Tirunelveli - General Information
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Tirunelveli - General Information
Tirunelveli District has an area of 6,838 km². It is bounded by Virudhunagar District to the north, Thoothukudi District to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south, Kanyakumari District to the southwest, and Kerala state to the west. The chief towns, in addition to Tirunelveli, are Courtallam (also called Kuttalam), Sankarankoil and Tenkasi. Tirunelveli is also one of the Ayyavazhi populated districts in Tamil Nadu.
The famous Courtallam waterfalls are located in Tirunelveli District along such rivers as the Chittar River. It is said that a dip in any of the nine waterfalls rejuvenates the body and the mind. The water is supposed to have healing properties due to the herbs which grow in the area. The waterfalls are often dry and August is considered to be the best time to go. Thamira Sabhai is located in Courtallam. Special fruits like Mongostaan and Ramtaan are available only in Courtallam. Advancing monsoon clouds and showers in Aralvaimozhy, near Nagercoil, India
Many of India's freedom fighters have originated from this land. Veera Pandiya Kattabomman, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai and Bharathiar are from Thoothukudi District, which was a part of Tirunelveli District before 1990.The great Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathy is from Ettayapuram in the erstwhile Tirunelveli District. He composed poems foreseeing India's freedom. He wrote many articles on many subjects. He emphasized the unity of India in spite of its variety in languages, religions, and cultures.
Mukkudal village, located in the Tirunelveli District, is famous for its beedi (tobacco) industry and its situation on the Thamirabarani River. Some of the famous textile showrooms of Tamil Nadu are also in Tirunelveli. The Tirunelveli District is located in the world map, between 08o 8’ and 09o 23’ latitude and 77o 09’ and 77o 54’ longitude. The total geographical area of the district is 6,823 sq. km.
General Details
Area : 87.64 Kms Population : 3,65,932 (1991) Altitude 100 metres (Approximate) Temperature Summer : Max. 34.8°C Winter : Max. 21.6°C Rainfall : 100 cms ( Average) Languages : Spoken Tamil and English STD code : 0462
"If the boundary of the town is made with stone, it will not be of aesthetic beauty and therefore boundary is fenced with paddy field", says a Tamil Poet about Tiru-nel-veli. The town has been surrounded on all sides by paddy fields. As such the town was called as 'Nelveli' i.e., Paddy-Hedge. Since the temple in the town is dedicated to Lord 'Siva', the town around the temple was called Tiru-nel-veli. Around 1560, the town was rebuilt by Viswanatha, the founder of Nayak dynasty who also erected many temples in it. Tirunelveli was the earliest Pandiya's Capital. The Nayaks ruled Tirunelveli from Madurai during the 16th, 17th and early years of 18th Century.
Tirunelveli is situated on the west bank of Thamiraparani River and Palayamkottai on the east bank. Palayamkottai, being the administrative head quarters with the establishment of educational institutions and of various industries, public and semi public offices, exhibits a remarkable development. Palayamkottai was fortified under the native rulers and its defences were intact at the time when it was passed into the hands of the British. It subsequently followed the base of their operations during the poliger wars. The fort was dismantled till the garrison of one or more native regiments which had been stationed here ever since the British occupation in this place was finally withdrawn.
In the day time the coastal regions are cooler than the interior parts by about a degree in summer and southwest monsoon seasons and warmer by one to two degrees during the rest of the year. From about the middle of February, temperature increases steadily. In May which is usually the hottest month in the interior, the mean daily maximum temperature is 37.1 degree Celsius. The weather is quite hot in May and June and the maximum temperature some times reaches 45 degree Celsius.
With the onset of the southwest monsoon by the end of May or beginning of June, there is some drop in temperature. By about the middle of October, both day and night temperatures decrease appreciably. The period from November to January is the coolest part of the year with the mean daily maximum temperature of about 30 to 31 degree Celsius in the interior parts. The mean daily minimum in these months is about 22 to 23 degree Celsius in the district in general.
The relative humidity in general, during the year, is between 55 and 65 percent in the interior parts of the district, except during the northeast monsoon season, when it is over 65 per cent. The coastal parts are comparatively more humid. During the months of April and May, the skies become heavily clouded and threatening in the afternoons on many days when thunderstorms follow. In the southwest and northeast monsoon seasons, the sky is heavily clouded or overcast.
Tirunelveli - General Information
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