Tirunelveli
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| திருநெல்வேலி Tirunelveli | |
| Nellai | |
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| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District(s) | Tirunelveli |
| Mayor | Mr. A.L.Subramanian B.Sc, B.L |
| Population • Density |
411,298 (2001[update]) • 3,781 /km2 (9,793 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
4,621 km² (1,784 sq mi) • 47 m (154 ft) |
 Portal: Tamil Nadu |
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| Website | tirunelvelicorp.tn.gov.in |
Coordinates: 8°44′N 77°42′E / 8.73°N 77.7°E
Tirunelveli (Tamil: திருநெல்வேலி) is a city in Tamil Nadu, which has become a Municipal Corporation in 1994, by merging three municipalities viz., Tirunelveli city, Palayamkottai, Melapalyam, and a few Panchayat areas[1]. It is the 7th largest city in Tamil Nadu, South India, and the district headquarters of Tirunelveli district.
The city is considered to be one of the oldest in the Indian subcontinent, with a history that dates back to 1000 BC. This city is located on the west bank of the perennial river, Thamirabarani, whereas Palayamkottai is located on the right bank; for this reason, they are referred to as the "twin cities". Tirunelveli is also often called the "Halwa City" for its very famous sweet Halwa.
[edit] History
Tirunelveli is an ancient city, as evidenced by the findings of archaeological excavations which have been going on since 1840s, in the outskirts of the city in Adichanallur (now under Tuticorin district). At this site, the archaeologists have unearthed an urn which could date back to 500 B.C, [2] containing a complete human skeleton and clay vessels with some rudimentary Tamil Brahmi script inscribed on them. Other ancient urns in which the elderly were buried have also been found in the same district.[3] Along with skeletal finds, husks, grains of rice, charred rice and celts have also been found.
More recent excavations at this site has led to the discovery of a habitation site of the Iron Age people. Archaeologists opine that it is about 3000-3800 years old, from the Neolithic period.[4][5] This has assured us that Tirunelveli has been an abode for human habitation for 3000 years or more. Now, Adhichanallur has been announced as an archaeological site for further excavation and studies.[6][7].
The history of Tirunelveli (English name Tinnevelly) was extensively researched by Bishop Robert Caldwell.[8] (Christian missions in the 19th century in Tinnevelly played a significant part in the development of education as well as religious conversion.[9][10])
The known history says that Tirunelveli had been under the prominence of the Pandya kings,[11] serving as their secondary capital while Madurai remained its primary capital. It was an important city of the Chola kingdom (c.900–1200)[12] and of the Vijayanagar empire. The city was the chief commercial town in the period of Arcot Nawabs and Nayaks. They were among the various ruling dynasties of Tamil Nadu. In fact, they called the city "Nellai Cheemai", with cheemai meaning a developed foreign town.[13] It was the Nayaks who, in 1781, granted its revenues and local administration to the British. In 1801, it was annexed by the British, who governed it until India achieved independence in 1947.
On acquisition from the Nawab of Arcot in 1801, the British anglicized its name as Tinnevelly and made it the headquarters of Tirunelveli district. This happened despite the fact that their administrative and military headquarters was located in Palayamkottai (which was also anglicized as Palankottah),during their operations against the Palayakars. Post-independence, both towns reverted from their anglicized names to their original names and grew together as twin cities.
The city's historic heritage includes the Swamy Nellaiappar temple and the Sri Kandimathi Ambal temple, both of which are ancient Saivite temples. It is also the site of Asia's second largest two-tiered bridge, the "Tiruvalluvur Bridge",which connects Tirunelveli Town and Junction.
[edit] Etymology
Tirunelveli is also called Nellai. The translation in Tamil for paddy (rice fields) is "Nell". Both the names, Tirunelveli and Nellai, directly associate it to rice fields. Even on satellite imagery, it can be seen that the city is surrounded by fertile paddy fields, enriched by the perennial river "Tamirabarani".[14] The river has a wide network of canals and waterways which irrigate numerous rice fields and support the villages around the district which primarily thrive on cultivating rice. The region is also heavily dependent on the monsoon rains.
The etymology of Tirunelveli has a Puranic association also. It is said that a devotee was invited by God in his dream to settle with his family near the Tamirabarani river. There was a famine in the region for a long time, and the man had to beg and collect paddy from other people. He spread out the paddy to dry under the sunlight and went for his ritual ablution in the river. He then continued to pray to the Lord for rain. Suddenly a thunderstorm broke out and it rained heavily. Although his prayer was answered, he was worried about the paddy he had spread out to dry in the sun. So he ran to collect it but what he saw was nothing short of a miracle. Not a drop of rain had fallen on the paddy he had laid out to dry. Since then, the city has been called Tirunelveli -- 'Tiru' meaning respectable, 'Nel' meaning paddy, and 'Veli' meaning a protective fence. In other words, the etymology relates to the city having paddy fields as a protective fence.
Halwa Cityis the latest nickname of Tirunelveli. A wheat-based sweet, halwa is very tasty and popular in Tirunelveli, has brought it fame across the southern Indian states.
[edit] Geography
Tirunelveli is located at 8°44′N 77°42′E / 8.73°N 77.7°E.[15] It has an average elevation of 47 metres msl(154 ft). It is located in the southern-most tip of the Deccan plateau. Tirunelveli is an important junction in the National Highway No 7 connecting India from the North to South (Kashmir to Kanyakumari). The nearest pivotal towns are: Gangaikondan in the north, Tuticorin in the east, Alangulam in the west, Kalakkad in the southwest and Nanguneri in the south. It is also flanked by the state of Kerala to the west, Gulf of Mannar and the districts of Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari.[16] Thamiraparani river roughly divides the city into the Tirunelveli quarter and the Palayamkottai area. The major lakes in the city are Nainar lake and Udayarpetti lake. Three rivers (Chitraru, Thamirabarani and Kothandarama river) converge at a place called Sivalai, making the area very fertile. The closest town to this location is Kuppakkurichi.
| Destinations from TIRUNELVELI | |||||||||||
| Thalaiyatthu | Gangaikondan |
Thimmarajapuram | |||||||||
| Alangulam |
|
Tuticorin | |||||||||
| Kalakkad | Nanguneri |
Palayamkottai | |||||||||
[edit] Climate
The climate of Tirunelveli is usually tropical- generally hot and humid.[17]. The average temperature during summer (March to June) ranges from 23 to 36° Celsius and 18 to 30°C during the rest of the year. The average annual rainfall is 680 mm, most of which occurs during the northeast monsoon (October-December). Since the economy of the district is primarily based on agriculture, fluctuations in the monsoon rains or flooding of the Thamarabarani river has an immediate impact of livelihood in the area.
There have been no earthquakes in the recorded history of the region. However, there have been a few instances of floods and cyclones caused by the monsoons.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census,[18] Tirunelveli had a population of 411,298. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. The city has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 73%. In Tirunelveli, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.Among the Municipal Corporations, Tirunelveli has been identified with a gender ratio skewed towards males, with 1024 females for every 1000 males.[19] The growth rate of Urban Agglomeration is 20.22%.[20]
The city spreads over an area of 128.65 km². The population density of the city had increased to 3781 persons per km² in 2001 from 2218 Persons per km² in 1971. The disabilities in the city as per the 2001 census are 1308246, out of which 645142 are males and 663104, female. Hindus are the most in urban population. They are followed by Muslims and then Christians. The language mainly spoken in the city is Tamil. The usage of English is relatively common. The vast majority of official dealings and the medium of instruction in most educational institutions is in English. The Tamil dialect spoken in this region is very lucid and is popular throughout Tamil Nadu.
Projected Population
| Year | Population | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 345,772 | census | official |
| 2001 | 431,603 | census | official |
| 2009 | 597,979 | calculation | [21] |
| Sl. No | Domain | Rank in population | Rank in UA | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | World | not-defined | not-defined | |
| 2 | Asia | 440 | 400 | [22][23] |
| 3 | India | 89 | 87 | [24][25] |
| 4 | Tamil Nadu | 6 | 7 | [26][27] |
[edit] Economy
The economy of Tirunelveli district is chiefly agrarian in nature and people are engaged in the cultivation of spices and condiments (like cumbu, ragi, pulses) groundnut, gingelly, coconut, chillies, indigo and cotton. It is rich in mineral resources like limestone, sulphides and ilmenite-garnet sand.[28] The city of Tirunelveli has quite a number of industries in its area[2] like cement factories, cotton textile mills, spinning and weaving mills, beedi (tobacco) companies, steel products and so on. A large number of small scale industries supported by NELSIA (Nellai Small Scale Industries Association) are active. Tannery industries in small scale are also found here. In addition to these industries, a few small scale units of brick kilns and oil mills exist in the industrial area.
A vast majority of the middle class population in Tirunelveli city are either government employees, teachers, professors or others working in educational institutions. The living cost of the city is considerably low when comparing with other large cities in Tamil Nadu. Food items are easily available at affordable prices. Recently the Tata Group has signed for the opening of a titanium dioxide plant estimated at Rs.2500 crore in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts. The project is expected to create job opportunities for over 1000 people directly and an estimated 3000 indirectly.
[edit] Civic administration
Tirunelveli assembly constituency is part of Tirunelveli (Lok Sabha constituency).[29]
| Tirunelveli City officials | |
| Mayor | Mr. A.L. Subramanian (DMK) |
| Deputy Mayor | Mr. K. Muthuramalingam (DMK) |
| Collector | Mr. Jayaraman I.A.S |
| Police Commissioner | Mr. Manjunatha I.P.S |
| Member of Legislative Assembly-Tirunelveli | N. Malai Raja (DMK) |
| Member of Legislative Assembly-Palayamkottai | T.P.M.Mohaideen Khan (DMK) |
| Member of Parliament | Rama Subbu (INC) |
Total population in Tirunelveli Municipal Corporation as per 2001 census.
| Tirunelveli City voters | |
| Number of Wards | 55 |
| Total population | 411,832 |
| Male population | 203,232 |
| Female population | 208,599 |
[edit] Transport
[edit] Roads
The Tirunelveli city is well-connected by roads. It is located on NH 7, 150 km to the south of Madurai and 80 km to the north of Kanyakumari. NH 7A, an extension of NH 7, connects Tirunelveli with Tuticorin City. For improving road infrastructure, there is a 4 way expansion works almost nearing completion and the NH 7A stretch is almost in finishing stage. Tirunelveli is accessible by road from Madurai (3 hours) or Nagercoil (1 1/2 hours). Tirunelveli is also connected by major highways to Kollam, Tiruchendur, Rajapalayam, Sankarankovil, Ambasamudram and Nazareth.
[edit] Bus stand
The main mofussil bus stand is located in Veinthaankulam, functional from 2003 onwards. The inter state and intra state nework of Buses are avialable here to various destinations. There are some other busstands operating buses for inter city and for city outskirts from Junction and Palai Busstands. There is a mix of both private and public transport systems prevalent in the city round the clock.
The Tirunelveli sub-division of the TNSTC (Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation), Madurai Division services the district's road transport needs with a string of local and mofussil (out-of-town) services. The State Express Bus Corporation (SETC) operates express services to Chennai,[30] Bangalore, Salem, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Nagapattinam, Erode, Villupuram, and Tirupati.
[edit] Railways
Tirunelveli Junction The city is beautified by a majestic looking structure with a high elevated façade,[31] is one of the busiest and most important stations in Tamil Nadu[32]. It is connected to major cities in all four directions, Madurai/Sankarankovil to the north, Nagercoil to the south, Tenkasi/Kerala (kollam) to the west and Tiruchendur to the east.
It is fully Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur broad gauge network from September 2008. Train Engine maintenance service station in under construction at this Railway station. At present, the engine and coaches are being sent to Nagercoil for maintenance. This station is facilated with computerized ticket booking and touch screen to know the train schedule and train running status. It is proposed to open up a computerized ticket booking center at Palayamkottai also to clear the extra rush at this Junction station. There are 3 express trains starts from here that are Nellai Express(Night Train to Chennai Egmore), Kollam Mail, Bilaspur Express(Tirunelveli - Trivandrum - Salem - Bilaspur)
This railway station produces profit for the Madurai Railway division. The Nellai Express, — a super-fast train connecting Tirunelveli and Chennai Egmore — runs packed almost throughout the year[33]. The station has six platforms . Tirunelveli Junction is coded as TEN. Any train passing through the station halts in Tirunelveli Junction station. It is one of the oldest[34] and popular stations in Indian Railway[35].
The major trains at Tirunelveli Junction:
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- Nellai Express
- Kanniyakumari Express
- Ananthapuri Express
- Guruvayur Express
- Nagarcoil-Mumbai Express
- Thirukural Express
- Kanyakumari - Howrah Express
- Nagercoil-Coimbatore Express
- Chendur Express (Thiruchendur - Tirunelveli - Chennai Egmore) (Weekly)
- Tirunelveli - Mayiladuthurai - Erode Passenger
- Nagercoil - Coimbatore Passenger
- Tirunelveli - Thiruchendur Passenger
- Tirunelveli - Tuticorin Passenger
- Tirunelveli - Kanyakumari Passenger
- Tirunelveli - Tenkasi - Sengcottah Passenger
- Kollam Mail
- Tirunelveli - Punalur Passenger
- Tuticorin - Tirunelveli - Thiruchendur Passenger
- Kanyakumari - Tirunelveli - Tuticorin Passenger
The year 2009 is the Golden age of Tirunelveli Railway Junction.
In the Interim railway budget 2009 submitted on 13 Feb,2009 by Lalu Prasad Yadav(RJD, Bihar) two new trains starting from Tirunelveli are introduced. They are
-
- Tirunelveli - Mumbai Superfast Express via Trivandrum (Bi-Weekly) ~ Yet to be Inaugurated
- Tirunelveli - Bilaspur Express (Weekly) via Trivandrum ~ Inaugurated
In the Railway Budget 2009-2010 submitted on 03 July,2009 by Mamata Baneerje(TMC, WestBengal) two new trains starting from Tirunelveli are introduced. They are
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- Tirunelveli - Hapa Express via Trivandrum (Bi-Weekly)
- Tirunelveli - Bilaspur Express (Weekly) via Trivandrum
In the same Railway Budget 2009-2010 the train from Madurai to JammuTawi was extended to Tirunelveli and so the train will be Tirunelveli - JammuTawi (via Madurai)
There are Six local railway stations in the city
| Sl No. | Station Name | Station Code |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tirunelveli Junction | TEN |
| 2 | Tirunelveli Town | TYT |
| 3 | Palayamkottai | PCO |
| 4 | Pettai | PEA |
| 5 | Melapalayam | MP |
| 6 | Thalayoothu | TAY |
| 7 | Maharajanagar | Requested[36][37] |
[edit] Airport
The closest airport to Tirunelveli city is the Tuticorin airport (TCR), located at Vaagaikulam, Thoothukkudi district, about 28 km east of Tirunelveli. Connections to Chennai are via Kingfisher Red, once a day. The Madurai Airport and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport are about 150 km away by road. An unused runway between Gangaikondan and Kayathar, 22 km north of the city, will become operational once the IT park at Gangaikondan is set up.[38]
[edit] Media & Communications
[edit] Print
Dina Thanthi, Dina Malar, Dinakaran, Dina Mani, Dina Vel, Tamil Sudar, Kathiravan, Tamil Murasu, Malai Malar, Malai Murasu (an evening paper) are the prominent Tamil news dailies currently printed in the city. The Hindu is the most widely read English daily. The news daily The Hindu published at Madurai is being circulated here. Published at Trivandrum for Tamil Nadu editions are also being circulated occasionally. Both the cities are almost equidistance from the Tirunelveli city. Daily Thanthi and Dina Malar is the mostly commonly read Tamil Daily.
[edit] Local cable TV
Karan TV, krishna TV, and Air Media Network,are the local cable television networks.
Karan tv details
Karan tv is the leading local channel in Tirunelveli. It was started in tirunelveli 7.10.2000. It has 14 branches in tamilnadu. The 14 centre of karan tv is Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Nagerkovil, Tuticorin, Thiruchendur, Rajapalayam, Dindigul, Tanjore, Kumbakonam, Erode, Kumarapalayam, Namakkal, Tharmapuri, Krishnakiri.
Karan tv earn somany viewers More than other local channels. Because it is the first local channel in tamilnadu with full form of programmes, local news and live shows. In the 14 centres karan tv prepared Daily local news from nellai, Dindigul, Tanjore, Erode centres. Local news are broadcasted in karan tv daily 4 times. The news time is 7.00 am, 12.30 pm, 6.30 pm, 9.00 pm.
Usasul days karan tv broadcasted morning times (6.00 am to 7.00 am) devotinal songs. Day times karan tv telecasted tamil movies songs, comedies etc. Weekend days karan tv coducted so many live shows in the prime times like telechoice, Jothidar Kelvi neram. Every monday 8.30 pm karan tv telecasted the STAR SHOW programme. in this programme every week give the informations about a cini stars life history, carreer history. Every wednesday 8.30 pm karan tv telecasted the DEAR DOCTOR programme. In this programme a familier doctor explain so many medical questions asked by a anger. Every Thursday 8.30 pm karan tv telecasted the programme named as THISAIKATTIKAL. In this programme a successful man sharing his experience in his own life. Every Friday 8.30 am & pm Karan tv telecasted the programme VALLTHUM NEJENGAL. In this programme karan tv gives the birth day wishes for the below 13 years old kids. Every Saturday 8.30 pm karan tv telecasted the programme named as CHINNARASU VS THANGARASU. In this programme to characters discuss the social and current problems with humour. Every sunday 8.00 pm karan tv telecasted MINI CINEMA. In this shows we saw a Tamil Movie in a short form with in one hour.
Every year AANI THIRUVIZHA and CAR Festival of swamy nellaiyappar and Kanthimathi temple festival is telecasted in karan tv lively. The ten days festival is completely telecasted lively in Tirunelveli karan tv. This live show attacts lakhs and lakhs of orthodex thirunelveli peoples.
Every year Indipendence day programme is celebrated at Tirunelveli-Palayamkottai VOC ground. Dist Collector, Higher Police and govt authorities are participated in this programme. Thousands of schoolstudents are participated and given the cultural programme. It is a wonder full and colourful programme in nellai. This Indipendence day programme is Lively telecasted in the nellai karan tv regularly for the last 7 years.
Every year many branches of karan tv telecasted 10th, plus2 results and marks lively. Kantha Sasti Thiruvizha and Sura samharam is a major event in Thiruchendur. This event is Lively telecasted in thiruchendur karan tv.
Because of the above live shows, Studio based live shows, entertaiment programmes, local news is the reason for victim of karan tv. karan tv is one of the channel under the roof of SUN NETWORK. For more details about karan tv please contact: 0462-2510510.
[edit] Radio stations
Tirunelveli is served on the FM dial by Suriyan FM, (frequency 93.5, run by the Sun TV Network), Malai Malar's 'Hello FM' (frequency 106.4 MHz),and Tirunelveli Vanoli Nilayam (AIR by the Government of India). Tirunelveli has been identified as one of just 40 cities in India to have its own FM stations. IGNOU has planned to air its distance education lectures (named Gyan Vani) soon via FM.
[edit] Sports
Many sport events such as Hockey, Kabbadi, Volleyball, Kho-Kho tournaments are conducted at Anna stadium and VOC grounds. Both are situated in Palayamkottai and primarily used by school students for playing cricket during their leisure hours and holidays. An excellent public swimming pool and a well-maintained hockey field are among the facilities of the Anna stadium.
[edit] Pincodes
Pincode is the postal numbering system used in India.
| Location | Pincode |
|---|---|
| Tirunelveli Junction | 627 001 |
| Palayamkottai | 627 002 |
| Pappankulam | 627 110 |
| Vannarpettai | 627 003 |
| Pettai | 627 004 |
| Melapalayam | 627 005 |
| Tirunelveli Town | 627 006 |
| Perumalpuram | 627 007 |
| Gandhinagar | 627 008 |
| Kokkirakulam (Collectorate) | 627 009 |
| Industrial Estate, Pettai | 627 010 |
| Maharajanagar | 627 011 |
| Abisheikapatti | 627 012 |
| Sankarnagar | 627 357 |
| Suthamalli | 627 604 |
| Thachanallur | 627 358 |
| Alwarkuruchi | 627412 |
[edit] Religion
Tirunelveli has a rich religious tradition. Though the roots of the city can be traced to associate with Hindu mythology, Tirunelveli is populated by people of all religions, with Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Jains forming a major proportion of the local people. Consequently, the city has places of worship for people of all these religions, several of which are of historical importance. Palayamkottai has a large proportion of Christians and Christian educational institutions. It was one of earliest south Indian sites of missionary activities in the 17th and 18th centuries. Melapalayam is mostly populated by Muslims. Despite having a pluralistic population, Tirunelveli in general, enjoys religious, racial and cultural harmony.
[edit] Popular Temples
Sri Kalakodi Dharma Sastha Temple Karakurichi: Is a place in Tamil nadu. It is near tirunelveli. Nearest location is amba samudram. When travelling towards karakurichi from nager Kovil, we pass through, thovala, ervadi, kalakkad, cherama devi and next karakurichi and road goes to amba samudram and from their to papanasam.
A famous Ayyappa temple is situated in karakurichi, Sri Kalakodi Dharma Sastha Temple near a river, people call it koovam. Lord Ayyappais the main deity, sub deity's are ganapathy, shiva , navagrahas and veera bhadran. Here Navagrahas are with wives, that is dampathy sametha. Kumbhavisekam was conducted last year. Two festivals are important here; that is during mandala pooja and pankini utra. A laksharchana is conducted during mandala pooja with other abhisekhams. Many devoties attend the function from different places of the world.
[edit] Nellaiappar Temple
Nellaiappar Temple is famous as one of the largest Shiva Temples of Tamilnadu, steeped in tradition and also known for its sculptural splendours. The temple is situated in the centre of the city at a distance of two kilometres from the railway station. It is a twin temple dedicated to Goddess Parvathi and Lord Shiva. Even from a considerable distance, one can have a good view of the gopurams (towers). Both the gopurams were built according to the rules laid down in the agama sastras by Rama Pandyan. It is the largest Shiva Temple in TamilNadu. Rare jewels, the Golden Lily Tank, Musical Pillars, and the hall of a Thousand Pillars are worth seeing. The temple dates back to 700 AD and contains inscriptions which can be traced to be made around 950 A.D. It is believed there were two distinct temples, built separately for Shiva and Parvati, the consort to Lord Shiva, by the Pandyan kings. The Sangili Mandapam, a big terraced hall, linking these two was built in the 17th century. The towers also date back to the early 17th century. Vishnu and Agastya are believed to have worshipped Shiva here. There is also an interesting legend that there exists a tunnel behind the Ravana sculpture in the temple corridor that connects Tirunelveli and Madurai. This tunnel was supposed to have been used by the Pandya kings and their spies on secret missions.
The Nellaiappar temple car weighs approximately 400 tons and is the third largest temple car in Tamil Nadu. It is also said to be the largest human-powered car in South India. The car's axle was fabricated in steel during the British colonial period. Recently, steel rims were also used to reinforce the gigantic, yet aging wooden wheels. The Aani Car festival is the most popular festival associated with the temple, and the five cars (for Vinayakar, Murugan, Nellaiappar, Kanthimathi and Sandikaeswarar) by themselves are minor landmarks in the city.
Nindrasir Nedumaran (நின்றசீர் நெடுமாறன்), who reigned in the seventh century AD, contributed by constructing and renovating important parts in the temple. A beautiful garden founded in 1756, next to the mandapam, welcomes visitors with many colourful and fragrant flowers. The garden was designed by Thiruvengadakrishna Mudaliar. A square vasantha mandapam with 100 pillars is found in the midst of this garden. The Nellaiappar Temple is bigger than the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, though the latter is much more popular owing to its historical importance.
[edit] Sri Varadharaja Perumal Temple
Sri Varadharaja Perumal Kovil at Tirunelveli is situated in Tirunelveli junction. This temple is an ancient and reputed Vishnu temple. It lies on the banks of the Thamirabarani river. This area is also known as Veerarahavapuram.
[edit] Mela Thiruvenkatanathapuram Temple
The Mela Thiruvenkatanathapuram temple's sanctum has a Lord Srinivasa statue. The temple is located about 10 km south west of Tirunelveli, also beside the banks of Thamirabarani river. This temple is also called Thirunankovil.
[edit] Keezha Thiruvenkatanathapuram Temple
Sri Varadharaja Perumal Kovil is located in "Keezha Thiruvengadanaadhapuram", which is just half a kilometer from the famous "Then Thirupathi Shri Venkataachalapathy temple". Due to presence of red soil in the area where the temple is located, it derives its name of Sengani - Sen meaning Red and Kani meaning Land in Tamil. The name was later changed to Sangani. This temple lies to the east of "Then Thirupathi Perumal", about 6 km from Tirunelveli.
[edit] Vaithya Lingam Temple
Sri Vaithya Lingam Swami ThiruKovil( Vaithya lingam temple )is located at Aladipatti which is 30 km from Tirunelveli on the way to Tenkasi. The temple's sanctum has sri vaithya lingam swami and goddess yogambigai. The other deities of the temple for various castes of people are Sudalai Madan Samy and Karuppa Samy.
[edit] Education
The Manonmaniam Sundaranar University is located in Nellai, on the Tenkasi road, about 11 km from junction. The university is named after a famed poet who was the author of Tamil Thai Vazhthu (Praise to Mother Tamil), which is the official state song.This University has More than 24 departments, and offers some rare courses of Tamil Nadu, like Criminology and Criminal justice. Prof.R.T.Sabapathy Mohan is the present vice Chancellor.
In the view to improve the quality of technical education in the southern parts of Tamil Nadu, Anna University Tirunelveli was established in 2007. Anna university offers variety of engineering and technology courses in bachelors as well as masters level. Research facilities are being established in new start-of-art campus near palayamkottai.
The city has many prestigious old government and private colleges in the medical, legal, engineering, arts, pharmacy, and physiotherapy fields. Tirunelveli Medical College[39] and the Government College of Engineering, Tirunelveli[40] are professional colleges run by the government of Tamil Nadu. St. Xavier's College run by Jesuits, St. John's College and Sarah Tucker College run by CSI Diocese, M.D.T. Hindu College and Sadakathulla Appa College are well-known arts colleges.
Students from the city's schools have been consistently performing well in the state examinations.Palayamkottai is called as "Oxford of south India"
| Sl No | Educational Institutions | No of Institutions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University | 2 (Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Anna University Tirunelveli) |
| 2 | Arts and Science College | 21 (Rani Anna Arts College) |
| 3 | Medical College | 2 (Tirunelveli Medical College, Siddha Medical College |
| 4 | Devendrar college of Physiotherapy | 1 |
| 5 | Engineering College | 12 |
| 6 | Law College | 1 |
| 7 | Pre Kindergarten School | 201 |
| 8 | Primary School | 1521 |
| 9 | Middle School | 394 |
| 10 | High School | 114 |
| 11 | Higher Secondary | 148 |
| 12 | Teacher Training Institute | 6 |
[edit] Science Centre
The city has a District Science Centre, a satellite unit of Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore.[41] The centre is committed to the cause of science education through fun and entertainment. The centre has an evergreen science park in sylvan surroundings and is located adjacent to the perennial river Thamirabharani, along the highway to Kanyakumari. Permanent exhibitions, science shows, interactive guide tours, a mini-planetarium, sky observation through a telescope are some of the activities of the centre. Many scientific experiments prototypes planted in the campus. The building has two floors. Exhibitions and Competitions are also conducted here up to school levels. The visiting charges are nominal.`Fun science gallery' inaugurated in Tirunelveli — The Hindu.
[edit] Language
Traditionally, it has been noted that the Tamil language originated from the Pothigai Malai, a hill situated in the Western Ghats near Papanasam, a small village in the Tirunelveli district. As per Brahminical legend, Lord Shiva sent two saints, Vyasa and Agatyar (in Sanskrit Agastya) to create the divine languages of Sanskrit and Tamil. Agatyar came to Papanasam first and established the Tamil culture from the Pothigai Malai. Today, the Tamil language as spoken in the Tirunelveli district is called as Nellai Tamil. Nellai Tamil uses words like Annachi (a venerational salute to the elders), unique to the region. Nellai Tamil is also spoken relatively fast, in comparison with other dialects of the language. The Tirunelveli accent appeals to all Tamil speaking people[citation needed] and it is considerably different from the Madras Bashai, which is a more anglicized Tamil dialect. Since Tamil is believed to have originated from the Pothigai Malai, Nellai Tamil is considered to be the first and purest form of Tamil. It is also said to be the sweetest form of Tamil[citation needed]. However, Tirunelveli accent is often satirically mocked in Tamil films.
[edit] Cuisine
[edit] Halwa
The city is noted for the sweet halwa (pronounced locally as alwa) which is made from wheat and sugar. Halwa is a golden brown, semi-solid in texture and contains a lot of ghee/vanaspati which gives it the oily look. It tastes better when served fresh and hot. Tirunelveli halwa is said to owe its uniquely rich taste to a special recipe of this region, blended with the renowned sweetness of the Thamarabarani river. The Halwa was made famous by a Marwari family settled here more than 300 years ago. The original shop started by them is the Lakshmi Vilas. Slowly, others borrowed the formula and now the halwa has become synonymous with this city. The Tamarabarani water is the major constituent of the original Tirunelveli Halwa which keeps up the quality.
There are many hot spots to buy halwa around the Nellayappar temple and near the main railway station.[42] Two of the most famous halwa stores are Irutu Kadai halwa (Transliterated as the dark halwa store with no lights), situated near the Nellayappar temple, and the other being Shanthi Sweets. The name Irutu Kadai of the former store derives from the fact that the looks of the store has been kept unchanged from the date it was started. Till date, there is no bright electrical lamp or even a board to display the shop's brand. They dont have any other branches. There are a lot of halwa shops near the old and new bus stands, but the the noted shops are worth visiting.
[edit] Local dishes
Some of the unique and popular dishes in Tirunelveli are Sodhi, Kootan Choru and Ulunthamparupu choru with yellu thovayal. Sothi is a delicious gravy made of coconut milk and vegetables. This is served at marriage feasts, especially during the Maruveedu (return marriage) ceremony which takes place the day after a marriage. Kootan Choru is a hot spicy vegetable rice made with dhal, rice, vegetables and a mixture of coconut and red chillies. Ulunthamparupu choru is rice and ulunthamparupu (Urad Dhal) cooked together. Ulunthamparupu choru is taken with yellu (Sesame seeds) thovayal (chutney).Elango Porotta of tirunelveli with the kuruma(salna) gives an added taste. In vegetarian item, Avieal is a famous side dish. It is prepared by mixing all vegetables and boiled. The taste of the Avieal is bit of sourness and sometimes called as "Nellai Avieal", which is one of the main side dishes served during marriage functions.The famous South India's food, Idly will be really super soft and a combinanation of Poondu Milagai Podi ( Spicey) a perfect conessiour's choice. There are many platform Idly shops around the Nellaippar Temple working daily after 8 pm and its busniess went to peak after 10pm. Unlike other city's platform idly shops, Nellai's platform idly shops are providing tasteful and hygienic food.
[edit] Some places of interest
The two tier over Thiruvalluvar Bridge at Tirunelveli Junction was constructed to avoid the heavy traffic and railway line crossing. The total length of the bridge is 800 metres. This bridge is the first of its kind ever constructed in India. It was opened to traffic in 1972. It consists of 25 spans, of which 13 are bow string arch, each with a width of 30.3 metres, and 12 are single tier R.C.C. girder, each having a width of 11.72 metres.
Additional places of interest include:
- District Science Centre at Vannarpet.
- V. O. Chidhambaram Pillai Memorial Hall at the Exhibition Ground
- Krishnapuram Temple
- Agasthiyar Falls Papanasam, Manimuthar Falls & dam
- Panathirtham Falls, near Papanasam Dam
- Courtallam (the Spa of the South, 50 km from Nellai)
- Mancholai, Kakaachi, Kuthiravetti Hill Stations and Tea estates
- Sankarankovil Arulmigu Gomathi Amman Temple (50 km from Nellai)
- Tenkasi Kasiviswanathar temple (50 km from Nellai)
- Tiruchendur Murugan Temple (50 km from Nellai)
- Koodankulam Water Birds Sanctuary
- Aazhigudi maradachan[Heart attack] temple
- Navaneethakrishnan Temple in Melasevel Village- 16 km from Tirunelveli to Ambasamudram
- Navathirupathis- Nine temples of Lord Vishnu in and around on the Highway leading to Tuticorin from Tirunelveli
- Ancient temples at Nanguneri and Thirukurungudi-40 km from Nellai
- Navaneethakrishnan, Megalingeswarar temples at Melasevel Village-16 kilometers from Tirunelveli
- Nava Kailasam- Nine temples of Lord Shiva in and around Tirunelveli
- Kodaganallur Brihan Madhava Perumal Temple - around 16 km from Tirunelveli
- Sivasailappar Temple, Sivasailam (around 50 km from Palayamkottai)
- Venkatachalapathy Temple in Karungulam at the bank of Tamirabarani, on tirunelveli tiruchendur state highway.
- Kadana dam which is near 10 km from alwarkurichi
[edit] Local problems
Although Tirunelveli is one of the major cities in Tamil Nadu, the dearth of prospective new industries has resulted in most young people migrating to other parts of Tamil Nadu like Chennai, Coimbatore and Tirupur for higher education and better job opportunities. It has been speculated that the failure of the Government to create job opportunities could also be a factor in this migration,[citation needed] which has subsequently resulted in one of the slowest growth rates of the city among the major cities in Tamil Nadu. Major project proposals initiated by the government or large private organizations suddenly coming to a standstill is not uncommon in Tirunelveli. Even though Nanguneri Special Economic Zone was announced in the year 2000, it is yet to take off successfully. [43]
Despite having numerous hospitals, maternity care centres, dispensaries and reputed medical colleges (government medical college and Siddha college), only basic medical facilities are readily available. Tirunelveli lacks specialized medical facilities and for most major surgeries and complicated medical procedures, one has to travel to the bigger cities like Madurai and Chennai.
Even though the highly profitable Madurai-Kanyakumari rail stretch of the Southern Railways passes through Tirunelveli, it has neither been double tracked nor electrified- hampering the railway traffic heavily. People are forced to opt for alternate modes of transport like Buses and hence many private buses prey on this opportunity. Moreover, the city does not have an airport, which is instrumental for the development of IT parks and other major industrial developments.
[edit] Notable People from Tirunelveli District
[edit] Historical Personalities
[edit] Freedom Fighters
- Maa Veeran Sundaralinga Devendrar World First Human Suicide Bomber
- Thalapathy Venni Kalady Brave Warrior
- Tyagi Vadivu World First Women Suicide Bomber
- Veeran Azhagu Muthu Kone -Freedom fighter, known for his revolt against British
[edit] Literature
- Devaneya Pavanar: Tamil author
- H.Albert Krishna Pillai: Tamil scholar
- TK Ramanuja Kavirajar: Tamil epic poet, playwright and humanitarian
[edit] Press
- C.Pa. Adithanar: Founder of Thanthi group of newspapers
- Dr.Sivanthi Adhiththanar: Owner of popular Tamil newspaper Dina Thanthi
- Kandasamy: Founder of Dinakaran group of newspapers which had been given to Sun Network
[edit] Politicians
[edit] Speakers of TN Assembly
- Chellapandian, First Speaker of Madras Legislative Assembly- Melasevel Village.
- P H Pandian, Former Speaker of Tamilnadu state Assembly- Cheranmadevi
- R.Avudayappan(Speaker Tamilnadu state Assembly, 2006-2011)
[edit] Business
- R.Seshasayee: Managing Director, Ashok Leyland Ltd
- Rabbani: Syed Group of Companies
- Ramesh: Pothys Group
- Vishvanathan: RMKV Group
- T.M.Ganapathy Mudaliar: Sri Ganapathy Silks
- Annachchi Rajagopal: MD, Hotel Saravana Bhavan
- Shri.T V Sundaram Iyengar: Founder of TVS Motors Group of companies
- Venu Srinivasan: Chairman and MD of TVS Motors Motors Ltd-Thirukurungudi-Sundaram Clayton
- A N S Raghavan: Former MD of MMGI & Sundaram Finance Ltd
- T.S.Santhanam: Founder of Sundaram Finance Limited
- Anantharama Krishnan: Amalgamation Group
- S Padmanabhan: CMD of Indian Overseas Bank & Director of Sundaram Finance Ltd
- Vellayan: Leader of Tamilnadu viyapaarikal Sangam
- S.Muthupandi: Gokulam transports
- A.Gunalan: Great Financial Servises, (Franchisee in Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd)
- AT Groundnut industry Madianoor
[edit] Film Industry
[edit] MUSIC DIRECTOTS
[edit] Music Directors
- Bharathwaj
- Harris Jeyaraj
- T. N. Seshagopalan: Carnatic Musician and Composer
- Maharajapuram Sandhanam
[edit] Actors
- Sarath Kumar
- Comedian Vivek
- Delhi Ganesh
- Arun Pandian
- Jeya Prakash
[edit] Directors
[edit] Others
- T.S. Krishnamurthy- Ex-Election Commissioner of India
- Ratnvel Pandian - Supreme Court Judge
- Madhu Sankar - Heart Specialist
- Dr.A.Velayudham Pillai- Surgeon
- D.G.S.Dhinakaran- Founder of "Jesus Calls"
- S.Antony Tirunelveli -Producer and Director "Neeya Naana" Vijay TV Show
- Dr.VSR.Subramaniam.MBA.,Ph.D.,D.Litt., Management & Computer systems / ISO 9001:2008 expert and auditor. Past "Daata procesing Expert" of the Commonwealth, London and "Consultant Advisor (Computer Services) of the Caribbean Development bank, Barbados. Father - Gopalasamudram Viswanathan. Mother - Kadayam Kasthuri Kalyani. Website - http://www.drvsrs.com Book Store - http://drvsrs.com/store/page1.html
[edit] Palayamkottai
[edit] Tirunelveli's twin city
The twin city of Tirunelveli is Palayamkottai, on the eastern bank of the perennial Thamirabarani river, while Tirunelveli is on the western bank.
Palayamkottai is known for its education and is referred to as "Oxford of South India"[44] [45] [46] . The town has a rich heritage in education dating back to the pre-independence era. It has colleges and institutions of higher education, some of them having been in existence for more than 150 years built & run by British. These are Tirunelveli Medical College, Government Siddha College, Government Engineering College, St. Xavier's College, St. John's College(125 years old) and Sarah Tucker College (the first women's college of Tamil Nadu [47] [48]. The city has several Hindu temples: the Gopalaswamy temple, Siva Temple, Ramar Temple, Uchini Makali temple and few dedicated to the goddess Amman.
The city is also a main centre in South India for Christian missions[49] and there are quite a few churches, the major church being Holy Trinity Cathedral, the cathedral church of a diocese of the Church of South India.This church has a big and strong historical background and completed more than 225 years. During Christmas times, the whole Palayamkottai town celebrates with colourful stars hanging throughout the city.
The Palayamkottai town has two sports grounds: Anna Stadium and the VOC Ground. The latter holds field hockey and kabbadi matches at both the district and state levels. Republic Day and Independence Day ceremonies are also held here.
There is a large market in Palayamkottai, along with the Ulavar Santhai where farmers sell their products directly.
Palayamkottai is also known for its Central Prison, which housed a lot of freedom fighters during the struggle for Indian independence. It is still notable for its capacity and security. Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathy spent a part of his life here.
- ^ http://tirunelvelicorp.tn.gov.in
- ^ The Hindu: National: `Rudimentary Tamil-Brahmi script' unearthed at Adichanallur
- ^ The Telegraph - Calcutta: Nation
- ^ Stone Pages Archaeo News: 3,800-year-old Indian skeletons throw light on evolution
- ^ Stone Pages Archaeo News: Iron Age settlement found in India
- ^ The Hindu: National: Iron Age habitational site found at Adichanallur
- ^ More earthenware unearthed
- ^ History of Tinnevelly by Bishop R. Caldwell
- ^ Christian mission in Tinnevelly
- ^ A brief history of Tinnevelly By Rev. Dyron B. Daughrity
- ^ Tirunelveli
- ^ Chola's Imperial town
- ^ 400 years sugar cane press
- ^ Thamirabarani
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Tirunelveli
- ^ http://www.nellai.tn.nic.in/general.html#ori_dist
- ^ Climatic condition of Tirunelveli
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved on 2008-11-01.
- ^ Census of Govt of India
- ^ Urban Agglomeration growth rate
- ^ [1]
- ^ World-gazetter population estimation of Asian cities- Proper Place
- ^ World-gazetter population estimation of Asian cities-Agglomeration
- ^ World-gazetter population estimation of Indian cities - Proper Place
- ^ World-gazetter population estimation of Indian cities- Agglomeration
- ^ World-gazetter population estimation of Tamil Nadu cities - Proper Place
- ^ World-gazetter population estimation of Tamil Nadu cities - Agglomeration
- ^ Economy of Tirunelveli
- ^ "List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies" (PDF). Tamil Nadu. Election Commission of India. http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S22/TN_ACPC.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-10-13.
- ^ Tirunelveli Chennai connectivity
- ^ Tirunelveli Junction Railway Station
- ^ Nellai Junction nets more revenue
- ^ Patronage of Nellai Express
- ^ Railway Map of India - 1893
- ^ List of Popular Railway stations in India
- ^ Railway station requested for Maharaja Nagar
- ^ Residents demand new railway station at Maharaja Nagar
- ^ Kayatar Air Strip
- ^ Tirunelveli Medical College -TvMC
- ^ Government College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
- ^ "Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum Bangalore India: Satellite Units". http://www.vismuseum.org.in/units.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-14.
- ^ "Tourists amused" — The Hindu
- ^ Start work at Nanguneri SEZ immediately
- ^ http://tirunelveli.nic.in/education.html A Brief History of Missions in Tirunelveli1
- ^ http://southindianstates.com/tamilnadu_districts/tirunelveli/
- ^ http://www.southindiaonline.com/tamilnadu/thirunelveli.htm
- ^ http://www.sarahtuckercollege.org/college%20web/index.htm
- ^ http://mycollege.in/college.php?id=564&name=Sarah-Tucker-College-Palayamkottai---627-007
- ^ http://www.missionstudies.org/conference/1papers/fp/Dyron_Daughrity_Tirunelveli.pdf A Brief History of Missions in Tirunelveli1
[edit] External links
- Tirunelveli City Municipal Corporation
- Tirunelveli district government website
- Tirunelveli Medical College
