Dharmapuri - General Information
Dharmapuri District is a district
in Tamil Nadu state in
southern India. The district came into existence from October 10, 1965. It is
the first
district created
in Tamil Nadu after independence. Dharmapuri is the district headquarters.
Dharmapuri town is historically called "Thakadoor". As of 2011, the
district had a population of 1,506,843 with a sex-ratio of 946 females for every
1,000 males.
Dharmapuri is a town and the
administrative headquarters of Dharmapuri district in the state of Tamil, India. Dharmapuri district, which came into
existence from 02.10.1965 is situated in the North western Corner of Tamil Nadu
and is bounded by Thiruvannamalai and Villupuram Districts on the east, Salem
District on the South, Krishnagiri District on the north and Kaveri River on
the west. It is located between latitudes N 11 47’ and 12 33’ and longitudes E
77 02’ and 78 40’. The total geographical area of Dharmapuri District is
4497.77 km2, i.e. 3.46% of Tamil Nadu.
Etymology
Dharmapuri was called as Tagadur during
the Sangam era. "Thagadu" refers to Iron (Iron ore). "Oor"
refers to Place. The name Tagadur is changed to Dharmapuri after the Sangam
period, possibly during Vijayanagar empire or Mysore empire period. Still the
name Tagadur is in use among the People of Dharmapuri.
History
The Dharmapuri district was bifurcated
into Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts on 09/02/2004.The earliest known
chieftain, who ruled Tagadur (present Dharmapuri) during the Sangam era, is
Adhiyaman Neduman Anji, whose patronage sustained the famous poetess Avvaiyar.
The next we hear in the 2nd and 3rd century when the northern parts of Salem
District were under the Pallavas regime. Subsequently, we hear of the Ganga
Pallavas having sway over the Western parts of the Salem District. The Western
Gangas are also mentioned as having ruled Baramahal during the end of the 8th
century. In the beginning of the 9th Century, the Rashtrakutas gained power and
influenced the history of the district for the next two centuries.
During the period, the Cholas also rose
to power in the south and Adithya - I conquered the Kongunadu in 894 A.D.
During 949-950 A.D., the Cholas suffered a defeat from the Rashtrakutas whose
decline started later after the death of their king Krishna-III. Subsequently,
the entire area in Salem District came under the rule of the Cholas. The
Gangavadi was then annexed to the Chola territory and placed in charge of an
Adigaman Tagadur.
The 12th century witnessed the decline
of the Chola Empire when the Hoysalas rose to power and routed the Cholas from
Gangavadi. They are said to have captured Kolar, sacked Kotayur and overran the
western parts of Kongunadu. The Baramahal and Talaget areas apparently still
remained with the Cholas. But the Adigaman seems to have practically become
free and owed only nominal allegiance to the Cholas. Sundarapandian-I assisted
the Yadavas in driving out the Hoysala king, Vira Someswara from the Chola
territory.
The history of the 13th Century
revolves itself between the Hoysalas and the Pandyas. This portion may be added
after when they were attacked from the North by the Yadavas, the Hoysalas
retreated towards the South in Kongunadu. It is known that Jatavarman Sundarapandian-I
assisted the Yadavas in driving out the Hoysalas king, Vira Someswara, from the
Chola territory. But it is doubtful whether he made himself master of the
Talaghat area as there are records to show that Vira Someswara's son Vira
Ramanatha later ruled the whole of Salem District and the Pandiyas were then
eclipsed by the Mohammadan emissaries of the Delhi Sultanate.
The rise of Vijayanagar kingdom was
seen in the 14th century. In 1365-66 A.D., Bukka-I turned his attention towards
the south to overthrow the Mohammedan Sultanate of Madurai. One of these
campaigns must have brought Salem District under the Vijayanagar kings. They
ruled these parts till 1565 A.D when the glory of the Vijayanagar king was laid
in dust by the combined armies of the Deccan Sultans on the field at Hosur Denkanikottai
while Jagaderea Raya of Chennapatna ruled the Baramahal along with Mysore.
Meanwhile the ascendancy of the Madurai Nayakas reached its zenith during the
time of Thirumalai Nayak who came to power in 1623 A.D. and this tract was
placed in charge of Poligars owing allegiance to him.
Ramachandra Nayaka, one of his poligars
was in charge of Talaimalai a hill overlooking the Cauvery in the south
Namakkal taluk. The Namakkal Fort is said to have been built by them. The Gathi
Mudaliars were in charge of the most dangerously exposed province of the Nayak
Kingdom with Kaveripuram on the right bank of the Cauvery as their strategic
capital commencing one of the principal passes to the Mysore plateau. The
centre of then power seems, however to have been Taramangalam where they built
a grand edifice of a temple. It is said that their domination extended as far
as Talaivasal to the east, Dharapuram in Coimbatore District in the south. The
forts of greatest strategic importance held by the Gathi Mudaliars were Omalur
and Attur.
Several places in Coimbatore were taken
by Kantirave Narasa Raja of Srirangapatinam from Gathi Mudaliars in 1611 A.D.
After 11 years, he seized Baramahal including Viralahadradurg, Pennagaram, Dharmapuri
and Denkanikotta in 1654 A.D., he took over Hosur from Chandra Sankar Dodda
Devaraju the king of Mysore wrested Omalur from the Gathi Mudaliars and thus
erased them out of political scene. The aggression of Marathas however checked
the power of the Mysore Kings.
For a time Baramahal and Talaghat
passed into the hands of Marathas. In 1688-89 A.D., Chikka Deva Raya king of
Mysore felt strong enough once again to invade Baramahal and wrested
Dharmapuri, Manukonda, Omalur Paramathi, Kaveripatinam and Attur were also
retrieved by Chika Deva Raya and the whole district of Salem came under his
control before his death in 1704 A.D. Meanwhile Abdul Nabikhan of Nawab of
Cuddapah extended his possession towards South and by 1714 A.D., he made
himself master of the Baramahal.
By about 1750 A.D., Hyder Ali was in
power in Mysore Baramahal came under his sway in 1760 A.D. By 1767 A.D., the
British Government at Madras planned an attack on Hyder Ali and seized
Kaveripattinam without serious opposition. Krishnagiri was then besieged.
Meanwhile, reinforcement was brought by Hyder Ali and they drove away the
British. Thus, Kaveripattinam was recaptured. Some months later the British
made another invasion on the Baramahal. Further, South Dharmapuri, Salem,
Attur, Sendamangalam and Namakkal were surrendered to the British without
serious difficulties. The victory, however, was short-lived because Hyder Ali
soon recaptured Dharmapuri, Denkanikottai, Omalur, Salem and Namakkal. During
the period of second Mysore war, Salem District was in the hands of Hyder Ali.
Tippu Sultan succeeded Hyder Ali and
proved to be a formidable power. The British made an alliance with the Marathas
and the Nizam and started the third Mysore war in 1790 A.D., in order to curb
the power of Tippu Sultan. A wing of the British forces stationed itself fully
reinforced at Kaveripattinam. Even though Tippu Sultan rushed to this spot with
his full force, he could not dislodge the British. A number of alternations
took place between the commanding forces in the Baramahal area. In 1791, Hosur,
Anjetti, Nilgiri and Ratnagiri came under the British Royakotta and many other
small forts fell without much resistance. In 1791 Tippu sent a force from the
South along the Tippu pass. In the battle at Pennagaram they surrendered to the
British. In 1792 A.D., a peace treaty was signed between Tippu and English.
According to this, a half of the dominion of Tippu was taken away. The whole of
Salem District except the Palaghat and a portion of Hosur came into the hands
of the British. The first British Collector had is headquarters at Krishnagiri
on strategic consideration.
The last Mysore war in 1799 added up
several places in Hosur Taluk like Nilgiri, Anjetti, Durgam, Ratnagiri and
Kelamangalam which were recaptured by British. After the fall of Srirangapatinam
in which Tippu Sultan lost his life, the Palaghat area was also added to Salem
District.
The present Dharmapuri district was
then a part of the Salem district. During the British rule in the country and even till 1947
Dharmapuri was one of the Taluks of Salem District. The Dharmapuri district was
formed as a separate district on 02/10/1965 with its headquarters at
Dharmapuri. Thiru G. Thirumal I.A.S was the first Collector of Dharmapuri
district.
The Dharmapuri district was bifurcated
into present-day Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri
districts in
2004. Many historical rock sculptures are found in this district. Modhur,
a village near Dharmapuri has remains that date back to Neolithic age. A
government museum in Dharmapuri town displays some of these significant
sculptures for people's view.
Geography
The district is located between
latitudes N 11 47’ and 12 33’ and longitudes E 77 02’ and 78 40’. Occupies an
area of 4497.77 km² (i.e. 3.46% of Tamil Nadu) and has a population of
2,856,300 (as of 2001). It is bounded on the north by Krishnagiri District, on the east by Thiruvannamalai
District and
Villupuram districts, on the south by Salem District, and on the west by Karnataka's Chamarajanagar
District. The
Whole district is surrounded by hills and forests. The terrain of Dharmapuri is
of rolling plains type. Dharmapuri is located on the geographically important
area in South India.
Climate and Rainfall
The climate of the Dharmapuri District
is generally warm. The hottest period of the year is generally from the months
of March to May, the highest temperature going up to 38 C in April. The Climate
becomes cool in December and continuous so up to February, touching a minimum
of 17 C in January. On an average the District receives an annual rainfall of
895.56 mm.
Forests
The whole district is predominantly
covered with forests. Spider valley located near Hogenakkal is home for many
wild animals. The district falls in the migratory path of elephants. Man and
elephant conflicts are most common in these parts. Many tribal communities
depend on these forests.
Vathalmalai, a mountain hamlet on top
of Shervarayan hill chain has suitable conditions to cultivate coffee and jack
fruit. Wild boars and spotted deers are commonly seen in Morappur and Harur
forest region. Gaurs sometimes stroll near villages near Bommidi region.
Thoppur Ghat section has one of the scenic highways surround by mountains and
forests.
Governance
Dharmapuri is the district headquarters. The district has been
divided into two revenue divisions namely Dharmapuri and Harur consisting 5 taluks.
Administrative divisions:
Revenue divisions:
Revenue Taluks:
·
Palakkodu
Town Panchayats:
·
Marandahalli
·
Karimangalam
Panchayat Unions:
·
Karimangalam
Demographics
According to 2011 census, Dharmapuri district had a population
of 1,506,843 with a sex-ratio of 946 females for every 1,000 males, much above
the national average of 929. A total of 167,940 were under the age of six,
constituting 87,777 males and 80,163 females. Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes Account
for 16.29% and 4.18% of the population respectively.
The average literacy of the district
was 60.9%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The district had a
total of 375,873 households. There were a total of 751,170 workers, comprising
191,080 cultivators, 217,062 main agricultural labourers, 11,308 in house hold
industries, 233,546 other workers, 98,174 marginal workers, 10,248 marginal
cultivators, 50,283 marginal agricultural labourers, 4,033 marginal workers in
household industries and 33,610 other marginal workers. The population of
the district is roughly equal to the nation of Gabon or the US state of Hawaii.
Economy
Agriculture & Horticulture:
The district economy is mainly agrarian
in nature. Nearly 70% of the workforce is dependent on agriculture and allied
activities. The district is one among most backward and drought prone area in
the state.
Dharmapuri district also forms a major
horticultural belt in the state. As the area is drought – prone it has become
essential to switch over to cultivation of drought tolerant perennial fruit
crops in this district. Mango is the main horticulture crop of this District.
It has the highest area under the fruit crops.
The district accounts for nearly
one-third area under mango and nearly one-half of the mango yield in the state.
Palacode is the main area where tomato is cultivated. Chilli is cultivated
mainly at Pennagaram.
Fisheries:
Dharmapuri being an inland district,
fishing is restricted to inland only here. Main varieties of fish available are
katla, rogu, mirgal, common and corp.
Mineral Resources:
Dharmapuri district is endowed with
sizeable reserves of granite. High quality black granite is available in
Pennagaram, Harur and Palacode blocks. Quartz is available at Kendiganapalli
Village of Pennagaram Taluk, A.Velampatti of Harur taluk and Pethathampatti of
Pappireddipatti Taluk.
Another High value mineral available in
this district is Molybdenum, which is identified as a good conductor. It is
available in Harur.
Fairs & Festivals
The festivals of Dharmapuri are varied
and add an extra spark of life to the town’s daily lives. Notable among these are:
Pongal:
Like all the other regions of Tamil
Nadu, Pongal is one of the most important festivals of Dharmapuri.
Mahasivarathri:
If you are planning a tour to
Dharmapuri, one of the best times to visit would be during February when the
festivities of Mahasivarathri promise to add a dash of special flavor to your
vacation.
Best Time to Visit
The hottest period in Dharmapuri
usually occurs during the months of March to May when the temperature ranges
around 38 degrees Celsius. Decembers are cool with the pleasant weather
continuing till February when the mercury touches a happy minimum of around 17
degrees Celsius. Thus, the best time to visit Dharmapuri would be during the
months of winter.
Tourism
Tourism in Dharmapuri district is a
fast expanding industry. The Kaveri River flows into the state through the district, and Hogenakkal, a town situated 46 km from Dharmapuri is the site where the river drops into as a scenic
waterfall.
Another important tourist destination
in the state is the hill-temple at Theerthamalai in Harur taluk which is a sacred religious place for the Hindus, and
which had been existent right from the times of the Chola and the Vijayanagara
empires.
There are temples built by the Ganga
Dynasty in Dharmapuri and Adhiyamankottai. These include Mallikarjuna Temple in
Dharmapuri, with special mention of Bhairava, Ashtadhik Palakas etc. and an old
basadi in Adhiyamankottai.
Following are the places are a must to
visit in Dharmapuri;
·
Aruneeswarar
temple, Dharmapuri
·
Vaniyar
Dam, Dharmapuri
·
Vathalmalai
or Vytla Hills
·
Vallimadurai
Dam, Dharmapuri
·
Thiyagi
Subramaniya Siva Memorial, Dharmapuri
·
Sitheri
Hills, Dharmapuri
·
Sir
Thomas Munro Pillar, Dharmapuri
·
Sacred
Heart Cathedral, Dharmapuri
·
C.S.I
Zion Church, Dharmapuri
·
Adhiyaman
Kottai, Dharmapuri
·
Chenraya
Perumal Temple, Dharmapuri
·
Crocodile
Rehabilitation and Research Center, Dharmapuri
·
Mount
Carmel Church, Dharmapuri
·
Kalabairavar
Temple, Adhiyamankottai
·
Theerthamalai,
Dharmapuri
·
Kottai
Kovil (Mallikarjuneswara Temple), Dharmapuri
·
Hanumantheertham
Please refer the link below for
detailed information
