Dharapuram (;) is a town situated along the banks of Amaravati River in

Tiruppur district Tiruppur District is one of the 38 districts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, formed in 22 February 2009. Dharapuram was the largest taluk by area in the district. The district is well-developed and industrialized. The Tiruppur banian indu ...

in the

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 ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

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 ...

. Dharapuram is one of the oldest towns in South India and was the capital of

Kongu Nadu Kongu Nadu, also known by various names as Kongu Mandalam and Kongu belt, is a geographical region comprising present day parts of western Tamil Nadu, southeastern Karnataka and eastern Kerala. In the ancient Tamilakam, it was the seat of th ...

under the Cheras,

Western Ganga Dynasty Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (mo ...

and later Kongu Cholas, at which time it was known as Viradapuram. Amaravathi River flows through the town. As of 2011, the town had a population of 67,007. The city houses famous temples including ''Agatheeswarar'' Temple, ''Kaadu Hanumanthasamy'' temple and many others. Dharapuram Town is a small agricultural marketing centre for a large rural hinterland in the

Tirupur District Tiruppur District is one of the 38 districts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, formed in 22 February 2009. Dharapuram was the largest taluk by area in the district. The district is well-developed and industrialized. The Tiruppur banian indus ...

. The town is 50 km towards of the District Headquarters

Tirupur Tiruppur or Tirupur ( ) is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruppur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruppur district and the fifth largest city as well as an urban agglomeration in Tamil Nadu. Located on the banks of Noyyal Ri ...

, 35 km towards the

Vellakovil Vellakovil is a municipal town in Kangeyam taluk of Tirupur District, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on National Highway 81 between Trichy and Coimbatore. The town is spread in an area of 64.75 km2. As of 2011, the town ...

, 75 km towards the

Erode Erode () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Erode is the seventh largest urban agglomeration in the state, after Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruppur and Salem. It is also the administrative headquarters of the E ...

, 35 km towards the

Palani Palani ( or ''Palni'' as in British records, is a town and a taluk headquarters in Dindigul district of the western part of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is located about south-east of Coimbatore and north-west of Madurai, from Kodaikanal ...

and 72 km towards the industrial town

Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...

. The nearest airport is

Coimbatore International Airport Coimbatore International Airport is the primary airport serving the industrial cities of Coimbatore and Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in the neighbourhood of Peelamedu, about from the center of Coimbatore. It is the 18th-busie ...

located 70 km from Dharapuram.

History

Dharapuram was part of the Chera kingdom until 850 CE. From 1000 to 1275 CE, the area was ruled by the Kongu

Cholas The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...

under the name Vanchipuri. The

Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...

n capital was under attack by a hitherto unknown group in

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

, called Kalabhars. As a result, the Kongu Cholas made Dharapuram their military and political headquarters. The

Later Cholas The Later Chola dynasty ruled the Chola Empire from 1070 C.E. until the demise of the empire in 1279 C. E. This dynasty was the product of decades of alliances based on marriages between the Cholas and the Eastern Chalukyas based in Vengi, and ...

named the city as Rajarajapuram. After 1276 CE, the Pandyas took control of the region. The Sultanate, Nayaks of Madurai and

Vijayanagara empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hinduism, Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana an ...

rules followed by

Hyder Ali Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the att ...

and

Tippu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...

. In 1799, when Tippu fell to the British, the East Indian Company took over administration of this region. Agatheeswarar kovil

The historical name of the town is Viradapuram and its mention is found in

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

verses. It is mentioned that

Pandava The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...

s worshipped and stayed briefly in Dharai Thillapuri Amman, an Amman temple located in banks of

Amaravati Amaravati () is the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the river Krishna in Guntur district. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone at a ceremonial event in Uddandar ...

. The city is home to various artifacts relating to Mahabharata period. The city was also known as Virata Nagaram in ancient Tamil texts during the time of pancha pandavas when they were in the forest incognito. The city is said to be one of the ruled areas of Panja Pandavas. During British empire, Dharapuram was the capital of Noyyal South District before the formation of

Coimbatore District Coimbatore district is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is one of the most industrialized districts and a major textile, industrial, commercial, educ ...

Bhavani Bhavānī (also known as Bhāvya, Tulajā, Turajā, Tvarita, Aṃbā, Jagadambā and Aṃbē) is manifestation of Adi Shakti (Durga). Bhavani translates to "giver of life", meaning the power of nature or the source of creative energy. She is co ...

Was The Capital Of Noyal North District. In 1804 Coimbatore District was formed by combining both. Dharapuram was taluk under Coimbatore district during 1804-1979. Dharapuram and

Municipalities were established on the same day. Dharapuram attained the status of a Municipality in the year 1866 and it was promoted to first grade municipality on 9 May 1983. The town has attained the status of a Municipality in the year 1866 and functioning as the First Grade Municipality from 09.05.1983. The town developments completely depend on the agricultural activities and Commerce and Trades.

Demographics

According to 2011 census, Dharapuram had a population of 67,007 with a sex-ratio of 1,045 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 5,048 were under the age of six, constituting 2,566 males and 2,482 females. The average literacy of the town was 80.4%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had a total of 15842 households. This area is dominated by Kongu Vellalar Gounder community, There were a total of 23,722 workers, comprising 506 cultivators, 1,227 main agricultural laborers, 652 in house hold industries, 17,553 other workers, 3,784 marginal workers, 51 marginal cultivators, 697 marginal agricultural laborers, 204 marginal workers in household industries and 2,832 other marginal workers. As per the religious census of 2011, Dharapuram (M) had 77.12%

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, 16.76%

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

, 5.74%

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, and 0.37% following other religions. Bhagavan temple Inside

Geography and climate

Dharapuram is located at . Dharapuram town is situated along of the bank of Amaravathi River which flows from the south to north. Uppar River and dam, Nallathankal River and

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

, Palar join the river Amaravathi. It has an average elevation of . It is strategically located in the line of Palakkad pass which provides the wind that activates the town's numerous

windmills A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in some par ...

. The area has a significant water shortage. The town has a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''BSh'').

Economy

The economy of Dharapuram is mainly based on

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

as it is blessed with Water resources from Amaravati River. The predominant occupation of the town is trade and commerce. Dharapuram acts as the commercial hub for surrounding villages. Many commercial establishments and banks are located in the town. Dharapuram being headquarters of

Dharapuram taluk Dharapuram taluk is a taluk in Tirupur district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters is the town of Dharapuram. Dharapuram taluk previously included what is now Kangeyam taluk. Demographics According to the 2011 census, the taluk ...

and Dharapuram Revenue division houses many government offices. Agriculture is the major industry in Dharapuram and it's the main source of employment for people around Dharapuram. Main crops cultivated in this area are

Coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

Vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

Maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

Millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...

, Paddy and

Sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

. Most of the farmers also indulge in

Dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or ...

. Sizeable number of farmers also engage in

Poultry farming Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion chicke ...

. After

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

textile industry The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of yarn, cloth and clothing. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry. Industry process Cotton manufacturi ...

also provides employment to sizeable number of people. Due to the town's proximity with the textile city of

Tiruppur Tiruppur or Tirupur ( ) is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruppur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruppur district and the fifth largest city as well as an urban agglomeration in Tamil Nadu. Located on the banks of Noyyal Ri ...

there are some textile industries located in and around Dharapuram. The surrounding areas has seen a surge in windmill installations because of the location of the town across the Palghat Gap. The city also houses Seed manufacturing plants, Textile Spinning and

Cotton Mills A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven ...

, Rice Mills, ginning factory Oil Processing Plants,

Brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

s, Big Lorry Market, Famous vegetables Market,

Automobiles A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as ...

and

Finance Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...

. The city also houses 500

bakeries A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who w ...

within the radius of serving highway commutators. In recent years due to lack of employment opportunities, a sizeable number of population have been migrating to nearby industrial cities like

and

Administration and politics

Dharapuram was a part of Coimbatore district and later Erode district and now

. Dharapuram State Assembly Constituency has been reserved constituency since 1967. Dharapuram is part of

Erode Lok Sabha constituency Erode Lok Sabha constituency ( ta, ஈரோடு மக்களவைத் தொகுதி) is one of the 39 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India. Assembly Segments Erode Lok Sabha constitu ...

. N. Kayalvizhi is the present member of the

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members of whom are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post voting, First-past-the-post system. The pres ...

from the Dharapuram constituency. Dharapuram Revenue division consists of

and

Kangeyam taluk Kangeyam taluk is a taluk of Tirupur district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Kangeyam. Kangeyam Taluk Formed From Bifurcation of Dharapuram taluk. Demographics According to the 2011 census, the tal ...

. Dharapuram Assembly Constituency came under

Pollachi (Lok Sabha constituency) Pollachi is a Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu. Its Tamil Nadu Parliamentary Constituency number is 21 of 39. Assembly segments 2009-present Before 2009 # Kinathukkadavu #Pollachi # Valparai (SC) #Udumalpet # Pongalur #Dharapuram (moved to ...

until 2009. Now it's part of

Erode (Lok Sabha constituency) Erode Lok Sabha constituency ( ta, ஈரோடு மக்களவைத் தொகுதி) is one of the 39 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India. Assembly Segments Erode Lok Sabha constitu ...

AIADMK The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian Regionalism (politics), regional political party with great influence in the Federated state, state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory) ...

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

, DMK,

BJP The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...

Tamil Nadu Kongu Ilaingar Peravai Tamil Nadu Kongu Ilaignar Peravai is a political party (Founded by Thaniyarasu) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The party formed to gain votes in Kongu Vellalar, which holds nearly 15% of the Tamil Nadu electorate. Meetings The associat ...

are the major political parties in this area.

Transport

The following are the major highways connecting Dharapuram: * SH-21 :

Pollachi Pollachi is a town and a taluk headquarters in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu state, India. Located about to the south of Coimbatore, it is the second largest town in the district after Coimbatore. Pollachi is a popular Marketplace for ja ...

- Dharapuram -

Karur Karur () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Karur is the administrative headquarters of Karur district. It is located on the banks of River Amaravathi, Kaveri and Noyyal. Karur is well known for the export of Home Textile products to ...

SH-37 The Shpitalny Sh-37 (russian: Шпитальный - Ш-37) was the first indigenous Soviet aircraft cannon, designed by Boris Shpitalniy at OKB-15.Широкорад А.Б. (2001) ''История авиационного вооружения'' ...

Oddanchatram Oddanchatram () is a town in Dindigul district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Oddanchatram is a region in the southwest of Tamil Nadu. The Town was carved out of Madurai District in 1985. Oddanchatram is also famous for vegetable and cattl ...

- Dharapuram -

* SH-83 :

- Dharapuram * SH-83A :

Kangeyam Kangeyam () is a town and municipality in Kangeyam Taluk of Tiruppur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated on National Highway 81. Kangeyam is an economic center in Tamil Nadu. The main commercial interests of the municip ...

- Dharapuram * SH-84A :

- Dharapuram * SH-97 :

Udumalpet Udumalai, also known as Udumalaipettai and Udumalpet (), is a town in Tiruppur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Udumalaipettai is located 535 km (332 mi) south west from the state capital, Chennai and 72 km (45 mi) away from Coimbator ...

- Dharapuram * SH-153 : Dharapuram -

* SH-174A :

Palladam Palladam () is a town and First Grade Municipality in Tirupur district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the headquarters of Palladam Taluk of Tirupur district. Palladam is located on National Highway NH 81. Palladam is a major Town with ...

- Dharapuram Back To Back buses are available for

(2 Minutes),

and

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

at day time. Also

, Salem,

Dindigul Dindigul, also spelt Thindukkal (), is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Dindigul district. Dindigul is located southwest from the state capital, Chennai, away from Tiruchirappalli, away ...

& South Tamil Nadu Places. Dharapuram is connected by moffusil bus services to major towns in Tamil Nadu operated by TNSTC Dharapuram town is not provided with railway facilities. The nearest railway stations is

Palani railway station Palani railway station is a single-electric lined train station serving Tamil Nadu's pilgrim town of Palani situated in the western part of the state. The station is a part of the Madurai railway division of the Southern Railway zone and falls ...

and

at a distance of 34 km and 35 km respectively and the nearest airport is

(70 km). Dharapuram town is well connected with other cities & towns like

and

with road transport facilities.

Places of interest

Agastheeswarar temple, Bhagavan Koil, Angalamman temple, Kottai Mariamman temple, Rathinamoorthy temple, Thean Easwaran temple, Periya Nachiamman temple, Konguvadukanatha Swami temple, Thillapuriamman Temple, Chakrathalvar temple, Mamangam temple, Kadu Hanumantharaya Swami temple and Angitholuvu Kaliamman temple are the major places of worship. Apart from temples, Dharapuram was the source of the tastiest hotel - Devi Vilas. Though this hotel ceases to exist now, it was one of the most popular hotels in the 70s. It is told that the famous actor, Shri Nagesh used to work here. Also, everytime former

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...

MG Ramachandran Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...

came for shooting in the neighborhood, he would eat only from Devi Vilas.

References

{{Tirupur district Cities and towns in Tiruppur district Tiruppur district