| Sivagangai Districts |
| About: |
| Sivagangai District is bounded by Pudukkottai District in the north, Madurai District in the west, Virudhunagar District in the south-west and Ramanathapuram District in the south. With an area of 4,189 sq km, Sivagangai District has a population of over 1.1 million. About 21,877 hectare of land is under forest area. Agriculture is the main profession and rice, sugarcane, groundnut, pulses and millets are the chief crops.Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu spreads over 4,189 km². The geographical position of Sivaganga district is between 9º 43′ and 10º 2′ North Latitude and between 77º 47′ and 78º 49′ East Longitude. It is bounded on the north and northeast by Pudukkottai District, on the southeast and south by Ramanathapuram District, on the southwest by Virudhunagar District, and on the west by Madurai District, and on the northwest by Tiruchirappalli District.A vast majority of the workforce is dependent on agriculture (72.8%). The principal crop of Sivaganga district is paddy. A majority of the district has red soil. The other crops that are grown are sugarcane, groundnut, pulses, millets and cereals. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University plans to set up the State’s first Red Soil Dryland Research Centre in Sivaganga district soon.The Spices Board will invest Rs.18 crore on a new spices park at Sivaganga. It would be immensely helpful to farmers of chilli, turmeric, medicinal plants and tamarind, as the focus would be to export their products. The proposed spices park would establish machinery for cleaning, sorting, grading, packaging, storing, sterilising and other work. The focus would be to encourage chilli, a leading crop in Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and nearby districts, and turmeric crops. Medicinal plants, being raised in and around Madurai district, would also get a boost, as it was planned to patronise farmers of medicinal plants. |
| Location info: |
| Sivaganga District,Tamil Nadu,India |
| Climate/Weather of Sivagangai Districts: |
| Temperature: The average maximum temperature for the district (from 1991 to 1996)as a whole is about 32.460 C and the average minimum temperature is 24.750C. |
| History of Sivagangai Districts: |
| Sivaganga District has been carved out from composite Ramnad District as per G.O. MS. No. 1122 Rev. Dept. Dated. 6.7.84 and the District was functioning from 15.3.85 as per G.O Ms.No. 346 Rev. dept. Dated: 8.3.85.The Kingdom of Ramnad originally comprised the territories of Ramnad, Sivaganga and Pudukottai of today. Regunatha Sethupathy alias Kilavan Sethupathy, the 7th King of Ramnad reigned between 1674 and 1710. Kilavan Sethupathy, came to know of the bravery and valour of Peria Oodaya Thevar of Nalukottai, 4 Kilometres from Sholapuram near Sivaganga.The King assigned to Peria Oodaya Thevar of Nalukottai a portion of land sufficient to maintain 1000 armed men. Vijaya Regunatha Sethupathy became the 8th King of Ramnad in 1710 after the death of Kilavan Sethupathy. The King gave in marriage his daughter AKILANDESWARI NACHIAR, to Sasivarna Thevar, the son of Nalukottai Peria Oodaya Thevar. The King gave Sasivarna Thevar lands as dowry, free of taxation, sufficient to maintain 1,000 men. He placed him in charge of the fortresses of Piranmalai, Tiruppathur, Sholapuram and Tiruppuvanam as well as the harbour of Thondi. Meanwhile Bhavani Sankaran, the son of Kilavan Sethupathy conquered Ramnad territory and arrested Sundareswara Regunatha Sethupathy, the 9th King of Ramnad. Bhavani Sankaran proclaimed himself as the Rajah of Ramnad. He became the 10th king of Ramnad and he reigned from 1726 to 1729. He quarrelled with Sasivarna Peria Oodaya Thevar of Nalukottai and drove him out of his Nalukottai palayam.Kattaya Thevan, the brother of the late Sundareswara Regunatha Sethupathy fled from Ramnad and sought refuge with the Rajah of Tanjore Tuljaji. While Sasivarna Thevar was passing through the jungles of Kalayarkoi, he met a gnani (sage) named Sattappiah, who was performing Thapas (meditation) under a jambool tree near a spring called `SIVAGANGA’ . The deposed king prostrated himself before him and narrated all the previous incidents of his life. The Gnani whispered a certain mantra in his ears (Mantra Opadesam) and advised him to go to Tanjore and kill a ferocious tiger which was kept by the Rajah especially to test the bravery of men. |
| Sasivarna Thevar went to Tanjore. There he became acquainted with Kattaya Thevan a refugee like himself. Satisfied with the good behaviour of Sasivarma Thevar and Kattaya Thevan, the Rajah of Tanjore wanted to help them to regain the States again, ordered his DALAVOY to go with a large army to invade Bhavani Sankaran. Sasivarna Thevar and Kattaya Thevan at once proceeded to Ramnad with a large army furnished by the king of Tanjore. They defeated Bhavani Sankaran at the battle of Uraiyur and captured Ramnad in 1730. Thus Kattaya Thevan became the 11th King of Ramnad. |
| Educational Institutions of Sivagangai Districts: |
| Arts & Science: Govt. College for Women, Sivagangai Raja Duraisingam Govt. Arts College, Sivagangai V.S. Sivalingam Govt. Arts College, Sivagangai Alagappa Govt. Arts College, Karaikudi Ananda College, Devakottai Arumugam Pillai Seethai Ammal College, Sivagangai Dr. Umayal Ramanathan College for Women, Karaikudi Dr. Zakir Hussain College, Sivagangai Ganapathi Seethai Ammal College, Manamadurai Idhaya Women’s College, Sivagangai Madurai Sivakasi Nadars College for Women, Sivagangai Matha College of Arts and Sciences, Manamadurai Ramasamy Tamil College, Karaikudi Seethalakshmi Achi College for Women, Sivagangai Sree Sevugan Annamalai College, Devakottai Sri Saradha Niketan College for Women, SivagangaiHotel Management: National Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, KaraiKudiEngineering: St. Michael College of Engineering and Technology, Kalayarkoil A.C. College of Engineering and Technology, Karaikudi Central Electro Chemical Research Institute, Karaikudi Madurai Institute of Tehcnology, Manamadurai Pandiyan Saraswathi Yadav Engineering College, Sivagangai Taluk Seethai Ammal Engineering College, SivagangaiNursing: Matha College of Nursing, Sivagangai Rass Academy College of Nursing, PoovanthiManagement: Ganapathi Seethai Ammal College, Manamadurai St. Michael College of Engineering and Technology, Kalayarkoil A.C. College of Engineering and Technology, Karaikudi Alagappa University, KaraikudiPolytechnic: Alagappa Polytechnic College, Karaikudi Seethai Ammal Polytechnic College, Sivagangai Seikalathur Kamatchi Amman Polytechnic College, ManamaduraiPhysiotherapy: Matha College of Physiotherapy, ManamaduraiTTI: Alagappa University College of Education, Karaikudi Aathavan Teacher Training Institute, Sivagangai Aathityaa Teacher Training Institute, Sivagangai Annai Terasa College of Education, Karaikudi Arumugam Pillai Seethai Ammal College of Education, Tiruppattur Arumugam Pillai Seethai Ammal Teacher Training Institute, Tiruppattur Kalvithanthai A.K.R. Sourashtra T.T.I., Sivagangai Koviloor Andavar College of Physical Education and Sports Science, Karaikudi Lakshmi Teacher Training Institute, Sivagangai Matha College of Teacher Education, Manamadurai Roseline Teacher Training Institute, Sivagangai S. Preethi Teachers Training College, Sivagangai Taluk Sahaya Matha Teacher Training Institute, Kalayarkoil Sri Raaja College of Education, Karaikudi Sri Raaja Rajjan Teachers Training Institute, Karaikudi Thavathiru Kundrakudi Adigalar College of Education for Women, Thiruppathur Taluk Thevika Thirumagan Pasumpon Thevar Teacher Training Institute, Devakottai Vivekananda College of Education, Sivangangai |
| Langauge |
| Tamil, Malayalam (due to its proximity to Kerala) and English are widely spoken by the people. |
| Culture: |
| The culture is a mixture of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Christianity, Hinduism and Islam are the main religions practiced, with Christians accounting to nearly half of the populace. Some of the communities in the district are Nadars, Nanjil Nadu Vellalars, Paravas, Mukthavas, Vilakki Thalanayar, Kammalar or Asari, Chackarevars, Kerala Mudalis etc.Fairs And Festivals:The festivals of Nagapattinam are varied and add an extra spark of life to the town’s daily lives. Notable among these are:PongalPongal is definitely one of the main festivals of Nagapattinam, being regarded as one of the most important festivals in the entirety of Tamil Nadu.KandhooriKandhoori is one of the most important festivals of this port-city being celebrated in the month of December each year. |
| How to reach? |
| Nearest Railway Station: Connected by rail to several destinations. Distance from Chennai is 535 kms. |
| Nearest Airport:Madurai about 60 Km away from Sivaganga. |
| Road Transport:Sivaganga is 45 Km East of Madurai. From Madurai, there are frequent Government and Private Bus services available. |
| Tourist Attraction of Sivagangai Districts: |
| Rameswaram: The Holy abode of the Hindu God, Shri Ram (addressed so with all respect & humility) is a virtual paradise for the devout. No Hindu’s journey is complete without a pilgrimage to both Varanasi and Rameswaram for the culmination of his quest for salvation and is hallowed by the epic ‘Ramayana’. Folklore mentions about God Ram’s presence in this land, after his 14-year exile. Seaworldaquarium: Just opposite the Rameswaram Bus stand one can catch a quick glimpse of an assortment of under water creatures in their near natural habitat in the‘Sea World Aquarium’ the only one of its kind in the state and probably in the country too filled with such varied marine life forms including exotic species like octopus, sea lizard, cow fish, lobsters, star fish etc. Uthirakosamangai: The deity in the temple is carved in Emerald. Annual Arudhra’ festival in December attracts a large number of devotees. Erwadi : The tomb of Sultan Ibrahim Syed Aulia, who came from Arabia via Cannanore, is about 800 years old. Pilgrims from far off countries like Srilanka, Malaysia and Singapore are visiting this tomb. Santhanakoodu Festival is celebrated in February-March attracts thousands of pilgrims. Oriyur : Its one of the most revered pilgrim centers for Christians the world over.Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge: The 2.2 km. Length Bridge connecting the Rameswaram Island and the mainland is the longest bridge in India constructed over a bay. It is also called as Pamban Bridge. Similarly the railway bridge connecting the island is noted for its unique opening to pass the ships through the sea.Other Places:Palace at Kanadukathan Chettinadu Dining Hall Anjanamaar Panch Shaheedh Waliyullah dargah, Manamadurai. Koviloor Temple, Karaikudi Pillaiyarpatti temple Kandadevi Temple Idaikattur Church Kaleeswarar Temple Thirukoshtiyur Temple Nagarasivan Temple Karaikudi Kovilur Temple |
| Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation in Sivagangai Districts: |
| Chettinadu Mansion:11 AR St, Kanadukathan, Sivaganga Dist, Tamil Nadu,Ph:04565 273080 |
| Links: |
| http://www.sivaganga.tn.nic.in/history.html |
Image Gallery of Sivagangai Districts
