The Indian state of Tamil Nadu shares the southern tip of India with the state of Kerala. Its capital and largest city is Chennai (formerly known as Madras). Within its borders is the territory of Puducherry, a former French colony now administered by India. It is bounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait on the southeast, and by the Indian Ocean on the south. It also shares a maritime border with the nation of Sri Lanka. A narrow spit of land called Adam’s Bridge at the southeast end of the state connects to Sri Lanka near the town of Rameswaram (but several miles of the it are under the Bay of Bengal). Tamil Nadu is known for its temples– we visited the ones in Madurai and Rameswaram.