South India Geography , Culture , Heritage , Demographics

South India which is known for its graciousness and simplicity. The following article will let you know some basic stuff about the southern part of India.

Geography of South India

South India is a peninsula in the shape of an upturned triangle bound by the Arabian Sea on the west, by the Bay of Bengal on the east and Vindhya and Satpura ranges on the north.

Climate

The region has a tropical climate and depends on monsoons for rainwater. It has a non-arid type of weather with lowest mean temperatures of 18 °C (64 °F). The most humid is the tropical monsoon climate characterized by moderate to high year-round temperatures and seasonal heavy rainfall above 2,000 mm (79 in) per annum.

Economy

As per the 2011 census of India, the anticipated population of South India is 252 million, around one fifth of the total population of India. The average literacy rate in South India is approximately 80%, significantly higher than the Indian national average of 74% with Kerala having the maximum literacy rate of 93.91%. Poverty rate is at 19% while that in the other Indian states is at 38%. The per capita income is Rs. 19,531 (US$290), which is more than twice of the other Indian states (Rs. 8,951 (US$130)).

The economy of South India past the independence of the nation conformed to a socialist framework, with firm governmental control over private sector participation, foreign trade and foreign direct investment. Tourism contributes significantly to the GDP of the region with more than 50% of domestic traveller visits.

Demographics

Languages

The leading linguistic group in South India is the Dravidian family of languages, a family of approximately 73 languages. The major languages spoken comprise Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

Religion

Hinduism is the foremost religion with about 80% of the population adhering to it. About 11% of the population follows Islam and 8% follow Christianity.

Culture and Heritage

Arts

The customary music of South India is known as Carnatic music. The central instrument that is used in South Indian Hindu temples is the nadaswaram, a reed instrument played along with thavil, a sort of drum instrument to generate an ensemble. South India is home to several dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, and Kuchipudi.

Cinema

Films in regional languages are widespread; this includes Kannada cinema, Malayalam cinema, Tamil cinema and Telugu cinema. South Indian movies have gained a lot of popularity now and people are big fans of the stars, one of the most famous is Rajnikant.

Literature

South India has an independent literary custom dating back over 2500 years ago. The first acknowledged literature of South India is the poetic Sangam literature, written in Tamil 2500 to 2100 years ago.

Architecture

South India has two distinct styles of architecture, the Dravidian style of Tamil Nadu and the Vesara style of Karnataka. The temples considered of porches or mantapas preceding the door leading to the sanctum, gate-pyramids or gopurams, which are the principal characteristics in the quadrangular enclosures that surround the more distinguished temples and pillared halls used for many purposes and are the invariable accompaniments of these temples. Besides these, a South Indian temple classically has a tank called the Kalyani or Pushkarni. Thegopuram is a monumental tower, typically ornate at the entrance of any temple in Southern India. This forms a major feature of koils, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style.

Cuisine

Rice is the staple diet, while fish is an essential component of coastal South Indian meals. Coconut and spices are used extensively in South Indian cuisine. Idli, dosa, uthappam, appam, pongal and paniyaram are well-liked dishes for breakfast. Rice is served with sambar, rasam and poriyal for lunch. Chettinad cuisine is famed for non-vegetarian items and Hyderabad cuisine is popular for its biryani.

Main Cities

Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram are amongst the main IT hubs of India. Bangalore is also known as the Silicon Valley of India. Software exports from South India grossed over 640 billion (US$9.5 billion) in fiscal 2005–06. Chennai, known as the “Detroit of Asia“, accounts for about 35% of India’s overall automotive components and automobile output.

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This was a brief introduction to the southern part of India and I personally believe that one should definitely enjoy this magnificent place once in their lifetime.