South India is the area encompassing India's 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 km2 or 245,480 sq mi). South India includes the southern part of the peninsular Deccan Plateau and 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, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Kochi are the largest urban areas in the region.
Culture and heritage
The dance, clothing, and sculptures of South Indian exemplify the celebration of the beauty of the body and motherhood.Clothing
South Indian women traditionally wear 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. There are more than 80 recorded ways to wear a sari. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with the loose end of the drape to be worn over the shoulder, baring the midriff.
Cuisine
Rice is the staple diet, while fish is an integral component of coastal South Indian meals.oconut and spices are used extensively in South Indian cuisine. The region has a rich cuisine involving both traditional non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes using of rice, legumes andlentils. 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 transfer the food to the mouth. After the meal, the fingers are washed and the banana leaf is easily degradable or becomes fodder for cows.Eating on banana leaves is a custom that dates back thousands of years, 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 andPoriyal for lunch. Andhra cuisine is characterized by pickles and spicy curries. Chettinad cuisine is famous for non vegetarian andHyderabadi cuisine is popular for its Biryani.