Devadanapatti () is a

panchayat town A nagar panchayat (town panchayat; ) or Notified Area Council (NAC) in India is a settlement in transition from rural to urban and therefore a form of an urban political unit comparable to a municipality. An urban centre with more than 12,000 ...

in Periyakulam Taluk, a part of the Theni district in the Madurai Region in the state of

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 languag ...

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 ...

. It is located at the bottom of the Kodaikanal Hills.

Etymology

The name Devadanapatti is a combination of two Tamil words: 'devadhanam' which means 'gods donated to' or 'gods gifted to' and 'Patti,' which means "village.' Therefore, the meaning of Devadanapatti is a village gifted by the gods.

Geography

The north and east sides of the town have panoramic views of the irrigated landscape, including paddy fields, sugar plantations, plantain fields, and coconut tree groves. Water for agriculture is supplied through the canal and the check dams across the river from Manjalar Dam which is built down under the Kodaikanal hills. Water from the rivers Varattaru, Thalaiyar, and Iruttaaru fill the dam.

Demographics

Population

According to the 2011 Census of India, Devadanapatti had a

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using ...

of 19,285 people.

Male Male (Mars symbol, symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male organism cannot sexual reproduction, repro ...

s made up 50.8% (9,797) of the population and

female Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females a ...

s made up 49.15% (9,488). The total literate population was 12,563, a literacy rate of 65%, with 7,033 literate males and 5,530 literate females. 10.8% of the population was under six years of age. 85.99% of the town was Hindu, and 13.44% were Muslim.

Government and politics

Civic Utility / Amenities / Services

There is a primary healthcare hospital run by the

Tamil Nadu government Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, like ...

. Devadanapatti also has a police station and a post office. There is a weekly market that sells groceries and cattle. 24-hour bus access is provided by the Theni and Dindigul main road.

Economy

Agriculture is the primary income source for residents.

Culture/Cityscape

Landmarks

An ancient

Kamakshi Tripura Sundari (Sanskrit: त्रिपुरा सुन्दरी, IAST: Tripura Sundarī), also known as Rajarajeshwari, Shodashi, Kamakshi, and Lalita is a Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of supreme goddess Mahadevi ...

temple called the Moongilanai Kamakshi temple was built here. The main door of the temple is never opened and poojas are performed only at the door. Maha Shivaratri (Tamil month of Masi) in March is the only festival that is celebrated inside the temple. The story of the temple is described in the Tamil movie "Mahashakti Mariamman".

Education

This town panchayat has four schools: a higher secondary school run by Tamil Nadu Government, a middle school run by the Hindu management, a primary school run by the

Church of South India The Church of South India (CSI) is a united and uniting churches, united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Christian denomination, mainline Protestant denominations in South India after independence. The Chur ...

, and another Kallar primary school run by the Tamil Nadu government.

References

{{Theni district Cities and towns in Theni district