Facts

ELI works in the three southernmost states of India, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and the beautiful state of Kerala. The mountainous center of this region is high enough to be reasonably cool. The British established "hill stations" here to escape the heat. Ooty is the best known of these getaways, but Munnar in the tea country of Kerala is another great destination..

Each of these states has a different language, but they are all members of the Dravidian language group. In other words, they are not Indo-European, like Hindi, Bengali or English for example. Our study program at the University of Madras is located in Tamil Nadu. As the name Tamil Nadu indicates, Tamil is spoken here. It is a language with an astonishingly old and rich tradition. Its ancient literature is still admired today. In Kerala, the language is Malayalam, and in Karnataka, Kannada is the official language. Although most participants arrive not knowing a word of Tamil, Malayalam, or Kannada, this is not a major obstacle. English is widespread in the South. Because the native languages of the southern states are rarely spoken in other areas of India, English is the second language of choice for most, and is, in fact, one of India's official languages, the one that best links the many regions. For many in South India, this is a political choice. They prefer to speak English instead of Hindi, the dominant language of the North.

The South is primarily Hindu, but there are also Moslems, and a surprisingly large Christian population. Christianity in South India may have arrived nearly 2000 years ago. The great temples and monuments of the South however, are Hindu. Madurai, Kanchipuram, and Mahabilipuram are among the many sites not to be missed.

In the realm of food there is good news for vegetarians. There is probably no place on earth more accommodating to your needs. The South is primarily vegetarian. Most Indian restaurants abroad serve Northern food, so you may need to acquaint yourself with the Southern specialties - dosas, idlis, vadai, and the ever-present thali. Spice is the order of the day, so be prepared to work up a sweat. But all in all, most people love the food, and it is incredibly inexpensive (except in western hotels).

Want meat? Non-vegetarian food is widely available, but don't expect beef! Chicken will be the most common choice. Pizza? Yes you can find Pizza Hut in Chennai if you find yourself craving a bit of home.

Visas are required for most visitors to India, including, U.S., Canadian, British, and Australian citizens. Health India is not an easy place to stay healthy. Certainly you should have immunizations for hepatitus. But you should also check before you go with a physician who is knowledgeable about international health issues.