Traditions and arts of Tamil Nadu

Heritage-rich art forms that give insight into local Tamil traditions

Local Traditions

of Tamil Nadu

of Tamil Nadu

Local Traditions

For millennia, the Tamil people have proudly preserved their heritage and traditions, rich with ancient Dravidian culture and classical arts.

Travelers can experience village tours and heritage walks, learning about local lifestyles in both rural and urban settings. 

The traditional handloom industry is known for producing exquisite textiles like Kanchipuram silk, Madurai Sungudi, and Chettinad cotton with skill and artistry passed down through generations. Visiting these artisan weaving communities gives travelers a glimpse into one of the oldest industries of the region. 

Climb to the meditation caves in Thiruvannamalai; used for centuries by saints, sages, and spiritual seekers for meditation and contemplation
A Kalamkari textile art workshop in Kumbakonam
Village safari in the ancient temple town of Mamallapuram
A Toda tribal tour in the Nilgiri mountains offering insight into unique customs, traditional huts, unique attire, and ancient rituals.
A tour of the small-scale industries of Madurai including handloom weaving centers, aluminum vessel-makers, food processing units, and more.
Story trail tour through the narrow lanes of Mylapore, teeming with flower vendors, and tiffin rooms centered around the sacred temple

We offer a diverse range of unique experiences across every category, carefully curated to suit different travel styles, interests, and preferences.
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Tamil Nadu

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Read about other travellers' experiences

The local agency was able to translate our idea of ​​travel into activities that met our tastes well. Drivers and guides: punctual and available. The local agency was in constant contact with us via WhatsApp. The flexibility on the planned activities was also good. Excursion to Periyar, during the monsoons - it is better to do it with rubber boots. The idea of ​​not limiting yourself to the north (Rajasthan) and including the south (Kerala) is excellent, you go fast and take internal flights but it is worth it. Recommended houseboat in Kerala and tea plantations in Munnar, all the classics of the north including Amber Fort in Jaipur were good. Good idea of ​​dinner with a family in Jaipur.

Fabrizio marino

Italy

We entrusted the organization of our trip in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to the agency of Travel XS. They perfectly respected our wishes, the rhythm, the hotels we wanted. In addition, the choice of our driver, who assisted us from the first to the last day was perfect. Very good driver, because the traffic is very particular and intense, very nice, very helpful. Two very different regions, Tamil Nadu more focused on temples, Hinduism and its history, a very smiling, welcoming, and very spontaneous population. Kerala is very green, with its various crops of rice, pineapple, rubber... Catholic fervour, its backwaters, its beaches, but a more restrained population accustomed to tourists. A magnificent trip, and beautiful encounters.

Christian Niquet

France

Everything was well arranged in the short term by the local partner, handy app that could also be viewed offline, nice and fast communication. Enjoyed Kaziranga NP, Gibbon wildlife Sanctuary, Kabini Forest and Bandipur NP

Sandra Timmermans

Dutch

The theme of the trip was the flora and fauna of South India and it was in line with our expectations in this regard. It was a beautiful trip, very exotic, a beautiful first discovery of India, with beautiful landscapes especially in the Ghats, the tea plantations, the backwaters and Kochi and beautiful encounters with the Indians who are very welcoming. The Travel XS agency and in particular our correspondent Kalanithi were very professional, calling us several times to find out if everything was going well and very responsive to any requests. Our driver and the local guides we met were efficient and friendly.

Yves Marino

France

Our three-week trip with our five-year-old son took us first through the tropical south in Kerala and then along the 'Golden Triangle' in the north, including detours to several national parks. This enabled us to get to know two parts of the country that were very different in terms of culture and landscape and to experience at least some of India's diversity. We will always remember the impressions of the lives of the people and nature. Despite the intense experiences, we were able to relax thanks to the accommodations (oasis of peace) that were well-selected by the travel agent. The conversations with our two drivers and the people in the host families were enriching. We hardly came across any Western families. With a little travel experience, however, even small children are no obstacle to traveling to this exciting country.

Jürg Bickel

German

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