South India - Wikipedia South India South India Map of states and Union Territories in South India Country India States and Union territories Andaman and Nicobar Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Kerala Lakshadweep Puducherry Tamil Nadu Telangana Most populous cities ( 2011 ) Chennai Bangalore Hyderabad Coimbatore Visakhapatnam Area Total 635,780 km ( 245,480 sq mi ) Population Total 253,051,953 Density 400 / km ( 1,000 / sq mi ) Time zone IST ( UTC + 5 : 30 ) Official languages Telugu Tamil Kannada Malayalam Urdu South India is the area encompassing the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Puducherry, occupying 19.31 % of India 's area ( 635,780 km or 245,480 sq mi ). Covering the southern part of the peninsular Deccan Plateau, South India is bounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. The geography of the region is diverse with two mountain ranges - the Western and Eastern Ghats, bordering the plateau heartland. Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Tungabhadra and Vaigai rivers are important non-perennial sources of water. Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Kochi are the largest urban areas. Majority of the people in South India speak one of the four major Dravidian languages : Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. During its history, a number of dynastic kingdoms ruled over parts of South India whose invasions across southern and southeastern Asia impacted the history and culture in those regions. Major dynasties that were established in South India include the Cheras, Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Vijayanagara. European countries entered India through Kerala and the region was colonised by Britain and other nations. After experiencing fluctuations in the decades immediately after Indian independence, the economies of South Indian states have registered higher than national average growth over the past three decades. While South Indian states have improved in some socio - economic metrics, poverty continues to affect the region much like the rest of the country, although it has considerably decreased over the years. HDI in the southern states is high and the economy has undergone growth at a faster rate than most northern states. Literacy rates in the southern states are higher than the national average with approximately 80 % of the population capable of reading and writing. The fertility rate in South India is 1.9, the lowest of all regions in India. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Ancient era 2.2 Colonial era 2.3 Post Independence 3 Geography 4 Climate 5 Flora and fauna 6 Demographics 6.1 Languages 6.2 Religion 7 Economy 8 Subdivisions 8.1 States 8.2 Union territories 9 Administration 10 Politics 11 Culture and heritage 11.1 Clothing 11.2 Cuisine 11.3 Arts 11.4 Cinema 11.5 Literature 11.6 Architecture 12 Transport 12.1 Road 12.2 Rail 12.3 Air 12.4 Water 13 References 14 External links Etymology South India also known as Peninsular India has been known by several other names. The term `` Deccan '' referring to the area covered by the Deccan Plateau that covers most of peninsular India excluding the coastal areas is an anglicised form of the word Prakrit dakkhin derived from the Sanskrit word dakshina meaning south. Carnatic derived from `` Karnād '' or `` Karunād '' meaning high country has also been associated with South India. History Main article : History of South India Ancient era The Chola Empire during Rajendra Chola I, c. 1030 Carbon dating on ash mounds associated with Neolithic cultures in South India date back to 8000 BCE. Artefacts such as ground stone axes, and minor copper objects have been found in the region. Towards the beginning of 1000 BCE, iron technology spread through the region ; however, there does not appear to be a fully developed Bronze Age preceding the Iron Age in South India. The region was in the middle of a trade route that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu linking the Mediterranean and East Asia. Trade with Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Syrians, Jews and Chinese began from the Sangam period ( c. 3rd century BC to c. 4th century AD ). The region was part of the ancient Silk Road connecting the Asian continent in the East and the West. Several dynasties such as the Cheras of Karuvur, the Pandyas of Madurai, the Cholas of Thanjavur, the Satavahanas of Amaravati, the Pallavas of Kanchi, the Kadambas of Banavasi, the Western Gangas of Kolar, the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, the Chalukyas of Badami, the Hoysalas of Belur and the Kakatiyas of Orugallu ruled over the region from 6th century B.C. to 14th century A.D. The Vijayanagara Empire, founded in 14th century A.D. was the last Indian dynasty that ruled over the region. After repeated invasions from the Sultanate of Delhi and the fall of Vijayanagara empire in 1646, the region was ruled by Deccan Sultanates, polygars and Nayak governors of Vijayanagara empire who declared independence. Colonial era The Europeans arrived in the 15th century and by the middle of the 18th century, the French and the British were involved in a protracted struggle for military control over the South India. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo - Mysore War in 1799 and the end of the Vellore Mutiny in 1806, the British consolidated their power over much of present - day South India with the exception of French Pondichéry. The British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857. During the British colonial rule, the region was divided into the Madras Presidency, Hyderabad state, Mysore, Travancore, Kochi, Vizianagaram and a number of other minor princely states. The region played a major role in the Indian independence movement ; of the 72 delegates who participated in the first session of the Indian National Congress at Bombay in December 1885, 22 hailed from South India. Post independence Map of South India ( 1953 -- 1956 ) before the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 After the independence of India in 1947, the region was organised into four states : Madras State, Mysore State, Hyderabad State and Travancore - Cochin. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 reorganised the states on linguistic lines resulting in the creation of the new states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. As a result of this Act, Madras State retained its name and Kanyakumari district was added to it from the state of Travancore - Cochin. The state was subsequently renamed Tamil Nadu in 1968. Andhra Pradesh was created through the merger of Andhra State with the Telugu - speaking districts of the Hyderabad State in 1956. Kerala emerged from the merger of Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk of South Canara districts of the Madras State with Travancore - Cochin. Mysore State was re-organised with the addition of districts of Bellary and South Canara ( excluding Kasaragod taluk ) and the Kollegal taluk of Coimbatore district from the Madras State, the districts of Belgaum, Bijapur, North Canara and Dharwad from the Bombay State, the Kannada - majority districts of Bidar, Raichur and Gulbarga from the Hyderabad State and the province of Coorg. Mysore State was renamed as Karnataka in 1973. The Union territory of Puducherry was created in 1954 comprising the previous French enclaves of Pondichérry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahé. The Laccadive Islands, which were divided between South Canara and Malabar districts of Madras State, were united and organised into the union territory of Lakshadweep. Telangana was created on 2 June 2014 by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh and it comprises ten districts of the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh. ^ Taluk is a smaller administrative division than a district Geography Main article : Geography of South India Satellite image of South India South India is a peninsula in the shape of an inverted 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. The Narmada river flows westwards in the depression between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges which define the northern spur of the Deccan plateau. The Western Ghats run parallel along the western coast and the narrow strip of land between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea forms the Konkan region. The Western Ghats continue south until Kanyakumari. The Eastern Ghats run parallel along the eastern coast and the strip of land between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal forms the Coromandel region. Both the ranges meet at the Nilgiri mountains. The Nilgiris run in a crescent approximately along the borders of Tamil Nadu with northern Kerala and Karnataka, encompassing the Palakkad and Wayanad hills and the Sathyamangalam ranges, extending on to the relatively low - lying hills of the Eastern Ghats on the western portion of the Tamil Nadu -- Andhra Pradesh border forming the Tirupati and Annamalai hills. The low lying coral islands of Lakshadweep are situated off the south - western coast of India. The Andaman and Nicobar islands lie far off the eastern coast of India. The Palk Strait and the chain of low sandbars and islands known as Rama 's Bridge separate the region from Sri Lanka, which lies off the south - eastern coast. The southernmost tip of mainland India is at Kanyakumari where the Indian Ocean meets the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The Deccan plateau is the elevated region bound by the mountain ranges. The plateau rises to 100 metres ( 330 ft ) in the north and to more than 1 kilometre ( 0.62 mi ) in the south, forming a raised triangle within the downward - pointing triangle of the Indian subcontinent 's coastline. It also slopes gently from West to East resulting in major rivers arising in the Western Ghats and flowing east into the Bay of Bengal. The volcanic basalt beds of the Deccan were laid down in the massive Deccan Traps eruption, which occurred towards the end of the Cretaceous period between 67 and 66 million years ago. Layer after layer was formed by the volcanic activity that lasted 30,000 years and when the volcanoes became extinct, they left a region of highlands with typically vast stretches of flat areas on top like a table. The plateau is watered by east flowing rivers Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri and Vaigai. The major tributaries include Pennar, Tungabhadra, Bhavani and Thamirabarani. Climate Climatic zones South - west monsoon currents The region has a tropical climate and depends on monsoons for rainfall. According to the Köppen climate classification, it has a non-arid climate with minimum mean temperatures of 18 ° C ( 64 ° F ). The most humid is the tropical monsoon climate characterised by moderate to high year - round temperatures and seasonal heavy rainfall above 2,000 mm ( 79 in ) per year. The tropical climate is experienced in a strip of south - western lowlands abutting the Malabar Coast, the Western Ghats and the islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar are also subject to this climate. The tropical wet and dry climate, drier than areas with a tropical monsoon climate prevails over most of inland peninsular region except for a semi arid rain shadow east of the Western Ghats. Winter and early summer are long and dry periods with temperatures averaging above 18 ° C ( 64 ° F ), summer is exceedingly hot with temperatures in low - lying areas exceeding 50 ° C ( 122 ° F ) and the rainy season lasts from June to September with annual rainfall averaging between 750 and 1,500 mm ( 30 and 59 in ) across the region. Once the dry northeast monsoon begins in September, most precipitation in India falls in Tamil Nadu, leaving other states comparatively dry. The hot semi-arid climate predominates the land east of the Western Ghats and the Cardamom Hills. The region, which includes Karnataka, inland Tamil Nadu and western Andhra Pradesh, gets between 400 and 750 millimetres ( 15.7 and 29.5 in ) of rainfall annually with hot summers and dry winters with temperatures around 20 -- 24 ° C ( 68 -- 75 ° F ). The months between March and May are hot and dry with mean monthly temperatures hover around 32 ° C ( 90 ° F ), with 320 millimetres ( 13 in ) precipitation and without artificial irrigation, this region is not suitable for agriculture. The south -- west Monsoon from June to September accounts for most of the rainfall in the region. The Arabian Sea branch of the south - west monsoon hits the Western Ghats along the coastal state of Kerala and moves northwards along the Konkan coast with precipitation on coastal areas, west of the Western Ghats. The lofty Western Ghats prevent the winds from reaching the Deccan Plateau - hence the leeward region ( the region that deprived of winds ) receives very little rainfall. The Bay of Bengal branch of south - west monsoon heads toward north east India, picking up moisture from the Bay of Bengal. The Coramandel coast does not receive much rainfall from the south - west monsoon due to the shape of the land. Tamil Nadu and southeast Andhra Pradesh receive rains from the north -- east Monsoon. The north - east monsoon take place from November to early March when the surface high - pressure system is strongest. The North Indian Ocean tropical cyclones occur throughout the year in Bay of Bengal and Arabian sea bringing devastating winds and heavy rainfall. Flora and fauna South India has the largest elephant population. Main articles : Wildlife of Karnataka, Wildlife of Tamil Nadu, Wildlife of Kerala, and List of birds of South India There is a wide diversity of plants and animals in South India, resulting from its varied climates and geography. Deciduous forests are found along the Western Ghats while tropical dry forests and scrub lands are common in the interior Deccan plateau. The southern Western Ghats have rainforests located at high altitudes called the South Western Ghats montane rain forests and the Malabar Coast moist forests are found on the coastal plains. The Western Ghats is one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Important ecological regions of South India are the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, located at the conjunction of the borders of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the Nilgiri Hills and the Anamalai Hills in the Western Ghats. Bird sanctuaries including Vedanthangal, Ranganathittu, Kumarakom, Neelapattu and Pulicat are home to numerous migratory and local birds. Lakshadweep has been declared a bird sanctuary by the Wildlife Institute of India. Other protected ecological sites include the mangrove forests of Pichavaram in Tamil Nadu, the backwaters of Pulicat lake in Tamil Nadu and Vembanad, Ashtamudi, Paravur and Kayamkulam lakes in Kerala. The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 10,500 km2 of ocean, islands and the adjoining coastline including coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves. It is home to Endangered aquatic species including dolphins, dugongs, whales and sea cucumbers. The region is home to one of the largest populations of endangered Indian elephant and Bengal Tiger in India. Elephant populations are found in eight fragmented sites in South India ; in northern Karnataka, along the Western Ghats, in Bhadra -- Malnad, in Brahmagiri -- Nilgiris -- Eastern Ghats, in Nilambur -- Silent Valley -- Coimbatore, in Anamalai -- Parambikulam, in Periyar -- Srivilliputhur and Agasthyamalai The region is home to one - third of the tiger population and more than half of the elephant population of India. There are 14 Project Tiger reserves and 11 Project Elephant reserves in the region. Other threatened and endangered species found in the region include grizzled giant squirrel, grey slender loris, sloth bear, nilgiri tahr, nilgiri langur, lion - tailed macaque, and Indian leopard. Symbols of States of South India Name Animal Bird Tree Fruit Flower Andaman and Nicobar Islands Dugong ( Dugong dugon ) Andaman wood pigeon ( Columba palumboides ) Andaman padauk ( Pterocarpus dalbergioides ) Andaman crape myrtle ( Lagerstroemia hypoleuca ) Andhra Pradesh Blackbuck ( Antilope cervicapra ) Indian roller ( Coracias indica ) Neem ( Azadirachta indica ) Mango ( Mangifera indica ) Lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera ) Karnataka Indian Elephant ( Elephas maximus ) Indian roller ( Coracias indica ) Sandalwood ( Santalum album ) Lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera ) Kerala Indian Elephant ( Elephas maximus ) Great hornbill ( Buceros bicornis ) Coconut ( Cocos nucifera ) Jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus ) Cana fistula ( Cassia fistula ) Lakshadweep Butterfly fish ( Chaetodon falcula ) Noddy tern ( Anous stolidus ) Bread fruit ( Artocarpus incisa ) Puducherry Indian palm squirrel ( Funambulus palmarum ) Koel ( Eudynamys scolopaceus ) Bael fruit ( Aegle marmelos ) Cannonball ( Couroupita guianensis ) Tamil Nadu Nilgiri tahr ( Nilgiritragus hylocrius ) Emerald dove ( Chalcophaps indica ) Palmyra palm ( Borassus flabellifer ) Jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus ) Glory lily ( Gloriosa superba ) Telangana Deer ( Axis axis ) Indian roller ( Coracias indica ) Khejri ( Prosopis cineraria ) Mango ( Mangifera indica ) Tanner 's Cassia ( Senna auriculata ) Demographics Main articles : Dravidian peoples, Tamils, Telugus, Kannadas, and Malayalis Population Pyramid in South India As per the 2011 census of India, the estimated population of South India is 252 million, around one fifth of the total population of India. The region 's total fertility rate ( TFR ) was less than the population replacement level of 2.1 for all states with Kerala and Tamil Nadu having the lowest TFRs in India at 1.7. As a result, the proportion of the population of South India to India 's total population has declined from 1981 to 2011. The population density of the region is approximately 463. Scheduled Castes and Tribes form 18 % of the population of the region. Agriculture is the major employer in the region with 47.5 % of the population is involved in agrarian activities. About 60 % of the population lives in permanent housing structures. 67.8 % of South India has access to tap water with wells and springs forming other major sources of water supply. After experiencing fluctuations in the decades immediately after the independence of India, the economies of South Indian states have registered growth higher than the national average over the past three decades. While South Indian states have improved in some of the socio - economic metrics, poverty continues to affect the region as it does the rest of the country, although it has considerably decreased over the years. Basis the 2011 census, HDI in the southern states is high and the economy has grown at a faster rate than most northern states. As per the 2011 census, the average literacy rate in South India is approximately 80 %, considerably higher than the Indian national average of 74 % with Kerala having the highest literacy rate of 93.91 %. South India has the highest sex ratio with Kerala and Tamil Nadu being the top two states. The South Indian states rank amongst the top 10 in economic freedom, life expectancy, access to drinking water, house ownership and TV ownership. Poverty rate is at 19 % while that in the other Indian states is at 38 %. The per capita income is ₹ 19,531 ( US $310 ), which is more than double of the other Indian states ( ₹ 8,951 ( US $140 ) ). Of the three demographic related targets of the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations expected to be achieved by 2015, Kerala and Tamil Nadu achieved the goals related to improvement of maternal health and of reducing infant mortality and child mortality by 2009. Languages Main article : Dravidian languages Dravidian language tree The largest linguistic group in South India is the Dravidian family of languages, a family of approximately 73 languages The major languages spoken include Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. Tulu is spoken by about 1.5 million people in coastal Kerala and Karnataka and Konkani, an Indo - Aryan language, is spoken by half a million people in the Konkan coast. English is also widely spoken in urban areas of South India. Urdu is spoken by around 12 million Muslims in southern India. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Urdu and Konkani are listed amongst the 22 official languages of India as per the Official Languages Act ( 1963 ). Tamil was the first language to be granted classical language status by the Government of India in 2004. Other major languages declared classical were Kannada ( in 2008 ), Telugu ( in 2008 ) and Malayalam ( in 2013 ) S.No. Language Number of speakers Official in States Telugu 74,002,856 Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Yanam ( Puducherry ) Tamil 60,793,814 Tamil Nadu, Puducherry Kannada 37,924,011 Karnataka Malayalam 33,066,392 Kerala, Lakshadweep, Mahé, Puducherry 5 Konkani 2,489,015 Not Official in any South Indian State. Religion Religion Religion Percent ( % ) Hinduism 80 % Islam 11 % Christianity 8 % Other 1 % Hinduism is the major religion with about 80 % of the population adhering to it. About 11 % of the population follow Islam and 8 % follow Christianity. Evidence of prehistoric religion in South India comes from scattered Mesolithic rock paintings depicting dances and rituals in Stone Age sites such as the Kupgal petroglyphs of eastern Karnataka. Hinduism, often regarded as the oldest religion in the world, traces its roots to prehistoric times in India. The main spiritual traditions of South India include both Shaivite and Vaishnavite branches of Hinduism, although Buddhist and Jain philosophies had been influential several centuries earlier. Ayyavazhi is spread significantly across the southern parts of South India. Islam was introduced to South India in the early 7th century by Arab traders in Malabar Coast of Kerala and spread during the rule of Deccan Sultanates from 17th to 18th century and the Muslims in Kerala of Arab descent are called Jonaka Mappila. Christianity was introduced to South India by Thomas the Apostle, who visited Muziris in Kerala in 52 CE and baptised Kerala 's Jewish settlements. Kerala is also home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world who are supposed to have arrived in the Malabar coast during the reign of King Solomon. Economy Main article : Economy of South India Major crop areas The growth of information technology hubs in the region have spurred economic growth. Pictured is Tidel Park in Chennai The economy of South India after the independence of the nation conformed to a socialist framework, with strict governmental control over private sector participation, foreign trade and foreign direct investment. Through 1960 to 1990, the South Indian economies experienced mixed economic growth. In the 1960s, Kerala achieved above average economic growth while Andhra Pradesh 's economy declined during this period. Kerala experienced an economic decline in the 1970s while the economies of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka consistently exceeded national average growth rates after 1970 due to reform - oriented economic policies compared to other Indian states. As of 2013 -- 14, the total Gross domestic product of the region is ₹ 27.1 trillion ( US $430 billion ). Tamil Nadu has the second highest GDP and is the second most industrialised state in the country after Maharashtra. As of March 2015, there are 109 operational Special Economic Zones in South India, which is about 60 % of the country 's total. Over 48 % of South India 's population is engaged in agriculture, which is largely dependent on seasonal monsoons. Some of the main crops cultivated in South India include paddy, sorghum, pearl millet, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, chilli and ragi. Areca, coffee, tea, rubber and spices are cultivated on the hilly regions. The staple food is rice ; the delta regions of Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri are amongst the top rice producing areas in the country. Frequent droughts have left farmers debt - ridden, forcing them to sell their livestock and sometimes to commit suicide. The region accounts for 92 % of the total Coffee production in India. South India is also a major producer of cotton, tea, rubber, turmeric, mangoes and spices. Other major agriculture related produce include silk and poultry. Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram are amongst the major IT hubs of India and Bangalore is also known as the Silicon Valley of India. The growth of information technology ( IT ) hubs in the region have spurred economic growth and attracted foreign investments and job seekers from other parts of the country. Software exports from South India grossed over ₹ 640 billion ( US $10 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. The region supplies two - thirds of India 's requirements of motors and pumps and is one of the largest exporters of jewellery, wet grinders and auto components. The other major industry is textiles with the region being home to nearly 60 % of the fibre textile mills in India. Tourism contributes significantly to the GDP of the region with four states - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana - among the top 10 states for tourist arrivals and accounting for more than 50 % of domestic tourist visits. Economic and demographic indicators Parameter South India National Gross domestic product ( GDP ) ₹ 27.1 trillion ( US $430 billion ) ₹ 104.7 trillion ( US $1.7 trillion ) Net state domestic product ( SDP ) ₹ 27,027 ( US $430 ) ₹ 23,222 ( US $370 ) Population below poverty line 17.4 % 26.1 % Urban population 32.8 % 27.8 % Households with electricity 89.3 % 67.9 % Literacy rate 80 % 74 % Subdivisions South India consists of the five southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar. Puducherry and the five states have an elected state government each, while the Lakshadweep and Andaman islands are centrally administered by the President of India. Each sub-region is further divided into districts. Each state is headed by a Governor, who is a direct appointee of the President of India, while the Chief Minister is the elected head of the state government and represents the state 's ruling party or coalition. States S.No. Name ISO 3166 - 2 code Date of formation Population Area ( km ) Official language ( s ) Capital Population density ( per km ) Sex Ratio Literacy Rate ( % ) % of urban population Andhra Pradesh AP 1 Oct 1953 49,506,799 160,205 Telugu Hyderabad 308 996 67.41 29.4 Karnataka KA 1 Nov 1956 61,095,297 191,791 Kannada Bengaluru 319 973 75.36 34.0 Kerala KL 1 Nov 1956 33,406,061 38,852 Malayalam Thiruvananthapuram 860 1084 94.00 26.0 Tamil Nadu TN 26 Jan 1950 72,147,030 130,060 Tamil Chennai 555 996 80.09 44.0 5 Telangana TS 2 Jun 2014 35,193,978 114,840 Telugu, Urdu Hyderabad 307 988 66.50 38.7 ^ Note 1 Andhra Pradesh was divided into two states, Telangana and a residual Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014. Hyderabad, located entirely within the borders of Telangana, is to serve as joint capital for both states for a period of time not exceeding ten years. Union territories S.No. Name ISO 3166 - 2 code Population Area ( km ) Official language Capital Population density ( per km ) Sex Ratio Literacy Rate ( % ) % of urban population Andaman and Nicobar AN 380,581 8,249 English, Hindi Port Blair 46 876 86.27 32.6 Lakshadweep LD 64,473 30 English, Malayalam Kavaratti 2,013 946 92.28 44.5 Puducherry PY 1,247,953 490 Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu Puducherry 2,598 1037 86.55 66.6 Administration Legislative assemblies of states Fort St. George ( Tamil Nadu ) Vidhan Bhavan ( Telangana ) Vidhan Soudha ( Karnataka ) Niyamasabha Mandiram ( Kerala ) South India elects 132 members to the Lok Sabha accounting for roughly one - fourth of the total strength. The region has an allocation of 58 seats in Rajya Sabha out of the total 245. Each state is headed by a Governor, who is a direct appointee of the President of India ; the Chief Minister is the elected head of the state government and represents the ruling party or coalition. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry follow unicameral legislature while Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana follow bicameral legislature. State legislatures elect members for terms of five years. States with bicameral legislatures have an upper house ( Legislative Council ) with members not more than one - third the size of the Assembly. Governors may suspend or dissolve assemblies and can administer when no party is able to form a government. Each state is organised into a number of districts, which are further subdivided into revenue divisions and taluk s ( or tehsils ) for administration. Local bodies govern respective cities, towns and villages with each electing a mayor, municipal chairman and panchayat chairman respectively to head the same. State / UT Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha Vidhan Sabha Governor / Lieutenant Governor Chief Minister Andaman and Nicobar N / A N / A A.K. Singh N / A Andhra Pradesh 25 11 175 E.S.L. Narasimhan N. Chandrababu Naidu Karnataka 28 12 224 Vajubhai Vala Siddaramaiah Kerala 20 9 140 P. Sathasivam Pinarayi Vijayan Lakshadweep N / A N / A H. Rajesh Prasad N / A Puducherry 30 Kiran Bedi V. Narayanasamy Tamil Nadu 39 18 234 Vidyasagar Rao Edappadi K. Palaniswami Telangana 17 7 119 E.S.L. Narasimhan K. Chandrashekar Rao Total 132 58 922 Politics Main article : Politics in South India Politics in South India is characterised by a mix of regional and national political parties. Justice Party and Swaraj Party were the two major parties in the erstwhile Madras Presidency. The Justice Party eventually lost the 1937 elections to the Indian National Congress and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari became the Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Self - Respect Movement emerged in the Madras Presidency spearheaded by Theagaroya Chetty and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker ( commonly known as Periyar ). In 1944 Periyar, who had started the Self - Respect Movement transformed the party into a social organisation, renaming the party Dravidar Kazhagam, and withdrew from electoral politics. The initial aim was the secession of Dravida Nadu from the rest of India on independence. After Independence, C.N. Annadurai, a follower of Periyar formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1948. The Anti-Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu led to the rise of Dravidian parties which formed its first government in 1967 in Tamil Nadu. In 1972, a split in the DMK resulted in the formation of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led by M.G. Ramachandran. Dravidian parties continue to dominate Tamil Nadu electoral politics ; the national parties usually aligned as junior partners to the major Dravidian parties, AIADMK and DMK. Indian National Congress dominated the political scene in Tamil Nadu in 1950s and 1960s under the leadership of K. Kamaraj, who led the party after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru and ensured the selection of Prime Ministers Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi. Congress continues to be a major party in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. The party ruled with minimal opposition for 30 years in Andhra Pradesh before the formation of Telugu Desam Party by Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao in 1982. Two prominent party systems in Kerala are the United Democratic Front, led by the Indian National Congress and the Left Democratic Front, led by the Communist Party of India ( Marxist ). For the past fifty years, these two coalitions have been alternately in power and E.M.S. Namboodiripad, the first elected chief minister of Kerala in 1957 is credited as the leader of the first democratically elected communist government in the world. Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal are significant parties in Karnataka. C. Rajagopalachari, the first Indian Governor General of India post independence, was from South India. The region has produced six Indian Presidents namely Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, V.V. Giri, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, R. Venkataraman, K.R. Narayanan and APJ Abdul Kalam. Prime Ministers P.V. Narasimha Rao and H.D. Deve Gowda were from the region. Culture and Heritage Main article : South Indian culture Clothing South Indian women traditionally wear a sari, a garment that consists of a drape varying from 5 yards ( 4.6 m ) to 9 yards ( 8.2 m ) in length and 2 feet ( 0.61 m ) to 4 feet ( 1.2 m ) in breadth that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff. Ancient Tamil poetry such as the Silappadhikaram describes women in exquisite drapery or sari. The sari is to be wrapped around the waist, with the loose end of the drape to be worn over the shoulder, baring the midriff as according to Indian philosophy, the navel is considered as the source of life and creativity. Madisar is a typical style worn by Brahmin ladies from Tamil Nadu. Women wear colourful silk sarees on special occasions such as marriages. The men wear a dhoti, a 4.5 metres ( 15 ft ) long, white rectangular piece of non-stitched cloth often bordered in brightly coloured stripes. It is usually wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist. A colourful lungi with typical batik patterns is the most common form of male attire in the countryside. People in urban areas generally wear tailored clothing and western dress is popular in urban areas. Western - style school uniforms are worn by both boys and girls in schools even in rural areas. A traditional meal served on a banana leaf Cuisine Main article : South Indian cuisine Rice is the staple diet, while fish is an integral component of coastal South Indian meals. Coconut and spices are used extensively in South Indian cuisine. The region has a rich cuisine involving both traditional non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes comprising rice, legumes and lentils. Its distinct aroma and flavour is achieved by the blending of flavourings and spices including curry leaves, mustard seeds, coriander, ginger, garlic, chili, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, coconut and rosewater. The traditional way of eating a meal involves being seated on the floor, having the food served on a banana leaf and using clean fingers of the right hand to take the food into the mouth. After the meal, the fingers are washed ; the easily degradable banana leaf is discarded or becomes fodder for cattle. Eating on banana leaves is a custom thousands of years old, imparts a unique flavor to the food and is considered healthy. Idli, dosa, uthappam, appam, pongal and paniyaram are popular dishes for breakfast. Rice is served with sambar, rasam and poriyal for lunch. Andhra cuisine is characterised by pickles and spicy curries. Chettinad cuisine is famous for non-vegetarian items and Hyderabadi cuisine is popular for its biryani. Arts South Indian dance forms Bharatanatyam ( Tamil Nadu ) Kathakali ( Kerala ) Kuchipudi ( Andhra Pradesh ) Yakshagana ( Karnataka ) The traditional music of South India is known as Carnatic music, which includes rhythmic and structured music by composers like Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Tyagayya, Annamacharya, Bhakta Ramadasu, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Shyama Shastri, Kshetrayya, Mysore Vasudevachar and Swathi Thirunal. The main instrument that is used in South Indian Hindu temples is the nadaswaram, a reed instrument played along with thavil, a type of drum instrument to create an ensemble. The motion picture industry has emerged as an important platform in South India over the years, portraying the cultural changes, trends, aspirations and developments experienced by its people. South India is home to several distinct dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kerala Natanam, Koodiyattam, Kuchipudi, Margamkali, Mohiniaattam, Oppana, Ottamthullal, Theyyam, Vilasini Natyam and Yakshagana. The dance, clothing and sculptures of South India exemplify the beauty of the body and motherhood. Cinema Films in regional languages are prevalent ; this includes Kannada cinema ( Karnataka ), Malayalam cinema ( Kerala ), Tamil cinema ( Tamil Nadu ) and Telugu cinema ( Telangana and Andhra Pradesh ). The first silent film in South India, Keechaka Vadham, was made by R. Nataraja Mudaliar in 1916. In South India, the first Tamil talkie, Kalidas, was released on 31 October 1931, barely seven months after India 's first talking picture Alam Ara Mudaliar also established South India 's first film studio in Madras. Swamikannu Vincent built the first cinema of South India in Coimbatore and introduced the concept of `` tent cinema '', the first of whose kind was established in Madras and was known as `` Edison 's Grand Cifnemamegaphone ''. Filmmakers K Balachandar, Balu Mahendra, Bharathiraaja and Mani Ratnam in Tamil cinema, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shaji N. Karun, John Abraham and G. Aravindan in Malayalam cinema, and K.N.T. Sastry and B. Narsing Rao in Telugu cinema produced realistic parallel cinema throughout the 1970s, Cinema has also exerted its influence on politics ; prominent film personalities like CN Annadurai, MG Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi, N.T. Rama Rao and Jayalalithaa have become Chief Ministers. As of 2014, South Indian film industry contribute to 53 % of the total films produced in India. Table : Feature films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification ( 2017 ) Language No. of films Telugu 294 Tamil 304 Malayalam 156 Kannada 220 Tulu 9 Konkani 13 Total 996 Literature The large gopuram is a hallmark of Dravidian architecture. South India has an independent literary tradition dating back over 2500 years ago. The first known literature of South India is the poetic Sangam literature, written in Tamil 2500 to 2100 years ago. The literature was composed in three successive poetic assemblies known as Tamil Sangams that were held in the ancient times on a now vanished continent far to the south of India. This literature includes the oldest grammar treatise Tholkappiyam and epics Silappatikaram and Manimekalai written in Tamil. References to Kannada literature appear from fourth century CE. Telugu literature adopted a form of Prakrit which in course of development became the immediate ancestor of Telugu. Distinct Malayalam literature came later in the 13th century. Architecture South India has two distinct styles of rock 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 features in the quadrangular enclosures that surround the more notable temples and pillared halls used for many purposes and are the invariable accompaniments of these temples. Besides these, a South Indian temple typically has a tank called the Kalyani or Pushkarni. The gopuram is a monumental tower, usually ornate at the entrance of any temple in Southern India. This forms a prominent feature of koil s, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are topped by the kalasam, a spherical stone finial, and function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex. The origins of the gopuram can be traced back to early structures of the Pallavas and by the twelfth century, under the Pandya rulers, these gateways became a dominant feature of a temple 's outer appearance, eventually overshadowing the inner sanctuary which became obscured from view by the colossal size of the gopuram. Transport Main article : Transport in South India Map showing highway distribution with population density Road South India has an extensive road network with 20,573 km ( 12,783 mi ) of National Highways and 46,813 km ( 29,088 mi ) of State Highways. The Golden Quadrilateral connects Chennai in the region with Mumbai via Bangalore and Kolkata via Visakhapatnam. Bus services are provided by state run transport corporations namely Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and Puducherry Road Transport Corporation. State National Highway State Highway Motor vehicles per 1000 pop. Andhra Pradesh 7,356 km ( 4,571 mi ) 10,650 km ( 6,620 mi ) 145 Karnataka 6,432 km ( 3,997 mi ) 20,774 km ( 12,908 mi ) 182 Tamil Nadu 5,006 km ( 3,111 mi ) 10,764 km ( 6,688 mi ) 257 Telangana 2,635 km ( 1,637 mi ) 3,152 km ( 1,959 mi ) N / A Kerala 1,811 km ( 1,125 mi ) 4,341 km ( 2,697 mi ) 198 Andaman and Nicobar 330 km ( 210 mi ) 38 km ( 24 mi ) 152 Puducherry 64 km ( 40 mi ) 246 km ( 153 mi ) 521 Total 22,635 km ( 14,065 mi ) 49,965 km ( 31,047 mi ) Rail Indian Railway zonal map The Great Southern India Railway Company was founded in England in 1853 and registered in 1859. Construction of track in Madras Presidency began in 1859 and the 80 miles ( 130 km ) link from Trichinopoly to Negapatam was opened in 1861. The Carnatic Railway Company was founded in 1864 and opened a Madras - Arakkonam - Conjeevaram line in 1865. The Great Southern India Railway was subsequently merged with the Carnatic Railway in 1874 to form the South Indian Railway Company. In 1880, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway established by the British, built a railway network radiating inward from Madras. In 1879, the Madras Railway constructed a railway line from Royapuram to Bangalore and the Maharaja of Mysore established Mysore State Railway to carryout extension from Bangalore to Mysore. Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway was founded on 1 January 1908 by merging the Madras Railway and the Southern Mahratta Railway. On 14 April 1951, the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway and the Mysore State Railway were merged to form the Southern Railway, the first zone of Indian Railways. The South Central zone was created on 2 October 1966 as the ninth zone of Indian Railways and the South Western zone was created on 1 April 2003. Most of the region is covered by the three zones with small portions of coasts covered by East Coast Railway and Konkan Railway. Metro rail is operated by Namma Metro in Bangalore, Chennai Metro in Chennai, Coimbatore Metro in Coimbatore, Kochi Metro in Kochi and Hyderabad Metro in Hyderabad. Chennai MRTS provides suburban rail services in Chennai and was the first elevated railway line in India. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sl. No Name of the Railway zone Abbr. Route length ( in Km ) Headquarters Founded Divisions Major Stations 1. Southern SR 5,098 Chennai 14 April 1951 Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Palakkad, Salem, Thiruvananthapuram Chennai Central, Coimbatore Main, Ernakulam, Erode, Katpadi, Kollam, Kozhikode, Madurai, Mangalore Central, Palakkad, Salem, Thiruvananthapuram Central, Thrissur, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli 2. South Central SCR 5,803 Secunderabad 2 October 1966 Secunderabad, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Guntakal, Guntur, Nanded Guntur, Nellore, Secunderabad, Tirupati Main, Vijayawada 3. South Western SWR 3,177 Hubli 1 April 2003 Hubli, Bangalore, Mysore, Gulbarga Bangalore City, Hubli, Mysore 4. East Coast ECoR 2,572 Bhubaneswar 1 April 2003 Khurda Road, Sambalpur, Waltair Visakhapatnam 5. Konkan KR 741 Navi Mumbai 26 January 1988 Karwar, Ratnagiri Madgaon Air In March 1930, a discussion initiated by pilot G. Vlasto led to the founding of Madras Flying Club which became a pioneer in pilot training South India. On 15 October 1932, Indian aviator J.R.D. Tata flew a Puss Moth aircraft carrying mail from Karachi to Bombay ( currently Mumbai ) and the aircraft continued to Madras ( currently Chennai ) piloted by Neville Vincent, a former Royal Air Force pilot and friend of Tata. There are 9 international airports, 2 customs airports, 15 domestic airports and 11 air bases in South India. Chennai airport serves as the regional headquarters of the Airports Authority of India for the southern region of India comprising the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana and the union territories of Puducherry and Lakshadweep. Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi are amongst the top 10 busiest airports in the country. The Southern Air Command of Indian Air Force is headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram and the Training Command is headquartered at Bangalore. The Indian Air Force operates eleven air bases in Southern India including two in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Indian Navy operates airbases at Kochi, Arakkonam, Uchipuli, Vizag, Campbell Bay and Diglipur in the region. State / UT International Customs Domestic Military Andaman and Nicobar 0 0 Andhra Pradesh Karnataka 0 Kerala 0 0 Lakshadweep 0 0 0 Puducherry 0 0 0 Tamil Nadu 6 Telangana 0 Total 10 14 16 ^ Restricted international airport Rank Name City State IATA Code Total Passengers ( 2015 ) Kempegowda International Airport Bangalore Karnataka BLR 18,971,149 Chennai International Airport Chennai Tamil Nadu MAA 15,218,017 Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Hyderabad Telangana HYD 12,388,159 Cochin International Airport Kochi Kerala COK 7,749,901 5 Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Thiruvananthapuram Kerala TRV 3,470,788 6 Kozhikode International Airport Kozhikode Kerala CCJ 2,305,547 7 Visakhapatnam Airport Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh VTZ 1,804,634 8 Coimbatore International Airport Coimbatore Tamil Nadu CJB 1,691,553 9 Mangalore International Airport Mangalore Karnataka IXE 1,674,251 10 Tiruchirappalli International Airport Tiruchirappalli Tamil Nadu TRZ 1,297,212 11 Madurai International Airport Madurai Tamil Nadu IXM 1,012,212 Water A total of 89 ports are situated along the coast : Tamil Nadu ( 15 ), Karnataka ( 10 ), Kerala ( 17 ), Andhra Pradesh ( 12 ), Lakshadweep ( 10 ), Pondicherry ( 2 ) and Andaman & Nicobar ( 23 ). Major ports include Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Mangalore, Tuticorin, Ennore and Kochi. Name State Cargo Handled ( FY 2014 -- 15 ) ' 000 tonnes % Increase ( over previous FY ) Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh 58,004 - 0.85 % ↓ Chennai Tamil Nadu 52,541 2.81 % ↑ Mangalore Karnataka 36,566 - 7.11 % ↓ Tuticorin Tamil Nadu 32,414 13.17 % ↑ Ennore Tamil Nadu 30,251 10.66 % ↑ Kochi Kerala 21,595 3.39 % ↑ The Kerala backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways. In the midst of this landscape, there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of transportation services and backwater cruises. The Eastern Naval Command and Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy are headquartered at Visakhapatnam and Kochi respectively. Indian Navy has its major operational bases in Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Kochi, Karwar and Kavaratti in the region. References Jump up ^ Yule, Henry ; Burnell, A.C. Hobson - Jobson : The Definitive Glossary of British India. Oxford. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 164583 - 9. Jump up ^ `` Origins of the word ' Carnatic ' in the Hobson Jobson Dictionary ''. University of Chicago. Retrieved 15 September 2006. Jump up ^ Agarwal, D.P. ( 2006 ). Urban Origins in India ( PDF ). Uppsala University. Jump up ^ Schoff, Wilfred ( 1912 ). The Periplus Of The Erythraean Sea : Travel And Trade In The Indian Ocean By A Merchant Of The First Century. South Asia Books. ISBN 978 - 81 - 215 - 0699 - 1. Jump up ^ J. Innes, Miller ( 1998 ) ( 1969 ). The Spice Trade of The Roman Empire : 29 B.C. to A.D. 641. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 814264 - 5. Jump up ^ Landstrom, Bjorn ( 1964 ). The Quest for India. Allwin and Unwin. ISBN 978 - 0 - 04 - 910016 - 9. Jump up ^ Elisseeff, Vadime ( 2001 ). The Silk Roads : Highways of Culture and Commerce. UNESCO Publishing / Berghahn Books. ISBN 978 - 92 - 3 - 103652 - 1. Jump up ^ `` They administered our region ''. The Hindu. 4 June 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2014. Jump up ^ Hibbert, Christopher ( 1 March 2000 ). Great Mutiny : India 1857. Penguin. p. 221. ISBN 978 - 0 - 14 - 004752 - 3. Jump up ^ Indian National Evolution : A Brief Survey of the Origin and Progress of the Indian National Congress and the Growth of Indian Nationalism. Cornell University Press. 22 September 2009. p. 59. ISBN 978 - 1 - 112 - 45184 - 3. Jump up ^ `` Article 1 ''. Constitution of India. Law Ministry, Government of India. Retrieved 31 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` Reorganisation of states '' ( PDF ). Economic Weekly. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Seventh Amendment ''. Indiacode.nic.in. Retrieved 19 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` States Reorganisation Act, 1956 '' ( PDF ). indiaenvironmentportal.org.in. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Reorganisation of states '' ( PDF ). Economic Weekly. Retrieved 31 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 '' ( PDF ). Ministry of law and justice, Government of India. Retrieved 3 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Telangana bill passed by upper house ''. Times of India. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Balfour, Edward ( 1885 ). The Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Commercial Industrial, and Scientific : Products of the Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures. Bernard Quaritch. pp. 1017 -- 1018. ASIN B00IQKGW1M. Jump up ^ Outram, James ( 1853 ). A few brief Memoranda of some of the public services rendered by Lieut. - Colonel Outram, C. B. Smith Elder and Company. p. 31. ISBN 978 - 1 - 173 - 60712 - 8. Jump up ^ `` Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities ''. Nature. Retrieved 16 Nov 2013. Jump up ^ `` UN designates Western Ghats as world heritage site ''. Times of India. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Eparchaean Unconformity, Tirumala Ghat section ''. Geological Survey of India. Retrieved 20 September 2009. Jump up ^ Eagan, J.S. C ( 1916 ). The Nilgiri Guide And Directory. Chennai : S.P.C.K. Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 149 - 48220 - 9. Jump up ^ `` Adam 's bridge ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Map of Sri Lanka with Palk Strait and Palk Bay '' ( PDF ). UN. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Kanyakumari alias Cape Comorin ''. Lonely Planet. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ Dr. Jadoan, Atar Singh ( September 2001 ). Military Geography of South - East Asia. India : Anmol Publications. pp. 270 pages. ISBN 81 - 261 - 1008 - 2. Jump up ^ `` The Deccan Peninsula ''. Sanctuary Asia. 5 January 2001. Archived from the original on 17 October 2006. Jump up ^ `` Eastern Deccan Plateau Moist Forests ''. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 5 January 2007. Jump up ^ `` What really killed the dinosaurs ? ''. MIT News Office. 11 December 2014. Jump up ^ Geological Society of America ( 10 August 2005 ). `` India 's Smoking Gun : Dino - killing Eruptions ''. ScienceDaily. Jump up ^ `` Deccan Plateau ''. Britannica. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ Pullaiah, Thammineni ; Rao, D. Muralidhara ; Sri Ramamurthy, K. ( 1 April 2002 ). Flora of Eastern Ghats : Hill Ranges of South East India. Regency Publications. ISBN 978 - 81 - 87498 - 20 - 9. Jump up ^ McKnight, Tom L ; Hess, Darrel ( 2000 ). `` Climate Zones and Types : The Köppen System ''. Physical Geography : A Landscape Appreciation. Upper Saddle River, NJ : Prentice Hall. pp. 205 -- 211. ISBN 0 - 13 - 020263 - 0. Jump up ^ Chouhan, T.S. ( 1992 ). Desertification in the World and Its Control. Scientific Publishers. ISBN 978 - 81 - 7233 - 043 - 9. Jump up ^ `` India 's heat wave tragedy ''. BBC news. 17 May 2002. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Caviedes, C.N. ( 18 September 2001 ). El Niño in History : Storming Through the Ages ( 1st ed. ). University Press of Florida. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8130 - 2099 - 0. Jump up ^ World Wildlife Fund ( 2001 ). `` South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests ''. WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010 - 03 - 08. Jump up ^ `` South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests ''. Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Jump up ^ `` North East Monsoon ''. IMD. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ Rohli, Robert V. ; Vega, Anthony J. ( 2007 ). Climatology. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. p. 204. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7637 - 3828 - 0. Jump up ^ Annual frequency of cyclonic disturbances over the Bay of Bengal ( BOB ), Arabian Sea ( AS ) and land surface of India ( PDF ) ( Report ). India Meteorological Department. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` hurricane ''. Oxford dictionary. Retrieved October 1, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The only difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a typhoon is the location where the storm occurs ''. NOAA. Retrieved 1 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Indo - Malayan Terrestrial Ecoregions ''. National Geographic. Retrieved 15 April 2006. Jump up ^ `` Western Ghats ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 21 February 2014. Jump up ^ Lewis, Clara ( 3 July 2007 ). `` 39 sites in Western Ghats get world heritage status ''. Times of India. Retrieved 21 February 2014. Jump up ^ Baker, H.R. ; Inglis, Chas. M. ( 1930 ). The birds of southern India, including Madras, Malabar, Travancore, Cochin, Coorg and Mysore. Chennai : Superintendent, Government Press. Jump up ^ Grimmett, Richard ; Inskipp, Tim ( 30 November 2005 ). Birds Of Southern India. A&C Black. Jump up ^ `` List of proposals for protected areas '' ( PDF ). Wildlife Institute of India. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ Sacratees, J. ; Karthigarani, R. ( 2008 ). Environment impact assessment. APH Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 81 - 313 - 0407 - 8. Jump up ^ `` Conservation and Sustainable - use of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve 's Coastal Biodiversity ''. New York. 1994. Archived from the original ( doc ) on 16 June 2007. Jump up ^ Sukumar, R ( 1993 ). The Asian Elephant : Ecology and Management. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0 - 521 - 43758 - X. Jump up ^ `` India 's tiger population rises ''. Deccan Chronicle. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ Elephant Census 2005 ( PDF ), Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2007, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 12 March 2012, retrieved 23 February 2003 Jump up ^ Panwar, H.S. ( 1987 ). Project Tiger : The reserves, the tigers, and their future. Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, N.J. pp. 110 -- 117. Jump up ^ `` Project Elephant Status ''. Times of India. 2 Feb 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary ''. Wild Biodiversity. TamilNadu Forest Department. 2007. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2009. Jump up ^ Singh, M. ; Lindburg, D.G. ; Udhayan, A. ; Kumar, M.A. ; Kumara, H.N. ( 1999 ). Status survey of slender loris Loris tardigradus lydekkerianus. Oryx. pp. 31 -- 37. Jump up ^ Kottur, Samad ( 2012 ). Daroji - an ecological destination. Drongo. ISBN 978 - 93 - 5087 - 269 - 7. Jump up ^ `` Nilgiri tahr population over 3,000 : WWF - India ''. The Hindu. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ Malviya, M. ; Srivastav, A. ; Nigam, P. ; Tyagi, P.C. ( 2011 ). `` Indian National Studbook of Nilgiri Langur ( Trachypithecus johnii ) '' ( PDF ). Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ Kumar, A., Singh, M. & Molur, S. ( 2008 ). `` Macaca silenus ''. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ Henschel, P., Hunter, L., Breitenmoser, U., Purchase, N., Packer, C., Khorozyan, I., Bauer, H., Marker, L., Sogbohossou, E., Breitenmoser - Würsten, C. ( 2008 ). `` Panthera pardus ''. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ `` State Bird / Animal / Tree ''. Department of Environment & Forest, Andaman & Nicobar Administration. Retrieved 02 January 2018. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Symbols of AP ''. andhrabulletin.in. Retrieved 15 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Symbols of Karnataka ''. Government of Karnataka. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Symbols of Kerala ''. Government of India. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Symbols of Kerala ''. Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Symbols of Lakshadweep ''. Government of India. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Symbols of Lakshadweep '' ( PDF ). Government of Lakshadweep. Retrieved 17 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Puducherry comes out with list of State symbols ''. The Hindu. 21 April 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2014. Jump up ^ `` Symbols of Tamil Nadu ''. Government of India. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013. Jump up ^ `` Symbols of Tamil Nadu ''. Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013. Jump up ^ `` Telangana symbols ''. Government of Telangana. Retrieved 2 January 2015. Jump up ^ Espenshade, TJ ; Guzman, JC ; Westoff, CF ( 2003 ). `` The surprising global variation in replacement fertility ''. Population Research and Policy Review. 22 ( 5 / 6 ) : 580. doi : 10.1023 / B : POPU. 0000020882.29684. 8e. Jump up ^ Maternal & Child Mortality and Total Fertility Rates ( PDF ) ( Report ). India : Office of Registrar General. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2013. Jump up ^ Ishtiaq, M. ( 1999 ). Language Shifts Among the Scheduled Tribes in India : A Geographical Study. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 26 -- 27. ISBN 978 - 81 - 208 - 1617 - 6. Retrieved 7 September 2012. Jump up ^ Comparative Speaker 's Strength of Scheduled Languages -- 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001 ( Report ). Census of India. 1991. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Jump up ^ Distribution of workers by category of workers, Census 2011 ( Report ). Government of India. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Houselisting and Housing, Census 2011 ( Report ). Government of India. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Households access to safe drinking water ( Report ). Government of India. 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2014. Jump up ^ Guha, Ramachandra ( 22 July 2015 ). `` The Better Half ''. Outlook. Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Also A Head For Numbers ''. Outlook. 16 July 2007. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2015. Jump up ^ Antony, G.M. ; Laxmaiah, A. ( 20 April 2015 ). `` Human development, poverty, health & nutrition situation in India '' ( PDF ). Council of Social Development, Southern Regional Centre & Division of Community Studies National Institute of Nutrition ( ICMR ). Retrieved 22 July 2015. ^ Jump up to : Census 2011, Chapter 6 ( State of Literacy ) ( PDF ) ( Report ). Government of India. p. 14. Retrieved 22 July 2015. Jump up ^ CIA factbook ( Report ). CIA. Retrieved 11 April 2006. Jump up ^ Vital statistics report 2012 ( PDF ) ( Report ). Registrar General & Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 19 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014. Jump up ^ Inequality - Adjusted Human Development Index for India 's States 2011 ( PDF ) ( Report ). United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved 13 February 2013. Jump up ^ Economic Freedom of the States of India : 2013 ( PDF ) ( Report ). Cato Institute. 2013. p. 24. Retrieved 29 April 2014. Jump up ^ Households access to safe drinking water ( Report ). Government of India. Retrieved 21 April 2014. Jump up ^ Access to safe drinking water in households in India ( PDF ) ( Report ). Government of India. Retrieved 21 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` TV ownership ''. Government of India. Retrieved 21 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Dravida Nadu : What If The South Seceded From The Republic Of India ? ''. IBT Times. 10 March 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Who is doing better ? ''. India Today. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Missing targets ''. Frontline. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Millenium Development Goals - Country report 2015 ( PDF ) ( Report ). Government of India. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 13 November 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ Caldwell, Robert ( 1998 ). A comparative grammar of the Dravidian or South - Indian family of languages ( 3rd ed. ). New Delhi : Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978 - 81 - 206 - 0117 - 8. Jump up ^ Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. ( 1996 ). A History of South India ( 7th ed. ). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 560686 - 7. Jump up ^ Baldridge, Jason. `` Lingusitic and Social Characteristics of Indian English ''. University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 22 July 2015. Jump up ^ Religious statistics, Census 2011 ( Report ). Government of India. Retrieved 22 July 2015. Jump up ^ Fatihi, A.R. `` Urdu in Andhra Pradesh ''. Language in India. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015. Jump up ^ Upadhyaya, Padmanabha ( 1973 ). Coastal Karnataka : Studies in Folkloristic and Linguistic Traditions of Dakshina Kannada Region of the Western Coast of India. Govind Pai Samshodhana Kendra. ISBN 81 - 86668 - 06 - 3. Jump up ^ `` India sets up classical languages ''. BBC news. 17 September 2004. Retrieved 1 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` Tamil to be a classical language ''. The Hindu. Chennai, India. 18 September 2004. Retrieved 1 August 2010. Jump up ^ `` Declaration of Telugu and Kannada as classical languages ''. Press Information Bureau ( Press release ). Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India. Retrieved 31 October 2008. Jump up ^ `` Classical status for Malayalam ''. The Hindu. Thiruvananthapuram, India. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013. Jump up ^ Abstract of speakers ' strength of languages and mother tongues ( Report ). Government of India. Retrieved 21 March 2016. Jump up ^ Population By Religious Community - Tamil Nadu ( XLS ) ( Report ). Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Ancient Indians made ' rock music ' ''. BBC News. 19 March 2004. Retrieved 7 August 2015. Jump up ^ Webster, Merriam ( 1999 ). Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam - Webster. p. 484. ISBN 978 - 0 - 87779 - 044 - 0. Jump up ^ Eliade, Mircea ; Adams, Charles J. ( 1993 ). The Encyclopedia of Religion. Mcmillan. p. 169. ISBN 978 - 0 - 02 - 897135 - 3. Jump up ^ Singh, Janak ( 2010 ). World religions and the new era of science. Xlibris Corporation. p. 5. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4535 - 3572 - 1. Jump up ^ Wallis, Graham Harvey ; Wallis, Robert ( 2010 ). The A to Z of shamanism. Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press. p. 101. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8108 - 7600 - 2. Retrieved 4 October 2014. Jump up ^ Mayaram, Shail ; Pandian, M.S.S. ; Skaria, Ajay ( 2005 ). Muslims, Dalits and the Fabrications of History. Permanent Black and Ravi Dayal Publisher. pp. 39 --. ISBN 978 - 81 - 7824 - 115 - 9. Jump up ^ Fahlbusch, Erwin ( 2008 ). The Encyclopedia of Christianity. 5. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8028 - 2417 - 2. Jump up ^ Slapak, Orpa ( 2003 ). The Jews of India : A Story of Three Communities. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. p. 27. ISBN 965 - 278 - 179 - 7. Jump up ^ Henry, James ( 1977 ). The Jews in India and the Far East. Greenwood Press. p. 120. ISBN 0 - 8371 - 2615 - 0. Jump up ^ Katz, Nathan ; Goldberg, Ellen S ( 1993 ). The Last Jews of Cochin : Jewish Identity in Hindu India. Univ. of South Carolina Press. ISBN 0 - 87249 - 847 - 6. Jump up ^ Krishna, K.L. ( September 2004 ). `` Economic Growth in Indian States '' ( PDF ). ICRIER. Retrieved 22 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Gross State Domestic Product ( GSDP ) at Current Prices '' ( PDF ). Planning Commission Government of India. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 15 July 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Special Economic Zones '' ( PDF ). Government of India. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` India : A Country Study : Crop Output ''. Library of Congress, Washington D.C. September 1995. Retrieved March 21, 2009. Jump up ^ Farooq, Omer ( 3 June 2004 ). `` Suicide spree on India 's farms ''. BBC News. Retrieved 10 April 2006. Jump up ^ Yeboah, Salomey ( 8 March 2005 ), Value Addition to Coffee in India, Cornell Education, archived from the original on 19 September 2006, retrieved 5 October 2005 Jump up ^ `` Production of Spice by countries ''. UN Food & Agriculture Organization. 2011. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2013. Jump up ^ `` Possibilities for improving vehicular traffic flow explored ''. The Hindu. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Turmeric at an all - time high price ''. The Economic Times. 29 December 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Sericulture note ''. Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Tamil Nadu Poultry Industry Seeks Export Concessions ''. Financial Express. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2015. Jump up ^ `` Maharashtra tops FDI equity inflows ''. Business Standard. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` TN software exports clock 32 pc growth ''. The Hindu Business Line. 7 May 2006. Retrieved 5 October 2006. Jump up ^ `` Madras, the Detroit of South Asia ''. Rediff. 30 April 2004. Retrieved 22 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` India 's Gems and Jewellery Market is Glittering ''. Resource Investor. Retrieved 30 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` Lok Sabha Elections 2014 : Erode has potential to become a textile heaven says Narendra Modi ''. DNA India. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` State wise number of cotton mills '' ( PDF ). Confederation of Textile Industry. Retrieved 23 January 2016. Jump up ^ India Tourism Statistics at a Glance ( PDF ), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, 23 July 2012, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 17 November 2015, retrieved 30 December 2012 Jump up ^ The World Factbook, CIA, retrieved 22 July 2015 Jump up ^ `` States and Union Territories ''. Government of India. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Union Territories of India ''. National Portal of India. Retrieved 12 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Changing UPA 's governors : Why Tharoor is only half - right ''. Firstpost. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ Statement showing the Nomenclature and Number of Sub-Districts in States / UTs ( Report ). Office of The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, New Delhi. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Constitution of India ''. Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. Retrieved 20 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` ISO Online Browsing Platform ''. ISO. Retrieved 4 November 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Code List : 3229 ''. UN / EDIFACT. GEFEG. Retrieved 25 December 2012. ^ Jump up to : Census 2011, State dashboard ( Report ). Government of India. Retrieved 20 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : Census 2011, State dashboard ( Report ). Government of India. Retrieved 20 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities : 50th report ( July 2012 to June 2013 ) ( PDF ) ( Report ). Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 8 July 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2015. ^ Jump up to : Urban and Rural Population ( xls ) ( Report ). Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. p. 18. Retrieved 20 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : Demographics of Andhra Pradesh ( PDF ) ( Report ). Government of Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Literacy of AP ( Census 2011 ) ( PDF ) ( Report ). Government of Andhra Pradesh. p. 43. Retrieved 11 June 2014. ^ Jump up to : Telangana State Profile ( PDF ) ( Report ). Telangana government portal. p. 34. Retrieved 11 June 2014. ^ Jump up to : Population of Telangana ( PDF ) ( Report ). Telangana government portal. p. 34. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bifurcated into Telangana State and residual Andhra Pradesh State ''. Times Of India. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Gazette of India : The Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014 '' ( PDF ). Ministry of Law and Justice. Government of India. 1 March 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Gazette of India : The Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014 Sub-section '' ( PDF ). 4 March 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014. Jump up ^ Bhattacharya, Sanchari ( 1 June 2014 ). `` Andhra Pradesh Minus Telangana : 10 Facts ''. NDTV. Retrieved 20 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Lok Sabha Introduction ''. National Informatics Centre, Government of India. Retrieved 22 September 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` Rajya Sabha ''. Indian Parliament. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2012. Jump up ^ Basu, Durga Das ( 1960 ). Introduction to the Constitution of India. LexisNexis Butterworths. pp. 241, 245. ISBN 978 - 81 - 8038 - 559 - 9. ^ Jump up to : `` State / UT wise Seats in the Assembly and their Reservation Status ''. Election Commission of India. Retrieved 8 December 2012. Jump up ^ Thorpeand, Showick ( 2015 ). `` Chapter 3 ''. The Pearson Concise General Knowledge Manual 2016. Pearson Education India. p. 17. ISBN 978 - 93 - 325 - 5884 - 7. ^ Jump up to : `` State and local governments of India ''. Britannica. Retrieved 12 January 2016. ^ Jump up to : Ralhan, O.P. ( 2002 ). Encyclopedia of Political Parties. Print House. pp. 180 -- 199. ISBN 978 - 81 - 7488 - 287 - 5. Jump up ^ Irschick, Eugene F. ( 1969 ). Political and Social Conflict in South India ; The non-Brahmin movement and Tamil Separatism, 1916 -- 1929 ( PDF ). University of California Press. OCLC 249254802. Jump up ^ Wyatt, A.K.J. ( 2002 ). `` New Alignments in South Indian Politics : The 2001 Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu ''. Asian Survey. University of California Press. 42 ( 5 ) : 733 -- 753. doi : 10.1525 / as. 2002.42. 5.733. Retrieved 19 February 2008. Jump up ^ Hasan, Zoya ( 2 February 2003 ). `` The democratisation of politics ''. The Hindu. Retrieved 19 April 2008. Jump up ^ Gopal, Madan ( 1990 ). K.S. Gautam, ed. India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 164. ASIN B003DXXMC4. Jump up ^ `` Telugu Desam Party turns 29, NT Rama Rao remembered ''. DNA India. 29 March 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2010. Jump up ^ Törnquist, Olle ( 1991 ). `` Communists and democracy : Two Indian cases and one debate '' ( PDF ). Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars. Committee of Concerned Asian Scholars. 23 ( 2 ) : 63 -- 76. doi : 10.1080 / 14672715.1991. 10413152. ISSN 0007 - 4810. The first democratically elected communist - led government in India actually came to power in 1957 in the southwest - Indian state of Kerala Jump up ^ Singh, Sarina ; Karafin, Amy ; Mahapatra, Anirban ( 1 September 2009 ). South India. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978 - 1 - 74179 - 155 - 6. Jump up ^ Price, Pamela. `` Ideological Elements in Political Instability in Karnataka '' ( PDF ). University of Oslo. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 25 May 2006. Jump up ^ Guha, Ramachandra ( 15 April 2006 ). `` Why Amartya Sen should become the next president of India ''. The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 November 2008. Jump up ^ `` Giri, Shri Varahagiri Venkata ''. Vice President 's Secretariat. Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2008. Jump up ^ Bhargava, G.S. ( 29 July 2007 ). `` Making of the President -- Congress chief selects PM as well as President ''. The Tribune. India. Retrieved 6 January 2009. Jump up ^ Hazarika, Sanjoy ( 17 July 1987 ). `` India 's Mild New President : Ramaswamy Venkataraman ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 6 January 2009. Jump up ^ `` Narayanan, Shri K, R ''. Vice President 's Secretariat. Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2008. Jump up ^ Ramana, M.V. ; = Reddy, C., Rammanohar ( 2003 ). Prisoners of the Nuclear Dream. New Delhi : Orient Blackswan. p. 169. ISBN 978 - 81 - 250 - 2477 - 4. Jump up ^ Aiyar, S.A. ( 26 June 2011 ). `` Unsung hero of the India story ''. Times of India. Twenty years ago, Narasimha Rao became Prime Minister and initiated economic reforms that transformed India ^ Jump up to : Boulanger, Chantal ( 1997 ). Saris : An Illustrated Guide to the Indian Art of Draping. New York : Shakti Press International. ISBN 0 - 9661496 - 1 - 0. Jump up ^ Lynton, Linda ( 1995 ). The Sari. New York : Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated. ISBN 0 - 8109 - 4461 - 8. Jump up ^ Parthasarathy, R. ( 1993 ). The Tale of an Anklet : An Epic of South India -- The Cilappatikaram of Ilanko Atikal, Translations from the Asian Classics. New York : Columbia University Press. ISBN 0 - 231 - 07849 - 8. Jump up ^ Tamil Clothing : Sari, Dhoti, Madisar. LLC books. 2000. ISBN 978 - 1 - 158 - 63188 - 9. Jump up ^ C. Monahan, Susanne ; Andrew Mirola, William ; O. Emerson, Michael ( 2001 ). Sociology of Religion. Prentice Hall. p. 83. ISBN 978 - 0 - 13 - 025380 - 4. Jump up ^ `` About Dhoti ''. Britannica. Retrieved 12 January 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Clothing in India ''. Britannica. Retrieved 12 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Food Balance Sheets and Crops Primary Equivalent ''. FAO. Retrieved 17 August 2012. Jump up ^ Czarra, Fred ( 2009 ). Spices : A Global History. Reaktion Books. p. 128. ISBN 978 - 1 - 86189 - 426 - 7. Jump up ^ Dalby, Andrew ( 2002 ). Dangerous Tastes : The Story of Spices. Berkeley : University of California Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 520 - 23674 - 5. Jump up ^ Molina, A.B. ; Roa, V.N. ; Van den Bergh, I. ; Maghuyop, M.A. ( 2000 ). Advancing banana and plantain R & D in Asia and the Pacific. Biodiversity International. p. 84. ISBN 978 - 971 - 91751 - 3 - 1. Jump up ^ Kalman, Bobbie ( 2009 ). India : The Culture. Crabtree Publishing Company. p. 29. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7787 - 9287 - 1. Jump up ^ `` Serving on a banana leaf ''. ISCKON. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Benefits Of Eating Food On Banana Leaves ''. India Times. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Achaya, K.T. ( 1 November 2003 ). The Story of Our Food. Universities Press. p. 80. ISBN 978 - 81 - 7371 - 293 - 7. Jump up ^ Balasubramanian, D. ( 21 October 2014 ). `` Changes in the Indian menu over the ages ''. The Hindu. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Lesley, A. ( 1 June 2012 ). `` The Telangana Table ''. Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014. Jump up ^ `` Varieties from Chettinad cuisine ''. The Hindu. 26 May 2003. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` The music of we primates : Nada Brahmam ''. The Hindu. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ Doraisamy, Ganavya. Sound of Indian Music. Lulu. p. 35. ISBN 978 - 1 - 304 - 50409 - 8. Jump up ^ The Handbook of Tamil Culture and Heritage. Chicago : International Tamil Language Foundation. 2000. p. 1201. Jump up ^ `` Bharata - natyam ''. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ Samson, Leela ( 1987 ). Rhythm in Joy : Classical Indian Dance Traditions. New Delhi : Lustre Press. p. 29. ISBN 978 - 99919 - 41 - 55 - 4. Jump up ^ Banerjee, Projesh ( 1 February 1989 ). Indian Ballet Dancing. New Jersey : Abhinav Publications. p. 43. ISBN 978 - 81 - 7017 - 175 - 1. Jump up ^ Bowers, Faubion ( June 1953 ). The Dance in India. New York : AMS Press. pp. 13 -- 15. ISBN 978 - 0 - 404 - 00963 - 2. Jump up ^ Beck, Brenda ( 1976 ). `` The Symbolic Merger of Body, Space, and Cosmos in Hindu Tamil Nadu ''. Contributions to Indian Sociology. 10 ( 2 ). doi : 10.1177 / 006996677601000202. Jump up ^ Ghosh, Manomohan. The Natyasastra A Treatise on Hindu Dramaturgy and Histrionies Ascriben to Bharata - Muni. Calcutta : Manisha Granthalaya. p. 204. ISBN 978 - 5 - 88214 - 664 - 0. Jump up ^ Dehejia, Vidya ; Davis, Richard H. ; Nagaswamy, R. ; Pechilis, Karen ( 2002 ). The Sensuous and the Sacred : Chola Bronzes from South India. Prentiss. ISBN 0 - 295 - 98284 - 5. Jump up ^ Wadley, Susan ( 1980 ). The Powers of Tamil Women. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 915984 - 42 - 8. Jump up ^ `` The pioneer ' Tamil ' film - maker ''. The Hindu. Chennai, India. 7 September 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2011. Jump up ^ Velayutham, Selvaraj. Tamil cinema : the cultural politics of India 's other film industry. Routlege. p. 2. ISBN 978 - 0 - 415 - 39680 - 6. Jump up ^ Muthiah, S. ( 7 September 2009 ). `` The pioneer ' Tamil ' film - maker ''. The Hindu. Retrieved 21 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` He brought cinema to South ''. The Hindu. Chennai, India. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2011. Jump up ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish ( 1998 ). Oxford Guide to Film Studies. Oxford : Oxford University Press. p. 65. Jump up ^ Moti Gokulsing, K. ; Dissanyake, Wimal ( 2004 ). Indian Popular Cinema : A Narrative of Cultural Change. Trentham Books Limited. ISBN 978 - 1 - 85856 - 329 - 9. Jump up ^ Kasbekar, Asha ( 2006 ). Pop Culture India ! : Media, Arts, and Lifestyle. ABC - CLIO. p. 215. ISBN 978 - 1 - 85109 - 636 - 7. ^ Jump up to : `` Indian Feature Films certified during the year 2017 ''. Jump up ^ Zvelebil, Kamil ( 1973 ). The smile of Murugan on Tamil literature of South India. Leiden. Zvelebil dates the Ur - Tolkappiyam to the 1st or 2nd century BCE Jump up ^ Ramaswamy, Vijaya ( 1993 ). `` Women and Farm Work in Tamil Folk Songs ''. 21 ( 9 / 11 ). Social Scientist : 113 -- 129. doi : 10.2307 / 3520429. JSTOR 3520429. As early as the Tolkappiyam ( which has sections ranging from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD ) the eco-types in South India have been classified into Jump up ^ Ramanujan, A.K. ( 1973 ). Speaking of Śiva. Penguin. p. 11. ISBN 0 - 14 - 044270 - 7. Jump up ^ Mugali, R.S. ( 2006 ). The Heritage of Karnataka. pp. 173 -- 175. ISBN 1 - 4067 - 0232 - 3. Jump up ^ Chenchiah, P. ; Rao, Raja Bhujanga ( 1988 ). A History of Telugu Literature. Asian Educational Services. p. 16. ISBN 81 - 206 - 0313 - 3. Jump up ^ `` Malayalam Language ''. Britannica. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ Harman, William P. ( 9 October 1992 ). The sacred marriage of a Hindu goddess. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 6. ISBN 978 - 81 - 208 - 0810 - 2. Jump up ^ Fergusson, James ( 1997 ) ( 1910 ). History of Indian and Eastern Architecture ( 3rd ed. ). New Delhi : Low Price Publications. p. 309. ISBN 978 - 1 - 172 - 80350 - 7. Jump up ^ Ching, Francis D.K. ; et al. ( 2007 ). A Global History of Architecture. New York : John Wiley and Sons. p. 762. ISBN 0 - 471 - 26892 - 5. Jump up ^ Ching, Francis D.K. ( 1995 ). A Visual Dictionary of Architecture. New York : John Wiley and Sons. p. 253. ISBN 0 - 471 - 28451 - 3. Jump up ^ Mitchell, George ( 1988 ). The Hindu Temple. Chicago : University of Chicago Press. pp. 151 -- 153. ISBN 0 - 226 - 53230 - 5. Jump up ^ `` Gopuram ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 20 January 2008. Jump up ^ `` Govt declares Golden Quadrilateral complete ''. Indian Express. 7 January 2012. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` National Highways Development Project Map ''. National Highways Institute of India. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` About TNSTC ''. Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` History of KSRTC ''. Government of Karnataka. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Profile, APSRTC ''. Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Krishnamoorthy, Suresh ( 16 May 2014 ). `` It will be TGSRTC from June 2 ''. The Hindu. Hyderabad. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` KSRTC Directory ''. Government of Kerala. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Nair, Rajesh ( 22 September 2009 ). `` PRTC set for Revival ''. The Hindu. Puducherry. Retrieved 21 March 2016. Jump up ^ List of highways by state ( Report ). NHAI. Retrieved 21 June 2014. Jump up ^ Basic Road Statistics of India 2014 ( Report ). Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014. Jump up ^ Road Transport Yearbook 2011 -- 2012 ( Report ). Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. 2012. p. 115. Retrieved 30 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Indian Tramway Limited ''. Herepath 's Railway and Commercial Journal. 32 ( 1595 ) : 3. 1 January 1870. Jump up ^ `` Always the second station ''. The Hindu. 3 July 2006. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ Rungta, Shyam ( 1970 ). The Rise of Business Corporations in India, 1851 -- 1900. Cambridge U.P. p. 17. ISBN 978 - 0 - 521 - 07354 - 7. Jump up ^ Origin and development of Southern Railway ( PDF ), Indian Railways, retrieved 14 February 2015 Jump up ^ Raychaudhuri, Tapan ; Habib, Irfan ( 1982 ). The Cambridge Economic History of India, Vol 2. Orient Blackswan. p. 755. ISBN 978 - 81 - 250 - 2731 - 7. Jump up ^ `` Third oldest railway station in country set to turn 156 ''. Indian Railways. Retrieved 13 February 2013. Jump up ^ `` Evolution of Indian Railways - Historical Background ''. Ministry of Railways. Retrieved 13 February 2013. Jump up ^ `` About Us ''. South Central Railway. Retrieved 20 Sep 2012. Jump up ^ Sreevatsan, Ajai ( 10 August 2010 ). `` Metro Rail may take over MRTS ''. The Hindu. Chennai. Retrieved 19 August 2012. Jump up ^ `` Nilgiri Mountain Railway ''. IRCTC. Retrieved 8 March 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Zones & Divisions of Indian Railways ''. Indian Railways. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ Indian Railways Year Book 2009 -- 10 ( PDF ). Indian Railways. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Introduction to Indian Railways & Rail Budget formulation '' ( pdf ). International centre for Environmental Audit, Government of India. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways ''. Indian Railways. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Chennai Railway Division ''. Railway Board. Southern Railway zone. Retrieved 24 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Tiruchirappalli Railway Division ''. Railway Board. Southern Railway zone. Retrieved 24 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Madurai Railway Division ''. Railway Board. Southern Railway zone. Retrieved 24 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Palakkad Railway Division ''. Railway Board. Southern Railway zone. Retrieved 24 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Salem Railway Division ''. Railway Board. Southern Railway zone. Retrieved 24 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Thiruvananthapuram Railway Division ''. Railway Board. Southern Railway zone. Retrieved 24 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Secunderabad Railway Division ''. Railway Board. South Central Railway zone. Retrieved 24 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` New railway division in Gulbarga to be under SWR ''. The Hindu. 2014 - 03 - 06. ISSN 0971 - 751X. Retrieved 2015 - 12 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Waltair Railway Division ''. Railway Board. East Coast Railway zone. Retrieved 29 May 2014. Jump up ^ Ayyappan, V. ( 21 August 2009 ). `` When Good Old Madras Took Wing ''. Times of India. Chennai. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` How Maharaja got his wings ''. Tata Sons. Retrieved 7 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Regional Headquarters of AAI ''. Airports Authority of India. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` Traffic Statistics - 2015 ( April - September ) '' ( PDF ). AAI. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` Aircraft Movements - 2015 '' ( PDF ). AAI. Retrieved 26 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` Cargo Statistics - 2015 '' ( PDF ). AAI. Retrieved 26 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` Indian Air Force Commands ''. Indian Air Force. Retrieved 29 June 2010. Jump up ^ `` Organisation of Southern Naval Command ''. Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 6 December 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` ENC Authorities & Units ''. Indian Navy. Retrieved 26 October 2015. Jump up ^ List of ports ( Report ). Government of India. Archived from the original on 21 August 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` Ports Report '' ( PDF ). Indian Ports Association. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ Traffic handled at major ports ( PDF ) ( Report ). Indian Ports Association. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Jump up ^ Evaleigh, Mark ( 15 January 2016 ). `` Backwater cruises and ancient cures in Kerala, India 's southern, sun - drenched state ''. The Independent. Retrieved 1 March 2016. Jump up ^ Rao, Kamalakara ( 14 June 2014 ). `` Vizag based Eastern naval command ''. Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Southern naval command ''. Indian Navy. Retrieved 1 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` INS Kadamba ''. Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 8 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012. Jump up ^ `` India set to drop anchor off China ''. Deccan Chronicle. 26 June 2011. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012. Jump up ^ `` Navy commissions full - scale station in Lakshadweep ''. The Hindu. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012. India portal External links Find more aboutSouth Indiaat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Learning resources from Wikiversity South India travel guide from Wikivoyage South India at Curlie ( based on DMOZ ) South India articles History Satavahana Chalukyas Chera Cholas Gangas Hoysalas Kadambas Kakatiya Pallava Kolathiri Venad ( Kingdom of Quilon ) Travancore Kingdom Kingdom of Cochin Musunuri Nayaks Nizam Pandyan kingdom Rashtrakutas Vijayanagara Empire Kingdom of Mysore Zamorin of Calicut Geography Eastern Ghats Godavari Kaveri ( Cauvery ) Krishna Narmada River Protected areas of Tamil Nadu Sapta Konkan Satpura Range Vindhya Range Western Ghats States and territories Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Kerala Lakshadweep Pondicherry Tamil Nadu Telangana Regions Carnatic Chola Nadu Coromandel Coast Deccan Konkan Kongu Nadu Kosta Malabar Malabar Coast Malenadu North Malabar Pandya Nadu Raichur Doab Rayalaseema Coastal Andhra Tondai Nadu Tulu Nadu Uttarandhra Flora Fauna Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve Anaimalai Hills Karnataka Kerala backwaters Malabar coastal moist forests monsoon rainforests Nilgiris South Western Ghats montane rainforests moist deciduous forests Economy Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Kerala Kerala model Tamil Nadu Telangana Demographics Peoples Adivasis Badagas Bearys Cochin Jews Dravidians Kannadigas Kodavas Kovains Malabaris Malayalis Syrian Malabar Nasranis Tamils Telugu people Tulu people Languages Beary bashe Dakhini Kannada Kodava Konkani Malayalam Tamil Telugu Tulu Culture Andhra Natyam Ayudha Puja Bathukamma Bharata Natyam Carnatic music Duffmuttu Hindustani classical music Kalaripayattu Kannada literature Kathakali Kuchipudi Kolkali Malayalam literature Mappila Paattukal Margam Kali Mohiniyattam Mundum Neriyathum Onam Pongal Poorakkali Puthandu Sari Sopana Sangeetham Tamil literature Telugu literature Theyyam Thidambu Nritham Ugadi Vidyarambham Vishu Yakshagana Geography of India Climate Climate Climatic regions Geology Fossil Parks Geology of India Indian Plate Stones Landforms Beaches Canals Desert Extreme points Glaciers Islands Lakes Mountains Rivers Valleys Volcanoes Waterfalls Plains Indo - Gangetic Eastern Coastal Western Coastal Regions North India Northeast India East India South India West India Central India Subdivisions Autonomous administrative divisions States and territories Districts Cities Towns Municipalities Environment Biogeographic classification Ecoregions Fauna Flora Forests Issues Protected Areas Wildlife Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_India&oldid=819064860 '' Categories : South India Peninsulas of India Regions of India South Asia Landforms of Andhra Pradesh Landforms of Kerala Landforms of Karnataka Landforms of Tamil Nadu Landforms of Telangana Landforms of Lakshadweep Landforms of Puducherry Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter CS1 errors : dates All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from June 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Good articles Use Indian English from July 2016 All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English Use dmy dates from January 2014 All articles with self - published sources Articles with self - published sources from December 2017 Articles with DMOZ links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Languages বাংলা Български Català Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം मराठी Bahasa Melayu Baso Minangkabau Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Norsk ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Português Русский संस्कृतम् Simple English Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் తెలుగు Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt 吴语 粵語 Zazaki 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 7 January 2018, at 06 : 07. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: largest state of south india according to areas
Answer: Karnataka