Thoothukudi District
Encyclopedia
Thoothukudi District also known as Tuticorin District, is a district of Tamil Nadu
state
in southern India
. Thoothukudi
(Tuticorin) is the district headquarters. It is also known for Pearl cultivation with abundance of pearl
s found in the seas of Thoothukudi. It is known as the gate way of Tamil Nadu.
. It is bounded on the north by the districts of Tirunelveli
, Virudhunagar
, and Ramanathapuram
, on the east and southeast by the Gulf of Mannar
and on the west and southwest by Tirunelveli district. The total area of the district is 4621 km². The administrative headquarters is an urban agglomeration and also one of the taluk headquarters within. Thoothukkudi District was derived from Tirunelveli District
in 1986.
The district of Thoothukudi was carved out as a separate district on 20 October 1986 as a result of bifurcation of the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu
State. Thiru. R. Arumugam, I.A.S. was the first Collector of this District.
The Thoothukudi district has given India many great freedom fighters, like the great poet Subramanya Bharathi, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, Veerapandiya Kattabomman
, Vellaiyathevan,, Sundaralingam etc.
Thoothukudi district has a population
of 1,738,376, roughly equal to the nation of The Gambia
or the US state of Nebraska
. This gives it a ranking of 277th in India (out of a total of 640
). The district has a population density of 378 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
over the decade 2001-2011 was 9.14 %. Thoothukkudi has a sex ratio
of 1024 females
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
of 86.52 %.
Tamil
is the main language spoken here, whilst English
is also widely used. As per the 2001 census, the total population of the district was 1,572,273. Hindu
s form the majority of the population (78.58%), followed by Christian
s (16.71%), Muslim
s (4.63%) and others (0.08%).
This district is divided into 8 taluks for administration purpose and 12 revenue block for rural and urban developments. The 8 taluks are Tuticorin, Thiruchendur, Sathankulam, Srivaikundam, Ottapidaram, Kovilpatti, Ettayapuram and Vilathikulam. The 12 revenuw blocks are Tuticorin, Thiruchendur, Udangudi, Sathankulam, Srivaikundam, Alwarthirunagari, Karunkulam, Ottapidaram, Kovilpatti, Kayathar, Vilathikulam and Pudur.
ondi veeran a famous brave soldier in kattabomman army too fought for freedom
and Manimuthar dams located in the Tirunelveli district in the Thamirabarani River's flow are the main sources of irrigation. Other than the Thamirabarani River, the river Vaipar in Vilathikulam
taluk, the river Karumeni which traverses through Sathankulam
, and Tiruchendur
taluks, Palayakayal are all sources. In Ottapidaram taluk, there is one small reservoir at Eppodumvendran village.
And banana tree is famous in Kulaiyankarisal here most banana leaf is delivered to various district
is cultivated in the Palayakayal Srivaikundam, Sattankulam and Tiruchendur taluks. Cumbu, Cholam, Kuthiraivali and other pulses are raised in the dry tracts of Kovilpatti
, Vilathikulam,Nagalapuram Ottapidaram
, and Thoothukudi taluks. Cotton is cultivated in Kovilpatti, Ottapidaram and Thoothukudi Taluks. Groundnut
cultivation is undertaken in Kovilpatti, Tiruchendur, and Sattankulam taluks. Groundnut cake is being used as manure and cattle feed. Nagalapuram makes its economy to be solely dependent agriculture. Main business of this area is dry chilly, cholam, cumbu wood charcoal, etc.
With 35% share, the district is the top producer of Cumbu in Tamil Nadu.
Palmyrah
trees are grown mostly in Tiruchendur, Srivaikundam, Sattankulam and Vilathikulam taluks. In srivaikundan taluk, there are so many lakes like sivagalai kulam and perungulam near Sivagalai which is the main sources for the farmers in the village Sivagalai and its surroundings. Jaggery
is produced from palmyrah juice; the production of jaggery is the main occupation of the people of Tiruchendur and Sattankulam taluks. Banana
and other vegetables are raised in Srivaikundam and Tiruchendur taluks. The road going towards Kulayankarisal from Thiruchendur has banana farms on one side and a salt farm on the other; each farm needs a different type of water. Thoothukudi district is the largest exporter of bananas in Tamil Nadu
.
Meignanapuram church is one of the famous churches. Its height is 196 feet.
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...
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:...
in southern 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...
. Thoothukudi
Thoothukudi
Thoothukudi , also known as Tuticorin, is a port city and a Municipal Corporation in Thoothukudi district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thoothukudi is the headquarters of Thoothukudi District....
(Tuticorin) is the district headquarters. It is also known for Pearl cultivation with abundance of pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
s found in the seas of Thoothukudi. It is known as the gate way of Tamil Nadu.
Location
Thoothukudi district is situated in the extreme South-Eastern corner of Tamil NaduTamil 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...
. It is bounded on the north by the districts of Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli District
Tirunelveli District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Tirunelveli is the district headquarters. A unique feature of this district is that it encompasses all five geographical traditions of Tamil Literature; kurinji , mullai , marudham , neithal and palai...
, Virudhunagar
Virudhunagar District
Virudhunagar District is an administrative district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. Virudhunagar is the district headquarters. Virudhunagar district was formed from parts of Tirunelveli and Madurai districts....
, and Ramanathapuram
Ramanathapuram District
Ramanathapuram District is an administrative district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Ramanathapuram is the district headquarters. Ramanthapuram District has an area of 4123 km²...
, on the east and southeast by the Gulf of Mannar
Gulf of Mannar
The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay forming part of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean. It lies between the southeastern tip of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka. A chain of low islands and reefs known as Adam's Bridge, also called Ramsethu, which includes Mannar Island, separates the...
and on the west and southwest by Tirunelveli district. The total area of the district is 4621 km². The administrative headquarters is an urban agglomeration and also one of the taluk headquarters within. Thoothukkudi District was derived from Tirunelveli District
Tirunelveli District
Tirunelveli District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Tirunelveli is the district headquarters. A unique feature of this district is that it encompasses all five geographical traditions of Tamil Literature; kurinji , mullai , marudham , neithal and palai...
in 1986.
The district of Thoothukudi was carved out as a separate district on 20 October 1986 as a result of bifurcation of the Tirunelveli district 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...
State. Thiru. R. Arumugam, I.A.S. was the first Collector of this District.
History
Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) is one of the major seaports in India with its history dating back to the 6th century A.D..The Thoothukudi district has given India many great freedom fighters, like the great poet Subramanya Bharathi, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, Veerapandiya Kattabomman
Veerapandiya Kattabomman
Veerapandiya Kattabomman also known as Kattabomman was an 18th century Palayakarrar chieftain from Panchalankurichi of Tamil Nadu, India and the 47th King of Panchalankurichi who fought the British. His ancestors migrated to Tamil Nadu from areas in present day Andhra Pradesh during the...
, Vellaiyathevan,, Sundaralingam etc.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...
Thoothukudi district has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
of 1,738,376, roughly equal to the nation of The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
or the US state of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. This gives it a ranking of 277th in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). The district has a population density of 378 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 9.14 %. Thoothukkudi has a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
of 1024 females
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
Literacy in India
Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...
of 86.52 %.
Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
is the main language spoken here, whilst English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is also widely used. As per the 2001 census, the total population of the district was 1,572,273. Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s form the majority of the population (78.58%), followed by Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s (16.71%), Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s (4.63%) and others (0.08%).
This district is divided into 8 taluks for administration purpose and 12 revenue block for rural and urban developments. The 8 taluks are Tuticorin, Thiruchendur, Sathankulam, Srivaikundam, Ottapidaram, Kovilpatti, Ettayapuram and Vilathikulam. The 12 revenuw blocks are Tuticorin, Thiruchendur, Udangudi, Sathankulam, Srivaikundam, Alwarthirunagari, Karunkulam, Ottapidaram, Kovilpatti, Kayathar, Vilathikulam and Pudur.
ondi veeran a famous brave soldier in kattabomman army too fought for freedom
Irrigation
There are no large reservoirs in this district so the PapanasamPapanasam
Papanasam is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In otherwords it is a grown up village and Growing Town. This is the town 25 km from Tanjore and 15 km from Kumbakonam...
and Manimuthar dams located in the Tirunelveli district in the Thamirabarani River's flow are the main sources of irrigation. Other than the Thamirabarani River, the river Vaipar in Vilathikulam
Vilathikulam
Vilathikulam is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a small town near the southern tip of mainland India....
taluk, the river Karumeni which traverses through Sathankulam
Sathankulam
Sathankulam , also spelt as Sattankulam, is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is away from Tiruchendur and from Tirunelveli. It is well-connected with Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Nagerkovil and Tiruchendur by road. An airport is at Tuticorin from...
, and Tiruchendur
Tiruchendur
Thiruchendur is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This town has a different name called Thirucheer Alaiwai.-Demographics:...
taluks, Palayakayal are all sources. In Ottapidaram taluk, there is one small reservoir at Eppodumvendran village.
And banana tree is famous in Kulaiyankarisal here most banana leaf is delivered to various district
Agriculture
PaddyRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
is cultivated in the Palayakayal Srivaikundam, Sattankulam and Tiruchendur taluks. Cumbu, Cholam, Kuthiraivali and other pulses are raised in the dry tracts of Kovilpatti
Kovilpatti
Kovilpatti , also known as Covilpatti, is a special grade municipality in Thoothukudi District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Belongs to Kovilpatti constituency...
, Vilathikulam,Nagalapuram Ottapidaram
Ottapidaram
Ottapidaram is the biggest taluk in Tamil Nadu state, India. It is a small town in Tuticorin District. Ottapidaram continues to be a tourism centre, but has accessibility with many places from Tamil Nadu...
, and Thoothukudi taluks. Cotton is cultivated in Kovilpatti, Ottapidaram and Thoothukudi Taluks. Groundnut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
cultivation is undertaken in Kovilpatti, Tiruchendur, and Sattankulam taluks. Groundnut cake is being used as manure and cattle feed. Nagalapuram makes its economy to be solely dependent agriculture. Main business of this area is dry chilly, cholam, cumbu wood charcoal, etc.
With 35% share, the district is the top producer of Cumbu in Tamil Nadu.
Palmyrah
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
trees are grown mostly in Tiruchendur, Srivaikundam, Sattankulam and Vilathikulam taluks. In srivaikundan taluk, there are so many lakes like sivagalai kulam and perungulam near Sivagalai which is the main sources for the farmers in the village Sivagalai and its surroundings. Jaggery
Jaggery
Jaggery is a traditional unrefined non-centrifugal whole cane sugar consumed in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is a concentrated product of cane juice without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in color...
is produced from palmyrah juice; the production of jaggery is the main occupation of the people of Tiruchendur and Sattankulam taluks. Banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
and other vegetables are raised in Srivaikundam and Tiruchendur taluks. The road going towards Kulayankarisal from Thiruchendur has banana farms on one side and a salt farm on the other; each farm needs a different type of water. Thoothukudi district is the largest exporter of bananas in 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...
.
Salt production
The district constitutes 70 per cent of the total salt production of Tamil Nadu and 30 per cent of that of India. Tuticorin is the second largest producer of Salt in India next to Gujarat.Readymade Clothes
Puthiamputhur is one of important village involved in manufacturing ready-made clothes. The clothes are sent all over Tamil Nadu. It provides employment for more than 10,000 people mostly hailing from near villages.Temples & Churches
- Sri Subrahmanya Swami Devasthanam, Tiruchendur.The temple is located on the shore of the Bay of Bengal. Tiruchendur temple is the second of the six abodes of Lord Murugan, enshrining Senthilandavar and is very popular with pilgrims.
- Alwarthirunagari is one of the most well known festivals of Sri Vaishnavam. It is celebrated to mark the birth of Swami Namalwar, who was born in the month of Vaikasi and the star of Visakam, hence the name. Vaikasi Visakam is a 10 day festival.
- Arulmigu Mutharamman Temple, Kulasekaranpattanam. This temple is famous for dasara fesival, it is 10 day festival. The main thing of this festival is Dasara Kuzhu.
- Our Lady of Snows Basilica, Tuticorin Church was built in 16th century with Portuguese architecture. St. Francis Xavier visited the church in 1542. The Church of Our Lady of Snows celebrated its 400th anniversary in 1982, Pope John Paul II raised it to the status of Basilica.castism prevaiing all over this district mostly the same caste peoples join together and run businees from the top to bottom
- Vanathirupathi in Punnai Nagar built by P.Rajagopal Founder, Hotel Saravana Bhavan chain of hotels is recently famous in the district.
Meignanapuram church is one of the famous churches. Its height is 196 feet.