Sirkazhi

Coordinates: 11°14′20″N 79°44′10″E / 11.239°N 79.736°E / 11.239; 79.736
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Sirkazhi
Town
UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
609110
Telephone code(91) 4364
Vehicle registrationTN-82-Z
Nearest townMayiladuthurai, Chidambaram

Sirkazhi (

Cauvery delta region
and agriculture is the major occupation. Roads are the main means of transportation; the town has 51.47 km (31.98 mi) of district roads, including a national highway.

The town is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled by the

Thirumangai Alvar Kaliyan (Thirumangai) was born in Thirukuraiyalur near Sirkazhi. The history of the town is centred on the Sattainathar Temple, which is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The history of the town is also associated with Rajarajeshwari – Angalaparameshwari Temple, which is dedicated to the goddess Adi shakti
, who is believed to be most powerful form, located in the south of Kalumalaiyar river. When the goddess takes on the forceful form, she is known as "Shri Kali" or "Pechi amma" or " Angali" which forms the basis for the town's name as "Sirkali".

Etymology and origin

A sculpture depicting a person is a palanquin carried by others.
A temple relief depicting Appar bearing Sambandar's palanquin

In ancient times, this town had twelve different names, including Brahmapuram, Venupuram, Thonipuram, Kazhumalam, Pugali, Sirkazhiswaram Shri Kali and Kazheesirama Vinnagaram.[1][2][3] According to Hindu legend, during one of the biggest deluges that submerged the planet earth, Hindu god Shiva is said to have carried the 64 arts on a raft (called Thoni in Tamil). The presiding deity in the temple, Shiva, is thus called "Thoniappar" (the one who carried the raft) and the region is called "Thonipuram".[4][5][6][3] The Hindu god Brahma is believed to have worshiped Shiva here, giving the name "Bhrahmapureeswarar" (the one worshipped by Brahma) and so the region is also referred as "Brahmapureeswaram".[7][3]

Shiva is believed to have quelled the arrogance of Hindu god Brahma, after showing his dominance over the three worlds and hence got the name "Sattainathar" here. The town is thus called "Sattainathapuram", which in modern times, is a suburb within Sirkazhi. The town was known as "Kalumalam" during the early Chola period.

Independence, it was renamed "Sirkazhi".[2]

History

The earliest mention of Sirkazhi is found in the history of the Chola king

Saivism and Vaishnavism. Tirugnanasambandar and Thirumangai Alvar, belonging to Saivism and Vaishnavism, respectively, and both natives of Sirkazhi, had disputes over their religious compositions and theologies during the period.[10] The Chola Kings ruled over the region for more than four centuries, from 850 to 1280, and were temple patrons. There are 41 inscriptions from the Chola kings in the temple that record various gifts like land, sheep, cow and oil to the temple.[7]

The region fell under the control of

Bijapur and half-brother of Shivaji (1674–80).[12] The town and the region became part of the British East India Company during the mid-18th century. Tanjore district was constituted in 1799 when the Thanjavur Maratha ruler Serfoji II (1798–1832) ceded most of his kingdom to the British East India Company in return for his restitution on the throne.[13] After India's independence, Sirkazhi continued to be a part of Thanjavur district until 1991, when it became part of Nagapattinam district until March 2020.[14]
Currently Sirkazhi is part of the newly created Mayiladuthurai district.

Geography

Sirkazhi is located at 11°14′N 79°44′E / 11.23°N 79.73°E / 11.23; 79.73, on the eastern flank of the Kumbakonam-Shiyali ridge, which runs along the Kollidam River.[15] Sirkazhi has an average elevation of 5.18 m (17.0 ft) above sea level and is located at 13 km (8.1 mi) west of Bay of Bengal.[16] It is located 95 km (59 mi) north-east of Thanjavur, 24 km (15 mi) north of Mayiladuthurai and 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Chidambaram.[16]

The town experiences long summers and short winters,

wild hog, jackal and fox are present in the jungles and outlying areas of the town.[18] Crow and ordinary game birds are found in large numbers in the town.[17]

The

epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering a series of devastating tsunamis along coastal fringes of the Indian Ocean.[19] Nagapattinam district was the most affected part of Tamil Nadu, accounting for 6,064 off the 8,009 casualties in the state.[20] Sirkazhi remained mostly unaffected by the tsunami, but the groundwater quality deteriorated where aquifers were close to the water bodies.[21] There was heavy salt water intrusion inland.[21]

Demographics

Religious census
Religion Percent(%)
Hindu
 
 86.91%
Muslim
 
 9.46%
Christian
 
 2.16%
Sikh
 
 0.02%
Buddhist
 
 0.46%
Jain
 
 0.33%
Other
 
 0.63%
No religion
 
 0.04%

According to 2011 census, Sirkali had a population of 34,927 with a sex-ratio of 1,028 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.[25] A total of 3,367 were under the age of six, constituting 1,740 males and 1,627 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 23.21% and 0.13% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 81.5%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.[25] The town had a total of : 8756 households. There were a total of 11,476 workers, comprising 352 cultivators, 1,398 main agricultural labourers, 150 in house hold industries, 7,681 other workers, 1,895 marginal workers, 88 marginal cultivators, 809 marginal agricultural labourers, 77 marginal workers in household industries and 921 other marginal workers.[24]

As per the religious census of 2011, Sirkazhi had 86.91%

Buddhists, 0.33% Jains, 0.63% following other religions and 0.04% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.[26]

In 1981, there were 15 notified slums accommodating 4,499 persons, constituting 17.64% of the population. In 2001, there were still 15 slums accommodating 7,533 persons, constituting 23.37% of the population.[22] The slum area has remained static at 39.45 acres (0.1596 km2).[22] The town has a residential area of 2.79 km2 (1.08 sq mi) (20.96%), commercial area of 0.4 km2 (0.15 sq mi) (3.04%), industrial area of 0.58 km2 (0.22 sq mi) (4.39%), public & semi public area of 1.29 km2 (0.50 sq mi) (9.66%) and undeveloped area of 8.23 km2 (3.18 sq mi) (38.05%).[27]

Economy and transport

The service sector provides most employment in the town. Limited agriculture is carried out; the main crop is

panchayat union administration, and many government offices are located in the town.[27] There are no major industries within the town, except for several rice mills.[27] Sirkazhi has many Hindu temples, which draw in tourism activity.[27] Sirkali Coop Urban Bank, founded on 23 April 1918 is the oldest bank in Sirkali. All major nationalised banks and private banks have branches in the town,[30] and all have atms.[30]

The National highway NH-32 connects Chennai and Thoothukudi through

Karaikkal and other cities in Tamil Nadu.[33]

Nearest major junction of

Tiruchirapalli Airport which is 160 km (99 mi) from Sirkazhi.[36]

Education and utility services

A group of students seated with a building in the background.
Opening ceremony 1896 of the Lutheran Mission Central-School in Sirkazhi

The first English school in the town was the Leipzig Evangelical Lutheran Mission School, which was opened by the

Lutheran Mission in 1896. The Lutheran mission was the earliest Protestant mission founded in Tanjore (present-day Thajavur) by Rev. C.V. Schwartz in 1778 to promote Christian knowledge in the region.[28][37] Of the 32 schools in Sirkazhi, there are nine municipal schools.[38] There are three higher secondary schools, three middle schools, fourteen primary schools and three matriculation schools in the town. There are two arts and science colleges, BEST College of Arts and Science and Vivekananda College of Arts and Science. Srinivasa Subbaraya Polytechnic College (locally called Puttur Polytechnic) is located in Puttur, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from Sirkali.[38]

Electricity supply to the town is regulated and distributed by the Sirkazhi Circle of

Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB).[39] Water supply is provided by the Sirkazhi municipality from the Kollidam river; it is distributed through five water tanks which supply 2 million (two million) litres a day.[40] Push carts and tricycles are used to collect solid waste, which is deposited in marsh lands located outside the town.[41] Sirkazhi municipality is implementing underground drainage and the current sewerage system is through septic tanks and public conveniences.[42] Roadside drains carry away untreated sewage, which is released into the sea or accumulates in low-lying areas.[42]

Sirkazhi comes under the Sirkazhi Telecom Circle of the

broadband internet service[43] The town has a government hospital, 12 private hospitals, clinics and medical shops.[44]

Municipal administration and politics

Municipality Officials
Chairman J. Eraiezhil[45]
Commissioner S. Maharajan[46]
Vice-chairman K. Tamilselvam[47]
Elected Members
Member of Legislative Assembly M. Panneerselvam
Member of Parliament S . Ramalingam .[48]

During the British Raj, Shiyali (present-day Sirkazhi) was the headquarters of a separate administrative division, or taluka.[28] In 1972 the town was declared a third grade municipality,[14] and was upgraded to a second grade municipality in 1980.[49] The municipality has 24 wards, each of which has an elected councillor.[50] The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, engineering, revenue, public health, town planning and IT,[51] which are controlled by a Municipal Commissioner, who is the supreme executive head.[51] Legislative powers are vested in a body of 24 members, one for each of the 24 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected chairperson, who is assisted by a deputy.[52] On the revenue administration side, Sirkazhi is a taluka headquarters having three revenue villages: Kavilancheri, Sirkazhi and Thadalan.[16][53][54][55]

For the purposes of state government, Sirkazhi is part of the

Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.[56] Since 2011 the MLA of the constituency is M. Sakthi from the ADMK.[57]

In the national parliament, Sirkazhi is a part of the

Mayiladuthurai (Lok Sabha constituency)
.

Law and order in Sirkazhi is maintained by the Mayiladuthurai sub-division of the Tamil Nadu Police, headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police.[58] There is a police station in the town.[59] There are special units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at the district level police division, headed by a Superintendent of Police.[58]

Culture

A large, multi-level building with a central doorway and an ornamental roof.
Gopuram of Kazheesirama Vinnagaram

The

Chithirai (April – May), a 10-day festival is celebrated.[29]

Nalayira Divya Prabandham, located in the outskirts of Sirkazhi.[64] The annual Garudasevai festival held during January attracts thousands of pilgrims.[64]

Tamil Isai Moovar (meaning Tamil trinity of Carnatic music) namely,

library science in India, is from Sirkazhi.[65] Padma Shri Sirkazhi Govindarajan, a leading vocalist in Carnatic Music and a playback singer for Tamil cinema
and devotional songs was also born in Sirkazhi.

See also

Notes

  • ^ The municipalities in Tamil Nadu are graded special, selection, grade I and grade II based on income and population. While "grade II" is the official classification, all the municipal websites use "second grade".
  • ^ The census details of small towns for 2011 are yet to be published in census website. The municipal website provides the totals alone.

Citations

  1. ISBN 9788176252263
    .
  2. ^ a b City Corporate cum Business Plan for Sirkazhi Municipality 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d Pillai 1904, p. 91.
  4. ^ a b Ayyar 1991, p. 244.
  5. ^ a b Ayyar 1991, p. 42.
  6. ^ a b V.K. 2007, p. 45.
  7. ^ a b Director of Census operations 1991, p. 55.
  8. ^ Aiyangar 1911, p. 92.
  9. ^ Aiyangar 1911, p. 96.
  10. ^ Aiyangar 1911, p. 413.
  11. ^ V. 1942, pp. 62–65.
  12. ^ Mitchell 1995, p. 91.
  13. ^ W. 2002, pp. 140–151.
  14. ^ a b About the town 2011.
  15. ^ Micropalaeontology 1972, pp. 31.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g City Corporate cum Business Plan for Sirkazhi Municipality 2009, pp. 20–21.
  17. ^ a b c W. 2002, p. 151.
  18. ^ a b W. 2002, p. 133.
  19. ^ Karan & Subbiah 2011, p. 70.
  20. ^ Karan & Subbiah 2011, p. 77.
  21. ^ a b Sm. 2006, p. 133.
  22. ^ a b c City Corporate cum Business Plan for Sirkazhi Municipality 2009, pp. 25–27.
  23. ^ Sirkazhi population 2011.
  24. ^ a b Sirkazhi 2011 census.
  25. ^ a b National Sex Ratio 2011.
  26. ^ Religious census 2015.
  27. ^ a b c d e City Corporate cum Business Plan for Sirkazhi Municipality 2009, pp. 28–29.
  28. ^ a b c Hunter 1908, p. 163.
  29. ^ a b Illustrated Guide to the South Indian Railway 1926, pp. 50–51.
  30. ^ a b Sirkazhi town Banks 2011.
  31. ^ Sirkazhi roads 2011.
  32. ^ Gough 1981, p. 6.
  33. ^ a b Sirkazhi bus 2011.
  34. ^ a b c The Hindu & 25 July 2010.
  35. ^ a b c Train information 2012.
  36. ^ Sirkazhi transport 2011.
  37. ^ Illustrated Guide to the South Indian Railway 1926, pp. 226–227.
  38. ^ a b Sirkazhi schools 2011.
  39. ^ TNEB region details 2011.
  40. ^ Sirkazhi water supply 2011.
  41. ^ Waste management programme 2011.
  42. ^ a b Sirkazhi sewarage 2011.
  43. ^ BSNL 2011.
  44. ^ Sirkazhi hospitals 2011.
  45. ^ Sirkazhi Municipality chairman 2011.
  46. ^ Sirkazhi Municipality Commissioner 2011.
  47. ^ Sirkazhi Municipality vice-chairman 2011.
  48. ^ MP of Mayiladuthurai 2019.
  49. ^ Sirkazhi Municipality features 2011.
  50. ^ Citizen's charter of Sirkazhi Municipality 2011.
  51. ^ a b Commissionerate of Municipal Administration 2006.
  52. ^ Economic and political weekly 1995.
  53. ^ About the municipality 2011.
  54. ^ Nagapattinam district profile 2011.
  55. ^ Nagapattinam district local administration 2011.
  56. ^ a b List of Assembly constituencies 2010.
  57. ^ MLA of Sirkazhi 2016.
  58. ^ a b Sirkazhi district police 2011.
  59. ^ Sirkazhi police 2011.
  60. ^ a b c Kodayanallur Vanamamalai 2001, p. 47.
  61. ^ a b Anantharaman 2006, p. 46.
  62. ^ Ayyar 1991, p. 535.
  63. ^ Sirkazhi – Places of interest 2011.
  64. ^ a b Kodayanallur Vanamamalai 2001, p. 5.
  65. ^ a b Historical moments 2011.
  66. ^ Ramaswamy 2007, p. 21.

References

External links

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