Tamil Nadu (TN)
Tam: தமிழ்நாடு tamiḻnāṭu
‘Land of the Tamils’
From Tam: tamiẕ(h)/tamiḻ [Skt: drāviḍa], ‘Tamil people and language’; and Tam: nāṭu (nadu), ‘land’, ‘country’.
Tamil refers to the country, the people and the language, but the origin of tamil itself is unclear with ‘sweet’, ‘cool’, ‘melodious’, and ‘refined’ being commonly suggested. The Tamils have ancient roots with a classical language, literature and civilization dating back more than two thousand years.
Under British rule Tamil Nadu was part of Madras Presidency which also included parts of five other states: Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha and the union territory of Lakshadweep.
The post-Independence state of Madras was reorganized in 1953 on linguistic lines (creating a new Telugu-speaking Andhra Pradesh) and was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969.
Tamil Nadu is, not surprisingly, known as the ‘Land of Temples’ it has nearly 39,000 ancient temples, many of them more than 800 years old. Most feature the classic gopuram (an ornate pyramid-shaped entrance tower with intricate multicolored sculptures) bathing tanks, courtyards, and pillared halls.

Ambur (TN)
Tam: ஆம்பூர் āmpūr ‘Lily Town’ -City, Tamil Nadu From Tam: āmpal,...
Arakkonam (TN)
Tam: அரக்கோணம் arakkōṇam ‘Six Angles’ Town, suburb (Chennai), Tamil Nadu...
Arcot (TN)
Tam: ஆற்காடு āṟkāṭu 'Forest Way’ [Arkkadu] Town, Tamil Nadu Tam: āṟu,...
Chennai (TN)
Tam: சென்னை c(h)eṉṉai ‘Chennappa’s Village’ [Madras] City/ Capital/...
Chidambaram (TN)
Tam: சிதம்பரம் c(h)itamparam ‘Dwelling of Consciousness’ [Thillai] Temple...
Coimbatore/Kovai (TN)
Tam: கோயம்புத்தூர் kōyamputtūr ‘Kovan’s New City’ [Kovai] ...
Coonoor (TN)
Tam: குன்னூர kuṉṉūr ‘Mountain Slope’ Town/Taluk, Tamil Nadu From Bad/Tam:...
Coromandel (TN, AP)
‘Land of the Cholas’ Coastline, Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh From Chola...
Cuddalore (TN)
Tam: கடலூர் kaṭalūr ‘Junction Town’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam:...
Darasuram (TN)
Tam: தாராசுரம் darasuram ‘Lord of Raja Raja’ Town, Temple, Tamil Nadu ...
Dharmapuri (TN)
Tam: தர்மபுரி darmapuri ‘City of Dharma’ [Tagadur] City/District, Tamil...
Dindigul (TN)
Tam: திண்டுக்கல் tiṇṭukkal ‘Pillow Rock’ [Tintukkal] City/District, Tamil...
Erode (TN)
Tam: ஈரோடு īrōṭu ‘Two Streams’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam:...
Gangaikonda Cholapuram (TN)
Tam: கங்கைகொண்ட சோழபுரம் kaṅkaikoṇṭa cōḻapuram 'The Chola who took the...
Gobichettipalayam (TN)
Tam: கோபிச்செட்டிப்பாளையம் gōpicceṭṭippāḷaiyam ‘Gobi Chetti’s...
Gudalur (TN)
Tam: கூடலூர் gūṭalūr 'Valley Town' Town/Taluk, Tamil Nadu From Bad: goḍalu,...
Gudiyattam (TN)
Tam: குடியாத்தம் guṭiyāttam ‘Village Way’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam: kudi,...
Hosur (TN)
Tam: ஓசூர் ōsūr ‘New City’ City, Tamil Nadu From Kan: posa/hosa, ‘new’;...
Kanchipuram (TN)
Tam: காஞ்சிபுரம் kāñcipuram ‘Kanchi City’ City/District, Tamil Nadu. From...
Kanyakumari (TN)
Tam:கன்னியாகுமரி kaṉṉiyākumari ‘Virgin Goddess’ Town/District, Tamil Nadu...
Karaikudi (TN)
Tam: காரைக்குடி kāraikkuṭi ‘Karai Village’ City, Tamil Nadu Tam: kārai,...
Karur (TN)
Tam: கரூர் karūr 'Black Town' [Vanji] City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam:...
Kodaikanal (TN)
Tam: கொடைக்கானல் koṭaikkāṉal ‘Forest of Creepers’ Hill Station, Tamil Nadu...
Kotagiri (TN)
Tam: கோத்தகிரி kōttakiri 'Kot(h)a Hill' Town/Hill Station, Tamil Nadu...
Krishnagiri (TN)
Tam: கிருஷ்ணகிரி kiruṣṇakiri ‘Krishna Hill’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From...
Kumbakonam (TN)
Tam: கும்பகோணம் kumpakōṇam ‘Cosmic Pot Corner’ City, Tamil Nadu From Tam:...
Madurai (TN)
Tam: மதுரை madurai ‘Walled City’ [Matirai] City/District, Tamil Nadu From...
Mamallapuram/Mahabalipuram (TN)
Tam: மாமல்லபுரம் mamallapuram ‘Great Wrestler’s City’ [Mahabalipuram] ...
Nagapattinam (TN)
Tam: நாகப்பட்டினம் nākappaṭṭiṉam ‘Naga City’ Town/District, Tamil Nadu From...
Nagercoil (TN)
Tam: நாகர்கோவில் nākarkōvil ‘Naga Temple’ City, Tamil Nadu From...
Neyveli (TN)
Tam:நெய்வேலி neyvēli ‘Paddy Fields’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam: nel ,...
Nilgiris/Nilgiri Hills (TN)
Tam: நீலகிரி nīlakiri ‘Blue Mountains’ District, Tamil Nadu From Skt/Tam:...
Ooty/Ootacamund (TN)
see Udhagamandalam/Ooty (TN)
Palani (TN)
Tam:பழனி paḻaṉi ‘Paddy Fields’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam: paḻaṉam/pazhaṉam,...
Pollachi (TN)
Tam: பொள்ளாச்சி poḷḷācci ‘Sesban Forest’ Town/Taluk, Tamil Nadu From Tam:...
Pudukottai (TN)
Tam: புதுக்கோட்டை putukkōṭṭai ‘New Fort’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam:...
Puhar/Poompuhar (TN)
Tam: பூம்புகார் pūmpukār 'Seaport' [Poompuhar, Kaveripoompattinam] ...
Rajapalayam (TN)
Tam: இராசபாளையம் irācapāḷaiyam ‘Raju Cantonment’ City/Taluk, Tamil Nadu...
Ramanathapuram (TN)
Tam: இராமநாதபுரம் irāmanātapuram ‘Lord Rama's Town’ [Ramnad] Town, Tamil...
Ranipet (TN)
Tam: இராணிப்பேட்டை irāṇippēṭṭai ‘Queen’s Suburb’ Town/District, Tamil Nadu...
Salem (TN)
Tam: சேலம் sēlam ‘Mountain (City)’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam:...
Sivakasi (TN)
Tam: சிவகாசி sivakāci 'Shiva's City of Light' City, Tamil Nadu From S(h)iva;...
Tenkasi (TN)
Tam: தென்காசி teṉkāci ‘Southern Varanasi’ Town/District, Tamil Nadu Tam:...
Thanjavur (TN)
Tam: தஞ்சாவூர் tañcāvūr ‘City of Refuge’ [Tanjore] City/District, Tamil Nadu...
Tharangambadi/Tranquebar (TN)
Tam: தரங்கம்பாடி taraṅkampāṭi' 'Village of Waves' Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam:...
Thiruvaiyaru (TN)
Tam: திருவையாறு tiruvaiyāṟu ‘Five Rivers’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam: tiru,...
Thoothukkudi/Tuticorin (TN)
Tam: தூத்துக்குடி tūttukkuṭi 'Wetlands Settlement' [Tuticorin] ...
Tiruchirappalli (TN)
Tam: திருச்சிராப்பள்ளி tiruccirāppaḷḷi ‘Holy Rock Town’ [Trichy,...
Tirumangalam (TN)
Tam: திருமங்கலம் tirumaṅkalam ‘Prosperous Land’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam:...
Tirunelveli (TN)
Tam: திருநெல்வேலி tirunelvēli ‘Paddy Field’ [Tinnevelly, Nellai] ...
Tiruppur (TN)
Tam: திருப்பூர் tiruppūr ‘Holy City’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From...
Tiruvannamalai (TN)
Tam: திருவண்ணாமலை tiruvaṇṇāmalai ‘Holy Red Mountain’ City/District, Tamil...
Triplicane – Thiruvallikeni (TN)
Tam: திருவல்லிக்கேணி tiruvallikkēṇi 'Holy Lily Pond' Locality (Chennai),...
Udhagamandalam/Ooty/Ootacamund (TN)
Tam: உதகமண்டலம் utakamaṇṭalam ‘Single Stone Settlement’ [Ooty, Ootacamund] ...
Vaniyambadi (TN)
Tam: வாணியம்பாடி vāṇiyampāṭi ‘Trading Town’ Town, Tamil Nadu From Tam:...
Vellore (TN)
Tam: வேலூர் vēlūr 'Babul Tree Town' City/District, Tamil Nadu From Tam: vēl...
Villupuram (TN)
Tam: விழுப்புரம் viḻuppuram 'Great Town' City/District, Tamil Nadu From...
Virudhunagar (TN)
Tam: விருதுநகர் virutunakar ‘Victory Town’ City/District, Tamil Nadu From...