Srivilliputhur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Srivilliputhur
Thiruvilliputhur
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Town
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| Thiruvilliputhur | |
| Nickname(s):
City of Diary
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 Srivilliputhur
Location in Tamil Nadu
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| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Region | Madurai |
| District | Virudhunagar |
| Government | |
| • Type | First Grade Municipality |
| • Body | Srivilliputtur Municipality |
| Elevation | 146 m (479 ft) |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 75,396 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN |
626125
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| Telephone code | 04563 |
| Vehicle registration | TN-67,TN-84 |
| Sex ratio | 1:1 ♂/♀ |
Srivilliputhur, also known as Thiruvilliputhur, is a town in the Virudhunagar district of the Tamil Nadu state in India. In 2011, about 75,396 people lived here.
The most famous landmark in Thiruvilliputhur is the 11-story tower of the Srivilliputhur Andal temple. This temple is dedicated to Vishnu, a very important god in Hinduism. The tower is 192 feet tall and is the official symbol of the Government of Tamil Nadu. It is believed that Periyalvar, a famous saint, built this tower around 788 CE. He was the adopted father of the temple's main goddess, Andal.
Thiruvilliputhur is known for its old history and religious importance. It is located on the railway line between Virudhunagar and Sengottai. The town is about 74 km south of Madurai and is connected by roads and railways to many nearby cities.
Contents
What's in a Name? The Story of Srivilliputhur
The name Srivilliputhur has an interesting story! Long ago, this area was ruled by Queen Malli. She had two sons, Villi and Kandan. One day, while they were hunting in a forest, a tiger sadly killed Kandan. Villi searched for his brother, got tired, and fell asleep.
In his dream, a divine voice told him what had happened to his brother. The voice also told Villi to build a city. So, Villi built a city, and it was named after him: Sri-Villi-Puthur. It was also known as Mallivalanaadu, after his mother, Queen Malli. The word Thiru is a Tamil way to show respect, similar to "Sri," which is why the town is also called Thiruvilliputhur.
Another story says the town's name comes from the Tamil word villi, which means "bow." This suggests it was known as the town of bowmen.
A Look Back: The History of Srivilliputhur
The history of Srivilliputhur is closely connected to the Srivilliputhur Andal Temple. This temple is dedicated to Andal, who lived around the 8th century or earlier. She is the only female saint among the 12 Alvars, who were important saints in South India. Andal wrote famous Tamil poems called Thirupavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi. People still recite these poems during the winter festival season.
Andal was very devoted to the god Vishnu. She was adopted by her father, the saint Periyalvar, who found her as a baby. Instead of marrying a person, Andal chose to "marry" Vishnu, both spiritually and physically. In many places in India, especially in Tamil Nadu, Andal is seen as more than a saint; she is considered a form of god herself. Most Vishnu temples have a special shrine for her.
During the rule of Tirumala Nayaka (1623–1659) and Rani Mangammal (1689–1706), Srivilliputhur became very famous. Tirumala Nayaka renovated the temples in the city. He also built a palace here, which was smaller but similar to the Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace in Madurai. Today, the Archaeological Department of India manages this palace complex, and entry is limited.
From 1751 to 1756, Srivilliputhur was part of the Nerkattumseval area ruled by Puli thevar. Later, the Fort of Srivilliputhur was controlled by Periyasami Thevar. In 1756, it came under the rule of Mohammed Yusuf Khan. During the early 1800s, there were battles between local leaders and the British. The British ruled the country until India became independent in 1947.
Exploring the Geography of Srivilliputhur
Srivilliputhur is located at the base of the Western Ghats mountains. It is about 77 km southwest of Madurai. The town is about 137 meters above sea level. There are no major mineral resources in the area. Srivilliputhur gets less rainfall than the rest of the state, with an average of 811 mm per year. Most of the rain comes during the North East monsoon, from October to December.
Shenbaga Thoppu Wildlife Sanctuary
About 8 km west of Srivilliputhur is Shenbaga Thoppu, a beautiful forest. These forests are on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats. You can find many rare and unique plants and animals here.
A wildlife sanctuary was created in 1989 in Shenbaga Thoppu, covering 480 square kilometers. This sanctuary connects to the Periyar tiger reserve and the Megamalai reserve forest. The combined Srivilliputhur-Meghamalai Reserve Forests have been named India's 51st and Tamil Nadu's fifth Tiger Reserve Sanctuary. Kottamalai Peak, which is about 2019 meters high, is believed to be the tallest peak in the Virudhunagar district.
The sanctuary is home to the endangered Grizzled Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macrora). It also has many birds, mammals, reptiles, and butterflies. Elephants, both resident and those that migrate, are common here. Other animals you might see include tigers, leopards, Nilgiri thar, spotted deer, barking deer, sambar, wild boars, porcupines, Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macaque, common langur, slender loris, bonnet macaque, sloth bear, Gaur (Indian Bison), and flying squirrels.
People and Population
| Religious census 2011 | ||||
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| Religion | Percent(%) | |||
| Hindu | 90.7% | |||
| Muslim | 2.27% | |||
| Christian | 6.62% | |||
| Sikh | 0.01% | |||
| Buddhist | 0.01% | |||
| Other | 0.38% | |||
| No religion | 0.02% | |||
According to the 2011 census, Srivilliputhur had a population of 75,396 people. For every 1,000 males, there were 1,015 females, which is higher than the national average. About 6,884 children were under the age of six. The town's average literacy rate was 77.84%, which is higher than the national average.
Most people in Srivilliputhur are Hindus (90.7%). There are also Christians (6.62%) and Muslims (2.27%), along with smaller numbers of Sikhs and Buddhists.
Economy: How People Make a Living
The main jobs in Srivilliputhur are handloom weaving and farming. The Virudhunagar district has several areas known for handloom weavers, including Srivilliputhur. These weavers produce a large amount of the state's handloom goods.
Srivilliputhur is also famous for a milk sweet called Srivilliputhur Palkova. Local producers started making this sweet in 1977 after the "white revolution" in the 1970s, which increased milk production. This industry provides jobs for many people in the town.
Holy places like the Srivilliputhur Andal Temple and Sri Vaidyanathar Temple attract thousands of visitors. This helps the local economy through tourism and related services. Many people in the town work in services like handloom weaving, trade, transport, and communication.
All major nationalized banks and several private banks have branches in Srivilliputhur. This includes State Bank of India, Canara bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, and others.
Education and Services
Srivilliputhur has many schools, including 19 elementary schools, six middle schools, and several high and matriculation schools. However, there are no colleges in the town itself.
The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) provides electricity to Srivilliputhur. The town gets its water supply from the Peyanar river and deep bore wells. In 2000–01, about 3.125 million liters of water were supplied daily to homes.
The Srivilliputhur municipality collects about 24 metric tonnes of solid waste every day. They collect waste from homes and then sort and dump it. The town does not have an underground drainage system. Waste water is managed through septic tanks and open drains.
For healthcare, there is one maternity hospital, one government health center, and several private clinics. The town also has 2,072 street lamps to light up the roads at night. The Uzhavar Santhai (a farmers' market) and Pennington Market are two important markets in the town center.
Getting Around: Transportation
The Srivilliputhur municipality manages over 54 kilometers of roads. The town has concrete roads, bituminous roads (like asphalt), and some unpaved roads. The national highway NH 208, which connects Madurai and Kollam, passes through the town. This highway connects Srivilliputhur to nearby towns like Rajapalayam and Tenkasi.
Srivilliputhur has a town bus service that helps people travel within the town and to nearby areas. There are also mini-bus services run by private companies. The main bus stand is in the heart of the town.
Regular inter-city bus services connect Srivilliputhur to many cities. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation runs daily buses to places like Madurai, Chennai, Erode, Coimbatore, and many others. The State Express Transport Corporation operates long-distance buses to major cities like Chennai and Madurai.
The Srivilliputtur railway station is on the railway line that goes from Madurai to Tenkasi and Sengottai. This line connects Tamil Nadu with Kerala. Important trains like the Podhigai Express and Kollam express stop at Srivilliputhur. The closest airport is Madurai International Airport, which is about 74 km away.
Culture and Festivals
The Srivilliputhur Andal Temple is a very famous place in Srivilliputhur. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu and is one of the 108 Divya Desams, which are highly respected temples mentioned in ancient Vaishnava writings. It is the birthplace of two very important saints, Periyalvar and Andal.
The Vatapatrasayi temple is another temple dedicated to Vishnu. In this temple, Vishnu is shown as a young child resting on a banyan tree leaf floating on water.
The Madavar Vilagam Vaidyanathar temple is also a well-known temple in the town. It has a large, six-foot-tall statue of Nataraja.
Thiruvannamalai, also called Thenthirupathi, is a Vishnu temple located 5 km from Srivilliputhur, surrounded by the Western Ghats.
Kattalagar Koil is another Vishnu temple located 9 km west of Srivilliputhur, on the Mantuga Hills.
The Sathuragiri Hills are home to two temples: Sundra Mahalingam temple and Sandhana Mahalingam temple. This area is known for its rare medicinal plants. Over 275 types of plants with medicinal value have been found here. The forest also has many types of orchids and ferns.
The Pennington Public Library, started in 1875, is one of India's oldest privately run public libraries. Pilavakkal is a dam in Watrap village and is a popular picnic spot near Srivilliputhur.
Thousands of people from the state celebrate the "Adi Pooram" festival at the Andal Temple. After special morning prayers, the deities, Sri Rengamannar and Goddess Andal, are carried in decorated palanquins. This festival celebrates the day Andal was adopted by Periyazhwar, who found her near a tulasi plant in the temple garden.
Sarva Bhauma Aiyangar, also known as Villiputhurar, lived in Srivilliputhur around the 17th century. He translated the Mahabaratha, one of India's two great epic stories, into Tamil.
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