Thuraiyur
| Thuraiyur துறையூர் | |
|---|---|
| city | |
| Nickname(s): THURAI | |
  Thuraiyur | |
| Coordinates: [//tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Thuraiyur¶ms=11_10_7_N_78_37_16_E_type:city(48763)_region: 11°10′7″N 78°37′16″E / 11.16861°N 78.62111°E]Coordinates: [//tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Thuraiyur¶ms=11_10_7_N_78_37_16_E_type:city(48763)_region: 11°10′7″N 78°37′16″E / 11.16861°N 78.62111°E] | |
| Country |
 India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Tiruchirappalli |
| Government | |
| • Type | Urban |
| • Body | Municipality |
| Area rank | A grade |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 48,763 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| PIN | 621010 |
| Telephone code | 04327(XXXXXX) |
| Vehicle registration | TN-48 |
Thuraiyur is a town and a municipality in Tiruchirappalli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was upgraded to a III Grade Municipality from Town Panchayat on 17 January 1970, and to a II Grade Municipality in May 1998. It was upgraded to Selection Grade Municipality in the year 2008. It is also a taluka.[1]
Demographics
As of the census of India 2001, Thuraiyur had a population of 31,005 (15,530 male and 15,475 female), making the gender ratio (number of females per thousand males) of the town 996. A total of 3,288 people were under six years of age and the child gender ratio (number of females per thousand males under six years of age) stood at 1,023. The town had an average literacy of 81.42%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. A total of 5,175, constituting 18.67% of the population, belonged to Scheduled Castes (SC) and 447 (1.61%) belonged to Scheduled tribes (ST). There were a total of 7,535 households in the town.
As of 2001, Thuraiyur had a total of 10,011 main workers: 161 cultivators, 1,018 agricultural labourers, 510 in household industries and 8,322 other workers. There was a total of 949 marginal workers: 5 marginal cultivators, 475 marginal agricultural labourers, 76 marginal workers in household industries and 393 other marginal workers.[2]
Economy
In the 20th century, most people were employed in the agriculture sector. Paddy and Cholam (Corn) are the predominant crops grown in the area. Currently, the economy of this town is based on agricultural products and jewelry. Thuraiyur's economy has witnessed a significant change brought about by handloom manufacturers. With the advancement of powerlooms, traditional handlooms have begun to lose their significance. However, handloom is one of the main occupations among the people of Thuraiyur.
Thuraiyur is one of the very few towns in Tamilnadu to have a high grade water management system in place. During the Monsoon, rainwater from the nearby hills fill a lake (often called Periya Eri - large lake) that is used to irrigate the surrounding agricultural lands. When the lake reaches its maximum level, safety valves are opened to drain the excess water into the neighbouring Teppakulam (Pool belonging to a Hindu worship place) through an underground canal. Another underground canal also runs through the heart of town from Periya Eri to Chinna Eri (smaller lake), to irrigate the fields located south of Thuraiyur.
Transport
Thuraiyur is well connected by road to Trichy, Namakkal, Perambalur, Coimbatore, Ooty, Chennai, Karur, Attur and Salem. Recent highway investment includes a new by-pass connecting Perambalur road and (Musiri-Thuraiyur) branch road. In addition to the main bus routes, mini buses play an important role in connecting village within the hinterland.
The nearest railway station is located in Trichy. The nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli International Airport which offers international and domestic flights.
Culture
Thuraiyur is locally famous for the temple, Prasanna Venkatachalapathi, situated in the Thuraiyur-Perambalur road. Prasanna Venkatachalapathi temple lies at the top of Perumalmalai, which lies 960 feet above ground level in Pachamalai hills, 3 km from Thuraiyur in Tiruchirappalli district. The site is accessible via a mountain road. The Temple worship time is from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. This temple is said to be constructed by the grandson of Karikala Chozhan. The kings were later named as Karuppannar and Veeraswamy and they are worshiped at the temple. Thousands of devotees take part in the Girivalam (circumambulation around a mountain or hill) procession around the Perumalmalai hillock on all full-moon days. In the Tamil month, "Puratassi" Saturday is very popular where lot of devotees from different places come to worship lord Perumal. The buildings are up to 1800 years old and one of the best examples for Chola temple construction. The temple contains the 'sabthasvara thoongal' (Sabtha stands for seven and Swara are notes in an octave while thoongal translates to pillars) that produce (SA RE GA MA PA THA NE ) sounds and Yali_(Hindu_mythology) a mythological lion are best examples of stone works. Though only an elementary school (i.e. Gandhiya Manya Elementary School) is located in this village, many of its alumni have graduated with degrees from colleges. Also Thuraiyur is famous for its Nandhikeshuvarar aalayam, (a Shiva temple) and a Vishnu temple which were built many centuries before.
There is another 400-year old Vishnu temple behind the Pulian Cholai.
Education
The Sowdambika Matriculation HS School was established in 1985. Zamindhar HS School is another educational institute. Kamaraj, the famous Tamil politician of the 1960s, during his initiative to educate the underprivileged and downtrodden Tamil people, funded Thuraiyur Zamindars to start this school. Majority of the existing population of Thuraiyur and the neighbouring villages are alumni of this institute. This school is also renowned for encouraging students towards sports. This school received awards for sports, NCC, NSS, JRC and other activities.
Jayaram Engineering College and Nehru Memorial College are located 7 km and 12 km from Thuraiyur respectively. Nehru College was started by a local businessman who was a great visionary and philanthropist. Apart from the above colleges, Imayam and Sudharsana Colleges are located within 5 km distance. Jayaram Polytechnic College is also located 8 km away from Thuraiyur. Recently in 2013 the Imayam Educational Trust started one Agricultural College by name Imayam Institute of Agriculture and Technology (IIAT) which offers a four-year integrated BSc (Ag.) degree course.
References
- ↑ Tiruchirappalli District – Thuraiyur Taluk
- ↑ "Primary census abstract 2001". Directorate of Census Operations – Tamil Nadu. 2001. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
External links
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