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Introduction The word “South India” generally referred to all those regions and areas that lie in the peninsular Deccan Plateau and is surrounded by the Arabian Sea from its Western side, Indian Ocean from its Southern side and the Bay of Bengal from its Eastern side. The term South India also makes differentiation between the original inhabitants of India and the series of countless invasions made by the outsiders starting from Aryans, Persian, Greek, Scythians, White Huns, Seljuks, Tartars and Mongols who later on intermixed with original inhabitants – Dravidians - and assimilated the very culture of India along with their own. Generally speaking, all those visitors who came from outside either through Khyber Pass or sea route and gradually settled down in the regions of North India and the Dravidians remained in the South India. That why Dravidian culture still reflects in the form of their languages - Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil or Telugu – and in their entire life style. History South India has a unique and diverse culture, traditions and history which had been ruled by Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Cholas, Kakatiya, Pandyas, Cheras, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagara over different parts prior to the British occupation of India. The history of south India Travel dates back to 8000 BC where many ancient objects have been found. This region has also connection with Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Syrians, Jews, and the Chinese in its crossroads. The medieval period saw the rise and fall of Muslim power in South India. Finally, British established their dominance and continued until independence. After independence, most of South India was included in Madras State, which included the former Madras Presidency and the princely states of Banganapalle, Pudukkottai and Sandur. Geography South India is a peninsula bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea, on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the north by the Vindhya and Satpura ranges. The line created by the Narmada River and Mahanadi River is the traditional boundary between northern and southern India. The Western Ghats, along the western coast, mark another boundary of the plateau. Between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea lies the narrow trip known as Konkan Region which encompasses the area of Narmada as well as Goa. To the south of Western Ghats lies Malnad region along the Karnataka coast, and terminate at the Nilgiri mountains. The major rivers of south India are Narmada, the Tapti and the Mahi, Krishna, Kaveri etc. The four states of South India generally follow linguistic boundaries with a number of overlapping traditional geographic regions. South India is full of tourist destinations for beach lovers, some famous beaches include Alappuzha Beach, Kovalam Beach, Varkala Beach, Beaches of Tamilnadu, Marina Beach, Mahabalipuram Beach, Kanyakumari Beach, Malpe Beach, Maravanthe Beach, Murudeshwar Beach, Alappuzha Beach, Kovalam Beach, Kanyakumari Beach etc. South India offers many hill stations like Munnar, Kodaikanal, Nilgiri Hills and Ooty etc. Flora and Fauna South India with its dense forests, exotic fauna and amazing appeal has always been a favorite wildlife destination for tourists around the world with lush evergreen vegetation, tropical dry forests, scrub lands and moist forests made it a biodiversity hotspot. The region also offers the best Indian wildlife sanctuaries like Periyar National Park, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Mudumalai National Park, Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Silent Valley National Park, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary, Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, Kunthakulam Bird Sanctury, Viralimalai Sanctuary, Karnataka Wildlife, Bandipur National Park and Nagarhole National Park etc. Other tourist attractions include the backwaters like the Pulicut Lake in Andhra Pradesh, Pitchavarum in Tamil Nadu and the famed backwaters of Kerala formed by the Vembanad Lake, the Ashtamudi Lake and the Kayamkulam Lake. Culture and Heritage South Indian culture refers to the confluence of the four southern most states of India, namely Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The weltanschauung of South Indians is essentially the celebration of the eternal universe through the celebration of the beauty of the body, and motherhood, which is exemplified through their dance, clothing, and sculptures. South Indian women traditionally wear the Saree while the men wear a type of sarong, which could be either a white pancha (veshti in Tamil) or a colourful lungi with typical batik patterns. The music of South India is commonly known as Carnatic music, which includes rhythmic and structured music by composers like Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Tyagaraja, Annamacharya, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Shyama Shastri, Subbaraya Shastri, Mysore Vasudevachar and Swathi Thirunal. The contemporary singer Dr. K. J. Yesudas is a cultural ambassador of Carnatic music. South India is home to several distinct dance forms like Koodiyattam, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Yakshagana, Theyyam, Ottamthullal, Oppana, Kerala Natanam and Mohiniaattam etc. Cuisine of South India Cooking pattern in the four states of the south zone, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, largely remain the same with rice as the staple diet, while fish is an integral component of coastal South Indian meals. However, Hyderbadi Biryani, Sambar, Dosa, Idli, Bhagara Baingan, Romaali Roti, Kesari Bhath, Pineapple Pachhady, Fish Molee, Ven Pongal, Chettinad Chicken, Masala Vada, Pal Payasam, Medu Vada, Avial (Semi-dry, Mix Vegetable), Uttapam are popular throughout the region. Diversity of South India There is great diversity in Indian traditions, manners, habits, tastes and customs, languages but unity remains the distinctive feature throughout this subcontinent including south India. The south Indian culture is unique and so widely famous because people from different castes and customs reside here amiably. The unity of oneness makes them stand out in. The heritage of the states of south India deals mainly with high architectural designed temples that are considered as the pride of India.
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