Dharapuram is a town situated along the banks of Amaravati River in Thiruppur district in the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. 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 Indi ...

. Dharapuram is one of the oldest towns in South India and was the capital of

Kongu Nadu Kongu Nadu, also known as Kongu Mandalam, is the geographical region comprising the western and north-western part of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu and in some instances, parts of southeastern Karnataka a ...

under the Cheras,

Western Ganga Dynasty Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 999 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Ganga Dynasty, Eastern Gangas who in later centuries r ...

and later Kongu Cholas, at which time it was known as Veeradapuram. Amaravathi River flows through the town. As of 2011, the town had a population of 67,007. The city houses famous temples including ''Agatheeswarar'' Temple, ''Kaadu Hanumanthasamy'' temple and many other old temples. Dharapuram Town is a small agricultural marketing centre for a large rural hinterland in the Thiruppur. The town is 48 km towards of the District Headquarters Thiruppur, 33 km towards the Kangeyam, 75 km towards the Erode, 35 km towards the Palani and 75 km towards the industrial town

Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...

. The nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport located 70 km from Dharapuram.

History

The historical name of this town is Veeradapuram and its mention is found in

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

verses. It is mentioned that

Pandava The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...

s worshipped and stayed briefly in Tharai Thillapuri Amman, an Amman temple located in banks of

Amaravati Amaravati ( , Telugu language, Telugu: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Guntur district on the right bank of the Krishna River, southwest of Vijayawada. The city derives its name from the nearby his ...

. The city is home to various artifacts relating to Mahabharata story period. The city was also known as Veerada Nagaram in ancient Tamil texts during the time of Pancha Pandavas when they were in the forest incognito. The city is said to be one of the ruled areas of Panja Pandavas. Dharapuram was part of the Chera kingdom until 850 CE. From 1000 to 1275 CE, the area was ruled by the Kongu Cholas under the name Vanchipuri. The Cholan capital was under attack by a hitherto unknown group in South India, called Kalabhars. As a result, the Kongu Cholas made Dharapuram their military and political headquarters. The Later Cholas named the city as Rajarajapuram. After 1276 CE, the Pandyas took control of the region. The Dehli Sultanate, Nayaks of Madurai and

Vijayanagara empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...

later ruled this region, followed by Hyder Ali and the

Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a geopolitical realm in southern India founded in around 1399 in the vicinity of the modern-day city of Mysore and prevailed until 1950. The territorial boundaries and the form of government transmuted substantially ...

. In 1799, when Mysore fell to the British, the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

took over administration of this region. Agatheeswarar kovil

During British empire, Dharapuram was the capital of Noyyal South District before the formation of Coimbatore District. Bhavani Was The Capital Of Noyal North District. In 1804 Coimbatore District was formed by combining both. Dharapuram was taluk under Coimbatore district during 1804-1979. Dharapuram and

Municipalities were established on the same day. Dharapuram attained the status of a

Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the year 1866 and it was promoted to first grade municipality on 9 May 1983. The town attained Municipality status in the year 1866 and was functioning as a First Grade Municipality from 9th May 1983. On 30th March 2023, it was upgraded as a Selection Grade Municipality. Development in the town completely depends on the agriculture, as well as commerce and trades.

Demographics

According to 2011 census, Dharapuram had a population of 67,007 with a sex-ratio of 1,045 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 5,048 were under the age of six, constituting 2,566 males and 2,482 females. The average literacy of the town was 80.4%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had a total of 15,842 households. This area is dominated by Kongu Vellalar Gounder community, There were a total of 23,722 workers, comprising 506 cultivators, 1,227 main agricultural laborers, 652 in house hold industries, 17,553 other workers, 3,784 marginal workers, 51 marginal cultivators, 697 marginal agricultural laborers, 204 marginal workers in household industries and 2,832 other marginal workers. As per the religious census of 2011, Dharapuram (M) had 77.12%

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

, 16.76%

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, 5.74%

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

, and 0.37% following other religions.

Geography and climate

Dharapuram is located at . Dharapuram town is situated along of the bank of Amaravathi River which flows from the south to north. Uppar River and dam, Nallathankal River and dam, Palar join the river Amaravathi. It has an average elevation of . It is strategically located in the line of Palakkad pass which provides the wind that activates the town's numerous windmills. The area has a significant water shortage. The town has a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''BSh'').

Economy

The economy of Dharapuram is mainly based on

Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

as it is regularly supplied with water from the Amaravati River. The predominant occupation of the town is trade and commerce. Dharapuram acts as the commercial hub for surrounding villages. Many commercial establishments and banks are located in the town. Dharapuram is the headquarters of Dharapuram taluk, and the Dharapuram Revenue division houses many government offices. Agriculture is the main industry in Dharapuram and is the main source of employment for people around Dharapuram. Some of the main crops cultivated in this area include Coconuts,

Vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

Maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

Millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...

, Paddy and

Sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

. Most of the farmers also engage in

Dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

. Sizeable number of farmers also engage in

Poultry farming Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion c ...

. After

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, the

Textile industry The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of textiles: yarn, cloth and clothing. Industry process Cotton manufacturing Cotton is the world's most important natural fibre. In the year 2007, th ...

also provides employment to sizeable number of people. Due to the town's proximity with the textile city of Tiruppur there are some textile industries located in and around Dharapuram. The surrounding areas have seen a surge in windmill installations because of the location of the town across the Palghat Gap. The city also houses Seed manufacturing plants, Textile Spinning and

Cotton Mills Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a wikt:boll, boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almo ...

, Rice Mills, ginning factory Oil Processing Plants,

Brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

s, Big Lorry Market, Famous vegetables Market,

Automobiles A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

and

Finance Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...

. The city also houses 500 bakeries within the radius of serving highway commuters. In recent years due to lack of employment opportunities, a sizeable number of the town's population have been migrating to nearby industrial cities like Tiruppur and

Administration and politics

Dharapuram was a part of Coimbatore district, later

Erode district Erode District is one of the 38 Districts of Tamil Nadu, districts in the south Indian States and union territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It was the largest district by area in the state before the formation of Tirupur district in 2009 ...

and now

Tiruppur district Tiruppur District is one of the 38 districts of the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu, formed in 22 February 2009. Dharapuram was the largest taluk by area in the district. The district is well-developed and industria ...

. Dharapuram State Assembly Constituency has been a reserved constituency since 1967. Dharapuram is part of Erode Lok Sabha constituency. N. Kayalvizhi is the present member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from the Dharapuram constituency. Dharapuram Revenue division consists of Dharapuram taluk and Kangeyam taluk. Dharapuram Assembly Constituency came under Pollachi (Lok Sabha constituency) until 2009. Today, it is part of Erode (Lok Sabha constituency) . AIADMK,

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

, DMK, BJP, Tamil Nadu Kongu Ilaingar Peravai are the major political parties in this area.

Transport

The following are the major highways connecting Dharapuram: * SH-21 :

Pollachi Pollachi is a town and municipality in Coimbatore district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Pollachi taluk. It is situated near the center of the South Indian Peninsula, surrounded by Western Gha ...

- Dharapuram - Karur *SH-37 : Oddanchatram - Dharapuram *SH-83 : Palani - Dharapuram * SH-83A : Erode - Kangeyam - Dharapuram * SH-84A : Erode - Vellakovil - Dharapuram *SH-97 :

Udumalpet Udumalaipettai also known as Udumalai, is a town in Tiruppur district in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 535 km (332 mi) south west from the state capital, Chennai and 72 km (45 ...

- Dharapuram *SH-153 : Dharapuram - Palani *SH-174 : Dharapuram - Tiruppur *SH-174A :

Palladam Palladam () is a town and First Grade Municipality in Tiruppur district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the headquarters of Palladam Taluk of Tiruppur district. Palladam is located on National Highway National Highway 81 (India), NH 81. ...

- Dharapuram Back To Back buses are available for Tiruppur,

, Oddanchatram (2 Minutes), Erode, Trichy, Namakkal, Theni, Tiruchengode, Kangeyam, Palani and

Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...

at day time. Also Karur,

, Salem, Dindigul & South Tamil Nadu Places. Dharapuram is connected by moffusil bus services to major towns in Tamil Nadu operated by TNSTC Dharapuram town is not provided with railway facilities. The nearest railway stations is Palani railway station and Oddanchatram at a distance of 34 km and 35 km respectively and the nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport (70 km). Dharapuram town is well connected with other cities and towns like Tiruppur,

, Erode, Karur, Dindigul,

, Kangeyam, Oddanchatram, Palani,

, and

with road transport facilities.

Places of interest

Agatheeswarar temple, Bhagavan Koil, Angalamman temple, Kottai Mariamman temple, Rathinamoorthy temple, Thean Easwaran temple, Periya Nachiamman temple, Konguvadukanatha Swami temple, Thillapuriamman Temple, Chakrathalvar temple, Mamangam temple, Kadu Hanumantharaya Swami temple and Angitholuvu Kaliamman temple are the major places of worship. Apart from temples, Dharapuram was the source of the tastiest hotel - Devi Vilas. Though this hotel ceases to exist now, it was one of the most popular hotels in the 70s. It is told that the famous actor, Shri Nagesh used to work here. Also, everytime former

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

MG Ramachandran came for shooting in the neighborhood, he would eat only from Devi Vilas.

References

{{Tirupur district Cities and towns in Tiruppur district Tiruppur district