Tiruchendur is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
located in
Thoothukudi District
Thoothukudi District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The district was formed by bifurcation of Tirunelveli district on 20 October 1986. Thoothukudi is the district headquarters and largest city of the distric ...
,
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. It is home to the
Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, which is one of the
Six Abodes of Murugan
The Six Abodes of Murugan () are six temples situated in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India, dedicated to the Hindu deity Murugan, also referred to as Kandaswamy, Kartikeya, Skanda, and Vadivela at various temples. These six sacred abodes o ...
.
Etymology
Tiruchendur, a temple town like many towns 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 ...
, is named after the red soil nature of the town Senthoor.
Geography
Tiruchendur is located on the shoreline overlooking the
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...
in the south-eastern part of Tamil Nadu. The suburban villages surrounding the town contain arid, red soil forests that are densely planted with palm trees, cashew plantations, and other crops part of the region.
Demographics
As of the
2001 Census of India
The 2001 Census of India was the 14th in a series of censuses held in India every decade since 1871.
The population of India was counted as 1,028,737,436 consisting of 532,223,090 males and 496,514,346 females. Total population increased by 18 ...
, Tiruchendur had a population of 33,970. Males constituted 50% of the population and females 50%. Tiruchendur had an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy was 82%, and female literacy 76%. 12% of Tiruchendur's population was under 6 years of age.
Politics
The Tiruchendur assembly constituency was part of the
Tiruchendur (Lok Sabha constituency)
Tiruchendur was a Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu until 2008 constituency realignment.
Assembly segments
Before constituencies realignment of 2008, Tiruchendur Lok Sabha constituency used to be composed of the following assembly segments:
...
until 2009.
After the dissolution of the Lok Sabha constituency in May 2009, the constituency aligned with the Tuticorin Lok Sabha constituency. The current member of the legislative assembly for the Tamil Nadu assembly, elected by the general election 2021, is
Anitha R. Radhakrishnan
Anitha R. Radhakrishnan is an Indian politician, Minister of Tamil Nadu and Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elected from Tiruchendur constituency as AIADMK candidate in 2001,2006 and as DMK candidate in 2009(Bye-election),2011,20 ...
of
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; DMK) is a political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu where it is currently the ruling party having a comfortable majority without coalition support and the union territory of Puducherry where it is curre ...
.
Public administration
Tiruchendur is managed by the Tiruchendur Town Panchayat, which has 21 wards. It is also a
taluk
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...
headquarters, and there are 10 local bodies and 46 villages that come under the jurisdiction of
Tiruchendur taluk
Tiruchendur taluk is a taluk of Thoothukudi district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Tiruchendur
Tiruchendur is a municipality located in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is home to t ...
. The
District Munsiff Court
District Munsiff Court (alternate spelling District Munsif Court) is the court of the lowest order handling matters pertaining to civil matters in the district, a legal system followed in the Indian subcontinent. Usually, it is controlled by the Di ...
and Judicial Magistrate Court are located in the town.
Landmark
Tiruchendur Murugan Temple
Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to
Murugan
Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...
at the site of the battle. It is one of the six major abodes, or sacred temples,
of the
Kaumaram __NOTOC__
Murugan is a Hindu denomination that primarily venerates the Hindu deity of war, ''Kumaran'', also known as Murugan (in South India), ''Kandan'', or ''Kadamban'', or '' Kartikeya, aarumugan,'' . Most devotees of Kumaran also revere m ...
religion. The temple, which is built near the seashore, measures north to south, east to west, and has a seven-tier ''
gopuram
A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South I ...
'' that is high.
The Murugan temple at Tiruchendur was
occupied
' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October 2 ...
by the
Dutch East India company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
from 1646 to 1648, during the course of their war with the Portuguese.
Festivals
Festivals are celebrated throughout the year at the temple, including Brahmothsavam in the month of Maasi, Vasanthotsavam for 10 days in Chithirai, Vaikasi Visakam for 12 days and
Skandha Sashti in Aippasi. There are two Maha Utsavams called Aavani perunthirunaal and Maasi perunthirunaal conducted and celebrated during Aavani and Maasi. These 12-day festivals occur twice every year.
Masi Thiruvizha
Many people congregate for Masi Thiruvizha, a 12-day festival at Tiruchendur. The Kayamozhi Athitha Nadarhal Arakattalai Mandahapadi committee organises functions on the sixth and seventh days of the festival. On the tenth day of the festival, the presiding Lord of the Tiruchendur temple makes a special appearance in
Thirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British Raj, British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian ...
Dakshinamara
Nadar Sangam, in Sannidhi Street.
Several thousand devotees worship at the Masi Magam festival of the Sri Subramaniawamy temple at Tiruchendur. The festival was inaugurated by the Athitha Nadar clan several centuries ago and includes ritual performances, like Pali-vidalai eridhal.
See also
*
Virapandianpatnam
References
External links
Tiruchendur Murugan KovilChendur Murugan KovilTiruchendur Muruga
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Thoothukudi district