Much of this influence can be attributed to close to a millennium of Muslim rule across North India. Unlike in the North, South India had less outside influence until the advent of European imperialists. As such, the original Hindu traditions are relatively better preserved in South India than in North India.
The impact of Muslim rule in North India spanned nearly a millennium, while South India experienced less external influence until European colonialism arrived. As a result, Hindu traditions are more intact in South India than in North India.