12 Top Tourist Places in Tamilnadu

Padmanabhapuram Palace:
A magnificent wooden palace of the 16th century, Padmanabhapuram Palace lies at the land's end of mainland India - Kanyakumari. An enticing ediffice to any lover of art and architecture this old palace of the Rajas of the erstwhile Travancore (1550 to 1750 AD) is a fine specimen of Kerala's indigenous style of architecture. The antique interiors are replete with intricate rosewood carvings and sculptured decor. The palace also contains 17th and 18th century murals. One can see: the musical bow in mahogany, windows with coloured mica, royal chairs with Chinese carvings, 'Thaikkottaram' or the Queen Mother's palace with painted ceilings, rose wood and teak carved ceilings with 90 different floral designs.

Durbar Hall of the palace has a with a shiny black floor specially made from a combination of egg white, jaggery lime, burnt coconut, charcoal and river sand, granite tubs to cool curd and buttermilk, secret underground passages, the King's bedroom with a four poster medicinal bed, mural paintings, pictures of Lord Krishna, hanging brass lanterns lit continuously since the 18th century, open air swimming bath, granite dance hall, Saraswathi (goddess of knowledge) temple, large earthen urns, room for scribes and accountants, carved figures on columns holding oil lamps, pooja (worship) rooms with jackfruit tree columns, fish carvings on the ceilings, enormous teak beams, Belgian mirrors and an outer cyclopean stone wall fitted together without mortar.
Location: Kanyakumari

St Thomas Mount:
It is a well known historical fact that Christianity was first introduced into India by St Thomas. After the Death and Resurrection of Christ, Thomas became acquainted with Habban, a merchant of king Gondophare of India. It was in the company of this merchant that Thomas landed at Cranganore on the Malabar Coast of present day Kerala in 52 A.D.

After building seven churches on this coast, St Thomas crossed over to Coromandel Coast of India's eastern seaboard and enriched the southern part of India with the seeds of the Gospel in a land that had never known what this Gospel of salvation was. It was a hard fight which made him to go into hiding in the Little Mount. When at last he reached the Parangi Malai (present St Thomas Mount), perhaps he found that this place was better suited for his life of solitude and prayer. But that very spot and that very moment of prayer were sealed and sanctified when he became a libation for the Gospel in the year 72 A.D.

His mortal remains were shifted to Santhome where the huge Basilica of St Thomas was erected later to entomb the Apostle's body. Thus the three punctuations of his itinerary in the city of Chennai – Little Mount, St Thomas Mount and Santhome – became places of spiritual energy in the years to come.
Location: Chennai