Saturday, November 21, 2015

Dharmapuri - General Information

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: 
·        Dharmapuri  
·        Harur
Revenue Taluks: 
·        Dharmapuri
·        Harur
·        Palakkodu
·        Pennagaram
·        Pappireddipatti
Town Panchayats: 
·        Harur 
·        Marandahalli
·        Bommidi 
·        Palakkodu
·        Pennagaram
·        Karimangalam
·        Kambainallur
·        Papparapatti 
·        Kadathur
·        Pappireddipatti
Panchayat Unions: 
·        Dharmapuri
·        Harur
·        Nallampalli
·        Palakkodu 
·        Pennagaram
·        Karimangalam
·        Morappur 
·        Pappireddipatti
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