Virudhunagar (District)

Virudhunagar ; District விருதுநகர் மாவட்டம்
State	Tamil Nadu
Administrative headquarters :	Virudhunagar
Area :	4,241 km²
Residents :	1,942,288 (2011)
Population density :	458 inhabitants / km²
Website :	virudhunagar.tn.nic.in

The district of Virudhunagar ( Tamil : விருதுநகர் மாவட்டம் ; also: Virudunagar ) is a district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . The administrative center is the eponymous city of Virudhunagar . The Virudhunagar district has an area of 4,241 square kilometers and around 1.9 million inhabitants (2011 census).

geography

Landscape in the Western Ghats near Srivilliputhur

The Virudhunagar District is located in the southern interior of Tamil Nadu. Neighboring districts are Theni in the northwest, Madurai in the north, Sivaganga in the northeast, Ramanathapuram in the east, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli in the south and Idukki in the west. The latter already belongs to the neighboring state of Kerala .

The area of the Virudhunagar District is 4,241 square kilometers. Most of the district area is flat. In the west, the Virudhunagar district is part of the Western Ghats , which form the natural border with Kerala. The highest mountains in the district are up to 1700 meters high. The rivers in the Virudhunagar District are not water-bearing all year round.

In the district of Virudhunagar there is an alternately humid tropical climate . The annual mean temperature in Virudhunagar is 28.8 ° C, the annual mean precipitation is 802 mm. Most of the rainfall occurs during the northeast monsoon between October and December. It also rains during the southwest monsoons in August and September.

history

The area of today's Virudhunagar District came under British rule in 1801 . Initially, the area was divided between the districts of Madurai (Madura) and Tirunelveli (Tinnevelly) in the province of Madras . In 1910 the area of today's district came to the newly founded district Ramanathapuram (Ramnad). After Indian independence, the area became part of the newly formed state of Madras (now Tamil Nadu) in 1956. The Virudhunagar District has existed as an independent district since 1985, when the Ramanathapuram district was divided into the three districts of Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar.

population

Street scene in the city of Sivakasi

According to the 2011 Indian census, the Virudhunagar district has 1,942,288 inhabitants. The population density of 458 inhabitants per square kilometer is slightly below the Tamil Nadu average (555 inhabitants per square kilometer). 51 percent of the district's residents live in cities. The degree of urbanization thus corresponds to the mean value for the state (48 percent). 21 percent of the district's residents are scheduled castes . At 80 percent, the literacy rate corresponds to the Tamil Nadu average.

Among the residents of the Virudhunagar district, the Hindus make up the vast majority of 94 percent according to the 2011 census. There are also smaller minorities of Christians (3.5 percent) and Muslims (2.5 percent). As in all of Tamil Nadu, the main language is Tamil . According to the 2001 census, 91 percent of the district's residents speak it as their first language. There are also minorities of speakers of Telugu (8 percent) and Kannada (1 percent).

Attractions

Andal temple in Srivilliputhur

The city of Srivilliputhur in the Virudhunagar District has an important Hindu shrine, the Andal Temple. It is dedicated to the god Vishnu , and the poet saint Andal , who is said to have been born in Srivilliputhur, is venerated here . The Andal Temple of Srivilliputhur is one of the 108 Divya Desams or holy places of Tamil Vishnuism . Its 58.5 meter high gopuram (gate tower) now adorns the seal of the state of Tamil Nadu.

Economy and Infrastructure

Fireworks production in Sivakasi

The Virudhunagar District is quite industrialized. The city of Sivakasi is a center of the match, fireworks and printing industries. The textile industry has set up in Rajapalayam and Aruppukkottai .

The Virudhunagar District has good transport links. The National Highway 7 from Varanasi to Kanyakumari leads in a north-south direction through the district and connects Virudhunagar with Madurai and Tirunelveli . In Virudhunagar, the railway line from Madurai branches into a line to Kanyakumari and one that leads over the Western Ghats to Kollam in Kerala.

Administrative division

The Virudhunagar District is divided into eight taluks (sub-districts):

Taluk	main place	Population (2011)
Aruppukkottai	Aruppukkottai	246.236
Kariapatti	Kariapatti	105,428
Rajapalayam	Rajapalayam	347,668
Sattur	Sattur	168,607
Sivakasi	Sivakasi	426.753
Srivilliputhur	Srivilliputhur	293.209
Tiruchuli	Tiruchuli	103.290
Virudhunagar	Virudhunagar	251.097

Cities

In the district Virudhunagar, there are seven cities with its own city government ( Municipalities ), nine after the Panchayat managed system townships ( Town Panchayats ) and 28 census towns ( census town ). The number of inhabitants is given according to the 2011 census.