Kallidaikurichi () or Kalladaikurichi is a town on the right bank of the

Thamiraparani river The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a perennial river that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats, above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk. It flows through Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi dis ...

Ambasamudram Ambasamudram is the principal town of the Ambasamudram taluk in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The entire taluk had a population of 392,226 as of 2001, with 42.5% classified as rural. The town of Ambasamudram had a pop ...

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 ...

of Tirunelveli district in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

, a southern state of India.

Etymology

'Kal + idai + kurichi' meaning exactly in Tamil, a village in the midst of hills. (In Sanskrit it has been translated in the 'Bhojanadi' (an astrological treatise) as 'Shilaa - madhya - Hariswam'. In the Thamrabarani Mahatmya of the Matsya Purama, it has been translated as 'Shila - Shalipuram').

Geography

Thamiraparni River

The Thamiraparni river flows through Kallidaikurichi. Originating from the Pothigai nearby, it flows down to

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 bet ...

after traveling for about 125 kilometers. In the hills are a number of waterfalls, such as Courtallam Falls, Banatheertham Falls, Agasthiar Falls, and Manimuthar Falls.

Climate

Like most parts of Tamil Nadu, the climate here is rather hot, except during the rainy season of the November/December months. During summer strong gusty winds are frequent.

Flora and Fauna

This southern end of the Western Ghats, is full of flora and fauna. Kalakkad Mundanthurai Range is a wild life park under

Project Tiger Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 by the Government of India during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of the Bengal tiger in its natural habitats, prote ...

Demographics

Population

Government and politics

Subdivisions

Kallidaikurichi seems to have had the following subdivisions - Madakkurichi, Velankurichi, Cherakumaran and Kallidaikurichi.

Economy

Kallidaikurichi and appalam, murukku are almost synonymous. Appalam making is a major

cottage industry The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the project via remote ...

here. It is nationally known for its quality and taste and is sent almost all over India.

Agriculture

Rice is the main crop here. Other crops are groundnut (peanuts), chilies (red pepper) and cotton, though these are seen less frequently nowadays. The tea plantations are operated by the

Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited (BBTC) is an Indian trading company based in Mumbai which is owned by the Wadia Group. It was formed in 1863 by the Wallace Brothers of Scotland. It is India's oldest publicly traded company, and ...

Ltd on forest lands leased by the government of Tamil Nadu. There are three tea estates within the Manjolai area.

Culture/Cityscape

Landmarks

Velakurichi Adheenam Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam Sri Kumarar koil Sri Manenthiappar Temple Sri Kulasekaramudayar Temple Sri Pagazhikuththar Temple

Tourist Attractions

Kallidaikurichi's

Hindu 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 ...

shrines , have high-rise

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 Sout ...

Literature

Music and films

Muthuswami Dikshitar, the carnatic composer, whose songs abound with geographic and iconographic references, sings of the curative properties of the river Thamiraparani.

Transport

By Air

Nearby airports are Tuticorin Domestic Airport in Tamil Nadu, about 90km away; and

Trivandrum International Airport Thiruvananthapuram International Airport , is an international airport which serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and fifth international airport of In ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

, about 145 km away.Madurai International Airport 170 km

Rail

Kallidaikurichi railway station is easily reachable to Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Sengottai.

By Road

This town is located about 70 km north of

Kanyakumari Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...

(Cape Comerin). The twin cities of

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tam ...

and

Palayamkottai Palayamkottai (also Palayankottai) is a neighbourhood in Tirunelveli City, incorporated within the Tirunelveli City Municipal Corporation. It is situated on the east bank of the Thamirabarani river, with the exception of its downtown area, wh ...

are about 35 km away.

Education

One of the educational institutions here was established over 160 years ago. Originally called the

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

English Middle School, it was later renamed the Tilak Vidyalaya after the independence of India. Lakshmipathi Middle School, Kallidaikurichi was launched in 1939 under the legacy of the late headmaster A Ramalingam. Its students are renowned for their high positions and have a global presence. This school's primary medium of instruction is Tamil and the student teacher ratio is 33:1. The school tries to provide best learning environment. The school provides education to students from class 1 to 8. This school's student strength is approximately 302. 525 books are there in the library of this school. The school has given exceptional results in the academic sphere and its students have excelled in extra co-curricular activities. The percentage of students passing the exam is 100% with 78% scoring first grade.

External links

{{commonscat Cities and towns in Tirunelveli district