Pudukottai - General Information

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Pudukottai - General Information

Pudukkottai town is the headquarters of the district . Once a princely State, the area, which comprises the district, is of absorbing interest to historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and lovers of art. The numerous dolmens, stone circles and other forms of megalithic burials in the district indicate the antiquity of this region dating back to pre-historic and protohistorical times.This tract is mentioned in the Sangam classics.

The archaeological and cultural remains at Kodumbalur, Narthamalai, Kudumianmalai, Kunnandarkoil, Sittannavasal, Thirumayam and Avudaiyarkoil are proof of its rich cultural heritage. The origin of Pudukkottai as a Princely state in the 17th Century A.D. is only one colourful aspect of the past of the region. Pudukkottai town lies on the Chennai - Rameswaram Railway line. It is 390 kms from Chennai. 53 kms from Tiruchirappalli and 57 kms. from Thanjavur. The rulers of Pudukttai have built several beautiful places and also constructed tanks canals and palaces.

Pudukkottai is one of the new districts formed after the 1971 census, on 14th January, 1974. It is one of the small districts of Tamil Nadu with an area of 4661 sq.Kms. The district lies between 78degrees 25' to 79 degrees 15' of the eastern longitude and 9 degrees 50; to 10 degrees 40' of the northern latitude. This district is bounded by Tiruchirappalli in the north, Thanjavur in the north-east, Bay of Bengal in the east and Ramanthapuram in the south. It has a coastline of about 39 Kms. Total area of the district is 4651 sp. Kms. Headquarters of the district is Pudukkottai.

Communications

There are no national highways passing through the district. The total length of roads in this district is 3243 Kms. Comprising of 78.10 Kms. of state highways, 434.30 Kms. of major district roads and 2730.60 Kms. of panchayat roads. The total length of metre-guage railway line in the district is about 84 Kms. with 12 railway stations connecting Pudukkottai town with Tiruchirappalli as also Karaikkudi and Manamadurai in the adjacent Ramanathapuram district. Arantangi is connected with Thiruvarur in the adjacent Thanjavur district. The metre-guage railway line from Madras to Rameswaram passes through this district. The transport handled by the railways in the district is very meagre on account of the low route length and limited potential for transportation in the hinterland.

Pudukkottai district is not gifted with manorial wealth. There are no mineral deposits worth mentioning in the entire area of the district. However, a narrow belt of good grade feldspar and quartz is reported to be available in Kulattur taluk pink granite deposit is reported to be available in Ponnamaravati area of Tirumayam taluk. The reserves of limestone reported to be available in Adanakottai area of alangudi taluk is estimated at about 8230 tonnes and the present level of exploitation is only 200 tonnes. The district is industrially backwards and the three taluks, viz. Alangudi, Tirumayam and Kulattur had already been declared by the State government as backward area entitling industrial units to be set up there for a central subsidy of 15 per cent on fixed capital investment.

There are six large scale industries in the district as given below:

1) M/s. Cauvery Spinning and Weaving Mills Ltd., Cauvery Nagar.
2) M/s. Pudukkottai Textile Mills Ltd., Pudukkottai.
3) M/s. Sri Nadiambal Textile Mills Ltd., Arantangi.
4) M/s. Ramachandran Chemicals (P) Ltd., Kiranur.
5) M/s. Sundaram Industries Ltd., Pudukkottai.
6) The State Government Printing Press, Pudukkottai.

Among the six large scale industries mentioned above, three are located in Pudukkottai itself. There are 392 small scale units. The main industries in which they are engaged are wood based industries, tinkering, fabrication of metal products, printing and binding, manufacture of agricultural implements, manufacture of agricultural implements, manufacture of cement tiles and other cement products, automobile servicing and repairing and safety matches. A few oil and rice mills are concentrated in Alangudi taluk, Thiruvarangulam a Pudukkottai blocks. In addition to the small scale industries, there are a number of village and cottage industries. Prominent among them are pottery, blacksmithy, carpentry, small lime kilns, small brick kilns, basket making, rope making and synthetic gem cutting.

Important Industries, 1996

1. National Oxygen Ltd - Manufacturer and traders of industrial gases such as Oxgen gas, dissolved acetylene gas, medical Oxygen, Nitrogen gas, liquid Oxygen, liquid Nitrogen high purity Nitrogen.

2. SRF Ltd (Formerly known as Shriram Fibers Ltd.) - Manufacturer : Nylon industrial yarn tyre cord/fabrics leather auxiliaries, fluro carbon refrigerant gases and hydrofluoric acid, besides nylon moulding powder in technical collaboration with chemtex fibres INC. USA. M/s. SRF Nippondenso Ltd. is a joint venture with Nippon Denso Co. Ltd. of Japan for manufacture of automotive electricals. M/s. SRF Transnational Holdings Ltd. is a subsidiary company.

Viralimalai, District
Pudukkottai,
Tamil Nadu.

The town proper, a densely populated block, consists of wide straight streets running east to west and north to south, and intersecting one another at right angles. In the centre are now the ruins of the 'fort' with thick and high ramparts (only part of the western wall remains.). Within it at the centre stood what was called the 'old palace' containing a shrine to Dakshina-moorthi, a Durbar Hall that was used on state occasions by the former Rajas of Pudukkottai, and the palace stable. State functions and ceremonies, including the Dassara, were conducted here.

Pudukottai - General Information

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