Gudalur (Theni district)
Encyclopedia
Gudalur is a panchayat town in Theni district
in the India
n state
of Tamil Nadu
.
, Gudalur had a population of 36,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Gudalur has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 70%, and female literacy is 50%. In Gudalur, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The older name of the town is 'Thirukoodalur'. How the name changed to Gudalur is not known but could be attributed to British difficulty in pronouncing Indian names.
Gudalur is broadly divided by the government into 2 parts for administrative reasons. The western side of the town is called MelaGudalur and the eastern part is called KeelaGudalur. Ellai (Border) street separates both the parts of the town. Important areas within gudalur are Karunanithi Colony, MGR Colony, Kannikalipuram, Pudukulam, Gandhigraman and LF Road.
Gudalur is nestled between Cumbum and Kumily towns and is en route to Thekkady from Madurai (NH 220). Distance to Madurai and Dindigul are 118 km and 120 km respectively.
B.Vishnu Bharathi was the State Topper in the Tamil language paper with 99/100 marks in 2010. She also scored a total of 491/500, the highest total ever in the school's history. She has taken the school's popularity even higher through academic achievements.
NSK Ponniah Gowder Higher secondary School-GUDALUR is more popular in the year 2010. The pass percentage for 2010 is 99.97%.
NSKP Kamatchi Ammal Primary School, Thiruvalluvar Higher Secondary School, Rajangam Memorial Kallar Higher Secondary School, R.S.K Nursery and Primary School, Mazhalayar Matriculation School, hindu primary school(Kokku Pallikoodam) and Poonga Pallikoodam are some of the other popular schools.
The Gudalur Naattama is credited with the creation and expansion of cardamom plantations in the neigbouring Kerala state and records to this effect were traced in the Village Office of Vandanmedu, Idukki District, Kerala recently.
Life here revolves around agriculture and almost everyone has something or the other to do with farming. This place is a village surrounded by paddy fields, vast expanses of arid land, diverse flora and fauna. Principal crops are Paddy, Pulses, Coconut, Grapes, Vegetables, Flowers and Groundnut. Crops such as Gingely and Cotton are also extensively cultivated.
Gudalur is famous for the bullock cart (rekhla) racing heritage. Every year during the Muthalamman temple festival, bullock cart races take place. This annual event is conducted by Vokkaligar Ilaingarani and The Farmers Development Association. Racing bull & cart heroes such as NSKS Jayakanthan, NSKS Ramamurthy, Kothalatti Murugesan, SS Ganesan (Sandiyar), Muthu kumar, Prakash are veterans in this field with their bullocks winning many laurels in the entire state.
The Azhagar Swamy Temple (Thiru koodal azhagiya perumal) is said to be over 1,000 years old but 300–350 years or so is plausible. The Mangaladevi Kottam, an ancient temple (now in ruins), which is dedicated to Kannagi, the Tamil goddess is situated very close to Gudalur. This temple site is presently under dispute between the TN and Kerala states and access to the temple is granted by the Kerala State only once every year.
Gudalur has had incidents of violence reported in the past. Especially during the anti-Hindi agitations in 1965 and the few casteist clashes in the 1980s.
Area = 47.86 acres (193,682.7 m²), Cultivable area = 41 acres (165,921.3 m²)
This farm is used for producing high quality paddy foundation and certified seeds (this is highly beneficial to all the farmers in Tamil Nadu for better paddy production).
Theni District
Theni District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in South India. The city of Theni is the district headquarters. The district is divided into two natural divisions: The hilly areas constituted by parts of the three taluks Periyakulam, Uthamapalayam and Andipatti with thick vegetation and...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
Geography
Gudalur is located at 9.31°N 77.20°E. It has an average elevation of 1182 metres (3888 ft).Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Gudalur had a population of 36,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Gudalur has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 70%, and female literacy is 50%. In Gudalur, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The older name of the town is 'Thirukoodalur'. How the name changed to Gudalur is not known but could be attributed to British difficulty in pronouncing Indian names.
Gudalur is broadly divided by the government into 2 parts for administrative reasons. The western side of the town is called MelaGudalur and the eastern part is called KeelaGudalur. Ellai (Border) street separates both the parts of the town. Important areas within gudalur are Karunanithi Colony, MGR Colony, Kannikalipuram, Pudukulam, Gandhigraman and LF Road.
Gudalur is nestled between Cumbum and Kumily towns and is en route to Thekkady from Madurai (NH 220). Distance to Madurai and Dindigul are 118 km and 120 km respectively.
Education
NSKP Higher secondary School is popular for its quality education with good labs, sports and games facilities and strong extra curricular programs. Its former Headmaster Mr. V. Thulasiraman (VT) is a doyen in the field of education. The current Headmaster Mr. P. Kathiresan [ Kabes, as he is popularly known - he was awarded 'the best teacher' National award in 2010 for distinguished service in the teaching profession] has been credited with the school's distinction in academic results year after year in the 10th and 12th Board exams.B.Vishnu Bharathi was the State Topper in the Tamil language paper with 99/100 marks in 2010. She also scored a total of 491/500, the highest total ever in the school's history. She has taken the school's popularity even higher through academic achievements.
NSK Ponniah Gowder Higher secondary School-GUDALUR is more popular in the year 2010. The pass percentage for 2010 is 99.97%.
NSKP Kamatchi Ammal Primary School, Thiruvalluvar Higher Secondary School, Rajangam Memorial Kallar Higher Secondary School, R.S.K Nursery and Primary School, Mazhalayar Matriculation School, hindu primary school(Kokku Pallikoodam) and Poonga Pallikoodam are some of the other popular schools.
Entertainment
Gudalur has two cinema theatres, Velmurugan Talkies and STB dts & psc theatre & oadai & muthalamman kovil festival kilakku muthalamman & west muthalamman kovil festival mariyamman kovil tiruvizha 7 periyar fals & ilayaraja gest house vali murugan kovil festivel loayar kempHistory
It is widely believed that this part of the world was a thick forest until about 250 years ago. Migrant settlers from the Mysore region of Karnataka who left due to political instability in the region during the 1760s to the 1790s started arriving in hordes and started clearing forests and tilling the land. During the British period, after the enactment of the Criminal Tribes Act, several settlements were created by the government and members belonging to the notified communities were uprooted from their original habitations and settled here. The British officers posted in the area started regularizing land holdings based on good faith and track record.The Gudalur Naattama is credited with the creation and expansion of cardamom plantations in the neigbouring Kerala state and records to this effect were traced in the Village Office of Vandanmedu, Idukki District, Kerala recently.
Life here revolves around agriculture and almost everyone has something or the other to do with farming. This place is a village surrounded by paddy fields, vast expanses of arid land, diverse flora and fauna. Principal crops are Paddy, Pulses, Coconut, Grapes, Vegetables, Flowers and Groundnut. Crops such as Gingely and Cotton are also extensively cultivated.
Gudalur is famous for the bullock cart (rekhla) racing heritage. Every year during the Muthalamman temple festival, bullock cart races take place. This annual event is conducted by Vokkaligar Ilaingarani and The Farmers Development Association. Racing bull & cart heroes such as NSKS Jayakanthan, NSKS Ramamurthy, Kothalatti Murugesan, SS Ganesan (Sandiyar), Muthu kumar, Prakash are veterans in this field with their bullocks winning many laurels in the entire state.
The Azhagar Swamy Temple (Thiru koodal azhagiya perumal) is said to be over 1,000 years old but 300–350 years or so is plausible. The Mangaladevi Kottam, an ancient temple (now in ruins), which is dedicated to Kannagi, the Tamil goddess is situated very close to Gudalur. This temple site is presently under dispute between the TN and Kerala states and access to the temple is granted by the Kerala State only once every year.
Gudalur has had incidents of violence reported in the past. Especially during the anti-Hindi agitations in 1965 and the few casteist clashes in the 1980s.
Agriculture department
The STATE SEED FARM is located at Thamaraikulam.Area = 47.86 acres (193,682.7 m²), Cultivable area = 41 acres (165,921.3 m²)
This farm is used for producing high quality paddy foundation and certified seeds (this is highly beneficial to all the farmers in Tamil Nadu for better paddy production).
External links
- http://thegudalur.blogspot.com
- http://temple.dinamalar.com/New.aspx?id=490