South India, surrounded by three oceans, is a region of overwhelming grandeur and pristine beauty. Separated from north India by the Vindhya mountain range, the south Indian peninsula is doubly insulated by the Arabian Sea and Eastern Ghats on the east and the Bay of Bengal and Western Ghats on the west.

As a result, this triangular volcanic land that was once part of the geologically primeval Gondwanaland, remained culturally undisturbed for millennia, evolving an aura of poised tranquillity.

The dominant features of south India are the tropical climate less harsh than the northern States, lush green tropical vegetation in the coastal areas and the architecture, culture, languages and lifestyle which had remained essentially Dravidian at the core in spite of repeated exposures to alien influences.

Since the southern culture evolved millennia before the modern State borders did, there is a racial, cultural and linguistic homogeneity here that makes visitors perceive the four major southern States together simply as 'south India', albeit mistakenly.

In spite of the seeming similarity, each State has different scenery, festivals, architecture and subtle cultural variations to offer, each State in its own right a fascinating tourist destination. Pondicherry and Lakshadweep are again utterly different from the four traditional States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. The leitmotif of southern culture is its tapestry of magnificent temple architecture going back to the 6th century, the unaltered traditions of food, religion and lifestyle, handicrafts, heritage of sandalwood, silk, rosewood and brass, and of course the grandeur of classical dance and music.

This is a land of temples, a land of the devout, the profusion of jasmine and 'kanakambaram' flowers and the soft beat of distant drums as yet another festival starts...

Some of the most striking monuments in India are on the Deccan Plateau, covering the south-central area of the country. The ruins of Hampi, once the capital of the flourishing Vijaynagar Empire, include such gems as the Vittala Temple, a World Heritage Monument. The Chalukyan capital of Badami and its neighbouring villages are dotted with a profusion of outstanding temples while the town of Bijapur boasts the Gol Gumbaz, the second largest dome in the world after St Peters. Located in the midst of an austere landscape of giant boulders, a visit to Hampi and its surrounding areas is a must for someone fired with the zeal of curiosity.

The hotels in the remote areas are modest but the experience rewarding, ending with a visit to a wildlife sanctuary and a couple of days of relaxation in Goa.