Cheyyur
Cheyyur (Tamil: செய்யூர்), is a town situated 29 km from Madurantakam, at Chengalpattu in Kanchipuram District of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Cheyyur taluk. This town was earlier called Jayamkonda Chola Nallur, Veerarajendra Nallur, Jayamkonda-Cholapuram, Seyyur, Seigaiyampathy and valavappuri.[1] In the early days, this area was a dense forest and kept as a reserve for the Chola kings to hunt. Current Cheyyur is a small town which is surrounded by North Cheyyur, East Cheyyur, South Cheyyur and West Cheyyur. It is a regional hub to many small remote villages in and around the town. It is well accessible by bus from Madurantagam & East coast road. Cheyyur has the Taluk Office, Regional Treasury, Banks, ATM's & Cheyyur is an assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu. Cheyyur hosts a weekly market on every Thursday called "Sandhai". Fishing and Agriculture is mostly practiced by people living in and around Cheyyur.
Temples
Sri Kandaswamy Temple, an ancient temple called Cheyyur Shiva Temple [800 years old], constructed during the reign of the Chola kings, is the major attraction. Near the Shiva Temple, there is another shrine dedicated to Lord Muruga in his infant aspect. In Tamil 'Sei' denotes 'infant' and the name of the village (Seyyur, later Cheyyur) is derived from this fact.
Churches
The town is also known for the very early adoption of Christianity. There are many Roman Catholic missions in and around Cheyyur doing various services to the poor and down trodden. The Our Lady of Good Voyage Church (Estd. 1716)[2] is one of the standing evidence of the missionary's services in that area. The missionaries has done a great contribution in economic and academic development of Cheyyur through Schools, Skill Development centres and Medical Services. The Sisters of Cluny service in the area is also commendable[3] In addition to that there is a Protestant Church represented by Church of South India[4]
Sisters of Cluny
The Foundation at Cheyyur is the 16th House of Cluny in India. The name "Cheyyur" evokes mixed feelings for most of the Sisters. It has been the first "missionary experience" for many a French Sisters in rural India. At the request of Rev. Fr. Grandjanny, MEP, the then Parish Priest of Cheyyur, four Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny arrived in Cheyyur from Tindivanam on 24 March 1904. Father had built a house for the Sisters and a Dispensary. The following day it was blessed. The Sisters noticed that the house and the Dispensary were well furnished by the generosity and kindness of Fr. Grandjanny. A Grotto was constructed near the Dispensary and was blessed on 8th Sep 1912. A bell was sent from France by the Mother General to facilitate common life in the convent. On 22 Nov 1916 and on 28 May 1917 when the Cyclone hit and the robbers broke open the house respectively were the unpleasant times the Sisters experienced. The tragic event was on 13 Dec 1999 when 6 Sisters were killed instantly at the collapse of the roof of the Sisters' residence around 1.30 a.m. One sister escaped miraculously.[5]
Industries
The Government of India has proposed to develop a 4000 MW Ultra Mega Power Plant (UMPP) at Cheyyur .[6]
Education
Below are the few Educational institutes in the town.
- Adhiparasakthi Polytechnic College[7]
- Adhiparasakhthi College of Pharmacy[8]
- Thondamanallur Panchayat Middle School.
- Crescent Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Salt Road, Cheyyur.
- Little Flower Girls Higher Secondary School
- St. Mary's Boys Higher Secondary School
- Panchayat Union Primary School
- Govt Boys Higher Secondary School
- Govt Girls Higher Secondary School
See also
References
- ↑ "Sri Kandaswamy Temple – Cheyyur". swayamvaralaya.com. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
- ↑ chengaidiocese. "Roman Catholic Diocese of Chingleput". www.chengaidiocese.org. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
- ↑ "CLuny" (PDF).
- ↑ "Church of South India | CSI Chennai Diocese | CSI Diocese of Madras". www.csimadrasdiocese.org. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
- ↑ "Congregation Of the Sisters of St.Joseph Of Cluny (SIT)". sit.clunyindia.org. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
- ↑ "Panel confirms nod for Udangudi, Cheyyur power projects". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
- ↑ "Adhiparasakthi Polytechnic College". eduhelp.in. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
- ↑ "Adhiparasakthi College of Pharmacy". tamilnaduschools.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
Coordinates: 12°21′N 80°00′E / 12.350°N 80.000°E