Devakottai

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?Devakottai Tamil Nadu • India
Devakottai
Coordinates: 9°57′N 78°49′E / 9.95, 78.82
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area • Elevation	• 52 m (171 ft)
District(s)	Sivaganga
Population	40,846 (2001)
Codes • Telephone	• +914561

Coordinates: 9°57′N 78°49′E / 9.95, 78.82 Devakottai is a town and a municipality in Sivaganga district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Devakottai is one of the most popular and biggest cities of the nagarathar community.

1 History
2 Demographics
3 Highlights
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

Devakottai is a hot bed of literature, shaivite temple buildings, publishing and politics. It was active during the Indian independence movement. The municipal court in Devakottai was burned to ground during the quit india movement and the town suffered punitive fines and some citizens served prison terms.

in the First half of the 20th century the temples of Rameswaram, Kalahasti, Kalayar koil, Thiruvengadu, Thiruvadanai, Thirupunavasal, Thiruvanmiyur, thiruvidaimaruthur, thiruchuli, Courtallam,Thievennainallur, Pennagaram(now pennadamwere all converted to stone structures in whole or part by pious nagarathar families of Devakottai .

Mahatma Gandhi visited Devakottai in 1934 to condole the death of Poochi, a Dalit, in the movement against untouchability, and held discussions with Dalits and Nattars, who were opposed to Dalits wearing shirts.

Until 1947, Devakottai was admistered by a zamindar.Two of their palaces remain, 'Lakshmi Vilas' on vattanam road and 'Swarnavalli Vilas' on kuthirai pathai road. Today Devakottai is a favoured site for movie shootings mainly for its palatial bunglows.

[edit] Demographics

As of 2007 India census,^[1] Devakottai had a population of 46,033(Appx). Males constituted 49% of the population and females 51%. Devakottai has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: the male literacy rate is 85% and the female literacy rate is 75%. In Devakottai, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

[edit] Highlights

A Zamindar palace in Devakottai

Devakottai is also famous for Nagarathar temples and bungalows. In devakottai there are two colleges, Sevugan Annamalai Art college and Ananda College, run by the R.C. Diocese of Sivagangai. There are also three women's higher secondary schools and one boys' higher secondary school. There is also one co-ed higher secondary school. In the education field most of schools are maintained by the Christian trusts, and two by Nagarathar ones.In Silambani Oorani is located heart of the town(Silambani Vinayagar Temple). In which temple Vinayagar in his leg ornament of Silambu. There are 3 Mosques are situated in Devakottai because of the quiet muslim population.

Other temples renovated include the following: Courtallam, Thievennainallur, and Pennagaram (now Pennadam). The alumni of devakottai schools include a governor, chief justices, judges , a chairman of national law board, bank chairmen, several legislators and lawyers.