Kottaiyur
Kottaiyur | |
---|---|
suburb | |
Kottaiyur Siva temple tower | |
Kottaiyur Location in North Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India | |
Coordinates: 10°07′23″N 78°49′15″E / 10.122932°N 78.8208°ECoordinates: 10°07′23″N 78°49′15″E / 10.122932°N 78.8208°E | |
Country | India |
State | Tamil Nadu |
District | Sivaganga |
Suburb | Karaikudi |
Elevation | 77 m (253 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 51,595 |
Languages | |
• Official | Tamil |
Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
PIN | 630106 |
Telephone code | 91 4565 |
Kottaiyur is a suburb located in northern part of Karaikudi in Sivaganga district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Geography
Kottaiyur has an average elevation of 77 metres (253 ft) and is located north in Karaikudi, on the Karaikudi-Trichy Highway near the southern tip of India. The area is close to the small expanse of ocean that separates India from Sri Lanka.
Demographics
As of the 2011 Indian census, Kottaiyur had a population of 51,595 of which 49% was male and 51% female. The literacy rate of 75% is higher than the national average of 59.5%. Among men, the literacy rate is 79%, compared to 71% among females. 10% of the population is under six years of age.[1]
Educational institutions
- Chidambaram Chettiar Girl's Higher Secondary School
- Muthiah Alagappa Matriculation Higher Secondary School
- Thanjavur Arunachalam Chettiar Higher Secondary school
- Subbiah Ambalam Matriculation School
- Board High School
- Sanadhana Dharma Vidyalaya Aided Elementary School
- Achis Matriculation School
- Haritha Higher School
Temples
The main temples are:
- Sri Kottainachi Amman Temple
- Sri Shivan Temple (Largest temple in Kottaiyur)
- Sri Ayyappan Temple
- Sri Oorkaavalar Temple (God sighted under the Tamarind Tree located beside the Sri Kottainachi Amman Temple; the people pray to him as a "Kaaval Theivam" of Kottaiyur)
- Ooranikarai Pillaiyar Temple
There are also several temples in Kottaiyur that belong to a specific community of people; these are called the Kulasami Kovil of that particular community.
Festivals
The main festivals celebrated in Kottaiyur are:
- Kottaiyur Sevvai. This is the largest festival in the region and is celebrated for 10 days during the month of April on behalf of Sri Kottainachi Amman. During this festival, the Urtchava Moorthy of Sri Kottainachi Amman is taken around the village twice a day as Kaalai Veedhi Ulaa (By men) and Iravu Veedhi Ulaa (In Sakadai by bulls). On the 9th day (which always falls on a Tuesday - In Tamil "Sevvai"), there is a "Ther Thiruvizha" (Chariot festival) in which the Urtchava Moorthy of Sri Kottainachi Amman is taken at night to her Mother's home, called "Kaattu Amman Kovil", and which is located approximately 2 to 3 kilometres (1.2 to 1.9 mi) from Kottaiyur. On the 10th day, during the day, the Amman is brought back to Kottaiyur in the chariot. The festival finishes the night after "Manjal Neer".
- Poo Choridhal is another important festival celebrated once a year on behalf of Sri Vinayagar at the Sorkettan vinayager Temple.
- Yeloor Sevvai is a major festival celebrated annually in Kottaiyur along with six other nearby villages (Tamil: yelu oor). During the festival, women from the seven villages bring a madhu - a bunch of tender coconut buds (Tamil: thennam paalai), which are placed in a stainless steel or silver pot filled with paddy rice and milk that has been poured into the peedam in Sri Vayalnatchi Amman Temple located in Velangudi village 2 to 3 kilometres (1.2 to 1.9 mi) from Kottaiyur.
Notable Individuals
- Dr. Alagappa Chettiar, philanthropist and founder of Alagappa University.
- A.K.Chettiar,was a Tamil travelogue writer, journalist and documentary film maker from Tamil Nadu, India. He is most notable for pioneering travelogue writing in Tamil and for his documentary on Mahatma Gandhi.[1]
- Roja Muthiah Chettiar, a bibliophile. His collection includes printed materials not found in conventional libraries and includes books and journals on classical literature, medicine, folklore, cinema, women's studies and materials such as theater playbills, wedding invitations and popular songbooks. This includes rare 19th century books and around 10,000 first editions. After his death in 1992, his collection was acquired by the University of Chicago in 1994 and is currently operated from Tharamani, Chennai, as the Roja Muthiah Research Library. Several newspapers and magazines have published articles on Roja Muthiah and his collections both during and after his lifetime. Parisal Puthuga Nilayam (Maatruvezi) published a book on the Roja Muthiah Research Library in 2010 (ISSN 0976-1667). Chettiar sacrificed his life to acquire these materials and preserve them from insects and natural calamities.