Travel to South India

To the south of the Great Plains of northern India lie the Great Plateau of Peninsular India, which is divided into two parts, namely, the Malwa Plateau and the Deccan Plateau. The Malwa plateau bounded by the Aravali hills in the northwest and the Vindhyas in the south form the northern half of this peninsula. The valley of the Narmada River forms the southern boundary of this plateau. The Deccan plateau extends from the Satpura hills in the north to Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of mainland India, finally ending in the Indian Ocean.This great region was inhabited by the aboriginal people of India (known as Dravidians) who were one of the greatest patrons of art and culture in the world. They built great temples, which also played central role in the society and economy.History of South India Following the decline of the Mauryan Empire, a number of powerful kingdoms arose in Central and South India, of which the Satvahanas and Vakatakas hold precedence. Later on, these regions saw the rise of some of the greatest dynasties of South India in the form of the Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras, Chalukyas, and Pallavas. After the decline of these mighty empires, there was a lull in South India for some time mainly in the ninth to twelfth centuries. After this period, the south saw the emergence of new kingdoms like Vijayanagar, Bahmani, Bijapur, and Golkunda. Accession of Mughals in the North India in the 16th century and their expansionist mode led the southern kingdoms to be in direct conflict with the Mughals. Southern India was also the first to receive the European powers at the end of 15th century, when Vasco da Gama reached Calicut coast in 1498. Then onwards Portuguese, French, Dutch, and English came and established their business centers in the region. Later on, they increased their influence and came into direct conflict of not only the southern kingdoms but also the north Indian powers like Mughals, Marathas, and Nawabs of Bengal. The fragmented political power of India could not fight the mighty military power of Europeans and in 1764, after the war of Buxar, English annexed almost entire north India. In south India, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan fought vigorously with the English for some time, but in vain.Unlike the rivers of north India, most of the rivers of south India flow from west to east. Most prominent of the rivers are Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery (Kaveri). Like the rivers of north India, rivers of south India also have great religious significance. Many great cultures and pilgrimage centers developed on the banks of these rivers. Even now, for a south Indian, rivers are like their mother who protect them from all the bad things in life and give life to millions of people.The various states of South India are Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar and Pondicherry