban rail services in Chennai and was the first elevated railway line in India.[103] Hyderabad MMTS provides the suburban rail services in the city of Hyderabad.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[104]

Sl. No Name of railway zone[105] Abbr. Route length
(in km)[106]		 Headquarters[105] Founded[107] Divisions Major stations[108]
1. Southern SR 5,098 Chennai 14 April 1951 Chennai,[109] Tiruchirappalli,[110] Madurai,[111] Palakkad,[112] Salem,[113] Thiruvananthapuram[114] Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Chennai Beach, Tambaram, Coimbatore, Ernakulam, Erode, Katpadi, Kollam, Kozhikode, Madurai, Mangalore Central, Palakkad, Salem, Thanjavur, Thiruvananthapuram Central, Thrissur, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli
2. South Coast SCoR 3,496 Visakhapatnam 2019 (announced) Waltair, Vijayawada, Guntakal, Guntur Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Nellore, Tirupati Main, Vijayawada, Adoni, Guntakal, Rajahmundry, Kakinada Town, Kadapa, Kondapalli
3. South Central SCR 3,127 Secunderabad 2 October 1966 Secunderabad,[115] Hyderabad, Nanded Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Warangal
4. South Western SWR 3,177 Hubli 1 April 2003 Hubli, Bengaluru, Mysore, Gulbarga[116] Bengaluru City, Hubli, Mysore
5. East Coast ECoR 2,572 Bhubaneswar 1 April 2003 Khurda Road, Sambalpur Visakhapatnam, Rayagada, Palasa, Vizianagaram
6. Konkan KR 741 Navi Mumbai 26 January 1988 Karwar, Ratnagiri Madgaon

Air

Quilon Aerodrome at Kollam, was established under the kingdom of Travancore in 1920, but it was closed in 1932.[117] In March 1930, a discussion initiated by pilot G. Vlasto led to the founding of the Madras Flying Club, which became a pioneer in pilot training in South India.[118] On 15 October 1932, Indian aviator J. R. D. Tata flew a Puss Moth aircraft carrying mail from Karachi to Juhu aerodrome, Bombay; and the aircraft continued to Madras, piloted by Neville Vincent, a former Royal Air Force pilot and friend of Tata.[119] Kannur had an airstrip used for commercial aviation as early as 1935 when Tata airlines operated weekly flights between Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram – stopping at Goa and Kannur.[120] Chennai International Airport and Trivandrum International Airport, both inaugurated in 1932 and now managed by the Airport Authority of India, are among the oldest existing airports in South India.

There are 11 international airports, 2 customs airports, 15 domestic airports, and 11 air bases in South India. Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kochi international airports are amongst the 10 busiest in the country.[121][122][123] Chennai International Airport serves as the Southern Regional Headquarters of the Airports Authority of India, the Southern Region comprising the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, and the union territories of Puducherry and Lakshadweep.[124]

The Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force is headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram, and the Training Command is headquartered at Bengaluru. The Air Force operates eleven air bases in Southern India including two in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.[125] In the region, the Indian Navy operates airbases at Kochi, Arakkonam, Uchipuli, Vizag, Campbell Bay, and Diglipur.[126][127]

 
The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad
 
Aircraft parked at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
State/UT International CustomsNote 1 Domestic Military
Andaman and Nicobar 1 0 0 4
Andhra Pradesh 2 0 4 1
Karnataka 2 0 6 3
Kerala 4 0 0 1
Lakshadweep 0 0 1 0
Puducherry 0 0 1 0
Tamil Nadu 3 1 3 6
Telangana 1 0 3 2
Total 12 1 14 16

^Note 1 Restricted international airport

Rank Name City State IATA Code Total
passengers (2018–19)
1 Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru Karnataka BLR 33,307,702
2 Chennai International Airport Chennai Tamil Nadu MAA 22,543,822
3 Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Hyderabad Telangana HYD 21,403,972
4 Cochin International Airport Kochi Kerala COK 10,119,825
5 Trivandrum International Airport Thiruvananthapuram Kerala TRV 4,434,459
6 Calicut International Airport Kozhikode Kerala CCJ 3,360,847
7 Coimbatore International Airport Coimbatore Tamil Nadu CJB 3,000,882
8 Visakhapatnam International Airport Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh VTZ 2,853,390
9 Mangalore International Airport Mangaluru Karnataka IXE 2,240,664
10 Tiruchirappalli International Airport Tiruchirappalli Tamil Nadu TRZ 1,578,831
11 Kannur International Airport Kannur Kerala CNN

Water

A total of 89 ports are situated along the southern seacoast: Andaman and Nicobar (23), Kerala (17), Tamil Nadu (15), Andhra Pradesh (12), Karanataka(10), Lakshadweep (10), Pondicherry (2).[128] Major ports include those at Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Mangalore, Tuticorin, Ennore, Kakinada, and Kochi.[129]

 
A Vishakhapatnam harbour view
 
A terminal at the Chennai Port
Name City State Cargo Handled
(FY2017–18)[130]
Million tonnes % Change
(over previous FY)
Visakhapatnam Port Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh 63.54 4.12% ↑
Chennai Port Chennai Tamil Nadu 51.88 3.32% ↑
New Mangalore Port Mangalore Karnataka 42.05 5.28% ↑
V.O. Chidambaranar Port Thoothukudi Tamil Nadu 36.57 -4.91% ↓
Kamarajar Port Chennai Tamil Nadu 30.45 1.42% ↑
Cochin Port Kochi Kerala 29.14 16.52% ↑
Gangavaram Port Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh 20.54 5.12% ↑
Kakinada Port Kakinada Andhra Pradesh 15.12 1.1 ↑

The Kerala backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes, and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways. In the midst of this landscape, there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and endpoints of transportation services and backwater cruises.[131] Vizhinjam International Seaport also called The Port of Trivandrum is a mother port under construction on the Arabian Sea at Vizhinjam in Trivandrum, India. Once completed, it is estimated that this port will handle over 40% of India's transshipments, thereby reducing the country's reliance on ports at Dubai, Colombo, and Singapore.

The Eastern Naval Command and Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy are headquartered at Visakhapatnam and Kochi, respectively.[132][133] In the region, the Indian Navy has its major operational bases at Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Kochi, Karwar, and Kavaratti.[134][135][136]

Economy

Main article: Economy of South India
 
Major crop areas
 
Technopark, Trivandrum
 
The growth of information technology hubs in the region have spurred economic growth. Pictured is Tidel Park in Chennai

After independence, the economy of South India conformed to a socialist framework, with strict governmental control over private sector participation, foreign trade, and foreign direct investment. From 1960 to 1990, the South Indian economies experienced mixed economic growth. In the 1960s, Kerala achieved above-average growth while Andhra Pradesh's economy declined. Kerala experienced an economic decline in the 1970s while the economies of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh consistently exceeded national average growth rates, due to reform-oriented economic policies.[137] As of March 2015, there are 109 operational Special Economic Zones in South India, which is about 60% of the country's total.[138] As of 2019–20, the total gross domestic product of the region is ₹67 trillion (US$946 billion). Tamil Nadu has the second-highest GDP and is the second-most industrialised state in the country after Maharashtra.[139] With the presence of two major ports, an international airport, and a converging road and rail networks, Chennai is referred to as the "Gateway of South India."[140][141][142][143]

 
At 168.91 metres (554.2 ft) height,[144] the Idukki Dam is one of the highest arch dams in Asia.

Over 48% of South India's population is engaged in agriculture, which is largely dependent on seasonal monsoons. Frequent droughts have left farmers debt-ridden, forcing them to sell their livestock and sometimes to commit suicide.[145] Some of the main crops cultivated in South India include paddy, sorghum, pearl millet, pulses, ragi, sugarcane, mangoes, chilli, and cotton. The staple food is rice; the delta regions of Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri are among the top rice producing areas in the country.[138][146] Areca nut, coffee, tea, turmeric and other spices, and rubber are cultivated in the hills, the region accounting for 92% of the total coffee production in India.[138][147][148][149][150] Other major agricultural products include poultry and silk.[151][152]

South India's urban centres are significant contributors to the Indian and global economy. According to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad are the South Indian cities most integrated with the global economy. Bengaluru is classified as an alpha world city, while Chennai and Hyderabad are beta world cities.[153]

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram are amongst the major information technology (IT) hubs of India, with Bengaluru known as the Silicon Valley of India [154] and Hyderabad hosting biggest offices of Amazon (company), Microsoft outside United States.[155] The presence of these hubs has spurred economic growth and attracted foreign investments and job seekers from other parts of the country.[156] Software exports from South India grossed over ₹640 billion (US$8.0 billion) in fiscal 2005–06.[157]

Salem Steel Plant (SSP), a unit of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), is a steel plant involved in the production of stainless steel.[158] It is located along the Salem — Bangalore National Highway 44 in the foothills of Kanjamalai in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India.[159][160] The plant has an installed capacity of 70,000 tonnes per annum in its cold rolling mill and 3,64,000 tonnes per annum in the hot rolling mill.[158] It also has the country's first stainless steel blanking facility.[161]

Chennai, known as the "Detroit of Asia", accounts for about 35% of India's overall automotive components and automobile output.[162] Coimbatore supplies two-thirds of India's requirements of motors and pumps, and is one of the largest exporters of wet grinders and auto components, as well as jewellery.[163] Andhra Pradesh is emerging as another automobile manufacturing hub.[164]

Another major industry is textiles[165] with the region being home to nearly 60% of the fiber textile mills in India.[166]

Tourism contributes significantly to the GDP of the region, with three states – Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana – among the top 10 states for tourist arrivals, accounting for more than 50% of domestic tourist visits.[167]

Economic and demographic indicators[168]
Parameter South India National
Gross domestic product (GDP) ₹67 trillion (US$946 billion) ₹209.19 trillion (US$2.9 trillion)
Net state domestic product (SDP) ₹29,027 (US$360) ₹23,222 (US$290)
Population below the poverty line 15.41% 26.1%
Urban population 32.8% 27.8%
Households with electricity 98.91% 88.2%
Literacy rate 81.09% 74%[169]

Demographics

Main articles: Dravidian people, Telugus, Tamils, Kannadigas, Malayalis, and Tuluvas
 
Population Pyramid in South India

As per the 2011 census of India, the estimated population of South India was 252 million, around one fifth of the total population of the country. The region's total fertility rate (TFR) was less than the population replacement level of 2.1 for all states, with Kerala and Tamil Nadu having the lowest TFRs in India at 1.7.[170][171] As a result, from 1981 to 2011 the proportion of the population of South India to India's total population has declined.[172][173] The population density of the region is approximately 463 per square kilometer.[citation needed] Scheduled Castes and Tribes form 18% of the population of the region. Agriculture is the major employer in the region, with 47.5% of the population being involved in agrarian activities.[174] About 60% of the population lives in permanent housing structures.[175] 67.8% of South India has access to tap water, with wells and springs being major sources of water supply.[176]

After experiencing fluctuations in the decades immediately after the independence of India, the economies of South Indian states have, over the past three decades, registered growth higher than the national average. While South Indian states have improved in some of the socio-economic metrics,[168][177] poverty continues to affect the region as it does the rest of the country, although it has considerably decreased over the years. Based on the 2011 census, the HDI in the southern states is high, and the economy has grown at a faster rate than those of most northern states.[178]

As per the 2011 census, the average literacy rate in South India is approximately 80%, considerably higher than the Indian national average of 74%, with Kerala having the highest literacy rate of 93.91%.[179] South India has the highest sex ratio with Kerala and Tamil Nadu being the top two states.[180] The South Indian states rank amongst the top 10 in economic freedom, life expectancy, access to drinking water, house ownership, and TV ownership.[181][182][183][184][185] The poverty rate is at 19% while that in the other Indian states is at 38%. The per capita income is ₹19,531 (US$240), which is more than double of the other Indian states (₹8,951 (US$110)).[186][187] Of the three demographically related targets of the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations and expected to be achieved by 2015, Kerala and Tamil Nadu achieved the goals related to improvement of maternal health and of reducing infant mortality and child mortality by 2009.[188][189]

Languages

Main articles: Dravidian languages, Telugu language, Malayalam language, Tamil language, and Kannada language
 
Dravidian language tree

Languages of South India (2011)[190]

  Telugu (29.24%)
  Tamil (24.02%)
  Kannada (17.27%)
  Malayalam (13.76%)
  Others (15.71%)

The largest linguistic group in South India is the Dravidian family of languages, of approximately 73 languages.[191] The major languages spoken include Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.[192] Tulu is spoken by about 1.5 million people in coastal Kerala and Karnataka; Konkani, an Indo-Aryan language, is spoken by around 0.8 million people in the Konkan coast (Canara) and Kerala; Kodava Takk is spoken by more than half a million people in Kodagu, Mysore, and Bangalore. English is also widely spoken in urban areas of South India.[193] Deccani Urdu is spoken by around 12 million Muslims in southern India.[194][195][196] Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Konkani, and Deccani Urdu are listed among the 22 official languages of India as per the Official Languages Act (1963). Tamil was the first language to be granted classical language status by the Government of India in 2004.[197][198] Other major languages declared classical are Telugu (in 2008), Kannada (in 2008) and Malayalam (in 2013)[199][200] These four languages have literary outputs larger than other literary languages of India.[201]

S.No. Language Number of speakers[202] States and union territories where official
1 Telugu 74,002,856 Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry
2 Tamil 60,793,814 Tamil Nadu, Puducherry
3 Kannada 43,706,512 Karnataka
4 Malayalam 34,838,319 Kerala, Lakshadweep, Mahé
5 Deccani Urdu 12 – 13 million Telangana
6 Tulu 1,846,427 Dakshina Kannada, Udupi district, Kasargod district
7 Konkani 800,000+ Uttara Kannada (Karnataka), Dakshina Kannada (Karnataka), Udupi Karnataka, Goa.
8 Kodava Takk Kodagu district (Karnataka)

Religion

Religion in South India
Religion Percent(%)
Hinduism
 
 84%
Islam
 
 11%
Christianity
 
 4%
Other
 
 1%

Evidence of prehistoric religion in South India comes from scattered Mesolithic rock paintings depicting dances and rituals, such as the Kupgal petroglyphs of eastern Karnataka, at Stone Age sites.[203]

Hinduism is the major religion today in South India, with about 84% of the population adhering to it, which is often regarded as the oldest religion in the world, tracing its roots to prehistoric times in India.[204] Its spiritual traditions include both the Shaivite and Vaishnavite branches of Hinduism, although Buddhist and Jain philosophies were influential several centuries earlier.[205] Ayyavazhi has spread significantly across the southern parts of South India.[206][207] Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy is prominent among many communities.[208]

Shaivism developed as an amalgam of pre-Vedic religions and traditions derived from the southern Tamil Dravidian Shaiva Siddhanta traditions and philosophies, which were assimilated in the non-Vedic Shiva-tradition. The religious history of South India is influenced by Hinduism quite notably during the medieval century. The twelve Alvars (saint-poets of Vaishnavite tradition) and sixty-three Nayanars (saint poets of Shaivite tradition) are regarded as exponents of the bhakti tradition of Hinduism in South India. Most of them came from the Tamil region and the last of them lived in the 9th century CE.

About 11% of the population follow Islam, which was introduced to South India in the early 7th century by Arab traders on the Malabar Coast, and spread during the rule of the Deccan Sultanates, from the 17th to 18th centuries. Muslims of Arab descent in Kerala are called Jonaka Mappila.[209]

About 4% follow Christianity.[210] According to tradition, Christianity was introduced to South India by Thomas the Apostle, who visited Muziris in Kerala in 52 CE and proselytized natives, who are called Nazrani Mappila.[211][212]

Kerala is also home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, who are supposed to have arrived on the Malabar coast during the reign of King Solomon.[213][214]

Administration

South India consists of the five southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, as well as the union territories of Puducherry, and Lakshadweep.[215] Puducherry and the five states each have an elected state government, while Lakshadweep is centrally administered by the president of India.[216][217] Each state is headed by a Governor who is appointed by the President of India and who names the leader of the state legislature's ruling party or coalition as chief minister, who is the head of the state government.[218][219]

Each state or territory is further divided into districts, which are further subdivided into revenue divisions and taluks / Mandals or tehsils.[220][221] Local bodies govern respective cities, towns, and villages, along with an elected mayor, municipal chairman, or panchayat chairman, respectively.[221]

States

S. No. Name ISO 3166-2 code[222][223] Date of formation[18] Population Area
(km2)[224]		 Official
language(s)[225]		 Capital Population density
(per km2)[224]		 Sex Ratio[224] Literacy Rate (%)[179] % of urban population[226]
1 Andhra Pradesh AP 1 Oct 1953 49,506,799[227] 162,968[227] Telugu, English Amaravati 308[227] 996[227] 67.41[228] 29.4[227]
2 Karnataka KA 1 Nov 1956 61,095,297 191,791 Kannada, English Bengaluru 319 973 75.60 38.67
3 Kerala KL 1 Nov 1956 33,406,061 38,863 Malayalam, English Thiruvananthapuram 860 1084 94.00 47.72
4 Tamil Nadu TN 26 Jan 1950 72,147,030 130,058 Tamil, English Chennai 555 996 80.33 48.40
5 Telangana TG 2 Jun 2014[229] 35,193,978[229] 112,077[229] Telugu, Deccani Urdu Hyderabad 307[230] 988[229] 66.50[230] 38.7[229]
  • ^Note 1 Andhra Pradesh was divided into two states, Telangana and a residual Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014.[231][232][233] Hyderabad, located entirely within the borders of Telangana, is to serve as joint capital for both states for a period of time not exceeding ten years.[234]

Union territories

S.No. Name ISO 3166-2 code[222][223] Population Area
(km2)[224]		 Official
language[225]		 Capital Population density
(per km2)[224]		 Sex Ratio[224] Literacy Rate(%)[179] % of urban population[226]
1 Lakshadweep LD 64,473 30 English, Malayalam Kavaratti 2,013 946 92.28 78.07
2 Puducherry PY 1,247,953 490 Tamil, English Puducherry 2,598 1037 86.55 68.33

Legislative representation

Legislative assemblies of states
 
Shasana Sabha (Andhra Pradesh)
 
Vidhan Soudha (Karnataka)
 
Niyamasabha Mandiram (Kerala)
 
Fort St. George (Tamil Nadu)
 
Shasana Sabha (Telangana)

South India elects 132 members to the Lok Sabha, accounting for roughly one-fourth of the total strength.[235] The region is allocated 58 seats in the Rajya Sabha, out of the total of 245.[236]

The state legislatures of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry are unicameral, while Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana have bicameral legislatures.[237][238] States with bicameral legislatures have an upper house (Legislative Council) with members not more than one-third the size of the Assembly. State legislatures elect members for terms of five years.[221] Governors may suspend or dissolve assemblies and can administer when no party is able to form a government.[221]

Politics

Main article: Politics in South India

Politics in South India is characterized by a mix of regional and national political parties. The Justice Party and Swaraj Party were the two major parties in the erstwhile Madras Presidency.[239] The Justice Party eventually lost the 1937 elections to the Indian National Congress, and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari became the Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency.[239]

During the 1920s and 1930s, the Self-Respect Movement, spearheaded by Theagaroya Chetty and E. V. Ramaswamy (commonly known as Periyar), emerged in the Madras Presidency.[240] In 1944, Periyar transformed the party into a social organisation, renaming the party Dravidar Kazhagam, and withdrew from electoral politics. The initial aim was the secession of Dravida Nadu from the rest of India upon Indian independence. After independence, C. N. Annadurai, a follower of Periyar, formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1948. The Anti-Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu led to the rise of Dravidian parties that formed Tamil Nadu's first government, in 1967. In 1972, a split in the DMK resulted in the formation of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led by M. G. Ramachandran. Dravidian parties continue to dominate Tamil Nadu electoral politics, the national parties usually aligning as junior partners to the major Dravidian parties, AIADMK and DMK.[241][242]

Indian National Congress dominated the political scene in Tamil Nadu in the 1950s and 1960s under the leadership of K. Kamaraj, who led the party after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru and ensured the selection of Prime Ministers Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi.[243] Congress continues to be a major party in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala. The party ruled with minimal opposition for 30 years in Andhra Pradesh, before the formation of the Telugu Desam Party by Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao in 1982.[244] Two prominent coalitions in Kerala are the United Democratic Front, led by the Indian National Congress, and the Left Democratic Front, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). For the past fifty years, these two coalitions have been alternately in power; and E. M. S. Namboodiripad, the first elected chief minister of Kerala in 1957, is credited as the leader of the first democratically elected communist government in the world.[245][246] The Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) are significant parties in Karnataka.[247]

C. Rajagopalachari, the first Indian Governor General of India post independence, was from South India. The region has produced six Indian presidents, namely, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan,[248] V. V. Giri,[249] Neelam Sanjiva Reddy,[250] R. Venkataraman,[251] K. R. Narayanan,[252] and APJ Abdul Kalam.[253] Prime ministers P. V. Narasimha Rao and H. D. Deve Gowda were from the region.[254]

Culture and heritage

Main article: South Indian culture

Clothing

South Indian women traditionally wear a sari, a garment that consists of a drape varying from 5 yards (4.6 m) to 9 yards (8.2 m) in length and 2 feet (0.61 m) to 4 feet (1.2 m) in breadth that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff, as according to Indian philosophy, the navel is considered as the source of life and creativity.[255][256] Ancient Tamil poetry, such as the Silappadhikaram, describes women in exquisite drapery or sari.[257] Madisar is a typical style worn by Brahmin women from Tamil Nadu.[258] Women wear colourful silk sarees on special occasions such as marriages.[259]

The men wear a dhoti, a 4.5 metres (15 ft) long, white rectangular piece of non-stitched cloth often bordered in brightly coloured stripes. It is usually wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist.[260] A colourful lungi with typical batik patterns is the most common form of male attire in the countryside.[261]

People in urban areas generally wear tailored clothing, and western dress is popular. Western-style school uniforms are worn by both boys and girls in schools, even in rural areas.[261]

 
The weave of Calico sample from a shopping bag shown against a centimetre scale.

Calico, a plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton, was originated at Calicut (Kozhikode), from which the name of the textile came, in South India, now Kerala, during the 11th century,[262] where the cloth was known as Chaliyan.[263] The raw fabric was dyed and printed in bright hues, and calico prints later became popular in the Europe.[264]

Cuisine

Main article: South Indian cuisine
 
A traditional meal served on a banana leaf

Rice is the diet staple, while fish is an integral component of coastal South Indian meals.[265] Coconut and spices are used extensively in South Indian cuisine. The region has a rich cuisine involving both traditional non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes comprising rice, legumes, and lentils. Its distinct aroma and flavour is achieved by the blending of flavourings and spices, including curry leaves, mustard seeds, coriander, ginger, garlic, chili, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, coconut, and rosewater.[266][267]

The traditional way of eating a meal involves being seated on the floor, having the food served on a banana leaf,[268] and using clean fingers of the right hand to take the food into the mouth.[269] After the meal, the fingers are washed; the easily degradable banana leaf is discarded or becomes fodder for cattle.[270] Eating on banana leaves is a custom thousands of years old, imparts a unique flavor to the food, and is considered healthy.[271]

Idli, dosa, uthappam, Pesarattu, appam, pongal, and paniyaram are popular breakfast dishes in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala.[272][273] Rice is served with sambar, rasam, and poriyal for lunch. Andhra cuisine is characterised by pickles and spicy curries.[274] Famous dishes are Pesarattu, Ulava charu, Bobbatlu, Pootharekulu, and Gongura. Chettinad cuisine is famous for its non-vegetarian items, and Hyderabadi cuisine is popular for its biryani.[275] Neer dosa, Chitranna, Ragi mudde, Maddur vada, Mysore pak, Obbattu, Bisi Bele Bath, Mangalore buns, Kesari bat, Akki rotti and Dharwad pedha are famous cuisines of Karnataka.[276] Udupi Cuisine, which originates from Udupi located in the Coastal Kanara region of Karnataka is famous for its vegetarian dishes.[277]

 
A Thalassery cuisine which makes use of Malabar spices

Coconut is native to Southern India and spread to Europe, Arabia, and Persia through the southwestern Malabar Coast of South India over the centuries. Coconut of Indian origin was brought to the Americas by Portuguese merchants. Black pepper is also native to the Malabar Coast[278][279] of India, and the Malabar pepper is extensively cultivated there. During classical era, Phoenicians, Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and Chinese were attracted by the spices including Cinnamon and Black pepper from the ancient port of Muziris in the southwestern coast of India.[280][281]

During Middle Ages prior to the Age of Discovery which began with the end of the 15th century CE, the kingdom of Calicut (Kozhikode) on Malabar Coast was the centre of Indian pepper exports to the Red Sea and Europe at this time[282] with Egyptian and Arab traders being particularly active. The Thalassery cuisine, a style of cuisine originated in the Northern Kerala over centuries, makes use of such spices.

Music and dance

South Indian dance forms
 
Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu)
 
Kathakali (Kerala)
 
Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)
 
Yakshagana (Karnataka)

The traditional music of South India is known as Carnatic music, which includes rhythmic and structured music by composers such as Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Tyagayya, Annamacharya, Baktha Ramadasu, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Shyama Shastri, Kshetrayya, Mysore Vasudevachar, and Swathi Thirunal.[283] The main instrument that is used in South Indian Hindu temples is the nadaswaram, a reed instrument that is often accompanied by the thavil, a type of drum instrument.[284]

South India is home to several distinct dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Andhra Natyam, Kathakali, Kerala Natanam, Koodiyattam, Margamkali, Mohiniaattam, Oppana, Ottamthullal, Theyyam, Vilasini Natyam, and Yakshagana.[285][286][287][288][289] The dance, clothing, and sculptures of South India exemplify the beauty of the body and motherhood.[255][290][291][292][293]

Cinema

Films done in regional languages are prevalent in South India, with several regional cinemas being recognized: Kannada cinema (Karnataka), Malayalam cinema (Kerala), Tamil cinema (Tamil Nadu), and Telugu cinema (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana). The first silent film in South India, Keechaka Vadham, was made by R. Nataraja Mudaliar in 1916.[294] Mudaliar also established Madras's first film studio.[295] The first Tamil talkie, Kalidas, was released on 31 October 1931, barely seven months after India's first talking picture, Alam Ara.[296]

Swamikannu Vincent built the first cinema studio of South India, at Coimbatore, introducing the "tent cinema", which he first established in Madras and which was known as "Edison's Grand Cinemamegaphone".[297] Filmmakers K. N. T. Sastry and B. Narsing Rao in Telugu cinema; K Balachandar, Balu Mahendra, Bharathiraaja, and Mani Ratnam in Tamil cinema; Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shaji N. Karun, John Abraham, and G. Aravindan in Malayalam cinema; and Girish Kasaravalli , Girish Karnad and P. Sheshadri in Kannada cinema produced realistic cinema in parallel with each other throughout the 1970s.[298]

South Indian cinema has also had an influence on politics of Tamil Nadu.[299] Prominent film personalities such as C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi, N. T. Rama Rao, and Jayalalithaa have become chief ministers of South Indian states.[300] As of 2014, South Indian film industries contribute to 53% of the total films produced in India.[301]

Feature films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (2019)[302]
Language No. of films
Telugu 281
Tamil 254
Malayalam 219
Kannada 336
Tulu 16
Konkani 10
Total 1116

Literature

 
The large gopuram is a hallmark of Dravidian architecture.

South India has an independent literary tradition dating back over 2500 years. The first known literature of South India is the poetic Sangam literature, which was written in Tamil 2500 to 2100 years ago. Tamil literature was composed in three successive poetic assemblies known as Tamil Sangams, the earliest of which, according to ancient tradition, were held on a now vanished continent far to the south of India.[303] This Tamil literature includes the oldest grammatical treatise, Tholkappiyam, and the epics Silappatikaram and Manimekalai.[304] References to Kannada literature appear from the fourth century CE.[305][306] Telugu literature inscriptions. Poets such as Annamacharya made many contributions to this literature.[307] A distinct Malayalam literature came about in the 13th century.[308]

Architecture

South India has two distinct styles of rock architecture, the Dravidian style of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the Vesara style of Karnataka, Telangana.[309]

Koil or Gudi Hindu temples of the Dravidian style, consist of porches or mantapas preceding the door leading to the sanctum. Monumental, ornate gate-pyramids, or gopurams – each topped by a kalasam, or stone finial – are the principal features in the quadrangular enclosures that surround the more notable temples[310][311] along with pillared halls. A South Indian temple typically has a water reservoir called the Kalyani or Pushkarni.[312]

The origins of the gopuram can be traced back to early structures of the Pallavas. Under the Pandya rulers in the twelfth century, gateways had become the dominant feature of a temple's outer appearance, eventually overshadowing the inner sanctuary which became obscured from view by the gopuram's colossal size.[313][314]

The Architecture of Kerala is a unique architecture that emerged in the southwestern part of India, which is in its striking contrast to Dravidian architecture, which is normally practised in other parts of South India.[315] It has been performed/followed according to Indian Vedic architectural science (Vastu Shastra).[315]

Notes

  1. ^ Taluk is a smaller administrative division than a district.

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January 08, 2023
south, india, also, known, dakshina, bharata, peninsular, india, consists, peninsular, southern, part, india, encompasses, indian, states, andhra, pradesh, karnataka, kerala, tamil, nadu, telangana, well, union, territories, lakshadweep, puducherry, comprising. South India also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India 4 consists of the peninsular southern part of India It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Kerala Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry comprising 19 31 of India s area 635 780 km2 or 245 480 sq mi and 20 of India s population Covering the southern part of the peninsular Deccan Plateau South India is bounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south The geography of the region is diverse with two mountain ranges the Western and Eastern Ghats bordering the plateau heartland The Godavari Krishna Kaveri Tungabhadra Periyar Bharathappuzha Pamba Thamirabarani Palar and Vaigai rivers are important perennial rivers South IndiaRegionFrom Top left to right Ross Beach Andaman Venkateswara Temple Andhra Pradesh Mysore Palace Karnataka Backwaters of Alappuzha Kerala Bangaram island Lakshwadeep Matrimandir Puducherry Thiruvalluvar Statue Tamil Nadu Charminar Telangana Map of states and union territories in South IndiaCountry IndiaStates and union territoriesAndaman and Nicobar Islands Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Kerala Lakshadweep Puducherry Tamil Nadu TelanganaMost populous citiesBangalore Hyderabad Chennai Kochi Thiruvananthapuram Visakhapatnam Coimbatore Vijayawada Madurai Kozhikode Tiruchirappalli Salem Warangal Hubli DharwadArea Total635 780 km2 245 480 sq mi Highest elevation Anamudi 2 695 m 8 842 ft Lowest elevation Kuttanad 2 2 m 7 2 ft Population 2011 Total253 051 953 Density400 km2 1 000 sq mi Demonym s South IndianDravidianKannadigaMalayaliLaccadivianPondicherrianTamilianTelugiteTime zoneIST UTC 5 30 Official languagesTelugu Tamil Kannada Malayalam English lingua franca 1 HDI 2019 0 755 High Literacy 2011 81 09 2 Sex ratio 2011 986 1000 3 Minority languagesBeary Badaga Urdu Gondi Marathi Kodava Konkani Tulu Zonal Councils of India The majority of the people in South India speak at least one of the four major Dravidian languages Telugu Tamil Kannada and Malayalam all 4 of which are among the 6 Classical Languages of India Some states and union territories also recognize a minority language such as Deccani Urdu in Telangana 5 and Tamil and French in Puducherry Besides these languages English is used by both the central and state governments for official communications and is used on all public signboards During its history a number of dynastic kingdoms ruled over parts of South India and the Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent across southern and southeastern Asia affected the history and culture in those regions Major dynasties established in South India include the Cheras Cholas Pandyas Pallavas Satavahanas Chalukyas Rashtrakutas Bahmani Deccan Sultanates Cochin Kakatiyas Kadambas Hoysalas Zamorin Vijayanagara Maratha Travancore Arakkal and Mysore Jews Saint Thomas Christians Mappila Muslims and Europeans entered India through the southwestern Malabar Coast of Kerala Parts of South India were colonized under Portuguese India French India and the British Raj The Hyderabad State ruled by the Nizams was the last princely state of India South India witnessed sustained growth in per capita income and population structural changes in the economy an increased pace of technological innovation After experiencing fluctuations in the decades immediately after Indian independence the economies of South Indian states have registered a higher than national average growth over the past three decades South India has the largest gross domestic product compared to other regions in India The South Indian states lead in some socio economic metrics of India The HDI in the southern states is high and the economy has undergone growth at a faster rate than in most northern states Literacy rates in the southern states is higher than the national average with approximately 81 of the population capable of reading and writing The fertility rate in South India is 1 9 the lowest of all regions in India Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Historical references 2 2 Ancient and Medieval era 2 3 Colonial era 2 4 Post independence 3 Geography 4 Climate 5 Flora and fauna 6 Transport 6 1 Road 6 2 Rail 6 3 Air 6 4 Water 7 Economy 8 Demographics 8 1 Languages 8 2 Religion 9 Administration 9 1 States 9 2 Union territories 9 3 Legislative representation 10 Politics 11 Culture and heritage 11 1 Clothing 11 2 Cuisine 11 3 Music and dance 11 4 Cinema 11 5 Literature 11 6 Architecture 12 Notes 13 References 14 External linksEtymology Edit South India South India is also known as Peninsular India and has been known by several other names too The term Deccan referring to the area covered by the Deccan Plateau that covers most of peninsular India excluding the coastal areas is an anglicised form of the Prakrit word dakkhiṇa derived from the Sanskrit word dakshiṇa meaning south 4 Carnatic derived from Karnaḍ or Karunaḍ meaning high country has also been associated with South India 6 History EditMain article History of South India Historical references Edit See also Dakshinapatha Historical South India has been referred to as Deccan a prakritic derivative of an ancient term Dakshiṇa or Dakshinapatha The term had geographical as well as the geopolitical meaning and was mentioned as early as Panini 500 BCE Ancient and Medieval era Edit See also Spice trade Ancient Silk Road map The Spice trade was mainly along the water routes blue Extent of Vijayanagara Empire The Chola Empire during Rajendra Chola I c 1030 Carbon dating shows that ash mounds associated with Neolithic cultures in South India date back to 8000 BCE Artifacts such as ground stone axes and minor copper objects have been found in the Odisha region Towards the beginning of 1000 BCE iron technology spread through the region however there does not appear to be a fully developed Bronze Age preceding the Iron Age in South India 7 The region was in the middle of a trade route that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu linking the Mediterranean to East Asia 8 9 Trade with Phoenicians Romans Greeks Arabs Syrians Jews and Chinese began during the Sangam period c 3rd century BCE to c 4th century CE 10 The region was part of the ancient Silk Road connecting the East with the West 11 Several dynasties such as the Cheras of Karuvur the Pandyas of Madurai the Cholas of Thanjavur the Zamorins of Kozhikode the Travancore royal family of Thiruvananthapuram the Kingdom of Cochin the Mushikas of Kannur the Satavahanas of Amaravati the Pallavas of Kanchi the Kadambas of Banavasi the Western Gangas of Kolar the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta the Chalukyas of Badami the Hoysalas of Belur and the Kakatiyas of Orugallu ruled over the region from the 6th century BCE to the 14th century CE The Vijayanagara Empire founded in the 14th century CE was the last Indian dynasty to rule over the region After repeated invasions from the Sultanate of Delhi and the fall of Vijayanagara empire in 1646 the region was ruled by Deccan Sultanates the Maratha Empire and polygars and Nayak governors of the Vijayanagara empire who declared their independence 12 Colonial era Edit The Europeans arrived in the 15th century and by the middle of the 18th century the French and the British were involved in a protracted struggle for military control over South India After the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo Mysore War in 1799 and the end of the Vellore Mutiny in 1806 the British consolidated their power over much of present day South India with the exception of French Pondichery The British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857 13 During the British colonial rule the region was divided into the Madras Presidency Hyderabad State Mysore Travancore Kochi Jeypore and a number of other minor princely states The region played a major role in the Indian independence movement of the 72 delegates who participated in the first session of the Indian National Congress at Bombay in December 1885 22 hailed from South India 14 Post independence Edit Map of South India 1953 1956 before the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 After the independence of India in 1947 the region was organised into four states Madras State Mysore State Hyderabad State and Travancore Cochin 15 Andhra State was created in 1953 to protect the interests of Telugu people of Madras State from Tamil dominance The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 reorganized the states on linguistic lines resulting in the creation of the new states of Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Kerala and Tamil Nadu 16 17 As a result of this Act Andhra Pradesh was created through the merger of Andhra State with the Telugu speaking districts of Hyderabad State in 1956 18 Madras State retained its name and Kanyakumari district was added to it from the state of Travancore Cochin 18 The state was subsequently renamed Tamil Nadu in 1968 18 The Marathi speaking Marathwada region of Hyderabad State was transferred to Bombay State and ceased to be a part of South India Kerala emerged from the merger of Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk of South Canara districts of Madras State with Travancore Cochin 18 Mysore State was re organised with the addition of the districts of Bellary and South Canara excluding Kasaragod taluk note 1 and the Kollegal taluk of Coimbatore district from Madras State the districts of Belgaum Bijapur North Canara and Dharwad from Bombay State the Kannada majority districts of Bidar Raichur and Gulbarga from the Hyderabad State and the province of Coorg 18 Mysore State was renamed as Karnataka in 1973 The Union territory of Puducherry was created in 1954 comprising the previous French enclaves of Pondicherry Karaikal Yanam and Mahe 19 The Laccadive Islands which were divided between South Canara and the Malabar districts of Madras State were united and organised into the union territory of Lakshadweep Goa was created as a union territory by taking military actions against the Portuguese by the government of India later it has been declared as a state due to its drastic growth 20 Telangana was created on 2 June 2014 by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh and it comprises ten districts of the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh 21 22 Geography EditMain article Geography of South India Satellite image of South India The peak of Anamudi 2 695 metres 8 842 ft above sea level is the highest point of elevation in South India South India is a peninsula in the shape of an inverted triangle bound by the Arabian Sea on the west by the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Vindhya and Satpura ranges on the north 23 The Narmada river flows westwards in the depression between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges which define the northern spur of the Deccan plateau 24 The Western Ghats run parallel to the Arabian Sea along the western coast and the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea forms the Konkan region The Western Ghats continue south until Kanyakumari 25 26 The Eastern Ghats run parallel to the Bay of Bengal along the eastern coast and the strip of land between them forms the Coromandel region 27 Both mountain ranges meet at the Nilgiri mountains The Nilgiris run in a crescent approximately along the borders of Tamil Nadu with northern Kerala and Karnataka encompassing the Palakkad and Wayanad hills and the Sathyamangalam ranges extending to the relatively low lying hills of the Eastern Ghats on the western portion of the Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh border forming the Tirupati and Annamalai hills 28 The low lying coral islands of Lakshadweep are situated off the southwestern coast of India The Andaman and Nicobar islands lie far off the eastern coast The Palk Strait and the chain of low sandbars and islands known as Rama s Bridge separate the region from Sri Lanka which lies off the southeastern coast 29 30 The southernmost tip of mainland India is at Kanyakumari where the Indian Ocean meets the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea 31 Birds view of Krishna river Back water at Srisailam dam The Deccan plateau is the elevated region bound by the mountain ranges 32 The plateau rises to 100 metres 330 ft in the north and to more than 1 kilometre 0 62 mi in the south forming a raised triangle within the downward pointing triangle of the Indian subcontinent s coastline 33 It also slopes gently from West to East resulting in major rivers arising in the Western Ghats and flowing east into the Bay of Bengal 34 The volcanic basalt beds of the Deccan were laid down in the massive Deccan Traps eruption which occurred towards the end of the Cretaceous period between 67 and 66 million years ago 35 Layer after layer was formed by the volcanic activity that lasted 30 000 years 36 and when the volcanoes became extinct they left a region of highlands with typically vast stretches of flat areas on top like a table 37 The plateau is watered by the east flowing Godavari Krishna Kaveri and Vaigai rivers The major tributaries include the Pennar Tungabhadra Bhavani and Thamirabarani rivers 38 Climate Edit Climatic zones Southwest monsoon currents The region has a tropical climate and depends on monsoons for rainfall According to the Koppen climate classification it has a non arid climate with minimum mean temperatures of 18 C 64 F 39 The most humid is the tropical monsoon climate characterized by moderate to high year round temperatures and seasonally heavy rainfall above 2 000 mm 79 in per year The tropical climate is experienced in a strip of south western lowlands abutting the Malabar Coast the Western Ghats the islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar are also subject to this climate 40 A tropical wet and dry climate drier than areas with a tropical monsoon climate prevails over most of the inland peninsular region except for a semi arid rain shadow east of the Western Ghats Winter and early summer are long dry periods with temperatures averaging above 18 C 64 F summer is exceedingly hot with temperatures in low lying areas exceeding 50 C 122 F and the rainy season lasts from June to September with annual rainfall averaging between 750 and 1 500 mm 30 and 59 in across the region Once the dry northeast monsoon begins in September most precipitation in India falls in Tamil Nadu leaving other states comparatively dry 41 A hot semi arid climate predominates in the land east of the Western Ghats and the Cardamom Hills The region which includes Karnataka inland Tamil Nadu and western Andhra Pradesh gets between 400 and 750 millimetres 15 7 and 29 5 in of rainfall annually with hot summers and dry winters with temperatures around 20 24 C 68 75 F The months between March and May are hot and dry with mean monthly temperatures hovering around 32 C 90 F with 320 millimetres 13 in precipitation Without artificial irrigation this region is not suitable for agriculture 42 The southwest monsoon from June to September accounts for most of the rainfall in the region The Arabian Sea branch of the southwest monsoon hits the Western Ghats along the coastal state of Kerala and moves northward along the Konkan coast with precipitation on coastal areas west of the Western Ghats The lofty Western Ghats prevent the winds from reaching the Deccan Plateau hence the leeward region the region deprived of winds receives very little rainfall 43 44 The Bay of Bengal branch of the southwest monsoon heads toward northeast India picking up moisture from the Bay of Bengal The Coramandel coast does not receive much rainfall from the southwest monsoon due to the shape of the land Tamil Nadu and southeast Andhra Pradesh receive rains from the northeast monsoon 45 The northeast monsoon takes place from November to early March when the surface high pressure system is strongest 46 The North Indian Ocean tropical cyclones occur throughout the year in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea bringing devastating winds and heavy rainfall 47 48 49 Flora and fauna EditMain articles Wildlife of Karnataka Wildlife of Tamil Nadu Wildlife of Kerala and List of birds of South India South India also has the largest elephant population Nilgiri tahrs are commonly found around the Nilgiri Mountains Lion tailed macaques are native to the Western Ghats of South India There is a wide diversity of plants and animals in South India resulting from its varied climates and geography Deciduous forests are found along the Western Ghats while tropical dry forests and scrub lands are common in the interior Deccan plateau The southern Western Ghats have rain forests located at high altitudes called the South Western Ghats montane rain forests and the Malabar Coast moist forests are found on the coastal plains 50 The Western Ghats is one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site 51 52 Important ecological regions of South India are the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve located at the conjunction of Karnataka Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the Nilgiri Hills and the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve located at the conjunction of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the Agastya Mala hills and the Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats Bird sanctuaries including Thattekad Kadalundi Vedanthangal Ranganathittu Kumarakom Neelapattu and Pulicat are home to numerous migratory and local birds 53 54 Lakshadweep has been declared a bird sanctuary by the Wildlife Institute of India 55 Other protected ecological sites include the mangrove forests of Pichavaram and the backwaters of Pulicat lake in Tamil Nadu and Vembanad Ashtamudi Paravur and Kayamkulam lakes in Kerala The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 10 500 km2 of ocean islands and the adjoining coastline including coral reefs salt marshes and mangroves It is home to endangered aquatic species including dolphins dugongs whales and sea cucumbers 56 57 South India is home to one of the largest populations of endangered Bengal tigers and Indian elephants in India being home to one third of the tiger population and more than half of the elephant population 58 59 with 14 Project Tiger reserves and 11 Project Elephant reserves 60 61 Elephant populations are found in eight fragmented sites in the region in northern Karnataka along the Western Ghats in Bhadra Malnad in Brahmagiri Nilgiris Eastern Ghats in Nilambur Silent Valley Coimbatore in Anamalai Parambikulam in Periyar Srivilliputhur and in Agasthyamalai 62 Other threatened and endangered species found in the region include the grizzled giant squirrel 63 grey slender loris 64 sloth bear 65 Nilgiri tahr 66 Nilgiri langur 67 lion tailed macaque 68 and the Indian leopard 69 Symbols of states of South India Name Animal Bird Tree Fruit FlowerAndaman and Nicobar Islands 70 Dugong Dugong dugon Andaman wood pigeon Columba palumboides Andaman padauk Pterocarpus dalbergioides Andaman crape myrtle Lagerstroemia hypoleuca Andhra Pradesh 71 Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra Rose ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri Neem Azadirachta indica Mango Mangifera indica Common jasmine Jasminum officinale Karnataka 72 Indian elephant Elephas maximus Indian roller Coracias indica Sandalwood Santalum album Mango Mangifera indica Lotus Nelumbo nucifera Kerala 73 74 Indian elephant Elephas maximus Great hornbill Buceros bicornis Coconut Cocos nucifera Jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus Cana fistula Cassia fistula Lakshadweep 75 76 Butterfly fish Chaetodon falcula Noddy tern Anous stolidus Bread fruit Artocarpus incisa Puducherry 77 Indian palm squirrel Funambulus palmarum Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus Bael fruit Aegle marmelos Cannonball Couroupita guianensis Tamil Nadu 78 79 Nilgiri tahr Nilgiritragus hylocrius Emerald dove Chalcophaps indica Palmyra palm Borassus flabellifer Jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus Glory lily Gloriosa superba Telangana 80 Chital deer Axis axis Indian roller Coracias indica Khejri Prosopis cineraria Mango Mangifera indica Tanner s cassia Senna auriculata Transport Edit Map showing highway distribution with population density Road Edit South India has an extensive road network with 20 573 km 12 783 mi of National Highways and 46 813 km 29 088 mi of State Highways The Golden Quadrilateral connects Chennai with Mumbai via Bangalore and with Kolkata via Visakhapatnam 81 82 Bus services are provided by state run transport corporations namely the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation 83 Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation 84 Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation 85 Telangana State Road Transport Corporation 86 Kerala State Road Transport Corporation 87 and Puducherry Road Transport Corporation 88 State National Highway 89 State Highway 90 Motor vehicles per 1000 pop 91 Andhra Pradesh 7 356 km 4 571 mi 10 650 km 6 620 mi 145Karnataka 6 432 km 3 997 mi 20 774 km 12 908 mi 182Tamil Nadu 5 006 km 3 111 mi 10 764 km 6 688 mi 257Telangana 2 635 km 1 637 mi 3 152 km 1 959 mi N AKerala 1 811 km 1 125 mi 4 341 km 2 697 mi 198Andaman and Nicobar 330 km 210 mi 38 km 24 mi 152Puducherry 64 km 40 mi 246 km 153 mi 521Total 22 635 km 14 065 mi 49 965 km 31 047 mi Rail Edit The Great Southern of India Railway Company was founded in England in 1853 and registered in 1859 92 Construction of track in the Madras Presidency began in 1859 and the 80 miles 130 km link from Trichinopoly to Negapatam and a link from Tirur to the Port of Beypore at Kozhikode on the Malabar Coast which eventually got expanded into the Mangalore Chennai line via Palakkad Gap were opened in 1861 93 The Carnatic Railway Company was founded in 1864 and opened a Madras Arakkonam Conjeevaram Katpadi junction line in 1865 These two companies subsequently merged in 1874 to form the South Indian Railway Company 94 In 1880 the Great Indian Peninsula Railway established by the British built a railway network radiating from Madras 95 In 1879 the Madras Railway constructed a line from Royapuram to Bangalore and the Maharaja of Mysore established the Mysore State Railway to build an extension from Bangalore to Mysore 96 In order to get access to the west coast Malabar region of the country through Port of Quilon Maharajah Uthram Thirunal of Travancore built the Quilon Madras rail line jointly with the South Indian Railway Company and the Madras Presidency 97 The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway was founded on 1 January 1908 by merging the Madras Railway and the Southern Mahratta Railway 98 99 On 14 April 1951 the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway the South Indian Railway and the Mysore State Railway were merged to form the Southern Railway in the first zone of Indian Railways 100 The South Central zone was created on 2 October 1966 as the ninth zone of Indian Railways and the South Western zone was created on 1 April 2003 101 Most of the region is covered by the three zones with small portions of the coasts covered by East Coast Railway and Konkan Railway In 2019 the Government of India announced the formation of the South Coast Railway zone in the southeast with headquarters at Visakhapatnam 102 Metro rail is operated by Namma Metro in Bangalore Chennai Metro in Chennai Kochi Metro in Kochi and Hyderabad Metro in Hyderabad Chennai MRTS provides suburban rail services in Chennai and was the first elevated railway line in India 103 Hyderabad MMTS provides the suburban rail services in the city of Hyderabad The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site 104 Sl No Name of railway zone 105 Abbr Route length in km 106 Headquarters 105 Founded 107 Divisions Major stations 108 1 Southern SR 5 098 Chennai 14 April 1951 Chennai 109 Tiruchirappalli 110 Madurai 111 Palakkad 112 Salem 113 Thiruvananthapuram 114 Chennai Central Chennai Egmore Chennai Beach Tambaram Coimbatore Ernakulam Erode Katpadi Kollam Kozhikode Madurai Mangalore Central Palakkad Salem Thanjavur Thiruvananthapuram Central Thrissur Tiruchirappalli Tirunelveli2 South Coast SCoR 3 496 Visakhapatnam 2019 announced Waltair Vijayawada Guntakal Guntur Visakhapatnam Guntur Nellore Tirupati Main Vijayawada Adoni Guntakal Rajahmundry Kakinada Town Kadapa Kondapalli3 South Central SCR 3 127 Secunderabad 2 October 1966 Secunderabad 115 Hyderabad Nanded Secunderabad Hyderabad Warangal4 South Western SWR 3 177 Hubli 1 April 2003 Hubli Bengaluru Mysore Gulbarga 116 Bengaluru City Hubli Mysore5 East Coast ECoR 2 572 Bhubaneswar 1 April 2003 Khurda Road Sambalpur Visakhapatnam Rayagada Palasa Vizianagaram6 Konkan KR 741 Navi Mumbai 26 January 1988 Karwar Ratnagiri MadgaonAir Edit Quilon Aerodrome at Kollam was established under the kingdom of Travancore in 1920 but it was closed in 1932 117 In March 1930 a discussion initiated by pilot G Vlasto led to the founding of the Madras Flying Club which became a pioneer in pilot training in South India 118 On 15 October 1932 Indian aviator J R D Tata flew a Puss Moth aircraft carrying mail from Karachi to Juhu aerodrome Bombay and the aircraft continued to Madras piloted by Neville Vincent a former Royal Air Force pilot and friend of Tata 119 Kannur had an airstrip used for commercial aviation as early as 1935 when Tata airlines operated weekly flights between Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram stopping at Goa and Kannur 120 Chennai International Airport and Trivandrum International Airport both inaugurated in 1932 and now managed by the Airport Authority of India are among the oldest existing airports in South India There are 11 international airports 2 customs airports 15 domestic airports and 11 air bases in South India Bengaluru Chennai Hyderabad and Kochi international airports are amongst the 10 busiest in the country 121 122 123 Chennai International Airport serves as the Southern Regional Headquarters of the Airports Authority of India the Southern Region comprising the states of Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Kerala Tamil Nadu and Telangana and the union territories of Puducherry and Lakshadweep 124 The Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force is headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram and the Training Command is headquartered at Bengaluru The Air Force operates eleven air bases in Southern India including two in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands 125 In the region the Indian Navy operates airbases at Kochi Arakkonam Uchipuli Vizag Campbell Bay and Diglipur 126 127 The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad Aircraft parked at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport State UT International CustomsNote 1 Domestic MilitaryAndaman and Nicobar 1 0 0 4Andhra Pradesh 2 0 4 1Karnataka 2 0 6 3Kerala 4 0 0 1Lakshadweep 0 0 1 0Puducherry 0 0 1 0Tamil Nadu 3 1 3 6Telangana 1 0 3 2Total 12 1 14 16 Note 1 Restricted international airport Rank Name City State IATA Code Totalpassengers 2018 19 1 Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru Karnataka BLR 33 307 7022 Chennai International Airport Chennai Tamil Nadu MAA 22 543 8223 Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Hyderabad Telangana HYD 21 403 9724 Cochin International Airport Kochi Kerala COK 10 119 8255 Trivandrum International Airport Thiruvananthapuram Kerala TRV 4 434 4596 Calicut International Airport Kozhikode Kerala CCJ 3 360 8477 Coimbatore International Airport Coimbatore Tamil Nadu CJB 3 000 8828 Visakhapatnam International Airport Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh VTZ 2 853 3909 Mangalore International Airport Mangaluru Karnataka IXE 2 240 66410 Tiruchirappalli International Airport Tiruchirappalli Tamil Nadu TRZ 1 578 83111 Kannur International Airport Kannur Kerala CNNWater Edit A total of 89 ports are situated along the southern seacoast Andaman and Nicobar 23 Kerala 17 Tamil Nadu 15 Andhra Pradesh 12 Karanataka 10 Lakshadweep 10 Pondicherry 2 128 Major ports include those at Visakhapatnam Chennai Mangalore Tuticorin Ennore Kakinada and Kochi 129 A Vishakhapatnam harbour view A terminal at the Chennai Port Name City State Cargo Handled FY2017 18 130 Million tonnes Change over previous FY Visakhapatnam Port Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh 63 54 4 12 Chennai Port Chennai Tamil Nadu 51 88 3 32 New Mangalore Port Mangalore Karnataka 42 05 5 28 V O Chidambaranar Port Thoothukudi Tamil Nadu 36 57 4 91 Kamarajar Port Chennai Tamil Nadu 30 45 1 42 Cochin Port Kochi Kerala 29 14 16 52 Gangavaram Port Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh 20 54 5 12 Kakinada Port Kakinada Andhra Pradesh 15 12 1 1 The Kerala backwaters are a network of interconnected canals rivers lakes and inlets a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities which serve as the starting and endpoints of transportation services and backwater cruises 131 Vizhinjam International Seaport also called The Port of Trivandrum is a mother port under construction on the Arabian Sea at Vizhinjam in Trivandrum India Once completed it is estimated that this port will handle over 40 of India s transshipments thereby reducing the country s reliance on ports at Dubai Colombo and Singapore The Eastern Naval Command and Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy are headquartered at Visakhapatnam and Kochi respectively 132 133 In the region the Indian Navy has its major operational bases at Visakhapatnam Chennai Kochi Karwar and Kavaratti 134 135 136 Economy EditMain article Economy of South India Major crop areas Technopark Trivandrum The growth of information technology hubs in the region have spurred economic growth Pictured is Tidel Park in Chennai After independence the economy of South India conformed to a socialist framework with strict governmental control over private sector participation foreign trade and foreign direct investment From 1960 to 1990 the South Indian economies experienced mixed economic growth In the 1960s Kerala achieved above average growth while Andhra Pradesh s economy declined Kerala experienced an economic decline in the 1970s while the economies of Karnataka Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh consistently exceeded national average growth rates due to reform oriented economic policies 137 As of March 2015 there are 109 operational Special Economic Zones in South India which is about 60 of the country s total 138 As of 2019 20 the total gross domestic product of the region is 67 trillion US 946 billion Tamil Nadu has the second highest GDP and is the second most industrialised state in the country after Maharashtra 139 With the presence of two major ports an international airport and a converging road and rail networks Chennai is referred to as the Gateway of South India 140 141 142 143 At 168 91 metres 554 2 ft height 144 the Idukki Dam is one of the highest arch dams in Asia Over 48 of South India s population is engaged in agriculture which is largely dependent on seasonal monsoons Frequent droughts have left farmers debt ridden forcing them to sell their livestock and sometimes to commit suicide 145 Some of the main crops cultivated in South India include paddy sorghum pearl millet pulses ragi sugarcane mangoes chilli and cotton The staple food is rice the delta regions of Godavari Krishna and Kaveri are among the top rice producing areas in the country 138 146 Areca nut coffee tea turmeric and other spices and rubber are cultivated in the hills the region accounting for 92 of the total coffee production in India 138 147 148 149 150 Other major agricultural products include poultry and silk 151 152 South India s urban centres are significant contributors to the Indian and global economy According to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network Bengaluru Chennai and Hyderabad are the South Indian cities most integrated with the global economy Bengaluru is classified as an alpha world city while Chennai and Hyderabad are beta world cities 153 Bengaluru Hyderabad Chennai Coimbatore Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram are amongst the major information technology IT hubs of India with Bengaluru known as the Silicon Valley of India 154 and Hyderabad hosting biggest offices of Amazon company Microsoft outside United States 155 The presence of these hubs has spurred economic growth and attracted foreign investments and job seekers from other parts of the country 156 Software exports from South India grossed over 640 billion US 8 0 billion in fiscal 2005 06 157 Salem Steel Plant SSP a unit of Steel Authority of India Limited SAIL is a steel plant involved in the production of stainless steel 158 It is located along the Salem Bangalore National Highway 44 in the foothills of Kanjamalai in Salem district Tamil Nadu India 159 160 The plant has an installed capacity of 70 000 tonnes per annum in its cold rolling mill and 3 64 000 tonnes per annum in the hot rolling mill 158 It also has the country s first stainless steel blanking facility 161 Chennai known as the Detroit of Asia accounts for about 35 of India s overall automotive components and automobile output 162 Coimbatore supplies two thirds of India s requirements of motors and pumps and is one of the largest exporters of wet grinders and auto components as well as jewellery 163 Andhra Pradesh is emerging as another automobile manufacturing hub 164 Another major industry is textiles 165 with the region being home to nearly 60 of the fiber textile mills in India 166 Tourism contributes significantly to the GDP of the region with three states Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh Karnataka and Telangana among the top 10 states for tourist arrivals accounting for more than 50 of domestic tourist visits 167 Economic and demographic indicators 168 Parameter South India NationalGross domestic product GDP 67 trillion US 946 billion 209 19 trillion US 2 9 trillion Net state domestic product SDP 29 027 US 360 23 222 US 290 Population below the poverty line 15 41 26 1 Urban population 32 8 27 8 Households with electricity 98 91 88 2 Literacy rate 81 09 74 169 Demographics EditMain articles Dravidian people Telugus Tamils Kannadigas Malayalis and Tuluvas Population Pyramid in South India As per the 2011 census of India the estimated population of South India was 252 million around one fifth of the total population of the country The region s total fertility rate TFR was less than the population replacement level of 2 1 for all states with Kerala and Tamil Nadu having the lowest TFRs in India at 1 7 170 171 As a result from 1981 to 2011 the proportion of the population of South India to India s total population has declined 172 173 The population density of the region is approximately 463 per square kilometer citation needed Scheduled Castes and Tribes form 18 of the population of the region Agriculture is the major employer in the region with 47 5 of the population being involved in agrarian activities 174 About 60 of the population lives in permanent housing structures 175 67 8 of South India has access to tap water with wells and springs being major sources of water supply 176 After experiencing fluctuations in the decades immediately after the independence of India the economies of South Indian states have over the past three decades registered growth higher than the national average While South Indian states have improved in some of the socio economic metrics 168 177 poverty continues to affect the region as it does the rest of the country although it has considerably decreased over the years Based on the 2011 census the HDI in the southern states is high and the economy has grown at a faster rate than those of most northern states 178 As per the 2011 census the average literacy rate in South India is approximately 80 considerably higher than the Indian national average of 74 with Kerala having the highest literacy rate of 93 91 179 South India has the highest sex ratio with Kerala and Tamil Nadu being the top two states 180 The South Indian states rank amongst the top 10 in economic freedom life expectancy access to drinking water house ownership and TV ownership 181 182 183 184 185 The poverty rate is at 19 while that in the other Indian states is at 38 The per capita income is 19 531 US 240 which is more than double of the other Indian states 8 951 US 110 186 187 Of the three demographically related targets of the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations and expected to be achieved by 2015 Kerala and Tamil Nadu achieved the goals related to improvement of maternal health and of reducing infant mortality and child mortality by 2009 188 189 Languages Edit Main articles Dravidian languages Telugu language Malayalam language Tamil language and Kannada language Dravidian language tree Languages of South India 2011 190 Telugu 29 24 Tamil 24 02 Kannada 17 27 Malayalam 13 76 Others 15 71 The largest linguistic group in South India is the Dravidian family of languages of approximately 73 languages 191 The major languages spoken include Telugu Tamil Kannada and Malayalam 192 Tulu is spoken by about 1 5 million people in coastal Kerala and Karnataka Konkani an Indo Aryan language is spoken by around 0 8 million people in the Konkan coast Canara and Kerala Kodava Takk is spoken by more than half a million people in Kodagu Mysore and Bangalore English is also widely spoken in urban areas of South India 193 Deccani Urdu is spoken by around 12 million Muslims in southern India 194 195 196 Telugu Tamil Kannada Malayalam Konkani and Deccani Urdu are listed among the 22 official languages of India as per the Official Languages Act 1963 Tamil was the first language to be granted classical language status by the Government of India in 2004 197 198 Other major languages declared classical are Telugu in 2008 Kannada in 2008 and Malayalam in 2013 199 200 These four languages have literary outputs larger than other literary languages of India 201 S No Language Number of speakers 202 States and union territories where official1 Telugu 74 002 856 Andhra Pradesh Telangana Puducherry2 Tamil 60 793 814 Tamil Nadu Puducherry3 Kannada 43 706 512 Karnataka4 Malayalam 34 838 319 Kerala Lakshadweep Mahe5 Deccani Urdu 12 13 million Telangana6 Tulu 1 846 427 Dakshina Kannada Udupi district Kasargod district7 Konkani 800 000 Uttara Kannada Karnataka Dakshina Kannada Karnataka Udupi Karnataka Goa 8 Kodava Takk Kodagu district Karnataka Religion Edit Religion in South IndiaReligion Percent Hinduism 84 Islam 11 Christianity 4 Other 1 Evidence of prehistoric religion in South India comes from scattered Mesolithic rock paintings depicting dances and rituals such as the Kupgal petroglyphs of eastern Karnataka at Stone Age sites 203 Hinduism is the major religion today in South India with about 84 of the population adhering to it which is often regarded as the oldest religion in the world tracing its roots to prehistoric times in India 204 Its spiritual traditions include both the Shaivite and Vaishnavite branches of Hinduism although Buddhist and Jain philosophies were influential several centuries earlier 205 Ayyavazhi has spread significantly across the southern parts of South India 206 207 Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy is prominent among many communities 208 Shaivism developed as an amalgam of pre Vedic religions and traditions derived from the southern Tamil Dravidian Shaiva Siddhanta traditions and philosophies which were assimilated in the non Vedic Shiva tradition The religious history of South India is influenced by Hinduism quite notably during the medieval century The twelve Alvars saint poets of Vaishnavite tradition and sixty three Nayanars saint poets of Shaivite tradition are regarded as exponents of the bhakti tradition of Hinduism in South India Most of them came from the Tamil region and the last of them lived in the 9th century CE About 11 of the population follow Islam which was introduced to South India in the early 7th century by Arab traders on the Malabar Coast and spread during the rule of the Deccan Sultanates from the 17th to 18th centuries Muslims of Arab descent in Kerala are called Jonaka Mappila 209 About 4 follow Christianity 210 According to tradition Christianity was introduced to South India by Thomas the Apostle who visited Muziris in Kerala in 52 CE and proselytized natives who are called Nazrani Mappila 211 212 Kerala is also home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world who are supposed to have arrived on the Malabar coast during the reign of King Solomon 213 214 Administration EditSouth India consists of the five southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh Telangana Karnataka Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Puducherry and Lakshadweep 215 Puducherry and the five states each have an elected state government while Lakshadweep is centrally administered by the president of India 216 217 Each state is headed by a Governor who is appointed by the President of India and who names the leader of the state legislature s ruling party or coalition as chief minister who is the head of the state government 218 219 Each state or territory is further divided into districts which are further subdivided into revenue divisions and taluks Mandals or tehsils 220 221 Local bodies govern respective cities towns and villages along with an elected mayor municipal chairman or panchayat chairman respectively 221 States Edit S No Name ISO 3166 2 code 222 223 Date of formation 18 Population Area km2 224 Officiallanguage s 225 Capital Population density per km2 224 Sex Ratio 224 Literacy Rate 179 of urban population 226 1 Andhra Pradesh AP 1 Oct 1953 49 506 799 227 162 968 227 Telugu English Amaravati 308 227 996 227 67 41 228 29 4 227 2 Karnataka KA 1 Nov 1956 61 095 297 191 791 Kannada English Bengaluru 319 973 75 60 38 673 Kerala KL 1 Nov 1956 33 406 061 38 863 Malayalam English Thiruvananthapuram 860 1084 94 00 47 724 Tamil Nadu TN 26 Jan 1950 72 147 030 130 058 Tamil English Chennai 555 996 80 33 48 405 Telangana TG 2 Jun 2014 229 35 193 978 229 112 077 229 Telugu Deccani Urdu Hyderabad 307 230 988 229 66 50 230 38 7 229 Note 1 Andhra Pradesh was divided into two states Telangana and a residual Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014 231 232 233 Hyderabad located entirely within the borders of Telangana is to serve as joint capital for both states for a period of time not exceeding ten years 234 Union territories Edit S No Name ISO 3166 2 code 222 223 Population Area km2 224 Officiallanguage 225 Capital Population density per km2 224 Sex Ratio 224 Literacy Rate 179 of urban population 226 1 Lakshadweep LD 64 473 30 English Malayalam Kavaratti 2 013 946 92 28 78 072 Puducherry PY 1 247 953 490 Tamil English Puducherry 2 598 1037 86 55 68 33Legislative representation Edit Legislative assemblies of states Shasana Sabha Andhra Pradesh Vidhan Soudha Karnataka Niyamasabha Mandiram Kerala Fort St George Tamil Nadu Shasana Sabha Telangana South India elects 132 members to the Lok Sabha accounting for roughly one fourth of the total strength 235 The region is allocated 58 seats in the Rajya Sabha out of the total of 245 236 The state legislatures of Tamil Nadu Kerala and Puducherry are unicameral while Andhra Pradesh Karnataka and Telangana have bicameral legislatures 237 238 States with bicameral legislatures have an upper house Legislative Council with members not more than one third the size of the Assembly State legislatures elect members for terms of five years 221 Governors may suspend or dissolve assemblies and can administer when no party is able to form a government 221 State UT Lok Sabha 235 Rajya Sabha 236 Saasana Sabha Vidhan Sabha 237 Governor Lieutenant Governor Chief MinisterAndhra Pradesh 25 11 175 Biswabhusan Harichandan Y S Jaganmohan ReddyKarnataka 28 12 224 Thawar Chand Gehlot Basavaraj BommaiKerala 20 9 140 Arif Mohammad Khan Pinarayi VijayanLakshadweep 1 N A N A H Rajesh Prasad N APuducherry 1 1 30 Tamilisai Soundararajan N RangaswamyTamil Nadu 39 18 234 R N Ravi M K StalinTelangana 17 7 119 Tamilisai Soundararajan K Chandrashekar RaoTotal 132 58 922Politics EditMain article Politics in South India Politics in South India is characterized by a mix of regional and national political parties The Justice Party and Swaraj Party were the two major parties in the erstwhile Madras Presidency 239 The Justice Party eventually lost the 1937 elections to the Indian National Congress and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari became the Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency 239 During the 1920s and 1930s the Self Respect Movement spearheaded by Theagaroya Chetty and E V Ramaswamy commonly known as Periyar emerged in the Madras Presidency 240 In 1944 Periyar transformed the party into a social organisation renaming the party Dravidar Kazhagam and withdrew from electoral politics The initial aim was the secession of Dravida Nadu from the rest of India upon Indian independence After independence C N Annadurai a follower of Periyar formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK in 1948 The Anti Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu led to the rise of Dravidian parties that formed Tamil Nadu s first government in 1967 In 1972 a split in the DMK resulted in the formation of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam AIADMK led by M G Ramachandran Dravidian parties continue to dominate Tamil Nadu electoral politics the national parties usually aligning as junior partners to the major Dravidian parties AIADMK and DMK 241 242 Indian National Congress dominated the political scene in Tamil Nadu in the 1950s and 1960s under the leadership of K Kamaraj who led the party after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru and ensured the selection of Prime Ministers Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi 243 Congress continues to be a major party in Andhra Pradesh Karnataka and Kerala The party ruled with minimal opposition for 30 years in Andhra Pradesh before the formation of the Telugu Desam Party by Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao in 1982 244 Two prominent coalitions in Kerala are the United Democratic Front led by the Indian National Congress and the Left Democratic Front led by the Communist Party of India Marxist For the past fifty years these two coalitions have been alternately in power and E M S Namboodiripad the first elected chief minister of Kerala in 1957 is credited as the leader of the first democratically elected communist government in the world 245 246 The Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal Secular are significant parties in Karnataka 247 C Rajagopalachari the first Indian Governor General of India post independence was from South India The region has produced six Indian presidents namely Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 248 V V Giri 249 Neelam Sanjiva Reddy 250 R Venkataraman 251 K R Narayanan 252 and APJ Abdul Kalam 253 Prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and H D Deve Gowda were from the region 254 Culture and heritage EditMain article South Indian culture Clothing Edit South Indian women traditionally wear a sari a garment that consists of a drape varying from 5 yards 4 6 m to 9 yards 8 2 m in length and 2 feet 0 61 m to 4 feet 1 2 m in breadth that is typically wrapped around the waist with one end draped over the shoulder baring the midriff as according to Indian philosophy the navel is considered as the source of life and creativity 255 256 Ancient Tamil poetry such as the Silappadhikaram describes women in exquisite drapery or sari 257 Madisar is a typical style worn by Brahmin women from Tamil Nadu 258 Women wear colourful silk sarees on special occasions such as marriages 259 The men wear a dhoti a 4 5 metres 15 ft long white rectangular piece of non stitched cloth often bordered in brightly coloured stripes It is usually wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist 260 A colourful lungi with typical batik patterns is the most common form of male attire in the countryside 261 People in urban areas generally wear tailored clothing and western dress is popular Western style school uniforms are worn by both boys and girls in schools even in rural areas 261 The weave of Calico sample from a shopping bag shown against a centimetre scale Calico a plain woven textile made from unbleached and often not fully processed cotton was originated at Calicut Kozhikode from which the name of the textile came in South India now Kerala during the 11th century 262 where the cloth was known as Chaliyan 263 The raw fabric was dyed and printed in bright hues and calico prints later became popular in the Europe 264 Cuisine Edit Main article South Indian cuisine A traditional meal served on a banana leaf Rice is the diet staple while fish is an integral component of coastal South Indian meals 265 Coconut and spices are used extensively in South Indian cuisine The region has a rich cuisine involving both traditional non vegetarian and vegetarian dishes comprising rice legumes and lentils Its distinct aroma and flavour is achieved by the blending of flavourings and spices including curry leaves mustard seeds coriander ginger garlic chili pepper cinnamon cloves green cardamom cumin nutmeg coconut and rosewater 266 267 The traditional way of eating a meal involves being seated on the floor having the food served on a banana leaf 268 and using clean fingers of the right hand to take the food into the mouth 269 After the meal the fingers are washed the easily degradable banana leaf is discarded or becomes fodder for cattle 270 Eating on banana leaves is a custom thousands of years old imparts a unique flavor to the food and is considered healthy 271 Idli dosa uthappam Pesarattu appam pongal and paniyaram are popular breakfast dishes in Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh and Kerala 272 273 Rice is served with sambar rasam and poriyal for lunch Andhra cuisine is characterised by pickles and spicy curries 274 Famous dishes are Pesarattu Ulava charu Bobbatlu Pootharekulu and Gongura Chettinad cuisine is famous for its non vegetarian items and Hyderabadi cuisine is popular for its biryani 275 Neer dosa Chitranna Ragi mudde Maddur vada Mysore pak Obbattu Bisi Bele Bath Mangalore buns Kesari bat Akki rotti and Dharwad pedha are famous cuisines of Karnataka 276 Udupi Cuisine which originates from Udupi located in the Coastal Kanara region of Karnataka is famous for its vegetarian dishes 277 A Thalassery cuisine which makes use of Malabar spices Coconut is native to Southern India and spread to Europe Arabia and Persia through the southwestern Malabar Coast of South India over the centuries Coconut of Indian origin was brought to the Americas by Portuguese merchants Black pepper is also native to the Malabar Coast 278 279 of India and the Malabar pepper is extensively cultivated there During classical era Phoenicians Greeks Egyptians Romans and Chinese were attracted by the spices including Cinnamon and Black pepper from the ancient port of Muziris in the southwestern coast of India 280 281 During Middle Ages prior to the Age of Discovery which began with the end of the 15th century CE the kingdom of Calicut Kozhikode on Malabar Coast was the centre of Indian pepper exports to the Red Sea and Europe at this time 282 with Egyptian and Arab traders being particularly active The Thalassery cuisine a style of cuisine originated in the Northern Kerala over centuries makes use of such spices Music and dance Edit South Indian dance forms Bharatanatyam Tamil Nadu Kathakali Kerala Kuchipudi Andhra Pradesh Yakshagana Karnataka The traditional music of South India is known as Carnatic music which includes rhythmic and structured music by composers such as Purandara Dasa Kanaka Dasa Tyagayya Annamacharya Baktha Ramadasu Muthuswami Dikshitar Shyama Shastri Kshetrayya Mysore Vasudevachar and Swathi Thirunal 283 The main instrument that is used in South Indian Hindu temples is the nadaswaram a reed instrument that is often accompanied by the thavil a type of drum instrument 284 South India is home to several distinct dance forms such as Bharatanatyam Kuchipudi Andhra Natyam Kathakali Kerala Natanam Koodiyattam Margamkali Mohiniaattam Oppana Ottamthullal Theyyam Vilasini Natyam and Yakshagana 285 286 287 288 289 The dance clothing and sculptures of South India exemplify the beauty of the body and motherhood 255 290 291 292 293 Cinema Edit Films done in regional languages are prevalent in South India with several regional cinemas being recognized Kannada cinema Karnataka Malayalam cinema Kerala Tamil cinema Tamil Nadu and Telugu cinema Andhra Pradesh and Telangana The first silent film in South India Keechaka Vadham was made by R Nataraja Mudaliar in 1916 294 Mudaliar also established Madras s first film studio 295 The first Tamil talkie Kalidas was released on 31 October 1931 barely seven months after India s first talking picture Alam Ara 296 Swamikannu Vincent built the first cinema studio of South India at Coimbatore introducing the tent cinema which he first established in Madras and which was known as Edison s Grand Cinemamegaphone 297 Filmmakers K N T Sastry and B Narsing Rao in Telugu cinema K Balachandar Balu Mahendra Bharathiraaja and Mani Ratnam in Tamil cinema Adoor Gopalakrishnan Shaji N Karun John Abraham and G Aravindan in Malayalam cinema and Girish Kasaravalli Girish Karnad and P Sheshadri in Kannada cinema produced realistic cinema in parallel with each other throughout the 1970s 298 South Indian cinema has also had an influence on politics of Tamil Nadu 299 Prominent film personalities such as C N Annadurai M G Ramachandran M Karunanidhi N T Rama Rao and Jayalalithaa have become chief ministers of South Indian states 300 As of 2014 South Indian film industries contribute to 53 of the total films produced in India 301 Feature films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification 2019 302 Language No of filmsTelugu 281Tamil 254Malayalam 219Kannada 336Tulu 16Konkani 10Total 1116Literature Edit The large gopuram is a hallmark of Dravidian architecture South India has an independent literary tradition dating back over 2500 years The first known literature of South India is the poetic Sangam literature which was written in Tamil 2500 to 2100 years ago Tamil literature was composed in three successive poetic assemblies known as Tamil Sangams the earliest of which according to ancient tradition were held on a now vanished continent far to the south of India 303 This Tamil literature includes the oldest grammatical treatise Tholkappiyam and the epics Silappatikaram and Manimekalai 304 References to Kannada literature appear from the fourth century CE 305 306 Telugu literature inscriptions Poets such as Annamacharya made many contributions to this literature 307 A distinct Malayalam literature came about in the 13th century 308 Architecture Edit South India has two distinct styles of rock architecture the Dravidian style of Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh and the Vesara style of Karnataka Telangana 309 Koil or Gudi Hindu temples of the Dravidian style consist of porches or mantapas preceding the door leading to the sanctum Monumental ornate gate pyramids or gopurams each topped by a kalasam or stone finial are the principal features in the quadrangular enclosures that surround the more notable temples 310 311 along with pillared halls A South Indian temple typically has a water reservoir called the Kalyani or Pushkarni 312 The origins of the gopuram can be traced back to early structures of the Pallavas Under the Pandya rulers in the twelfth century gateways had become the dominant feature of a temple s outer appearance eventually overshadowing the inner sanctuary which became obscured from view by the gopuram s colossal size 313 314 The Architecture of Kerala is a unique architecture that emerged in the southwestern part of India which is in its striking contrast to Dravidian architecture which is normally practised in other parts of South India 315 It has been performed followed according to Indian Vedic architectural science Vastu Shastra 315 Notes Edit Taluk is a smaller administrative division than a district References Edit In the land of many tongues Hindi can t be lingua franca Deccan Chronicle 9 June 2019 Literacy Survey India 2017 18 Firstpost 8 September 2020 Retrieved 9 September 2020 Census 2011 Final Data Demographic details Literate Population Total Rural amp Urban PDF planningcommission gov in Planning 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Doraisamy Ganavya 5 August 2014 Sound of Indian Music Lulu p 35 ISBN 978 1 304 50409 8 The Handbook of Tamil Culture and Heritage Chicago International Tamil Language Foundation 2000 p 1201 Bharata natyam Encyclopaedia Britannica 2007 Retrieved 19 March 2016 Samson Leela 1987 Rhythm in Joy Classical Indian Dance Traditions New Delhi Lustre Press p 29 ISBN 978 99919 41 55 4 Banerjee Projesh 1 February 1989 Indian Ballet Dancing New Jersey Abhinav Publications p 43 ISBN 978 81 7017 175 1 Bowers Faubion June 1953 The Dance in India New York AMS Press pp 13 15 ISBN 978 0 404 00963 2 Beck Brenda 1976 The Symbolic Merger of Body Space and Cosmos in Hindu Tamil Nadu Contributions to Indian Sociology 10 2 213 243 doi 10 1177 006996677601000202 S2CID 143220583 Ghosh Manomohan The Natyasastra A Treatise on Hindu Dramaturgy and Histrionies Ascriben to Bharata Muni Calcutta Manisha Granthalaya p 204 ISBN 978 5 88214 664 0 span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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