the eastern and western tips of the state are defined by the point calimere and mudumalai wildlife sanctuaries while the southernmost tip is kanniya kumari (also called cape comorin) at the tip of the indian peninsula. tamil nadu is the 11th largest state in india, with an area of 129,996 km2 and over 62 million people. the major river is kaveri, which meets the needs of agriculture. other important rivers include south pennar, palar, vaigai, tamira bharani, manimuthar, noyyal and bhavani. tamil nadu, a south indian state, is famed for its dravidian-style hindu temples. the three ancient tamil empires of chera, chola, and pandya were of ancient origins. in tamil nadu, the neolithic period had its advent around 2500 bce.