Palayamkottai
Encyclopedia
Palayamkottai known as the "Oxford of South India", is a town in the Tirunelveli district
of Tamil Nadu
. It is part of the Tirunelveli
city corporation. It is on the eastern bank of the Thamirabarani river
, while its twin city Tirunelveli is on the western bank.
means a small administrative region or district. A Kottai is a fort. The portmanteau Tamil word Palayamkottai was hence derived historically from an ancient fort that was in the centre of the region. Today, the fort lies in ruins and is almost camouflaged by its surrounding old residential edifices. To anyone who reads about Palayamkottai for the first time, it may be surprising to see that atlases and other books refer to the city with both, an M or an N (Palayamkottai or Palayankottai). This uncertainty is because the actual Tamil word for the city uses an alphabet that is phonetically between M and N, and sometimes even completely substituted by G (pronounced Palayangkottai in colloquial Tamil). Natively speaking, it is hence correctly pronounced as Palayamnkottai. Historically during the British Raj, the area was referred to as Palancottahand also Palamkottah. The anglicization of the word was dropped by the locals immediately after independence, and the city is now called both Palayankottai and Palayamkottai according to official government documents and records. For disambiguation, the city is referred to as Palayamkottai in this article.
Palayamkottai is situated on the eastern bank of the perennial Thamirabarani river
. The region is very fertile and supports a thriving agrarian community in the midst of many urbanized areas. Regular monsoon rains coupled with the Thamirabarani water, support the purely agricultural villages around the city. Palayamkottai is located on the National Highway in close proximity to many bigger cities (international seaport: Tuticorin - 45 km; international airport: Trivandrum - 140 km; domestic airports: Madurai
- 150 km, Tuticorin - 25 km) hence supporting trade and commerce.
which is very popular among the young people of Palayamkottai. The museum houses a small collection of ancient artifacts found in the areas surrounding the city. Some of its literary collections include ancient Tamil inscriptions in palm leaves. Although the museum is well known locally, it is rarely crowded and somewhat badly maintained.
Palayamkottai also has one of the most popular Science Centres in South India, a satellite unit of Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore
. Since the Science Centre lies between Palayamkottai and Tirunelveli (the twin cities) and as it is difficult to mark a border between the two, it is often called as the Tirunelveli District Science Centre (by the district's name). It is a popular hangout area for young people, and is frequently visited by teams of school students to explore and learn the principles of science through the centre's interesting outdoor equipment and experiments.
In the outskirts of Palayamkottai near Krishnapuram on the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur State Highway, one of the premier research organizations of the country, the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), whose Headquarters is at Navi Mumbai, operates its regional centre, the Equatorial Geophysical Research Laboratory (EGRL). IIG is fully supported and funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and functions as an autonomous research institute. The equatorial observatory of IIG located near Tirunelveli pursues state-of-the-art research in the areas of geomagnetism and atmospheric and space sciences with well-equipped library and excellent infrastructure for research. With its state-of-the-art instruments, the centre finds a prominent place in the global networks of geomagnetic observatories and atmospheric radars.
s and other medical facilities. Among them, Our Lady's Hospital, founded nearly 50 years ago by a Belgian nun called Sister Delphine Bruyndonx, was and still remains one of Palayamkottai's popular hospitals for people who are poor or disadvantaged. Sister Delphine was popularly called the Teresa of Tirunelveli by all the people who knew her, because she had served this society since a time when it did not have any electricity.
" Shifa Hospital " one of the oldest and leading centre in Tirunelveli district and popular among the locals.
Government Siddha Medical College Hospital is the a leading siddha hospital,established in the year 1964.
CSI Bell Pins Mission Hospital and the recently renovated CSI Jeyaraj Annapackiam Hospital in Palayamkottai provide free and reduced cost medical services to the local community. Dental clinics like Captain Manickam, Doss ,Charli dental and Raakshak are popular among the locals. The Tirunelveli Medical college Hospital - a tertiary referral center, located in the High Grounds provides free services to poor people. Many nursing home
s like Annai Velankani, Kartheek, Pushpalatha and Celin hospital are famous for their maternity
care with all the latest medical equipment. Other eminent hospitals in the region are Shifa Hospital, Galaxy, Devi and Sudharsanam hospital. Muthu Damian Hospital near the Palay bus-stand offers both traditional Siddha treatment and modern medicine. Palayamkottai also has a specialized kidney care centre and heart centre. The city also has four blood banks: Shifa hospitals, Aarthi, Bethel and one at the Government Medical college hospital.
and Kabbadi matches at both district and state level. Grand celebrations during the Republic day and Independence day are conducted by various schools in the VOC ground. The stadium has an excellent professional German Hockey Turf, which trains a lot of young and energetic teams. State Level Hockey tournaments sponsored by Bell Pins are held in VOC grounds annually. Anna stadium also has a very good public swimming pool. VOC ground is one of the notable ground here. A beautiful park had been built here in this ground, in order to cover the small children and youngsters.
Supermarkets like Aryaas and Spencer's Daily Supermarket have revolutionized shopping in Palayamkottai by bringing all homeneeds into a common commercial zone. Although there are not many supermarkets in Palayamkottai, there are practically all kinds of shops catering to the local people's needs. For example, electronic superstores like Viveks, Sathya and Vasant&Co are prime hotspots for the digital lifestyle. Eagle Book Centre, Shyamala book centre and Velavan are exclusive choices for good books and stationery. Aryaas, Arasan and Supreme are probably Palayamkottai's best contemporary bakers. The list is however, easily exhaustive. Palayamkottai being a small city, brings a visitor back to square one in terms of shopping for quality goods.
Palaymakottai is also a very clean city with beautiful trees situated in the bank of thamirabarani river.
Leprosy missions, orphanages and medical missions are also very active organizations in Palayamkottai
Palayamkottai also has an efficient fire-fighting service which conducts camps in local schools annually. The postal service is also a reputed and historic department with its statues of Nandhis (mascot of the Indian Postal department) at the facade.
it also has the post offices,police stations,big malls,markets,etc.
Share-autos (autorickshaws that car-pool paying customers on a common route) ply extensively along Palayamkottai's streets and are easy to flag down. The regular yellow-black Greaves Garuda autorickshaws, although plenty in number, are considered to be the common man's taxis of Palayamkottai. Autorickshaw drivers are known to overcharge tourists. Cars as taxis, are generally only available in taxi stands where tourists and locals use them to travel to short distances outside of the city. As a common practise, people of Palayamkottai or Tirunelveli do not use taxis as an alternate public transportation to buses or trains.
temples: The Gopalaswamy Temple, Siva Temple, Ramar Temple, and Amman(goddess) temples. Dasara is a popular Hindu festival in this region. The renovation of the lord Gopalaswamy temple was completed by the Government of Tamil Nadu recently. It is a Vaishvanite temple symbolizing the cultural and architectural ancestry of the city. The herbal wall paintings found inside the sanctum sanctorum are considered rare. After renovation, the Azhagiyamannar Rajagopalaswamy Temple, built in 11th century, popularly known as Gopalasamy Temple celebrated Kumbhabhishekham
on the 9th of July, 2009. Popular temples in Palayamkottai are also located in Maharajanagar, Perumalpuram and Shanthi nagar. In particular, Aayirathamman temple and Thoothuvari temple (in its vicinity) are notable temples. Aazhigudi
Maradachan with a monolithic 20 ft (6.1 m) high Ayyanar statue is also popular.
A popular mosque in the city is located in old Police Hospital road, with hundreds of Islamic followers chanting their prayers regularly. Melapalayam
is the exclusive Muslim quarter of the city, with numerous mosques and schools for children of Islamic parents.
The city is a main hub in south Tamil Nadu for Christian
missionaries and there are a lot of churches affiliated to Tirunelveli Diocese Church of South India
(CSI), Society Of Jesus and others.
The biggest and most widely recognized church in Palayamkottai is The Holy Trinity Cathedral
of CSI at Murugankurichi. With its prominent centinary 35m high steeple, it is fondly called the 'Oosi Gopuram' (Needle Tower). Extensive renovations of the church were done during the period of Rev.Anand Asir, Rev.Dr.Joshva Raja and Rev.Vedhanbu, who worked as priests in the Trinity Cathedral in Palayamkottai. The district's first church, Clarinda Church was founded and consecrated in 1860 by a Brahmin lady who was the first convert in the southern districts. The periphery of this tiny church has a cemetery with wonderfully decorated tombstones from England
.
St.Francis Xavier who was responsible for propagation of Christianity in the 16th century in Southern districts of Tamil Nadu had travelled to Palayamkottai. Fr.Joseph Constantine Beschi SJ, better known in Tamil as 'Veeramaamunivar', propagated Christianity in the area. St.Xaviers' Cathedral church, situated at the heart of St. Xaviers' College and established by Jesuit priests, now belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Palayamkottai. It is one of the earliest Catholic Churches in Palayamkottai. The St.Xaviers' College church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. It is an architectural amalgamation combining Christian, Hindu and Muslim architectures.
or Harrovian
education.
The District Educational Officer (DEO) and Chief Educational Officer (CEO) control the activities of all the educational institutions in the city. Their offices are in Kokarakulam (behind the District Science Centre) and in Tirunelveli town respectively.
have over 10,000 girls enrolled. These girls' schools are very popular for their strict code of conduct and extraordinary skills level of their huge young girls' population. It is mostly these institutions that employ the large teaching community of Palayamkottai.
In recent years, schools in Palayamkottai have gained a state-level recognition and some are even known all around South India. Schools like Bell School
have an excellent infrastructure that rival international schools in the cities. With about 2500 elite students, some of whom have represented the state in National Level Athletic Championships, the school has had a tremendous recognition in less than 15 years. Bell School is also very popular for its extraordinary children's activities, extravagant celebrations and educational excellence.
Other popular schools in Palayamkottai like Rose Mary School
(4 branches; over 8000 students), ushpalatha]http://pushpalataschools.com/demo/index_school.html], Magadalene, Chinmaya,Francis Xavier, Jeyandra, Angelo and Little Flower are all private institutions that compete with each other for state ranks among their higher secondary students.
and Govt. Siddha Medical College; engineering colleges like the Government Engineering College and Francis Xavier Engineering College; Arts and Science colleges like St. Xavier's College
, St. John's College, MDT Hindu College and Sarah Tucker College (STC), most of these being over 100 years old.
St.Xavier's College recently celebrated its 150th anniversary of the Jesuit Priests who founded the great institution. The college truly resembles those in Oxford and Cambridge, with huge, historic and monumental stone structures. The college has also opened up a stunning new library in 2005 with many modern amenities for the student generation of today. The campus also has halls of residences for its large number of resident students. St.Xavier's co-education and St.John's boys-only college with an age restriction for admission, similar to most other colleges in India.
Sarah Tucker College, established in 1895 by the Christian Missionary Society, was the first college for women in South India. It is named after Ms.Sarah Tucker, a physically challenged lady confined to her room in England, who was moved by the reports of the appalling condition of the women in this region due to their illiteracy. She stepped in with a crusading spirit to provide education and uplift them. This girls-only college has over eleven departments of education today.
The Government Siddha Medical college and Hospital is a pioneering institution in Siddha Medicine in Tamil Nadu, established in the year 1964. Tirunelveli Medical college, also located in Palayamkottai, is a leading institution in the field of medical studies.
, which housed several eminent people during the pre-independence era and afterwards. Tamil language
poet
Subramanya Bharathi spent a part of his life here. The District Central Jail is notable for its large capacity and tight security. The prison is a popular landmark along the periphery of the city. Even the former Chief Minister, Dr.Kalaignar Karunanidhi was once held in Palayamkottai jail.
.
Tirunelveli District
Tirunelveli District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Tirunelveli is the district headquarters. A unique feature of this district is that it encompasses all five geographical traditions of Tamil Literature; kurinji , mullai , marudham , neithal and palai...
of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. It is part of the Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
city corporation. It is on the eastern bank of the Thamirabarani river
Thamirabarani river
The Thamirabarani River originates from the famous Agastyarkoodam peak in the hills of the Western Ghats above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk and flows through Tirunelveli & Tuticorin districts of the Tamil Nadu state of southern India...
, while its twin city Tirunelveli is on the western bank.
Etymology
The archaic word Palayam in TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
means a small administrative region or district. A Kottai is a fort. The portmanteau Tamil word Palayamkottai was hence derived historically from an ancient fort that was in the centre of the region. Today, the fort lies in ruins and is almost camouflaged by its surrounding old residential edifices. To anyone who reads about Palayamkottai for the first time, it may be surprising to see that atlases and other books refer to the city with both, an M or an N (Palayamkottai or Palayankottai). This uncertainty is because the actual Tamil word for the city uses an alphabet that is phonetically between M and N, and sometimes even completely substituted by G (pronounced Palayangkottai in colloquial Tamil). Natively speaking, it is hence correctly pronounced as Palayamnkottai. Historically during the British Raj, the area was referred to as Palancottahand also Palamkottah. The anglicization of the word was dropped by the locals immediately after independence, and the city is now called both Palayankottai and Palayamkottai according to official government documents and records. For disambiguation, the city is referred to as Palayamkottai in this article.
Geography
Palayamkottai is situated on the eastern bank of the perennial Thamirabarani river
Thamirabarani river
The Thamirabarani River originates from the famous Agastyarkoodam peak in the hills of the Western Ghats above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk and flows through Tirunelveli & Tuticorin districts of the Tamil Nadu state of southern India...
. The region is very fertile and supports a thriving agrarian community in the midst of many urbanized areas. Regular monsoon rains coupled with the Thamirabarani water, support the purely agricultural villages around the city. Palayamkottai is located on the National Highway in close proximity to many bigger cities (international seaport: Tuticorin - 45 km; international airport: Trivandrum - 140 km; domestic airports: Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
- 150 km, Tuticorin - 25 km) hence supporting trade and commerce.
Growth of the City
Palayamkottai has always been a rather laid-back little city. Among the elite population, it is sometimes called as a Pensioner's Paradise. However, in recent years, businesses are rapidly developing and local businessmen are opening up major outlets in capital cities in response to their regional successes. However, it was only in late 2004 when the first ATM was installed in Palayamkottai and it was an instant success. In 2005, the government project of Underground drainage was undertaken and finished in about mid 2006. Similarly it was only in early 2006 that the city had its first traffic lights. In 2007, the city had a popular landmark - the district Police Headquarters, a remarkable purple building in the city centre. Close to it, is also one of the first Ladies' Police stations in the southern districts. Although broadband (256 kbit/s) was introduced in 2005, it was only on New Year's Day 2007, that BSNL announced 2 Mbit/s broadband access in the city commercially.Government Museum, Science Centre and Geomagnetic Research Centre
The little city also has a Government Museum with a huge and realistic fibreglass Tyrannosaurus rexTyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
which is very popular among the young people of Palayamkottai. The museum houses a small collection of ancient artifacts found in the areas surrounding the city. Some of its literary collections include ancient Tamil inscriptions in palm leaves. Although the museum is well known locally, it is rarely crowded and somewhat badly maintained.
Palayamkottai also has one of the most popular Science Centres in South India, a satellite unit of Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. Since the Science Centre lies between Palayamkottai and Tirunelveli (the twin cities) and as it is difficult to mark a border between the two, it is often called as the Tirunelveli District Science Centre (by the district's name). It is a popular hangout area for young people, and is frequently visited by teams of school students to explore and learn the principles of science through the centre's interesting outdoor equipment and experiments.
In the outskirts of Palayamkottai near Krishnapuram on the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur State Highway, one of the premier research organizations of the country, the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), whose Headquarters is at Navi Mumbai, operates its regional centre, the Equatorial Geophysical Research Laboratory (EGRL). IIG is fully supported and funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and functions as an autonomous research institute. The equatorial observatory of IIG located near Tirunelveli pursues state-of-the-art research in the areas of geomagnetism and atmospheric and space sciences with well-equipped library and excellent infrastructure for research. With its state-of-the-art instruments, the centre finds a prominent place in the global networks of geomagnetic observatories and atmospheric radars.
Hospitals
Palayamkottai has many hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s and other medical facilities. Among them, Our Lady's Hospital, founded nearly 50 years ago by a Belgian nun called Sister Delphine Bruyndonx, was and still remains one of Palayamkottai's popular hospitals for people who are poor or disadvantaged. Sister Delphine was popularly called the Teresa of Tirunelveli by all the people who knew her, because she had served this society since a time when it did not have any electricity.
" Shifa Hospital " one of the oldest and leading centre in Tirunelveli district and popular among the locals.
Government Siddha Medical College Hospital is the a leading siddha hospital,established in the year 1964.
CSI Bell Pins Mission Hospital and the recently renovated CSI Jeyaraj Annapackiam Hospital in Palayamkottai provide free and reduced cost medical services to the local community. Dental clinics like Captain Manickam, Doss ,Charli dental and Raakshak are popular among the locals. The Tirunelveli Medical college Hospital - a tertiary referral center, located in the High Grounds provides free services to poor people. Many nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
s like Annai Velankani, Kartheek, Pushpalatha and Celin hospital are famous for their maternity
Maternity
Maternity or motherhood is the social and legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a mother and her child.It is specially related with the protection of the baby and the mother within and after the childbirth.-See also:...
care with all the latest medical equipment. Other eminent hospitals in the region are Shifa Hospital, Galaxy, Devi and Sudharsanam hospital. Muthu Damian Hospital near the Palay bus-stand offers both traditional Siddha treatment and modern medicine. Palayamkottai also has a specialized kidney care centre and heart centre. The city also has four blood banks: Shifa hospitals, Aarthi, Bethel and one at the Government Medical college hospital.
Playgrounds
Being a student city, Palayamkottai has many playgrounds filled with hyperactive young cricketers. Palayamkottai has two major public playgrounds: the Anna Stadium and the VOC maithanam. The latter holds field hockeyField hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and Kabbadi matches at both district and state level. Grand celebrations during the Republic day and Independence day are conducted by various schools in the VOC ground. The stadium has an excellent professional German Hockey Turf, which trains a lot of young and energetic teams. State Level Hockey tournaments sponsored by Bell Pins are held in VOC grounds annually. Anna stadium also has a very good public swimming pool. VOC ground is one of the notable ground here. A beautiful park had been built here in this ground, in order to cover the small children and youngsters.
Markets, Shops and Supermarkets
There is a big market in central Palayamkottai, serviced by many bus routes. Also very popular among locals, is the Ulavar Santhai where farmers sell their products directly. The produce is very fresh and very cheap, and the market is usually very crowded in the morning with eager housewives excersing their haggling skills with the illiterate farmers. The success of the Ulavar Santhai market in Palayamkottai was under a deep speculation during the changing of governments. Now, with the ruling party DMK back in power, (which originally introduced the concept) the Ulavar Santhai is maintained well and is a popular grocery market for the locals.Supermarkets like Aryaas and Spencer's Daily Supermarket have revolutionized shopping in Palayamkottai by bringing all homeneeds into a common commercial zone. Although there are not many supermarkets in Palayamkottai, there are practically all kinds of shops catering to the local people's needs. For example, electronic superstores like Viveks, Sathya and Vasant&Co are prime hotspots for the digital lifestyle. Eagle Book Centre, Shyamala book centre and Velavan are exclusive choices for good books and stationery. Aryaas, Arasan and Supreme are probably Palayamkottai's best contemporary bakers. The list is however, easily exhaustive. Palayamkottai being a small city, brings a visitor back to square one in terms of shopping for quality goods.
Palaymakottai is also a very clean city with beautiful trees situated in the bank of thamirabarani river.
Public Services
Palayamkottai has excellent schools for the blind, deaf and mentally handicapped children. These organizations are predominantly run by the Tirunelveli Diocese of Church of South India(CSI), they are- Askwith School for the Visually Handicapped
- Florence Swainson School for the Hearing Impaired
- Bishop Sargent School for the Mentally Retarded
- Shalom Home for the Aged and the Needy
Leprosy missions, orphanages and medical missions are also very active organizations in Palayamkottai
Palayamkottai also has an efficient fire-fighting service which conducts camps in local schools annually. The postal service is also a reputed and historic department with its statues of Nandhis (mascot of the Indian Postal department) at the facade.
it also has the post offices,police stations,big malls,markets,etc.
Transportation
Palayamkottai has an efficient bus network. Palayamkottai bus stand, or Palay Bus Stand as it is popularly called by the locals, was the major connecting hub of the bus network. In 2004, chief minister Jayalalithaa inaugurated a major new bus terminal in the highway near the Tirunelveli bypass road. The new bus terminal connects Palayamkottai and Tirunelveli in an extensive network of neighbouring towns, cities and also the major metropolitan cities of Chennai, Bengalooru and Hyderabad. The Palayamkottai bus terminal is also a major stopover for all buses going to Kanyakumari and Nagercoil. There are also numerous connections between the local Palayamkottai bus-stops and Tirunelveli town.Share-autos (autorickshaws that car-pool paying customers on a common route) ply extensively along Palayamkottai's streets and are easy to flag down. The regular yellow-black Greaves Garuda autorickshaws, although plenty in number, are considered to be the common man's taxis of Palayamkottai. Autorickshaw drivers are known to overcharge tourists. Cars as taxis, are generally only available in taxi stands where tourists and locals use them to travel to short distances outside of the city. As a common practise, people of Palayamkottai or Tirunelveli do not use taxis as an alternate public transportation to buses or trains.
Religion
The city has several famous HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temples: The Gopalaswamy Temple, Siva Temple, Ramar Temple, and Amman(goddess) temples. Dasara is a popular Hindu festival in this region. The renovation of the lord Gopalaswamy temple was completed by the Government of Tamil Nadu recently. It is a Vaishvanite temple symbolizing the cultural and architectural ancestry of the city. The herbal wall paintings found inside the sanctum sanctorum are considered rare. After renovation, the Azhagiyamannar Rajagopalaswamy Temple, built in 11th century, popularly known as Gopalasamy Temple celebrated Kumbhabhishekham
Kumbhabhishekham
Kumbhabhishekam is a Hindu temple ritual that is believed to homogenize, synergize and unite the mystic powers of the deity. Kumbha means the Head and denotes the Shikhara or Crown of the Temple and Abhisekham is ritual bathing.On the appointed day and at an auspicious time, the Kumbha is bathed...
on the 9th of July, 2009. Popular temples in Palayamkottai are also located in Maharajanagar, Perumalpuram and Shanthi nagar. In particular, Aayirathamman temple and Thoothuvari temple (in its vicinity) are notable temples. Aazhigudi
Aazhigudi
Aazhigudi, is a village in the Tuticorin District of Tamil Nadu, India. It is 12 km from Tirunelveli, and the river Thamirabarani passes to the east. It falls under the jurisdiction of Srivaikundam taluk.-Demographics:...
Maradachan with a monolithic 20 ft (6.1 m) high Ayyanar statue is also popular.
Melapalayam
Melapalayam is a small town in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India.The name Melapalayam is derived from its location west of Palayamkottai,Tirunelveli.In Tamil 'Mela' meaning 'West' derived from the word 'Merkku'...
is the exclusive Muslim quarter of the city, with numerous mosques and schools for children of Islamic parents.
The city is a main hub in south Tamil Nadu for Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionaries and there are a lot of churches affiliated to Tirunelveli Diocese Church of South India
Church of South India
The Church of South India is the successor of the Church of England in India. It came into being in 1947 as a union of Anglican and Protestant churches in South India. With a membership of over 3.8 million, it is India's second largest Christian church after the Roman Catholic Church in India...
(CSI), Society Of Jesus and others.
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Palayamkottai
Holy Trinity Cathedral is a large church in Palayamkottai in Tamil Nadu, India. It was built by C. T. E. Rhenius to the public for worship on 26 June 1826.Bishop Daniel Corrie named it Holy Trinity Church on 30 January 1836...
of CSI at Murugankurichi. With its prominent centinary 35m high steeple, it is fondly called the 'Oosi Gopuram' (Needle Tower). Extensive renovations of the church were done during the period of Rev.Anand Asir, Rev.Dr.Joshva Raja and Rev.Vedhanbu, who worked as priests in the Trinity Cathedral in Palayamkottai. The district's first church, Clarinda Church was founded and consecrated in 1860 by a Brahmin lady who was the first convert in the southern districts. The periphery of this tiny church has a cemetery with wonderfully decorated tombstones from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
St.Francis Xavier who was responsible for propagation of Christianity in the 16th century in Southern districts of Tamil Nadu had travelled to Palayamkottai. Fr.Joseph Constantine Beschi SJ, better known in Tamil as 'Veeramaamunivar', propagated Christianity in the area. St.Xaviers' Cathedral church, situated at the heart of St. Xaviers' College and established by Jesuit priests, now belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Palayamkottai. It is one of the earliest Catholic Churches in Palayamkottai. The St.Xaviers' College church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. It is an architectural amalgamation combining Christian, Hindu and Muslim architectures.
Education
Palayamkottai is rightly called the Oxford of South India. Almost all the best schools, colleges and institutions of higher education in and around Tirunelveli district are located in Palayamkottai, some of which date back to more than a century. The architecture of many of these old institutions are said to resemble the majesty, elegance and academic fortitude of the real Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The imperialistic old stone buildings maintain their name and fame after so many years of creating dynamic young individuals. These educational precincts with large squares, verdant gardens, elaborate cathedrals, strict headmasters and white-robed fathers create the ambience of an EtonianEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
or Harrovian
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
education.
The District Educational Officer (DEO) and Chief Educational Officer (CEO) control the activities of all the educational institutions in the city. Their offices are in Kokarakulam (behind the District Science Centre) and in Tirunelveli town respectively.
Schools
Most schools in Palayamkottai were founded by the Christian missionaries almost a hundred years ago. Today, it is these Christian institutions that own vast areas of prime properties of Palayamkottai. Schools like St.Xavier's Hr.Sec.School, populary known for its discipline and good education, St. John's Higher Secondary School, MDT Hindu College Higher Secondary School (the oldest School in Tirunelveli, of which Bharathiar, VaVu C and Pulaimaipithan were eminent alumni) and Schafter High School have roughly 12,000 boys altogether, M.N. Abdur Rahman Higher Secondary School, High Ground, Cathedral Hr. Sec. School is located in the heart of the city under the shadow of the famous Holy Trinity Cathedral Church. Girls Schools like Mary Sargent Higher Secondary School, St.Ignatius' Convent Higher Secondary School and Sarah TuckerSarah Tucker College
The Sarah Tucker College is an institution in Palayamkottai, a town in Tirunelveli District in the southern state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is the first college for women in south India, owing its origin to Sarah Tucker of England and her friends, who raised money for the founding of a small...
have over 10,000 girls enrolled. These girls' schools are very popular for their strict code of conduct and extraordinary skills level of their huge young girls' population. It is mostly these institutions that employ the large teaching community of Palayamkottai.
In recent years, schools in Palayamkottai have gained a state-level recognition and some are even known all around South India. Schools like Bell School
Bell Matriculation Higher Secondary School
The Bell Matriculation Higher Secondary School is a private high school in Southern India, founded in 1992.- History :Bell Matriculation Higher Secondary School was founded in 1992 by Mr. A.Chelladhurai, an eminent industrialist and entrepreneur in Southern India...
have an excellent infrastructure that rival international schools in the cities. With about 2500 elite students, some of whom have represented the state in National Level Athletic Championships, the school has had a tremendous recognition in less than 15 years. Bell School is also very popular for its extraordinary children's activities, extravagant celebrations and educational excellence.
Other popular schools in Palayamkottai like Rose Mary School
Rose Mary School
Rose Mary Matriculation Higher Secondary School is a school situated in Tirunelveli, a city in South India. It was founded in the early 1980s by Mr...
(4 branches; over 8000 students), ushpalatha]http://pushpalataschools.com/demo/index_school.html], Magadalene, Chinmaya,Francis Xavier, Jeyandra, Angelo and Little Flower are all private institutions that compete with each other for state ranks among their higher secondary students.
Colleges
Soon after completing Higher Secondary education, most young people opt for a college education right within the city. Their wide range of options include excellent medical colleges like the Tirunelveli Medical CollegeTirunelveli Medical College
Tirunelveli Medical College , also known as TvMC, TMC Tirunelveli, or Government Medical College Tirunelveli, is one among the premier medical institutions in South India, located in the city of Tirunelveli, in the state of Tamilnadu, India. The college is affiliated to Tamilnadu Dr...
and Govt. Siddha Medical College; engineering colleges like the Government Engineering College and Francis Xavier Engineering College; Arts and Science colleges like St. Xavier's College
St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai
St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai is an Arts and Sciences Jesuit college affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu, India. The school was founded in 1923, by Jesuit Priest, Father Jerome D'Souza ....
, St. John's College, MDT Hindu College and Sarah Tucker College (STC), most of these being over 100 years old.
St.Xavier's College recently celebrated its 150th anniversary of the Jesuit Priests who founded the great institution. The college truly resembles those in Oxford and Cambridge, with huge, historic and monumental stone structures. The college has also opened up a stunning new library in 2005 with many modern amenities for the student generation of today. The campus also has halls of residences for its large number of resident students. St.Xavier's co-education and St.John's boys-only college with an age restriction for admission, similar to most other colleges in India.
Sarah Tucker College, established in 1895 by the Christian Missionary Society, was the first college for women in South India. It is named after Ms.Sarah Tucker, a physically challenged lady confined to her room in England, who was moved by the reports of the appalling condition of the women in this region due to their illiteracy. She stepped in with a crusading spirit to provide education and uplift them. This girls-only college has over eleven departments of education today.
The Government Siddha Medical college and Hospital is a pioneering institution in Siddha Medicine in Tamil Nadu, established in the year 1964. Tirunelveli Medical college, also located in Palayamkottai, is a leading institution in the field of medical studies.
Social Service
There are lot of NGO's in the City of which SARANALAYAM is for Abandoned babies, Street Children and Woman in DistressPrisons
Palayamkottai also has a jailPalayamkottai Central Prison
Palayamkottai Central Prison is located in Tirunelveli, India. The prison was built during 1880 and was operating as a district jail until 1929. The jail was converted into a Borstal school in 1929, which was later transferred to Pudukottai due to lower admissions. It became a central prison...
, which housed several eminent people during the pre-independence era and afterwards. Tamil language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Subramanya Bharathi spent a part of his life here. The District Central Jail is notable for its large capacity and tight security. The prison is a popular landmark along the periphery of the city. Even the former Chief Minister, Dr.Kalaignar Karunanidhi was once held in Palayamkottai jail.
The future
The city is expected to grow rapidly in a few years because of the large number of professional students that it produces from its Engineering and Medical colleges. Young entrepreneurs are now abundant and the environment is rapidly modernising with huge billboards, great restaurants, popular malls and big retail shops. The city has already revamped its police headquarters, telecommunications offices, district court and many other government bodies - which are all positive signs of a modernizing metropolitan society. Residential areas in Palayamkottai are getting to have unique styles, excellent roads and public utilities, along with numerous high-rise apartments in the horizon. Beautiful villas with swimming pools are becoming commonplace, along with many gyms, modern eateries and stocked libraries.Politics
Palayamkottai assembly constituency is a part of Tirunelveli (Lok Sabha constituency)Tirunelveli (Lok Sabha constituency)
Tirunelveli is a Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest Lok Sabha constituency in India since independence.-Assembly segments:...
.
External links
- MDT Hindu College
- Bell School, Palayamkottai
- St.Xavier's High School, Palayamkottai
- St.Xavier's College, Palayamkottai
- Palayamkottai Diocese
- Sarah Tucker College
- Equatorial Geophysical Research Laboratory, Krishnapuram
- NITI Computer Education Center
- hajira womens college melapalayam
- Sadakathullah Appa Arts&Science College Rahmathnagar
- hr sec school melapalayam
- CSI-Tirunelveli Diocese
- Kalakad church