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61-884: The Eastern Coastal Plains is a stretch of landmass lying between the eastern part of the Deccan plateau and the Bay of Bengal in India. The plains stretch from the Mahanadi delta to Kaniyakumari at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula with the Eastern Ghats forming its rough western boundary. It is wider and leveled than the Western Coastal Plains and traverses the states of Odisha , Andhra Pradesh , and Tamil Nadu . The plains are broadly divided into three subdivisions– Utkal Plains in

122-502: A broader geographical definition, the region consists of the peninsular tableland lying to the south of the Tropic of Cancer , marked by the Vindhya - Satpura ranges in the north. The Deccan is a plateau region extending over an area of 422,000 km (163,000 sq mi) and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula . It is shaped like an inverted triangle with its upper boundary at

183-409: A growth higher than the national average over the past three decades. While the states have improved in some of the socio-economic metrics, there is wide disparity within the region. Agriculture is often difficult in low rainfall areas, which require additional irrigation facilities while it is more feasible in the river valleys. Agriculture is still the primary occupation in the region. Rice

244-413: A meal involves eating food served on a banana leaf using the right hand. Rice is the staple food in meals of the region. Bhakri made of millets and roti or chapathi made of wheat served with dal are popular in the north and western parts of the region. Idli and dosa served with sambar and chutney for breakfast and rice served with sambar and rasam for lunch are popular in

305-577: A rough western boundary of the plains. The plains stretch from the Mahanadi delta to Kaniyakumari at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula and traverses the states of Odisha , Andhra Pradesh , Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry . It is wider and leveled than the Western Coastal Plains and both the coastal plains meet at Kaniyakumari. The average width of the plains vary between 35–200 km (22–124 mi) with an average width of 120 km (75 mi). The plains are broadly divided into three subdivisions– Utkal Plains in

366-748: A single entity named as Indian Railways . 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 Western was established on 5 November 1951, the South Central zone on 2 October 1966, and the South Western zone on 1 April 2003. Most of the region

427-480: Is a "relational term" and historically the border of Deccan has varied from Tapti River to the Godavari River , depending on the southern boundary of the northern empires and is used to denote "the area beyond the southern border of a northern-based kingdom" of India. Geographers have defined the extent of Deccan region using various physical features and indices such as rainfall, vegetation, or soil type. As per

488-464: Is also home to extensive mangrove forests along the low-lying coast and river deltas , and several important wetlands , notably Kaliveli Lake and Pulicat Lake , that provide habitat to thousands of migrating and resident birds. By late 1530 the Coromandel Coast was home to three Portuguese settlements at Nagapattinam , São Tomé de Meliapore , and Pulicat . In the 17th and 18th centuries,

549-399: Is covered by these four zones, with small portions of the coasts covered by East Coast Railway and Konkan Railway . Metro and suburban systems are operational in major cities. Air transport in the region started in the late 1910s with commercial services beginning in the 1930s. The region has multiple international and domestic airports . Chennai International Airport serves as

610-475: Is marked by rocky terrain with an average of about 600 m (2,000 ft). It is subdivided into Maharashtra Plateau, Karnataka Plateau, and Telangana Plateau. The Deccan Traps in the north west were formed by multiple layers of igneous rocks laid down by basaltic lava flows following a massive volcanic eruption that occurred during the end of the cretaceous period (66 mya ). The underlying bed consists of granite and sedimentary rocks formed during

671-560: Is the southeastern coastal region of the Indian subcontinent , bounded by the Utkal Plains to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Kaveri delta to the south, and the Eastern Ghats to the west, extending over an area of about 22,800 square kilometres. The coast has an average elevation of 80 metres and is backed by the Eastern Ghats , a chain of low lying and flat-topped hills. The land of

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732-518: Is the staple food and major crop in the region. Others crops cultivated include sugarcane , banana , cotton , turmeric , millets , pulses , and spices . The urban centres are significant contributors to the Indian and global Information Technology economy. The presence of these hubs has spurred economic growth and attracted foreign investments and job seekers from other parts of the country. Manufacturing and textiles are other major industries in

793-413: Is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff, as according to Indian philosophy, the navel is considered as the source of life and creativity. The men wear a dhoti , a 4.5 m (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

854-579: The Bahmani kingdom , and its successors, the Deccan sultanates . It later housed the Kingdom of Mysore , Maratha confederacy , and Nizam's dominions . It was under the control of British Raj for nearly two centuries before the Indian Independence in 1947. The Reorganisation of Indian states in the 1950s resulted in the creation of states on linguistic lines. The word Deccan is an anglicised version of

915-435: The Bay of Bengal owing to the steeper gradient moving from east to west, with only smaller streams flowing in the opposite direction. The streams and rivers give rise to numerous waterfalls in the region. The rivers have been dammed for hydroelectric and irrigation purposes, with major reservoirs spread across the region. The region has largely semi-arid climate in the northern parts and tropical climate in most of

976-603: The Chola dynasty was called Cholamandalam in Tamil , literally translated as " the realm of the Cholas", from which Coromandel is derived. In historical Muslim sources from the 12th century onward, the Coromandel Coast was called Maʿbar. The land of the Chola dynasty was called Cholamandalam (சோழ மண்டலம்) in Tamil , translated as The realm of the Cholas , from which the Portuguese derived

1037-607: The Earth's crust following a massive volcanic eruption . The eruption event occurred during the end of the cretaceous period (66 mya ) and is the second largest volcanic eruption ever recorded on land. Scientists state that the volcanic event would have released large amounts of ash , dust and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The release would have blocked sunlight resulting in lower temperatures and caused major climatic changes on Earth. The eruption would have resulted in high levels of sulfur , chlorine and other toxic gases in

1098-453: The Kupgal petroglyphs of eastern Karnataka, at Stone Age sites. Hinduism is the major religion today in the region. The total fertility rate in the region was less than the population replacement level and as a result, the proportion of the population of the region to India's total population has declined in the last four decades. The economies of the states in the region registered

1159-662: The Narmada River basin near the Vindhya-Satpura ranges and the lower boundary at the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. The region is bound by the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats on the sides, which separate the region from the Western and Eastern Coastal Plains respectively. It covers most of the Indian states of Maharashtra , Telangana , Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh excluding

1220-501: The Prakrit word dakkhaṇa , which evolved from the Sanskrit word dakṣiṇa , meaning "south". Carbon dating shows that ash mounds associated with Neolithic cultures in region date back to 8000 BCE. Towards the beginning of 1000 BCE, iron technology spread through the region though geological evidence does not point to a fully developed Bronze Age in existence prior to

1281-655: The Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta , the Chalukyas of Badami , the Hoysalas of Belur , and the Kakatiyas of Orugallu ruled over the region from the 6th century BCE to the 14th century CE. In the late middle ages , Vijayanagara empire conquered most of the southern part of the pleateu region. The upper portion was ruled by the Bahmani kingdom , and later by its successors, the Deccan sultanates . The Europeans arrived in

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1342-521: The Western Ghats . The rising air cools and brings about orographic precipitation along the western coast, which signifies the onset of the monsoon season in June. By the time the air rises above the mountains, it becomes dry, resulting in a rain shadow region with very little rainfall on the leeward side towards the interior of the Deccan plateau. The monsoon winds rounding up the peninsula and moving from

1403-454: The atmosphere . Researchers argue that the volcanic event would have contributed to the extinction of various species including some of the dinosaurs . The volcanic deposits stretch more than 500,000 km (190,000 sq mi) encompassing neighbouring central highlands . The deposits consist of three subgroups based on the time and level of deposition. Underlying the lava deposits are granite and sedimentary rocks formed during

1464-482: The paleogene and neogene eras. The sands in the beaches consists of small granites and zircon . The vegetation consists of littoral forests on the coasts and tropical moist deciduous forests inland. Chilika Lake , the largest lake in the region is a brackish lagoon . The Andhra Plains (Circars) extend from the south of the Utkal Plain to Pulicat Lake , north of Chennai . The coastal plains are widest in

1525-409: The precambrian era and the formation of Gondwana . The region forms one of the major watersheds of India, with many perennial river systems such as Godavari , Krishna , and Kaveri flowing through the region. The plateau slopes gently from the west to east, resulting in most of the principal rivers flowing eastwards towards the Bay of Bengal . As the Western Ghats blocks the rain bearing winds,

1586-493: The precambrian era and the formation of Gondwanaland . The Indo-Gangetic Plain rests on hard crystalline rocks which connect the Himalayan region with the plateau region. Apart from granite, parts of the region consists of metamorphic rocks such as gneiss , and schist . The Deccan Plateau region is rich in mineral deposits like iron ore , coal , and mica . Precious and semi precious stones have also been mined from

1647-676: The 15th century CE and by the middle of the 18th century, the French and the British were involved in a protracted struggle for military control over the region. The Maratha Empire founded by Chatrapati Shivaji , briefly captured the region in the early 18th century CE. After the defeat of Mysore Kingdom in the late 18th century CE and the Vellore Mutiny in 1806 CE, the British East India Company consolidated their power over much of

1708-616: The 18th century, because many Chinese exports were consolidated at the Coromandel ports. Two of the famous books on the economic history of the Coromandel Coast are Merchants, companies, and commerce on the Coromandel Coast, 1650–1740 (Arasaratnam, Oxford University Press, 1986) and The World of the Weaver in Northern Coromandel, c.  1750  – c.  1850 (P. Swarnalatha, Orient Longman, 2005). On 26 December 2004, one of

1769-590: The 1950s resulted in the creation of the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , Kerala , Maharashtra , and Tamil Nadu . Telangana was created in 2014 by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. The Deccan Plateau is one of the oldest and most stable land formations in the Indian subcontinent . The plateau is marked by rocky terrain with an average of about 600 m (2,000 ft). The Deccan Traps consist of multiple layers of igneous rocks , which are more than 2 km (1.2 mi) in thickness. These rocks were laid down by basaltic lava flows which emerged from deep inside

1830-596: The Coromandel Coast was the scene of rivalries among European powers for control of the India trade. The British established themselves at Fort St George ( Madras ) and Masulipatnam , the Dutch at Pulicat, Sadras and Covelong , the French at Pondicherry , Karaikal and Nizampatnam , the Danish in Dansborg at Tharangambadi. The Coromandel Coast supplied Indian Muslim eunuchs to

1891-919: The Iron Age. Since at least the 1st century BCE, the region was connected to the Silk Road and was involved in trade with the Mediterranean and East Asia . Several dynasties such as the Pandyas of Madurai , the Cholas of Thanjavur , the Zamorins of Kozhikode , the Satavahanas of Amaravati , the Pallavas of Kanchi , the Kadambas of Banavasi , the Western Gangas of Kolar ,

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1952-527: The Kaveri delta region as one of the major centers of agriculture. The coast itself has sparse vegetation with marshlands dotted with coconut and palm trees. Deccan plateau The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of 422,000 km (163,000 sq mi) and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula . Shaped like an inverted triangle, it stretches from the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in

2013-852: The Southern Regional Headquarters of the Airports Authority of India , the Southern Region comprising the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, and Mumbai International Airport serves the state of Maharashtra. The southern region comes under the purview of the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force and the north western region comes under the South Western Air Command . Coromandel coast The Coromandel Coast

2074-572: The Thai palace and court of Siam (modern Thailand). The Thai at times asked eunuchs from China to visit the court in Thailand and advise them on court ritual since they held them in high regard. Eventually the British won out, although France retained the tiny enclaves of Pondichéry and Karaikal until 1954. Chinese lacquer goods , including boxes, screens, and chests, became known as "Coromandel" goods in

2135-568: The coastal regions, and minor portions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala . The western side of the plateau is elevated gently slopes towards the east. It is subdivided into Maharashtra Plateau, Karnataka Plateau, and Telangana Plateau. The Deccan forms one of the major watersheds of India, feeding many perennial rivers. The major river systems originating in the Western Ghats are the Godavari , Kaveri , and Krishna . Most rivers flow eastwards towards

2196-505: The deadliest natural disasters in modern history, the Indian Ocean earthquake , struck off the western coast of Sumatra (Indonesia). The earthquake and subsequent tsunami reportedly killed over 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean . The tsunami devastated the Coromandel Coast, killing many and sweeping away many coastal communities. Four ships of the Royal Navy have borne

2257-490: The east from the Bay of Bengal pass over the Eastern Ghats and bring some rainfall to the eastern region of the plateau. The region receives most of the rainfall during the months of July to September and the rains feed the rivers that flow into basins and then into the Bay of Bengal. There is a wide diversity of plants and animals in the region, resulting from its varied climates and geography. scrub lands are common in

2318-593: The eastern and southern parts of the region. Hyderabadi cuisine is popular for its biryani . The region is home to various music and dance forms such as Kuchipudi , Lavani , Yakshagana , and Bharatanatyam . There are three distinct styles of rock architecture, the Dravidian style of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, the Vesara style of Karnataka, Telangana, and the Nagara style of Maharashtra. In Dravidian architecture,

2379-486: The island of Sriharikota . The region is very fertile due to the aluvium deposited by the rivers and supports agriculture . The Tamil Nadu Plains (Coromandel) stretches for 675 km (419 mi) from the south of Pulicat Lake to Kanniyakumari at the southern end of the Indian peninsula . The average width is about 100 km (62 mi) with the plains widest at the Kaveri delta at 130 km (81 mi). The fertile soil and irrigation facilities have made

2440-498: The low rainfall areas in the eastern vicinity of the Western Ghats consist of infertile red soil . Historians have used the term Deccan differently across various time periods. Firishta (16th century), R. G. Bhandarkar (1920), and Richard Eaton (2005) demarcate the region based on linguistic lines. K. M. Panikkar (1969) defines it as the entire Indian peninsula south of the Vindhyas. Stewart Gordon (1998) notes that Deccan

2501-486: The low rainfall regions with dry deciduous forests found in the southern part of the plateau. The woodlands of the region are older than the Himalayas . The central part of the plateau is covered by woodlands formed by trees such as hardwickia , teak , siris , axlewood , boswellia , and acacia trees. The region hosts significant populations of endangered Bengal tigers and Indian elephants Other mammals found in

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2562-463: The name Coromandel . The name could also be derived from Karai mandalam , meaning The realm of the Shores . Another theory is that the first Dutch ship to India stopped at Karimanal, an island village to the north of Pulicat . The sailors aboard the ship mispronounced the village's name as 'Corimondal' and the name stuck thereafter. An Italian explorer, Ludovico di Varthema , perhaps first gave

2623-534: The name HMS  Coromandel after the Indian coast. The Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand was named after one of these ships , and the town of Coromandel, New Zealand was named after the peninsula. Coromandel Valley, South Australia , and its neighbouring suburb, Coromandel East, gained their names from the ship Coromandel , which arrived in Holdfast Bay from London in 1837 with 156 English settlers. After

2684-653: The name Coromandel in 1510, which was then used on maps by the Portuguese, but it was the Dutch who took up serious trading there. The Coromandel Coast is home to the East Deccan dry evergreen forests ecoregion , which runs in a narrow strip along the coast. Unlike most of the other tropical dry forest Biome regions of India, where the trees lose their leaves during the dry season, the East Deccan dry evergreen forests retain their leathery leaves year round. The Coromandel Coast

2745-496: The north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound by the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats on the sides, which separate the region from the Western and Eastern Coastal Plains respectively. It covers most of the Indian States of Maharashtra , Telangana , Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh excluding the coastal regions, and minor portions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala . The plateau

2806-580: The north, Andhra plains (Circars) in the center, and Tamil Nadu plains (Coromandel) in the south. The Utkal Plains form a major part of Odisha and stretch from the southern end of the Indo-Gangetic plains to the Andhra plains in the south. The region is drained by rivers such as Mahanadi , Brahmani , Baitarani , and Subarnarekha . The region consists of fertile red and black soil interspersed with gneiss and sandstone rock formations formed during

2867-424: The north, Andhra plains in the center, and Tamil Nadu plains in the south. The plains are fertile as it forms part of the deltas of major peninsular rivers such as Godavari , Krishna , Mahanadi, and Kaveri . The Eastern Coastal Plains is a stretch of coastal land lying between the eastern edge of the Deccan plateau and the Bay of Bengal in the west. The disjointed mountain range of Eastern Ghats forms

2928-512: The other areas. The summer months of April – May are dry and hot with maximum temperatures often rising more than 40 °C (104 °F). During the dry summer months of April – May, heat builds up on the interior of the Deccan Plaeau, which draws air from the sea. The air, which picks up moisture along the way and flows eastward from the Arabian Sea , is blocked by

2989-472: The plateau region is drier than the coastal region and has a semi-arid climate. The Deccan plateau region was ruled by several kingdoms in the Indian history such as Pallavas , Cholas , Pandyas , Satavahanas , Chalukyas , Rashtrakutas , Hoysalas , Kadambas , Kakatiyas , and Western Gangas . In the later medieval era , the lower plateau was ruled by the Vijayanagara empire , and the upper portion by

3050-461: The plateau. Marathi people , who speak Marathi , an Indo-Aryan language , form the majority in the north-western part of the plateau. English is also widely spoken in urban areas of the region. Deccani Urdu a regional dialect of Urdu is spoken by the Muslims . Evidence of prehistoric religion in the region comes from scattered Mesolithic rock paintings depicting dances and rituals, such as

3111-465: The region include gaur , blackbuck , chinkara , four-horned antelope , wild buffalo , and Indian wild dog . The largest linguistic group in the region is the Dravidian family of languages , of approximately 73 languages. The Telugus and Kannadigas who speak Telugu and Kannada form the major demographic groups in the central region. Tamils and Malayalis form a part of the southern end of

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3172-417: The region with a significant portion formed by the deltas of the largest peninsular rivers Godavari and Krishna . The two river deltas form a contiguous single physiographic unit and cut across a 160 km (99 mi) wide gorge in the Eastern Ghats . The deltas have advanced towards the Bay of Bengal , which has pushed the Kolleru Lake inwards. The Pulicat Lake is interrupted by a sand spit which forms

3233-416: The region. As defined by Ministry of Culture of the Government of India to promote and preserve the cultural heritage , the region falls under the purview of West and South Zone Cultural Centers. The 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

3294-405: The region. Large uranium deposits have been discovered in the region in the 21st century. There are two major soil types, forming distinct sub-regions of the plateau. Most of the region with igneous basaltic rock consists of black soil . These soils have a high clay content, retain moisture and are resistant to erosion, but develop cracks during the dry season. The gneiss peneplain region in

3355-552: The region. 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 between the Madras Presidency , Bombay Presidency , Hyderabad State , and Mysore . The region played a major role in the Indian independence movement . After Indian Independence in 1947, majority of the region was organised into four states Bombay State , Hyderabad State , Madras State , and Mysore State . The Reorganisation of Indian states on linguistic lines in

3416-440: The ship reached the shore, some of its sailors deserted, intending to remain behind in South Australia, and took refuge in the hills in the Coromandel Valley region. In Slovene , the idiom Indija Koromandija (India Coromandel) means a land of plenty, a promised land, a utopia where "Houses are bleached with cheese and covered with cake". Edward Lear situates his nonsense poem The Yonghy Bonghy Bo by citing Coromandel on

3477-407: The temples considered of large gate-pyramids or Gopurams in quadrangular enclosures that surround the temple with large pillared halls. Vimanam are similar structures built over the garbhagriha or inner sanctum of the temple but are usually smaller than the gopurams in the Dravidian architecture. In the Nagara style, the temples had one or more shikharas , which are towers similar to

3538-402: The vimanas. The Vesara style is a hybrid of both these architectural styles. There is an extensive road network composed of National Highways , State Highways and other roads in the region. The Golden Quadrilateral connecting the major cities in the country traverses across the region. Public bus services are mostly provided by state-run transport corporations. The Madras Railway

3599-433: 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. Western-style school uniforms are worn by both boys and girls in schools, even in rural areas. The region has a rich cuisine involving both traditional non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes. The traditional way of eating

3660-400: Was established in 1845 and the Great Indian Peninsular Railway was incorporated in 1849. The construction on the first main line in the South between Royapuram in Madras and Arcot started in 1853, which became operational on 1 July 1856. In 1879, the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was established which built railway lines across the then Hyderabad State and the Mysore State Railway

3721-425: Was established to build an extension of Madras Railway in Mysore State. In 1880, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway built a railway network radiating from Madras. The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway was founded on 1 January 1908 by merging the Madras Railway and the Southern Mahratta Railway . In 1950, there were about 42 different railway companies across the countrym which were amalgamated in steps to form

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