First Lets go to The Cultural facts

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Festivals

If you want to know about the tradition and culture of a society what better way than the festivals to find out the information from. South India like every other part of the country has many colorful and vibrant festivals. Onam and Pongal are some of the harvest festivals while Ugadi, Vishu, Mahashivaratri, Dussherah, Diwali, Christmas and Id are the other festivals which are celebrated in this part of the land.

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Carnatic Music

Carnatic music is south India's classical style of music, dating back to the 15th century. Its most common form is the kriti -- a composition based on a fixed raga (melody) and tala (rhythm), which involves a great deal of improvisation. The greatest concentration of Carnatic musicians is found in the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. If you're a fan of Carnatic music, you shouldn't miss the Chennai Music Festival (also known as the Madras Music Season), held annually in Chennai from mid-December to mid-January. Over 1,000 performances take place during the festival. The Thyagaraja Carnatic Music Festival, held every January in Thiruvariyar (in the Tanjavur district of Tamil Nadu), is also excellent.

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Architecture:

The art at Mahabalipuram, Tanjore, Hampi and Madurai along with the mural paintings of Travancore and Lepakshi temples are living testaments to South India’s richness in the field of art. Being home to 5 out of the 26 World Heritage listed sites in India, South India’s connect to art is undisputable. A foray into the southern peninsula is certainly incomplete without a prevue of this fine aspect.

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Traditional Clothing

South Indian women traditionally wear the sari while the men wear a type of sarong, which could be either a white dhoti or a colourful lungi with typical batik patterns. The saree, being an unstitched drape, enhances the shape of the wearer while only partially covering the midriff. In Indian philosophy, the navel of the Supreme Being is considered as the source of life and creativity. Hence by tradition, the stomach and the navel is to be left unconcealed, though the philosophy behind the costume has largely been forgotten. This makes the realization of sharira-mandala, where in Angikam bhuvanam yasya (the body is your world) unites with the shaarira-mandala (the whole universe), as expressed in the Natyashastra. These principles of the sari, also hold for other forms of drapes, like the lungi or mundu or panchey (a white lungi with colourful silk borders in kannada), worn by men.[6] The lungi is draped over clockwise or counterclockwise and is tied at the back or fixed just along the waistline. It's sometimes lifted to the knee and tied at the waist leisurely or just held in hand to speed up walking. Traditionally, South Indian men do not cover their upper body. Sometimes, in a formal situation, a piece of cloth may cover the upper body. Certain temples in South India even ban men from wearing upper-body garments when inside the temple. In Andhra and parts of north Karnataka, men wear kachche panchey where it is tied at back by taking it between legs. A similar pattern is seen in women. All over the peninsular coastal region, men wear coloured lungis and women wear saris in a manner of tying them at the back.

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Dances

South India’s dance forms are the bodily manifestations of inner devotion, as well as enactments of Hinduism’s chronicles, and are all profoundly transfixing. Various dances honor the centuries-old traditions of places where religious doctrines are a way of life. Here’s an introduction to South Indian dance forms.

Bharatanatyam

This dance is synonymous with South Indian arts and culture. It’s practiced and performed religiously with utmost devotion and diligence. Regarded as one of the oldest dance forms in the world, Bharatanatyam is an amalgamation of decorative hand gestures, meticulous facial expressions and complex footwork. It adheres to a compendium known as Natya Shastra, put forth by its most celebrated patron, Bharata Muni. The ringing of the cymbals accompanied by the grace of Bharatanatyam is enchanting to witness.

Kathakali

Kathakali is an operatic style of dance hailing from the Malayalam-speaking areas of south-west India, predominantly the state of Kerala. Characterized by quirky paraphernalia and accessories, a Kathakali performance depicts stories from Indian mythology or folklore. Brisk martial art moves and eerie eye movements give Kathakali a distinctive flavor. Because of its complexity, it takes years for a performer to master Kathakali.

Kuchipudi

Among the dance forms that have a definitive origin, Kuchipudi is the principal one. It can be traced back to its namesake village in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. Although Kuchipudi shares common elements with Bharatanatyam, the interpretation and accompaniment is different. Kuchipudi heavily utilizes facial expressions and agility, and also incorporates props such as clay pot and brass plates. Kuchipudi commands devotion and respect, with themes of spiritual advancement and the channeling of divine energy.

Yakshagana

Yaksha means a demigod or a guardian spirit, while gana is a song. Yakshagana is eccentric and features ornate costumes, powerful narrations, periodic percussion and serious method acting. It’s not uncommon to come across all-night Yakshagana performances in the coastal districts of Karnataka.

Mohiniattam

The graceful Mohiniattam gets its name from an Indian mythical character called Mohini — an enchantress with a divine status. Mohiniattam is largely performed by women dancers. It is sensual for the most part, usually accompanied by mellifluous music that is feminine and subtle. The dance found its niche in the temples of Kerala in the late middle ages, albeit with some stigma, but the dance is very popular today.

Bhuta Kola/Theyyam

Bhuta Kola and Theyyam are indigenous ritualistic dance forms found in the Tulu region of Karnataka and the Kolathunadu region of Kerala, respectively. They are similar in style and delivery, and both symbolize the idea of divine advancement. Bhuta Kola is a salutation to the Bhutas (spirits), which enjoy a cult status, like demigods. The Bhutas are mostly the guardians of natural elements of our world, and the interpreters of these Bhutas exist in liminal areas between forests and villages. The costumes of the Bhuta Kola are ornate, and there is heavy percussion and volatile movements. Blood offerings to the Bhutas are customary. Theyyam is similar in rendition but differs in the number of deities portrayed, and the temperaments of these deities.

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Cusine And food

If you love seafood, you'll find dining in Kerala and other coastal parts of south India a real treat. The food in Kerala is coconut-based, however, the fiery dishes of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh might be too much for some unaccustomed western palates.

You would have been forever deprived of the mouthwatering tastes of Dosa and Idli if it wasn’t for the culinary wealth of the south. Rice, Coconut oil, delicious pickles, spicy aromatic curries, delectable sea food, south Indian coffee, pongal, sambhar and vadai are just some of the luscious offering from the southern peninsula. The scrumptious Hyderabadi biryani is another illustrious addition to the list. South India’s cuisine is definitely an integral thread of its cultural uniqueness. Many travelers do love Tamil Nadu's idlis though, and Hyderabadi biryani is renowned. Food is traditionally eaten off a banana leaf with your hands and rice is an important part of meals. Wash it down with some aromatic South Indian filter coffee (kaapi).

The best way of sampling south Indian food is by staying at a homestay, such as The Bangala in Tamil Nadu's Chettinad region (which serves a seven-course feast and offers cooking demonstrations and packages for exploring local cuisine). The food will be cooked fresh in real home style and most likely with recipes handed down from generation to generation. You can even participate in the process! Alternatively, go on a food or cooking tour. Yum!

The Incredible South India