Kulithalai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kulithalai Kulittalai
Town
Kulithalai Location in Tamil Nadu
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Karur
Region	Karur
Government
• Type	Second Grade Municipality
Elevation	86 m (282 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	27,910
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	TN-47

Kulithalai is a town in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu, a state in India. It's also a suburb of Tiruchirapalli City. People have lived here for a very long time. Its history goes back to the Chera period. Later, it was ruled by different groups like the Cholas, Pandyas, the Vijayanagar Empire, and the British.

Kulithalai is part of the Kulithalai assembly constituency. This area chooses a representative for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly every five years. It's also part of the Perambalur (Lok Sabha constituency), which elects a Member of Parliament (MP) every five years.

The town is managed by the Kulithalai municipality. It covers an area of about 11.16 square kilometers (4.31 sq mi). In 2011, about 27,910 people lived here. Kulithalai is in the rich farming area of the Cauvery Delta. This means that farming is the main job for many people. You can get to Kulithalai by road or train. The closest airport is Tiruchirapalli Airport, which is about 40 kilometers (25 mi) away.

The Name and Its History

The town's name comes from the main god of the Kadamba Vaneswarar temple. In the 7th century, holy saints called Nayanmars wrote about this place. They called it Kadambandurai and Kuzhithandalai in their writings. Today, Kuzhithandalai is known as Kulithalai.

There's an old Hindu story about the temple. Seven goddesses, called Saptha Matha, were praying to the god Shiva in a forest here. They wanted Shiva to save them from a demon named Doomralochana. It's believed that Shiva killed the demon to protect the forest and the goddesses. Because of this, he got the name Kadhambavaneshwarar, which means "Lord of the Kadamba Forest."

Where Kulithalai Is and Its Weather

Kulithalai is located at 10.56° N latitude and 78.29° E longitude. It stretches out from north to south and east to west. The town is in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu, about 370 kilometers (230 mi) from Chennai. Kulithalai sits on the banks of the Kaveri river.

The land here is mostly flat, with no big mountains or hills. There are no important minerals found nearby. The soil is good for farming common crops in the Cauvery delta. The temperature usually goes from a high of 32.7°C (90.9°F) to a low of 24°C (75°F). Like the rest of the state, April to June are the hottest months. December and January are the coolest.

Kulithalai gets about 27 cm (11 in) of rain each year. This is less than the state's average of 1008 mm (40 in). The South West monsoon brings little rain from June to August. Most of the rain comes during the North East monsoon. This happens in October, November, and December. On average, it rains about 35-40 days each year.

People and Population

In 2011, the census showed that Kulithalai had 27,910 people. There were 1,016 females for every 1,000 males. This is higher than the national average. About 2,522 children were under six years old.

People from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 16.77% and 0.4% of the population. The average literacy rate (people who can read and write) was 81.22%. This is higher than India's average of 72.99%. The town had 7,374 homes.

Most people in Kulithalai work. In 2001, about 37.6% of the population had jobs. Many people work in services, like shops and hotels. Others work in farming or small home-based industries. The town's population grew quite a bit in the 1990s. In 2001, there were about 2,344 people per square kilometer.

According to the 2011 religious census, most people in Kulithalai are Hindus (89.47%). There are also Muslims (7.35%) and Christians (3.12%). A small number of people follow other religions.

The town covers an area of about 11.16 square kilometers (4.31 sq mi). About 16.61% of this land is developed. About 664.31 hectares (2.56 sq mi) are used for farming. Another 266.39 hectares (1.03 sq mi) are covered by water. Homes take up 14.31% of the town's area. Businesses use 1.2%, and industries use 0.17%.

Jobs and Getting Around

Farming and businesses related to farming are the main parts of Kulithalai's economy. There are small businesses like gem cutting, rice mills, oil mills, and coir (coconut fiber) making units. These are found along New Court Street and Manaparai Road. There are no very large factories in the town.

Kulithalai is a trading hub for nearby villages. It has grocery stores, food grain shops, vegetable markets, hotels, and fertilizer shops.

The Kulithalai municipality takes care of 33.785 kilometers (20.993 mi) of roads. This includes concrete roads, black-topped roads, and dirt roads. The town is on National Highway NH 67, which connects Karur and Trichy. It is about 35 kilometers (22 mi) from Trichy and 40 kilometers (25 mi) from Karur.

Kulithalai has a local bus service that connects different parts of the town and nearby areas. Private companies also run minibuses. The main bus stand is on the Karur-Trichy main road. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation runs daily buses to other cities from Kulithalai.

The Kulithalai railway station is on the rail line from Trichy to Karur. Daily express trains connect Kulithalai to cities like Coimbatore, Erode, Palakkad, Mangalore, Cochin, and Mysore. There are also local passenger trains between Karur and Trichy.

Schools and Town Services

In 2011, Kulithalai had two government high schools, three middle schools, and three primary schools. There were also fifteen other private schools. Government Arts College, which started in 2007, is the only college in town. VKS College of Engineering and Technology is about 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) away. There is also an ITI on Peralamman Kovil street. Other colleges are in Karur and Trichy.

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) provides electricity to Kulithalai. The town gets its water from borewells in the Kaveri river. This water is stored in two overhead tanks. In 2000–2001, about 7 million liters of water were supplied daily to homes.

In 2011, the municipality collected about 9 metric tons of trash every day. They collected it from homes and then sorted and dumped it. The town does not have an underground sewer system. Waste water goes into septic tanks, open drains, or public toilets.

As of 2011, there was one government hospital and 12 private hospitals and clinics. These take care of people's health needs. The municipality also maintains 1,309 street lamps. These include different types of lights, even some solar ones. The town has two markets: the Weekly Market and Uzhavar Santhai. These markets serve the town and nearby villages.

Culture and Festivals

Kadambar Kovil is a very old Shiva temple in the middle of the town. It is one of the important Shiva temples in the area. The temple is built on the banks of the Cauvery river. It has a tall gopuram (gateway tower) and strong stone walls.

The Thai Poosam festival is very popular here. It happens in the Tamil month of Thai. During this festival, gods from seven nearby villages gather here, and many visitors come to see it. The annual Mariamman Kovil Thiru Therr Vizha is another big festival. During this two-week event, people offer prayers. They carry water pots, pierce their bodies, carry fire pots, and even walk on fire.

The Rathnagirinathar temple is about 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) south of Kulithalai. It's also called Iyermalai or Ayyarmalai. This is another important temple in the region. The Ratnagireeeswarar temple is on a hill. You have to climb over 1000 steps to reach it. There is also a Sivapureeswarar temple at the bottom of the hill.

According to a legend, two gods, Vayu Bhaghvan and Adiseshan, argued about who was stronger. Adiseshan wrapped himself around Mount Kailasam. Vayu tried to remove him by creating a strong wind. Because of this wind, eight parts fell from Kailasam. These parts became eight different holy places, including Ratnagiri (Ayyar Malai). Many visitors come to the Ayyar Malai temple on full moon days and Mondays in the Tamil month of Karthigai.

Thiru Eengoinathar Malai is a small hill temple. It is another important temple located about 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) north of Kulithalai.

People traditionally believe it's good luck to visit three specific temples on the same day. These are Kadambar Kovil at Kulithalai, Rathnagirinathar temple at Rathinagiri (Ayyarmalai), and Thiru Eengoi Malai at Mullipadi.

Other famous temples near Kulithalai include Karpatthur Shivan Temple, Neelamegha Perumal temple, Vaiganallur Perumal Temple, and Manathattai Perumal temple.

Besides Hindu temples, Kulithalai also has other places of worship. These include CSI Church, Amalarakkini Aalayam, and Kulithalai Mosque.

See also

In Spanish: Kulithalai para niños