Muppandal is a small village on the southern tip of
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 ...
in
Kanyakumari District
Kanniyakumari district is one of the 38 districts in Tamil Nadu state and the southernmost district in mainland India. It stands second in terms of population density among the districts of Tamil Nadu. It is also the richest district in Tamil Nad ...
, 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 ...
. It is located in a hilly region where wind from the
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
gusts through mountain passes.
There is a legend that
Avvaiyar
Avvaiyar (Tamil: ஔவையார்) was the title of more than one female poet who were active during different periods of Tamil literature. They were some of the most famous and important female poets of the Tamil canon.
Abidhana Chinta ...
had arranged for a marriage, to which she invited the sovereigns of the
Chera,
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 ...
and
Pandya kingdoms. This is located in between Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari Highway (NH), the nearest college from muppandal is
Jayamatha Engineering College
The Jayamatha Engineering College is located in Aralvaimozhi in the Kanyakumari district of Muppandal in Tamil Nadu, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country b ...
The kings erected pandals (mandapams) in the respective places allotted to them and this eventually led to the place being called Muppandal (meaning 'three pandals').
Wind power
![Aralvaimozhy station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Aralvaimozhy_station.jpg)
The once-impoverished village benefited from the building of the nearby
Muppandal Wind Farm
The Muppandal Wind Farm is India's largest operational onshore wind farm. This project located in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. The project was developed by Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency. Its installed capacity is 1,500 MW, which makes ...
, a
renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
source, which supplies the villagers with electricity for work.
This is the second largest onshore wind farm in the world. The village had been selected as the showcase for India's $2 billion clean energy program which provides foreign companies with tax breaks for establishing fields of wind turbines in the area. Coordinates -
°15'39"N 77°32'55"E Now huge power-producing windmills tower over the palm trees. The village has attracted wind energy producing companies creating thousands of new jobs, dramatically raising the incomes of villagers.
The suitability of Muppandal as a site for wind farms stems from its geographical location as it has access to the seasonal monsoon winds.
Now there are more sites identified for windmills around this area (Muppandal and surroundings) and wind energy generation capacity is estimated to be around 1500 MW, which is about 20% of that of India.
Shrine
In Muppandal, there is an image of Avvaiyar in the temple dedicated to the poet. According to tradition, this is the spot where she died.
See also
*
Muppandal Wind Farm
The Muppandal Wind Farm is India's largest operational onshore wind farm. This project located in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. The project was developed by Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency. Its installed capacity is 1,500 MW, which makes ...
*
Wind power
Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to electricity generation, generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable energy, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller Environmental impact of wi ...
*
Wind power in India
Wind power generation capacity in India has significantly increased in recent years. As of 30 September 2022, the total installed wind power capacity was 41.666 GW, the fourth largest installed wind power capacity in the world. Wind power cap ...
*
Solar power in India
Solar power in India is a fast developing industry.
The country's solar installed capacity was 61.966 GWAC as of 30 November 2022.
Solar power generation in India ranks fourth globally in 2021.
The Indian Government had an initial tar ...
Notes
External links
Tapping the Wind - India
Villages in Kanyakumari district
{{Power Plants of Tamil Nadu