Verulam () is a town 24 kilometres north of

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

and part of the eThekwini Metropolitan area.

History

In 1850 a party of 400

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

s settled here and formed the town. The town was then named after the

Earl of Verulam Earl of Verulam is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for James Grimston, 1st Earl of Verulam, James Grimston, 4th Viscount Grimston. He was made Viscount Grimston (in the peerage of the United Kingdom) at th ...

, patron of the British who settled here.

Demography

Verulam is inhabited mainly by people of Indian descent. The population is over 63,000. There are several primary and secondary schools catering for all races and all areas of the town. The town contains densely populated residential and industrial areas, which include a multitude of shopping centres, mosques, temples & churches. At the outskirts are large farming areas, several built-up townships, and rural townships. There has been slow but steady progress in modernising the town by providing adequate infrastructure to the rural areas.

Geography

Verulam is situated on the banks of the uMdloti River and on a gentle hilly terrain surrounded by sugarcane plantations to the north. Verulam forms part of the uMhlanga Coast/North Region of eThekwini which stretches from the uMngeni River in the south to the uThongathi River in the north and alongside Verulam includes

Durban North Durban North is an area to the north of Durban in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Durban North lies between the N2 freeway and the eastern seashore, with the Umgeni River forming its southern boundary. It ha ...

, uMhlanga,

Mount Edgecombe Mount Edgecombe or Mt Edgecombe is a gated community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, situated just north of Durban, which forms part of eThekwini, the Greater Durban Metropolitan area. It is famous for resorts and golf. It includes a retiremen ...

oThongathi oThongathi (previously and popularly known as Tongaat) is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about north of Durban and south of KwaDukuza. It now forms part of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, or the Greater Durban area. The area is ho ...

eMdloti (previously and popularly known as Umdloti or Umdloti Beach), is a small resort village on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, South Africa that is situated at the mouth of the Mdloti River north of Durban and now forms part of eThekwini, the Grea ...

La Mercy La Mercy is a suburb of the eThekwini municipality about north of Durban, South Africa. It is the location of Durban's King Shaka International Airport King Shaka International Airport , abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport ...

and Westbrook. Verulam is situated approximately 24 km north-east of Durban and 10 km north-east of uMhlanga. It is bordered by Waterloo and Ottawa South to the south-east,

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

to the south, Mawothi to the south-west and Redcliffe to the west.

Suburbs

Most of Verulam lies south of the uMdloti River except for the industrial suburbs of Canelands and Barrs Flats. The suburbs or neighbourhoods that form part of Verulam include: * Barrs Flats (industrial) * Brindhaven (residential) * Canelands (industrial) * Cordoba Gardens (residential) * Dawncrest (residential) * Everest Heights (residential) * Grangetown (residential) * Litchie Farm (residential) * Lotus Farm (residential) * Lotusville (residential and industrial) * Mountview (residential) * Mzomuhle (residential) * Oaklands (residential) *

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

(residential) * Redcliffe (residential) * Riet River (residential) * Riverview Park (residential and industrial) * Riyadh (residential) * Saana Township (residential) * Southridge (residential) * Temple Valley (residential) * Umhloti Heights (residential and industrial) * Valdin Heights (residential)

Religious places of interest

One of the main attractions in Verulam is the Sri Gopalall Hindu Temple which was opened in 1913 by

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

. It is situated in the small suburb of Temple Valley in Verulam. It is one of the oldest temples in South Africa and still caters for prayer & wedding ceremonies. The Shree Siva Subramaniar Alayam has a significant following devotees with the annual Kavady procession being one of the highlights of the temple calendar. It is situated along the Umdloti River. Another temple is the Gayathri Peedam, situated in Brindhaven. This is the only temple in Africa that houses two full figur
Gayathri
Murthi's. The ashram is very busy with Sacred Mantra Chants and Crystal Healing Crusades, weekly Navagraha's, Full Moon (Pournami) prayers and Friday Satsangs. The Peedam hosts a meditation garden; a Hanuman Shrine, Shiva Mandir, Sani Shrine and the only Mahavatar Kriya Babaj Shrine in Africa. The ashram focuses on community and youth development programs.

Christ Embassy Christ Embassy (also known as LoveWorld Incorporated or Believers' Loveworld) is a megachurch and Christian denomination founded by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome in 1987. The Church, with the headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria, has since become a global ...

Verulam is a church in Temple Valley run by Dr. Pastor Shane Maharaj and is a local branch of the main Christ Embassy Church in Nigeria headed by Pastor

Chris Oyakhilome Christian Oyakhilome (also known as "Pastor Chris") (born 7 December 1963) is the founder and president of LoveWorld Incorporated, also known as Christ Embassy, based in Lagos, Nigeria. Ministry and theology Oyakhilome's ministry holds me ...

. Blessed Life Ministries is a full gospel community church that is situated at the Redcliffe Primary School.

Muslim 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 Abrah ...

writer and motivational speaker

Ahmed Deedat Ahmed Husein Deedat ( gu, અહમદ હુસેન દીદત; ur, Arabic: احمد حسين ديدات), also known as Ahmed Deedat (1 July 1918 – 8 August 2005), was a self-taught Muslim thinker, author, and orator on Comparative ...

is buried in Verulam.

Nature

The Hazelmere Dam, just a few kilometres from Verulam, features a variety of activities, such as

watersports Water sports or aquatic sports are sport activities conducted on waterbodies, and can be categorized according to the degree of immersion by the participants. On the water * Boat racing, the use of powerboats to participate in races * Boatin ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, nature walks,

bird watching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

, a wide range of game, campsites & luxury accommodation. Verulam is situated just 8.5 km from the small community of Mount Moreland, an important roosting site for the European barn swallow.

Schools and Care Centre

Verulam has numerous schools, which include Lotusville Primary, Verulam Primary, Dawncrest Primary, Verulam Secondary, Mountview Secondary, Temple Valley Secondary, Verulam Independent School, Trenance Park Secondary, Everest Heights Primary School and Glenhaven Secondary School. Verulam Secondary School has had numerous learners placed among the top 10 matriculants in the province and nationally and has achieved a pass rate of +-97% for 6 consecutive years . Temple Valley Secondary has achieved a 95%+ pass rate for the past 5 years. Verulam is also home to the Verulam Day and Frail Care Centre. The Frail Care Centre caters to destitute frail and elderly citizens with 24-hour nursing care. There is also a hall that is hired out for various functions and meetings.

Industry

Consumer products that are made in Verulam include Packo spices, Grafton Everest furniture, Colgate Palmolive and Frimax chips. Verulam market is a fresh produce market that draws daily customers from all over KwaZulu-Natal.

Transport

Air

King Shaka International Airport King Shaka International Airport , abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport serving Durban, South Africa. Located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately north of the city centre of Durban. The airport opened its doors to passen ...

is the only international airport in the Greater Durban metropolitan area and is the nearest airport to Verulam, located approximately 8 km north-east of the town via the R102 and M65. The international airport offers several flights to towns and cities domestically in South Africa as well as internationally to

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

and

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

Rail

The Verulam area is served by three railway stations including the main railway station, Verulam Station on the eastern border of the CBD, Canelands Station to the north and Ottawa Station to the south. Verulam is served by the commuter railway service of

Metrorail METRORail is the light rail system in Houston, Texas (United States). In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . METRORail ranks as the second most-traveled light rail system in the Southern United States and the 12th ...

and lies on its ''North Coast Line'' connecting Verulam to

Groutville Groutville is a town in Ilembe District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Home of the late ANC leader, Chief Albert Luthuli, Home to the late RT Rev j. Mdelwa Hlongwane founder to The Bantu Methodist Church. Mission s ...

, Shakaskraal and

KwaDukuza KwaDukuza is a municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2006, the municipal name was changed to KwaDukuza (which incorporates small towns such as Stanger, Balito, Shaka's Kraal, but the Zulu people in the area called it "Dukuza" well befor ...

in the north-east,

in the south,

in the south-west and

Amanzimtoti Amanzimtoti is a coastal town just south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The town is well known for its warm climate and numerous beaches, and is a popular tourist destination, particularly with surfers. The annual sardine run attracts m ...

, Kingsburgh,

Umkomaas Umkomaas, a small coastal village on the subtropical south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa was formed when a harbour was built in 1861 to export sugar. The village rests beside the mouth of the navigable uMkhomazi River, also known as the ...

and

Scottburgh Scottburgh () is a coastal resort town located on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It situated south of the mouth of the Mpambanyoni River ''(confuser of birds).'' History Named after Natal Colony Governor John Scott, in 186 ...

in the south-east.

Road

Verulam's main road is the

R102 The R.102 (originally referred to as Project H) was a British airship planned in 1930 but never built. The development of R.102 resulted from the Imperial Airship Scheme, when it became apparent that the R100 and R101 airships then being buil ...

which is the original N2 and served the same function before the construction of the highway. The R102 runs through the

Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

(CBD) of Verulam and links the town to

and

in the north-east and

and

in the south-east. R102 can be used an alternative route to uMhlanga, Durban,

Ballito Ballito is an affluent town located in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Ballito is about north of Durban. It forms part of the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, and iLembe District Municipality. Dolphins are common on this stretch of the North Coast sh ...

(via M4 near Compensation) and

for motorists avoiding the tolled N2 highway. Verulam also has access to other arterial routes such as the N2 highway and M27. The N2 ''North Coast Toll Route'' is a national highway that bypasses Verulam to the east and links the town to KwaDukuza in the north-east and Durban in the south-west. Access to the N2 from Verulam can be obtained through the M27 ''Jabu Ngcobo Drive'' interchange (Exit 190). The M27 links Verulam from its CBD to the N2 highway, the M4 highway and

in the east as ''Jabu Ngcobo Drive'' and Amaotana, Buffelsdraai and Inanda (via M25) as ''Old Inanda Road''. Along with the R102, the M4 highway from its interchange with the M27 near eMdloti can also be used an alternative route to uMhlanga, Durban and Ballito for motorists avoiding the tolled N2 highway.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Verulam, Kwazulu-Natal Populated places in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality Former Indian townships in South Africa Townships in KwaZulu-Natal Populated places established in 1850