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Virudhunagar is a city and the administrative headquarter of the
Virudhunagar district Virudhunagar District is a district (an administrative district) of Tamil Nadu state in south India. Virudhunagar is the district headquarters of Virudhunagar district. Virudhunagar district was formed by the separation of Old Ramanathapuram D ...
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 ...
n state of
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 ...
. It is located southwest of the state capital
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
and south of
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 ...
. Virudhunagar emerged as an important trade centre during the
British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...
. Located to the east of Kowsika River, Virudhunagar has an average elevation of above sea level and is largely flat with no major geological formations. The town has a humid climate and receives rainfall annually. It has been ruled at various times by Later Pandyas,
Vijayanagar Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval 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, belonging to ...
, Madurai Nayaks, Chanda Sahib, Carnatic kingdom and the British. It was formerly known as Virudhupatti. Virudhunagar is administered by a municipality covering an area of . In 2011, the city had a population of 72,296. As the administrative headquarters of the district, the town's economy is based on the
service sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the ...
, which employs 93% of the total workforce. The remaining 7% is employed in agriculture, mining, quarrying, raising livestock, manufacturing, construction, trade and commerce. Roadways are the main means of transportation, while the town also has rail connectivity. The nearest airport is
Madurai Airport Madurai Airport is a customs airport serving Madurai and its adjoining districts in Tamil Nadu, India. It is the 40th-busiest airport in India, both in terms of passengers handled and aircraft movement. The airport is located near State Highw ...
, located north-east of the town. There are 14 secondary schools, two colleges of arts and sciences (one for men and one for women), one polytechnic college, Three Engineering Colleges ( Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology, Sri Vidya, AAA) and three university study centres. Virudhunagar Government Medical College is established in the year 2021. It is located on the NH-44 nearby Virudhunagar Collector Office.


Etymology and history

According to a local legend, a warrior who won a number of banners (called ''virudhu'' in
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
) from his conquest of kingdoms, came to the town and challenged the residents. A resident accepted the challenge, killed the warrior, and then proceeded to seize the flags held by him. From then on, the town was known as ''Virudhukkalvetti''. Virudhunagar was a part of Madurai region (the region comprising all of southern Tamil Nadu beyond Trichy in modern times) during the 16th century CE. The region became independent from
Vijayanagar Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval 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, belonging to ...
in 1559 under the Nayaks. Nayak rule ended in 1736 and the region was repeatedly captured several times by Chanda Sahib (1740 – 1754), Arcot Nawab and Marudhanayagam Pillai (1725 – 1764) in the middle of 18th century. In 1801, the region came under the direct control of the British
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 ...
and was annexed to the
Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...
. The town's name was changed to Virudhupatti in 1875 and on 6 April 1923, the town council renamed it Virudhunagar. It was an important trading centre during the
British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...
and the merchandise from Virudhunagar was exported overseas through the ports of Kulasekharapatnam,
Thoothukudi Thoothukudi (formerly called Tuticorin) is a port city, port industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is capital and headquarters of the di ...
, Vaippar and
Devipattinam Devipattinam is a coastal village of Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. Devipattinam is an ancient coastal town and a port, located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. It was a flourishing sea port and a gateway to places as far as Ma ...
. The town is the birthplace of
K. Kamaraj Kumaraswami Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975), popularly known as Kamarajar was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madras from 13 April 1954 to 2 October 1963. He also served as the pr ...
, a freedom fighter,
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu The chief minister of Tamil Nadu is the head of government, chief executive of the Indian Federated state, state of Tamil Nadu. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the Governor (India), governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de ...
from 1954 to 1963 and a recipient of the
Bharat Ratna The Bharat Ratna (; ) is the highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferred in recognition of "exceptional service/performance of the highest order", without distin ...
, India's highest civilian award.


Geography and climate

Virudhunagar municipality covers an area of It is located southwest of the state capital
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
and south of
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 ...
. The city has an average elevation of . The town is located to the east of the Kowsika River and to the west of the Madurai–Tirnelveli railway line. The topology is largely flat, with no major geological formations. The soil types are black and red, which are conducive for crops like cotton, chillies, spices, cardamom and millet. Paddy and sugar cane are grown in places where motor pumps are available for irrigation. Virudhungar has a borderline
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'') not quite wet enough for tropical savanna (''As'') classification. Like the rest of Tamil Nadu, Virudhunagar experiences hot weather between April and June and is relatively cooler in December and January. The average daily temperature ranges from a maximum of to a minimum of . The town receives an annual average rainfall of , which is less than the state average of . The South-west monsoon, which begins in June and lasts until August, brings little rain. Most of the rain is received during the North-east monsoon in the months of October, November and December. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 6 Lime, locally called Limekankar, is the major mineral available in Virudhunagar, which is utilised by Tamil Nadu Cements, a Government of Tamil Nadu undertaking in Sivakasi and Ramco Cements, a private sector plant in R.R.Nagar in Virudhunagar.


Demographics and economy

According to 2011 census, Virudhunagar had a population of 72,296 with a sex-ratio of 1,014 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 6,454 were under the age of six, constituting 3,268 males and 3,186 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 7.06% and 0.08% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 84.28%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had a total of 19,841 households. There were a total of 27,533 workers, comprising 54 cultivators, 64 main agricultural labourers, 703 in house hold industries, 25,266 other workers, 1,446 marginal workers, 17 marginal cultivators, 10 marginal agricultural labourers, 66 marginal workers in household industries and 1,353 other marginal workers. As of 2004, twelve recognized slums and eleven unrecognised slums were identified in the town, and a total of 17,787 people resided in the slums. The slum population was predominantly employed as daily labourers. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 48 The population density was 114 persons per hectare in 2001. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, pp. 6–10 As per the religious census of 2011, Virudhunagar (M) had 85.02%
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 ...
, 7.73%
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 ...
, 7.09%
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 ...
, 0.02%
Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...
and 0.14% following other religions. As of 2008, a total of constituting 35.72% of the land in Virudhunagar was used for residential purposes, constituting 4.22% for commercial use, constituting 15.6% for industrial space, constituting 2.81% for public and semi-public use, constituting 2.81% for educational purposes and constituting 30.6% for non-urban purposes like agriculture and irrigation. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 11


Economy

Virudhunagar is a marketing and service town for the surrounding areas. It is also one of the important Industrial districts, followed by Coimbatore and Salem. Many kinds of spices and edible oils are manufactured for national and international markets. It is the administrative headquarters of the district. The economy of the town is based on the service sector, with 93% of the workforce employed therein as of 2001. The rest of the workforce is employed in agriculture, mining, quarrying, raising livestock, manufacturing, construction, trade and commerce. In 2001, 5.4% of the workforce was employed in the industrial sector, making it the second-largest sector. There is little agricultural activity in the town, due to the local geography and unfavorable climate for growing crops and poor irrigation facilities. The town has a few oil mills and match factories. Commercial activities are concentrated around Katchery Road, Pullalakottai Road and the main bazaar. In 2001, the percentage of the workforce in the service sector had increased from the previous decade. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, pp. 10–11 All major nationalised banks like
State Bank of India State Bank of India (SBI) is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational Public sector undertakings in India, public sector bank and financial service body headquartered in Mumbai. It is the largest bank in India with a 23% market shar ...
, Indian Bank,
Central Bank of India The Central Bank of India (CBI) is an Public sector banks in India, Indian public sector bank based in Mumbai. Despite its name, CBI is not the central bank of India, a role served by the Reserve Bank of India. History The Central Bank of ...
, Punjab National Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, and private banks like TMB (Tamilnad Mercantile Bank), ICICI Bank, City Union Bank and Axis Bank have branches in Virudhunagar. All of these banks have ATMs located in various parts of the town. TMB is the first bank to have its branch, since 1940. It also has an E-Lobby in the bazaar. Virudhunagar is famous for Commission Marketing's millet, cotton, and edible oils. In recent years, Virudhunagar is into e-commerce also.


Municipal administration and politics

The Virudhunagar municipality (formerly Virudupatti municipality) was established in 1915 as a third-grade municipality. It was upgraded to second-grade in 1956 and then to special grade in 1998. The municipality has 36 wards, and there is an elected councillor for each ward. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: General Administration/Personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, City Planning and Information Technology (IT). All these departments are under the control of a municipal commissioner. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 36 members, one from each of the 36 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected chairperson, who is assisted by a deputy chairperson. Virudhunagar comes under the Virudhunagar assembly constituency and it elects a member to the
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members, all of whom are democratically elected using the first-past-the-post system. The presiding office ...
once every five years. The assembly seat was won once each by
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; ; DMK) is an Indian political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu, where it is currently the ruling party, and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry, where it is currently the main ...
(DMK) (1996), ICS (SCS) (1991), Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) (2011),
Janata Party The Janata Party (JP, ) is an unrecognised political party in India. Navneet Chaturvedi is the current president of the party since November 2021, replacing Jaiprakash Bandhu. The JP was established as an amalgam of Indian political partie ...
(1984),
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; MDMK) is a political party active in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was established by Vaiko in 1994 after he left the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The headquarters of the party is called Thayag ...
(MDMK) (2006), Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) (2001) and
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 ...
(INC) (1989), and twice by
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; ; DMK) is an Indian political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu, where it is currently the ruling party, and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry, where it is currently the main ...
(DMK) (1996, 2016), All India Anna Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) (1977 and 1980). The current MLA of the constituency is A.V.R. Srinivasan from DMK. During the 1957 elections, Virudhunagar was a part of Srivilliputhur constituency and was held by the INC and an independent. During the 1962 elections, the town was a part of Aruppukkottai constituency and was held by the Forward Block party. The town was a part of Virudhunagar Lok Sabha Constituency during the 1967 elections and was held by the
Swatantra Party The Swatantra Party was an Indian classical liberal political party that existed from 1959 to 1974. It was founded by C. Rajagopalachari in reaction to what he felt was the Jawaharlal Nehru-dominated Indian National Congress's increasingly so ...
. The constituency was held by DMK during the 1971 elections, INC during the 1977 elections, and AIADMK during the 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991 and 2014 elections,
Communist Party of India The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a political party in India. The CPI considers the Foundation of the Communist Party of India, December 26, 1925 Cawnpore (Kanpur) conference as its foundation date. Between 1946 and 1951, the CPI led m ...
(CPI) during 1996 and MDMK during the 1998, 1999 and 2004 elections. Virudhunagar is now part of the Virudhunagar (Lok Sabha constituency) – it has the following five assembly constituencies – Thiruparankundram, Thirumangalam, Sattur,
Virudhunagar Virudhunagar is a city and the administrative headquarter of the Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located southwest of the state capital Chennai and south of Madurai. Virudhunagar emerged as an important trade c ...
, and Aruppukkottai. The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is Manicka Tagore from the Congress party. Law and order in Virudhunagar is maintained by the Virudhunagar subdivision of the Tamil Nadu Police, headed by a deputy superintendent. There are three police stations in the town, one of which is an all-women police station. There are special units like
prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branches that operate at the district level police division headed by a superintendent of police.


Transportation

The Virudhunagar municipality maintains a total of of roads: of concrete roads, of bituminous roads, of water bound macadam (WBM) roads, of earthen roads and of other roads. The major roads include National Highway 44 and three district roads that connect Virudhunagar with neighbouring towns like
Sivakasi Sivakasi is a city in Virudhunagar District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city is known for firecrackers and match factories that produce 70% of the country's output. The printing industries in Sivakasi produce 30% of the total diaries ...
,
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 ...
, Rajapalayam, Aruppukkottai and Sattur. There is a bypass road located west of the town connecting Virudhunagar to Kallupatti, that reduces traffic inside the town. Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 12 Virudhunagar is served by a town bus service, which provides connectivity within the town and the suburbs. There are privately operated mini-bus services that cater to the local transport needs. The main bus stand, located in the centre of the town, has 25 bus bays. The
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Ltd. - (TNSTC) is a government owned public transport bus operator in Tamil Nadu, India. It operates Intercity bus services to cities within Tamil Nadu, and from Tamil Nadu to its neighbouring states. It al ...
operates daily services connecting various cities to Virudhunagar. The corporation operates a computerised reservation centre in the main bus stand. The State Express Transport Corporation operates long-distance buses connecting the town to important cities like
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
, Tiruppur and
Thoothukudi Thoothukudi (formerly called Tuticorin) is a port city, port industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is capital and headquarters of the di ...
. The major inter-city bus routes from the town are to adjacent cities like
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 ...
,
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
, Rajapalayam, Tenkasi, Kovilpatti,
Tuticorin Thoothukudi (formerly called Tuticorin) is a port industrial city in  Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is capital and headquarters of the district. ...
, Tiruchendur,
Nagercoil Nagercoil, natively spelt as Nāgarkovil (, "Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a Municipal Corporation city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the ...
,
Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (), also known as Nellai and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirunelveli District. It is the fourth-largest munici ...
,
Aruppukottai Aruppukottai is a town and a municipality in Virudhunagar district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Aruppukottai's classical name is "Sengattu irukkai idathuvali". Aruppukottai is about 50 km from Madurai. It is in the middle of Vellore-T ...
and Rameshwaram. The town bus routes to surrounding villages are to Thayilpatti, Vilampatti, Alangulam, Vilampatti, M.Pudupatti, Alamarathupatti and Muthalipatti. The Virudhunagar railway station is located in the major rail head from Madurai to Kanyakumari. The Southern Railway operates daily express trains to places like Chennai,
Tuticorin Thoothukudi (formerly called Tuticorin) is a port industrial city in  Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is capital and headquarters of the district. ...
,
Kanyakumari Kanyakumari (Tamil; / kəɳjɑkʊmɑɾiː/; referring to Devi Kanya Kumari, officially known as Kanniyakumari, formerly known as Cape Comorin) is a town and a municipality in Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the ...
,
Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (), also known as Nellai and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirunelveli District. It is the fourth-largest munici ...
, Tenkasi, Guruvayoor, Tirupathi,
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
,
Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the largest and ...
,
Mysuru Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
,
Howrah Howrah (; ; alternatively spelled as Haora) is a city in the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River, opposite to its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively ...
,
Palakkad Palakkad (), Renaming of cities in India, also known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery, is a city and a municipality in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of P ...
,
Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...
,
Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and Municipal corporation (India), municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the maj ...
,
Mangalore Mangaluru (), formerly called Mangalore ( ), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bengaluru, the st ...
, Madgaon and Nizamuddin. There are passenger trains connecting the town to Madurai, Tenkasi, Kollam, Tirunelveli,
Kumbakonam Kumbakonam (formerly spelt as Coombaconum or Combaconum), or Kudanthai, is a city municipal corporation in the Thanjavur district in the States of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Chennai and is the hea ...
,
Mayiladuthurai Mayiladuthurai (formerly known as Mayavaram or Mayuram) is a :ta:சிறப்பு நிலை நகராட்சிகள், Special Grade Municipality and district headquarters of Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu, India. The town ...
,
Erode Erode (; īrōṭu), is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Kaveri river and is surrounded by the Western Ghats. Erode is the seventh largest urban agglomeration in Tamil Nadu. It is the administrativ ...
,
Nagercoil Nagercoil, natively spelt as Nāgarkovil (, "Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a Municipal Corporation city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the ...
and
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
Madurai Airport Madurai Airport is a customs airport serving Madurai and its adjoining districts in Tamil Nadu, India. It is the 40th-busiest airport in India, both in terms of passengers handled and aircraft movement. The airport is located near State Highw ...
, located northeast of the town.


Education and utility services

There are 14 secondary schools in Virudhunagar. The town has two arts and science colleges, namely V.H.N.S.N. College and V.V.V. College for Women. V.S.V.N. Polytechnic College is the only polytechnic college in the town. Three university study centers operated by the Tamil Nadu Open University, Annamalai University, and Alagappa University are located in the town. The district also have a Deemed University named Kalasalingam University, located in Krishnankovil. There is one Educational consultant and career guidance provider with HRD and MEA(All Embassy Attestation), Mahindra Varman Educational Group in SIVAKASI, located near Bus stand. Electricity supply to Virudhunagar is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The town and its suburbs form the Virudhunagar Electricity Distribution Circle. A chief distribution engineer is stationed at the regional headquarters. Water supply is provided to the town by the Virudhunagar municipality from three sources, namely Anaikuttam, Karuseri Kalquarry and Sukkravarpatti Summer Storage Tank. During the period 2000–01, a total of 3.86 million litres of water was supplied every day to households in the town. About 35 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from Virudhunagar every day by door-to-door collection. Subsequently, the sanitary department of the Virudhunagar municipality carries out the source segregation and dumping. The coverage of solid waste management had an efficiency of 100% as of 2001. There is no underground drainage system in the town, and the sewerage system for disposal of sludge is through septic tanks, open drains and public conveniences. The municipality maintains stormwater drains on all municipal roads. There are 35 hospitals in the town, one siddha dispensary and two municipal maternity homes that take care of the healthcare needs of the citizens. There are a total of 2,875 street lamps in the town: 276 sodium lamps, five mercury vapour lamps, 2,592 tube lights and two high-mast beam lamps. The municipality operates three markets, namely, the Municipal Market, Uzhavar Santhai, and Virudhunagar Bazaar Market, that cater to the needs of the town and the surrounding rural areas.


Places of interest

* The Arulmigu Sri Meenakshi Chokkanathaswamy Temple is a 1000 year old Shiva temple believed to have been consecrated by Sage
Vishvamitra Vishvamitra (, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. Vishvamitra is one of the seven Brahmarshi. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gay ...
. *The Sri Veyilugandhamman Tirukkovil is an Amman temple in the town. The old name of Virudhunagar, Veyilugandalpattanam, is believed to have been derived from the name of this goddess. An annual celebration of this temple is performed during the Tamil month of Vaikasi. *The Parashakti Mariamman Temple is a Hindu temple located at the centre of the town. An annual temple festival celebrated during April is one of the prominent festivals of the town. *The house of
Kamaraj Kumaraswami Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975), popularly known as Kamarajar was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madras from 13 April 1954 to 2 October 1963. He also served as the pr ...
has been converted into a memorial, and is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Virudhunagar. *The Kullursandai reservoir, which attracts many migratory birds.


Notes


Footnotes

* The municipalities in Tamil Nadu are graded special, selection, grade I and grade II based on income and population.


Citations


References

*


External links


District of Virudhunagar government website
{{Municipalities of Tamil Nadu Cities and towns in Virudhunagar district