Ayakudi is a

panchayat town A nagar panchayat (town panchayat; ) or Notified Area Council (NAC) in India is a settlement in transition from rural to urban and therefore a form of an urban political unit comparable to a municipality. An urban centre with more than 12,000 ...

in Dindigul district in the state of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Ayakudi is thought to be the place where the kings of

Ay Kingdom Ay (short from of Ayar) was one of the Tamil dynasties which controlled the south-western tip of the peninsula, from the early historic period up to the medieval period.The clan traditionally held sway over the harbour of Vizhinjam, the ferti ...

originated. The city is known for guava. It is filled with nature in the slopes of Kodaikanal. Ayakudi originally means Ayar (shepherd) kudi (dwelling place).

Demographics

India

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

, Ayakudi had a population of 23,410. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Ayakudi has an average literacy rate of 61%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 59% of the males and 41% of females literate. 10% of the population is under 5 years of age. This place is (3.0 km) from Palani, and its Lord Muruga Temple. The hill station called Kodaikanal is about 60 km from Ayakudi. A pond divides the city into Old Ayakudi (east of the pond) and New Ayakudi (west) and Obulapuram.

People and livelihood

Different communities inhabit in Ayakudi. There are streets where only a particular community or caste reside. Most of the people participate in agriculture. Believed that rate of literacy went up to 70% by over nine years now. Most women are in teaching careers, working with nearby villages around Dindugul district. Ayakudi is known for its guava cultivation and fruit market. From this market, guava is shipped to elsewhere in India and abroad. Apart from guava, lime, paddy, mango, sugarcane and cotton are also cultivated in Ayakudi. Ayakudi is a town panchayath now, which was under a landlord (Jamindar). Many landlords still live with their historical culture.

Education

There are Government primary schools and private primary schools are available inside the village. Ayakudi Jamindar founded a Higher Secondary School named I T O (Immudipatam Thirunyanasamanth Obala Kondamma Naiyakan) Higher Secondary School, is a major source of education.
Swamy Matric Higher Secondary School is in Thattankulam, Palani. Vivekanada Vidhyalaa is a matriculation school in Ayakudi. Its students get high scores in 10th and 12th standards. Apart from this school, in Palani there are Akshaya academy, Devi matriculation school, Government Girls and Boys Schools, and St. Paul's matriculation school. Arulmigu Palani Andavar Arts and Science College, APA college for Ladies, APA polytechnic, Subramianaia Engineering college are near Ayakudi.

Notable people

Dr. K.A. Narayanasamy Maniyakarar, Madurai Jilla Ex-General Secretary Indian National Congress, Pradesh Congress Committee ex member (PCC), Ayakudi Town Panchayat ex Vice-President, Society ex Vice-President, Area Committee ex Member (Endowments Board), a politician and close aide to TN Ex CM K.Kamaraj, Ex CM M.Bhaktavatsalam, Ex Governor P.Ramachandran, Ex Minister P.Kakkan.. and all other Congress politicians Dr. Palani Baba, a politician and close aide to TN Ex CM MGR, Karunanidhi, PM Indira Gandhi.

References

{{Dindigul district Cities and towns in Dindigul district