Tharamangalam
Encyclopedia
Tharamangalam (also transliterated as Taramangalam) is a panchayat town in Salem district
in the India
n state
of Tamil Nadu
.
in northwestern Tamil Nadu
, and about 12 km west of Salem city.
, Tharamangalam had a population of 0. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Tharamangalam has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 66%, and female literacy is 51%. In Tharamangalam, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Tharamangalam is famous also for its beautiful and historic Kailasanathar temple. The temple features exquisite stone carvings of the Yaali (mythological dragon), depicted with an actual stone ball inside its mouth (one can even put one's finger inside the Yaali's mouth and rotate the ball). The Kailasanthar Temple also has a carving of Manmathan looking at Siva
and Parvathi, where if you look from Manmathan's side both Siva and Parvathi are visible but if you look from Parvathi's side, Manmathan is not visible since he is supposed to be hiding from Siva's view. Also depicted at the temple is a scene from the Hindu epic Ramayanam (Vali & Sukrivan fighting, depicted on one pillar, and Lord Ram with bow and arrow aiming to kill Vali depicted on another pillar).
Temple History and Architecture
A Siva temple, perhaps the most beautiful of its kind in Salem District. Parts of it existed as early as the tenth century: as it stands now, it is the product of the Gatti Mudhali dynasty of the seventeenth century. Reconstruction and elaboration of the old temple was begun by Mummudi Gatti Mudaliyar, continued by Siyazhi Gatti Mudaliyar, and was brought near completion by Vanangamudi Gatti Mudaliyar.
This west facing temple is enclosed by a massive stone wall measuring 306' by 164' reportedly built in the thirteenth century. The main entrance tower ( 5 storeys 90'high) is conceived as a chariot on wheels, drawn by elephants and horses. The huge entrance doors, made of vengai ( pterocarpus marsupium) wood, are studied with untrusting iron knobs each of a different pattern. Their panels are decorated with wooden carvings depicting incarnations of Vishnu.
The entrance to the inner sanctum is through a portico supported by six sumptuously carved stone pillars. The scenes of tiger hunting by princes seated on horses and accompanied by footmen are depicted very realistically and with great sensitivity. A pillar of yazhi ( a mythical animal combining features of the lion and the elephant) is so ingeniously carved that a stone ball ( 4 ' diameter) in its mouth can be freely rolled but cannot be rolled out. The wooden doors of the portico are adorned with twenty four panels of excellent carving, some of which have been vandalized. The motifs for these carvings are drawn from the divine exploits of Siva and scenes from the daily lives of ordinary people.
The great hall is a fine gallery of sculptures of men, women, and Gods among which the sculpture of the voluptuous rishi pathini ( sages wife) is notable .
The ceiling is supported by rows of stone pillars from whose capitals hang elegant chains carved out of solid stone. The ceiling in front of the main shrine is covered by a block of stone seven feet in diameter carved in the shape of an inverted open lotus with parrots. This carving is surrounded by the Gatti Mudhali insignia. The outer walls of the inner most sanctum are covered with inscriptions.
Every year on February 21, and the consequent 3 days, a great solar and architectural wonder can be seen in the temple. During sunset, the rays of the sun travel down through the front Gopura at the temple's entrance gate and through a small hole in the and travels across the front plane to fall directly onto the statue of Siva
. The movement of the sun beam can be witnessed as it progresses across the front of the temple, making the lingam appear to glow.
Several gigantic monolithic pillars of pink granite carved, polished, and ready for erection in the proposed Thousand Pillar Hall lie outside the temple. More are said to be under the ground. Before this project could be completed, Vanangamudi Gatti Mudaliyar was killed in 1667, leaving the foreground of the temple littered with ruins of a noble dream.
A temple tank (about (180' 180') is one of the finest of its kind in South India. Thirty Six Nandhi Sculptures (2' high) of black stone sit at intervals on top of the parapet wall whose inside holds 365 lamp niches. One for every day of the year. Only once in 1873 the pool was cleaned by the Salem Local Fund Board.
Sri Kaarkisvarar temple, Sri Marriamman and Sri Selliamman temple, Sri Subramaya Swamy temple and Perumal and Sri Iyyappan temple are other major temples.
Sengunthar Mahajana Higher Secondary School
Sengunthar Matriculation Higher Secondary School
Govt Girls Higher Secondary School
Sri Jothi Higher Secondary School
Secondary School
Vanniya Kula Shatriyan School.
St Charles Matriculation School
Upper Primary school
Panchayat Union Middle School
Kids College Tharamangalm
Primary Schools
N S Paattappan Vidyalaya
Panchayat Union Elementary Schools
Colleges
Sengunthar Teacher Training Institute.
Sengunthar College of Education
Sri Jaya Jothi College Of Education
Sri Vetrivel College Of Education
The town also has a small public library
which is located center of the town.
-related skills (manufacturing and selling). Almost half of the workers here are power loom
and hand loom weavers. Gold business is also getting famous in Tharamangalam, namely Kumara Vilas is more popular. Hotel business is also famous, parota made from these hotels are very tasty and cheaper.
Salem, 18 km away, is the nearest major city to Tharamangalam and is well-connected with public and private bus
services.
TRAIN
Salem also has the nearest major train junction (station), from which metropolises such as Bengaluru and Chennai
are just a few hours ride away.
AIR
Airport is located on Salem-Bangalore Highway (NH-7)in a place called Kaamalapuram which is about 20 minutes drive from the city. After long time,Kingfisher airlines launched an ATR-72 daily service flight to Chennai on Nov 2009 . Salem Airport is being connected by Kingfisher Airlines from Chennai.
The other nearest major airports are at Trichy (150 km) and Coimbatore (160 km).
Salem District
Salem District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Salem is the district headquarters. Other major towns in the district are Mettur, Omalur and Attur...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
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...
.
Geography
Tharamangalam is located at 11.70°N 77.98°E. It has an average elevation of 275 m (902.2 ft). It is located in the Salem DistrictSalem District
Salem District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Salem is the district headquarters. Other major towns in the district are Mettur, Omalur and Attur...
in northwestern 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...
, and about 12 km west of Salem city.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Tharamangalam had a population of 0. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Tharamangalam has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 66%, and female literacy is 51%. In Tharamangalam, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Attractions and Places of interest
Kailasanathar templeTharamangalam is famous also for its beautiful and historic Kailasanathar temple. The temple features exquisite stone carvings of the Yaali (mythological dragon), depicted with an actual stone ball inside its mouth (one can even put one's finger inside the Yaali's mouth and rotate the ball). The Kailasanthar Temple also has a carving of Manmathan looking at Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and Parvathi, where if you look from Manmathan's side both Siva and Parvathi are visible but if you look from Parvathi's side, Manmathan is not visible since he is supposed to be hiding from Siva's view. Also depicted at the temple is a scene from the Hindu epic Ramayanam (Vali & Sukrivan fighting, depicted on one pillar, and Lord Ram with bow and arrow aiming to kill Vali depicted on another pillar).
Temple History and Architecture
A Siva temple, perhaps the most beautiful of its kind in Salem District. Parts of it existed as early as the tenth century: as it stands now, it is the product of the Gatti Mudhali dynasty of the seventeenth century. Reconstruction and elaboration of the old temple was begun by Mummudi Gatti Mudaliyar, continued by Siyazhi Gatti Mudaliyar, and was brought near completion by Vanangamudi Gatti Mudaliyar.
This west facing temple is enclosed by a massive stone wall measuring 306' by 164' reportedly built in the thirteenth century. The main entrance tower ( 5 storeys 90'high) is conceived as a chariot on wheels, drawn by elephants and horses. The huge entrance doors, made of vengai ( pterocarpus marsupium) wood, are studied with untrusting iron knobs each of a different pattern. Their panels are decorated with wooden carvings depicting incarnations of Vishnu.
The entrance to the inner sanctum is through a portico supported by six sumptuously carved stone pillars. The scenes of tiger hunting by princes seated on horses and accompanied by footmen are depicted very realistically and with great sensitivity. A pillar of yazhi ( a mythical animal combining features of the lion and the elephant) is so ingeniously carved that a stone ball ( 4 ' diameter) in its mouth can be freely rolled but cannot be rolled out. The wooden doors of the portico are adorned with twenty four panels of excellent carving, some of which have been vandalized. The motifs for these carvings are drawn from the divine exploits of Siva and scenes from the daily lives of ordinary people.
The great hall is a fine gallery of sculptures of men, women, and Gods among which the sculpture of the voluptuous rishi pathini ( sages wife) is notable .
The ceiling is supported by rows of stone pillars from whose capitals hang elegant chains carved out of solid stone. The ceiling in front of the main shrine is covered by a block of stone seven feet in diameter carved in the shape of an inverted open lotus with parrots. This carving is surrounded by the Gatti Mudhali insignia. The outer walls of the inner most sanctum are covered with inscriptions.
Every year on February 21, and the consequent 3 days, a great solar and architectural wonder can be seen in the temple. During sunset, the rays of the sun travel down through the front Gopura at the temple's entrance gate and through a small hole in the and travels across the front plane to fall directly onto the statue of Siva
Siva
Siva may refer to:*Shiva, a major Hindu God*Živa , a Slavic goddess*A pro-apoptotic signaling protein*1170 Siva, asteroid named after the god*Siva , name of several rural localities in Russia...
. The movement of the sun beam can be witnessed as it progresses across the front of the temple, making the lingam appear to glow.
Several gigantic monolithic pillars of pink granite carved, polished, and ready for erection in the proposed Thousand Pillar Hall lie outside the temple. More are said to be under the ground. Before this project could be completed, Vanangamudi Gatti Mudaliyar was killed in 1667, leaving the foreground of the temple littered with ruins of a noble dream.
A temple tank (about (180' 180') is one of the finest of its kind in South India. Thirty Six Nandhi Sculptures (2' high) of black stone sit at intervals on top of the parapet wall whose inside holds 365 lamp niches. One for every day of the year. Only once in 1873 the pool was cleaned by the Salem Local Fund Board.
Sri Kaarkisvarar temple, Sri Marriamman and Sri Selliamman temple, Sri Subramaya Swamy temple and Perumal and Sri Iyyappan temple are other major temples.
Education
Higher Secondary SchoolsSengunthar Mahajana Higher Secondary School
Sengunthar Matriculation Higher Secondary School
Govt Girls Higher Secondary School
Sri Jothi Higher Secondary School
Secondary School
Vanniya Kula Shatriyan School.
St Charles Matriculation School
Upper Primary school
Panchayat Union Middle School
Kids College Tharamangalm
Primary Schools
N S Paattappan Vidyalaya
Panchayat Union Elementary Schools
Colleges
Sengunthar Teacher Training Institute.
Sengunthar College of Education
Sri Jaya Jothi College Of Education
Sri Vetrivel College Of Education
The town also has a small public library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
which is located center of the town.
Business
Tharamanagalam also famous for its textile business and much of the town economy relies on textileTextile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
-related skills (manufacturing and selling). Almost half of the workers here are power loom
Power loom
A power loom is a mechanized loom powered by a line shaft. The first power loom was designed in 1784 by Edmund Cartwright and first built in 1785. It was refined over the next 47 years until a design by Kenworthy and Bullough, made the operation completely automatic. This was known as the...
and hand loom weavers. Gold business is also getting famous in Tharamangalam, namely Kumara Vilas is more popular. Hotel business is also famous, parota made from these hotels are very tasty and cheaper.
Transportation
BUSSalem, 18 km away, is the nearest major city to Tharamangalam and is well-connected with public and private bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services.
TRAIN
Salem also has the nearest major train junction (station), from which metropolises such as Bengaluru and Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
are just a few hours ride away.
AIR
Airport is located on Salem-Bangalore Highway (NH-7)in a place called Kaamalapuram which is about 20 minutes drive from the city. After long time,Kingfisher airlines launched an ATR-72 daily service flight to Chennai on Nov 2009 . Salem Airport is being connected by Kingfisher Airlines from Chennai.
The other nearest major airports are at Trichy (150 km) and Coimbatore (160 km).