Ettayapuram, Thoothukudi
Ettayapuram is
a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district of Tamilnadu, India. It is the birthplace of Tamil poets Mahakavi Bharathiyar and Umaru
Pulavar. Muthuswami Dikshitar, One of the triad of Carnatic
music was patronized in
his final years by the ruler of Ettayapuram.
History
Ettayapuram
was originally Ilasanadu, which was ruled by the Pandya Kings. After the Pandyas, Ettappan was appointed
as Zamindar by Madurai Nayak dynasty under the supervision of Vijayanagara Empire. After 150 years of rule by the descendants of
Ettappan, Ilasanadu became Ettayapuram in 1565.
Ettayapuram
Estate
Ettaiyapuram
estate was a zamindari estate situated in the Ottapidaram
taluk of the
erstwhile Tinnevely district. The estate covered an area of 570 square miles
(1,500 km2) and 374 villages and in 1901, had a population of
154,000. The headquarters of the estate was the town of Ettaiyapuram.
The
estate was ruled by the Telugu Nayak Balija Naidu dynasty whose ancestors hailed from Chandragiri in present-day Andhra
Pradesh. During an invasion
of Alauddin Khilji, Kumaramuttu Nayak Balija Naidu the founder of the dynasty migrated from
Chandragiri to Tirunelveli where he was granted the region comprising the
later-established Ettaiyapuram estate. The town of Ettaiyapuram was established
in 1567.
List of Zamindars
·
Muthu
Jagavira Rama Kumara Ettappa Naicker Balija Naidu
·
Jagavirarama
Venkateswara Ettapa Nayakar Balija Naidu Aiyan
·
Jagavirarama
Kumara Ettappa Nayakar Balija Naidu Aiyan
·
Jagavira
Rama Venkateswara Ettappa Nayakkar Balija Naidu Aiyan
·
Muthuswami
Jagavira Rama Ettappa Nayakar Balija Naidu Aiyan
·
Jagavira
Rama Kumara Ettappa Nayakkar Balija Naidu Aiyan
Civic
administration
Ettayapuram
is a town panchayat that is part of the Thoothukudi district, which
was carved out of the erstwhile Tirunelveli district. It was in Kovilpatti constituency till 2006 general Elections and now it comes under
the Vilathikulam constituency of assembly from 2011 Elections.
Demographics
As of
2001 India census, Ettayapuram had a population of 12,800. Males
constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Ettayapuram has an average
literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy
is 78%, and female literacy is 61%. In Ettayapuram, 10% of the population is
under 6 years of age.
Economy
People
of Ettayapuram are primarily engaged in weaving, making matches and agriculture. Traditional weavers weave cotton yarn using handlooms. Small companies operate power
looms and allied trades of
preparing the thread for weaving and dyeing. The other major industry is the manufacture of match
boxes, which includes manufacturing small boxes that contain matchsticks,
preparing match sticks and loading them on to the matchboxes.
The area
of land under cultivation has fallen due to failing rains and relatively
poor soil fertility. The soil type is black
soil, which supports crops like kezhvaragu, kambu, cholam, cotton and sunflower. Kanni breed of goats, a drought-resistant
variety reared for its meat, is most common in this region.
Places of
interest
Bharathiyar House:
For
brief details, please refer below link;
Bharathiyar Mani Mandapam:
For
brief details, please refer below link;
Muthuswamy Dikshitar's Memorial:
For
brief details, please refer below link;
Umaru Pulavar Memorial:
For
brief details, please refer below link;
Ettappan's Palace:
For
brief details, please refer below link;
Other places of Interest:
·
Kali
Temple
·
Vandimalaya
Sametha Vandimalaichiamman Temple
·
Sri
Suppusamy Samathi
·
Vetkaliamman
Temple
·
The
Great Pandyan Pond
·
Jemini
& Savithri drinking Water Tank
Notable people
Subramanya Bharathi, better known as Mahakavi Bharathiyar was
born here on 11 December 1882. A prolific writer, philosopher and a great
visionary of immense genius and perspicacity, Bharathiyar was also one of the
most prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement in South
India. Ettappan, after whom the
place was named, carried a negative impression as he gave away the information
regarding Veerapandiya Kattabomman's whereabouts to the British, which eventually led to
his arrest and hanging.
Ettappan became
a metaphor for a traitor. His namesake descendants were involved in welfare activities
including arrangements for water supply through huge tanks and patronized poets
and musicians including Bharathi and Muthuswami Dikshitar.
Connectivity
Ettayapuram
is connected to Madurai, Thoothukudi, Rameshwaram and Tirunelveli by road. The nearest railway station is Kovilpatti, which is 15 km from Ettayapuram.
