Thalaivasal ( ta, தலைவாசல்) is a town in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located 18 km away from the Sub-district headquarter Attur and 70 km away from the Salem District Headquarter. It is one of the Taluks of the Salem District The Thalaivasal Taluk is near Attur Circle. Thalaivasal consists of 35 Panchayats. It has the control over the 35 Panchayats. The Regional Development Office of the Panchayat Union operates at the Mummudi, Thalaivasal which is known as Union Office. According to the 2011 census, the total population of the headquarter panchayat is 1,35,026. The population of the Scheduled castes is 41,523. The population of the Scheduled tribe is 1,080.

Etymology

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...

, the word ''Thalai'' means "head", and ''vasal'' means "entrance". The town was an entrance to the

Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in South India, southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary allia ...

and

Hoysala Empire The Hoysala Empire was a Kannada people, Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially loca ...

via the Attur pass;Tippu Sultan, a Fanatic? By Jalajā Caktitācan̲ it was therefore named "Thalaivasal".

History

Hoysalas invaded the Magadai country and established their headquarters at Aragalur in the 12th century CE.

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 int ...

and Hyder Ali likely visited places around Thalaivasal in the 18th century.

Government

Government establishments in Thalaivasal include the Panchayat Union, a sub-registrar office, a police station, and a primary health care unit. Thalaivasal is a state assembly seat.

Politics

Thalaivasal is part of the Kallakurichi (Lok Sabha constituency) assembly

constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...

and Gangavalli (State Assembly constituency).

Geography

Vasishta Nadi Vasishtha ( sa, वसिष्ठ, IAST: ') is one of the oldest and most revered Vedic rishis or sages, and one of the Saptarishis (seven great Rishis). Vashistha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the ''Rigveda''. Vashishtha an ...

originates from the Salem district, flowing through Attur, Thalaivasal and Cuddalore district. This river flows through Tiruchirapalli and joins Sweta Nadi before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Vasishta river flows from the southern part of the village.

Economy

A farmers' market is organized every Tuesday. There is also an agricultural market every morning for the collection of farmers' harvests by wholesale dealers, where a variety of vegetables are available. It is the second highest vegetable trading market in Tamil Nadu. Cattle growing, Rice mills and Sago factories form major source of economy.

Transportation

Thalaivasal is on National Highway 68. It is connected to Trichy through Veeraganur. TNSTC (Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation) buses are available from Salem district and Kallakurichi, from where transport can be taken for longer distances. Railway Station is located 3 km away from the Headquarter of Thalaivasal

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

to Virudhachalam Passengers Train is available at this station daily.

Chinnasalem Chinnasalem is a Special Grade Town Panchayat in Kallakurichi district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is also the headquarters of Chinnasalem Taluk. Demographics As of 2001 India census A census is the procedure of systematically a ...

town's railway station serves as a station for trains en route to

Mettur Mettur is an industrial and tourist town located in the Salem district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is best known for the Mettur Dam which is the largest dam in south India. Mettur is also known for its power generation, chemical man ...

, Cuddalore,

Nagore Nagore is a town in the Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located approximately 12 km North of Karaikal and 5 km South of Nagapattinam. Nearby towns are Karaikal, Tiruvarur, and Velankanni. It has a population of appr ...

, Pondicherry,

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 ...

, Mangalore, Bangalore, Chennai

Religion

Thalaivasal is home to Hindu temples such as Thalaivasal Thirukarugavur Temple and Narasimha Swami Temple. Also there is a Mosque and St. Joseph's Church located in the town.

Tourism

The Narasimha Swami temple draws a significant number of tourists. The Traveller's Bungalow at Thalaivasal was built before 1883 by Krishnama Naidu.

References

{{Salem District Villages in Salem district