181-617: The Carnatic region is the peninsular South Indian region between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal , in the erstwhile Madras Presidency and in the modern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and southern coastal Andhra Pradesh . During the British era , demarcation was different and the region included current-day Karnataka and the whole region south of the Deccan . A number of theories exist as to
362-442: A tropical savanna climate ( Köppen Aw/As ). Madurai is hot and dry for eight months of the year. Cold winds are experienced during February and March as in the neighbouring Dindigul . The hottest months are from March to July. The city experiences a moderate climate from August to October, tempered by heavy rain and thundershowers, and a slightly cooler climate from November to February. Fog and dew are rare, occurring only during
543-684: A crescent approximately along the borders of Tamil Nadu with northern Kerala and Karnataka, encompassing the Palakkad and Wayanad hills and the Sathyamangalam ranges, extending to the relatively low-lying hills of the Eastern Ghats on the western portion of the Tamil Nadu–Andhra Pradesh border, forming the Tirupati and Annamalai hills . The Deccan plateau is the elevated region bound by
724-411: A daily basis started by Air India Express since February 2018. The carriers operating from the airport are Air India , Air India Express , SpiceJet , IndiGo and SriLankan Airlines . The airport handled 842,300 passengers between April 2015 and March 2016. Madurai has been an academic centre of learning for Tamil culture, literature, art, music and dance for centuries. All three assemblies of
905-533: A district headquarters of a larger Madurai district. In 1837, the fortifications around the temple were demolished by the British. The moat was drained and the debris was used to construct new streets – Veli, Marat and Perumaal Mesthiri streets. The city was constituted as a municipality in 1866 under the Town Improvement Act of 1865. The British government faced initial hiccups during the earlier period of
1086-622: A dynasty which lasted for a century. The collapse of the Delhi power after the death of Aurangzeb produced further changes. The Nawab Saadet-Allah of Arcot (1710–1732) established his independence; his successor Dost Ali (1732–1740) conquered and annexed Madurai in 1736, and his successors were confirmed in their position as Nawabs of Northern Carnatic by the Nizam of Hyderabad after that potentate had established his power in South-Central India. After
1267-551: A higher HDI as the economy has undergone growth at a faster rate than in most northern states. As of 2011, Literacy rates in the southern states is higher than the national average at approximately 76%. The fertility rate in South India is 1.9, the lowest of all regions in India. "South India" is also known as "Peninsular India" indicating its location in a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides. The term "Deccan", referring to
1448-533: A higher per capita income and lower debt-to-GDP ratio than the national average. According to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network , Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad are amongst the most integrated with the global economy with Bengaluru classified as an alpha- city , Chennai as beta and Hyderabad as beta-. Agriculture is the primary occupation in South India with nearly 5.31 crore people engaged in agriculture and allied activities in 2021. Rice
1629-468: A local rail transit system. As of December 2022, South India has 205.06 km of operational metro lines and 16 systems. In 1915, Tata Sons started a regular airmail service between Karachi and Madras marking the beginning of air transportation in the southern part of India. In March 1930, a discussion initiated by pilot G. Vlasto led to the founding of the Madras Flying Club , which became
1810-561: A long coastline. A total of 67 ports are situated in South India: Tamil Nadu (18), Kerala (14), Andhra Pradesh (13), Karanataka (11), Lakshadweep (10) and Pondicherry (1). Major ports include Visakhapatnam , Chennai , Mangalore , Tuticorin , Ennore and Kochi . The Kerala backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes, and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways. The Eastern Naval Command and Southern Naval Command of
1991-875: A major party in Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala. The party ruled with minimal opposition for 30 years in Andhra Pradesh, before the formation of the Telugu Desam Party by Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao in 1982. Two prominent coalitions in Kerala are the United Democratic Front , led by the Indian National Congress, and the Left Democratic Front , led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) . For
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#17330945600172172-563: A period of anarchy followed, the struggle between the Chola kings and the Mussulmans issuing in the establishment at Kanchi of a usurping Hindu dynasty which ruled till the end of the 14th century, while in 1365 a branch of the Pandyas succeeded in re-establishing itself in part of the kingdom of Madurai, where it survived till 1623. At the beginning of the 15th century, the whole country had come under
2353-543: A pioneer in pilot training in South India. On 15 October 1932, Indian aviator J. R. D. Tata flew a Puss Moth aircraft carrying mail from Karachi to Juhu aerodrome , Bombay ; and the aircraft continued to Madras , piloted by Neville Vincent, a former Royal Air Force pilot and friend of Tata. There are 12 international airports , 2 customs airports , 15 domestic airports, 5 state owned/private airports and 15 air bases in South India. Bengaluru , Chennai , Hyderabad , and Kochi international airports are amongst
2534-508: A political or administrative division, is of great historical importance. It extended along the eastern coast about 600 kilometers in length, and between 50 and 100 kilometers in breadth. It was bounded on the north by the Guntur circar, and thence it stretched southward to Cape Comorin . It was divided into the Southern, Central, and Northern Carnatic. The region south of the river Coleroon , passing
2715-569: A population of 1,470,755 in 2011. The city is also the seat of a bench of the Madras High Court . It is one of the few towns and cities in List of AMRUT Smart cities in Tamil Nadu selected for AMRUT Schemes from central government and the developmental activities are taken care by government of Tamil Nadu. According to Iravatham Mahadevan , a 2nd-century BCE Tamil-Brahmi inscription refers to
2896-422: A separate sovereign state. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 reorganized the states based on linguistic lines resulting in the creation of the new states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , Kerala and Tamil Nadu . As a result of this act, Madras State retained its name with Kanyakumari district added to from Travancore-Cochin . The state was subsequently renamed Tamil Nadu in 1968. Andhra Pradesh
3077-599: A small territory, wild, and inhabited by a scanty and fierce population; in the Pandya kingdom (Malakuta), which was under Pallava suzerainty, literature was dead, Buddhism all but extinct, while Hinduism and the naked Jain saints divided the religious allegiance of the people, and the pearl fisheries continued to flourish. The power of the Pallava kings was shaken by the victory of Vikramaditya Chalukya in AD 740, and shattered by Aditya Chola at
3258-582: A wide range of Hindu gods carved on the walls. Kazimar Big Mosque is the first Muslim place of worship in the city. It was constructed under the supervision of Kazi Syed Tajuddin, believed to be a descendant of the prophet Muhammed . He came from Oman and received the piece of land from the Pandya ruler, Kulasekara Pandiyan during the 13th century. It is claimed to be the oldest Islamic monument in Madurai. The dargah of Madurai Hazrats called as Madurai Maqbara
3439-535: Is a historic Hindu temple located on the south side of the Vaigai River in Madurai, which is one of the most prominent landmarks of the city. It is dedicated to Parvati known as Meenakshi and her consort, Shiva as Sundareswarar. The complex houses 14 gopuram s (gateway towers) ranging from 45–50 metres (148–164 ft) in height, the tallest being the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high. There are also two golden sculptured vimana (shrines) over
3620-555: Is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District , which is governed by the Madurai Municipal Corporation established in 1 November 1866. As of the 2011 census , it is the third largest metropolis in Tamil Nadu after Chennai and Coimbatore in terms of population and 27th largest urban agglomeration in India . Located on
3801-583: Is a part of the Pongal festival (harvest festival) celebrated during January. The bull taming event is held in the villages surrounding Madurai when people from the neighbouring villages throng the open grounds to watch man and bull pitting their strength against each other. Although the event was banned by the Supreme Court of India in 2014, large protests in 2017 led to the sport's reinstatement. Santhanakoodu festivals in Madurai are celebrated on various days during
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#17330945600173982-511: Is a women's general degree college (established in 1953), Sourashtra College (established in 1967) and M.S.S. Wakf Board College (established in 1964), Tamil Nadu Polytechnic College ( established in 1946), are the oldest educational institutions of the city. Madurai Kamaraj University (originally called Madurai University), established in 1966, is a state-run university which has 109 affiliated arts and science colleges in Madurai and neighbouring districts. There are 47 approved institutions of
4163-413: Is able to form a government. As per the 2011 census of India , the estimated population of South India was 252 million, around one fifth of the total population of the country. The region's total fertility rate (TFR) was less than the population replacement level of 2.1 for all states, with Kerala and Tamil Nadu having the lowest TFRs in India at 1.7. As a result, from 1981 to 2011 the proportion of
4344-471: Is about 60% of the country's total. As of 2019–20, the total gross domestic product of the region is ₹67 trillion (US$ 946 billion). Tamil Nadu has the second -highest GDP and is the second-most industrialised state in the country after Maharashtra . With the presence of two major ports, an international airport, and a converging road and rail networks, Chennai is referred to as the "Gateway of South India". South India contributes 30% of India's GDP with
4525-625: Is celebrated in the month of January – February, on the full moon day of Tamil Month Thai to celebrate the birth anniversary of King Thirumalai Nayak. The decorated icons of the Meenakshi and her consort are taken out in a procession from the Meenakshi Temple to the Mariamman Teppakulam. The icons are floated in the tank on a raft decked with flowers and flickering lamps. Jallikattu is the most popular historical sport in Tamil Nadu, which
4706-597: Is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham , the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 5th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Maha Vishnu , who is worshiped as Kallalagar , and his consort Lakshmi as Thirumagal. This temple is called as Thirumaliruncholai in Sangam literatures and Naalayira Divya Prabandham sung by Tamil Alvar saints. Pazhamudircholai , one of
4887-513: Is headed by a Commissioner of police , assisted by Deputy Commissioners. Enforcement of law and order in the suburban areas are handled by the Madurai district police. In 2008, the crime rate in the city was 283.2 per 100,000 people, accounting for 1.1 per cent of all crimes reported in major cities in India, and it was ranked 19th among 35 major cities in India. As of 2008, Madurai recorded the second highest SLL (Special and Local Laws) crimes, at 22,728, among cities in Tamil Nadu. However, Madurai had
5068-538: Is held on 15th night of the Islamic month of Rabi al-awwal on every hijri year. St. Mary's Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madurai . Samanar Malai and Panchapandavar Malai are important Jain centres. Madurai is popularly called Thoonga Nagaram meaning the city that never sleeps, on account of the active night life. The city attracts a large number of tourists from within
5249-1004: Is home to one of the largest populations of endangered Bengal tigers and Indian elephants in India, being home to one-third of the tiger population and more than half of the elephant population, with 14 Project Tiger reserves and 11 Project Elephant reserves. Elephant populations are found in eight fragmented sites in the region: in northern Karnataka, along the Western Ghats, in Bhadra – Malnad , in Brahmagiri – Nilgiris – Eastern Ghats , in Nilambur – Silent Valley – Coimbatore , in Anamalai – Parambikulam , in Periyar – Srivilliputhur , and in Agasthyamalai Other threatened and endangered species found in
5430-478: Is home to various automobile, rubber , chemical and granite manufacturing industries. Madurai has important government educational institutes such as the Madurai Medical College , Homeopathic Medical College, Madurai Law College , Agricultural College and Research Institute and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Madurai . The city covers an area of 147.97 km (57.13 sq mi) and had
5611-407: Is largely dependent on seasonal monsoons and monsoon failure often leads to droughts forcing farmers into debt, selling livestock and sometimes into committing suicide. Madurai Madurai ( / ˈ m ʌ d ʊ r aɪ / MUH -doo-rai , US also / ˌ m ɑː d ə ˈ r aɪ / MAH -də- RY , Tamil: [mɐðuɾɐi̯] ), formerly known by its colonial name Madura
Carnatic region - Misplaced Pages Continue
5792-631: Is located inside the mosque. Tirupparankunram Dargah is the grave of an Islamic saint who came from Jeddah ; his festival is celebrated during Rajab every Hijri year. Goripalayam Mosque is located in Gorippalayam, the name of which is derived from the Persian word Gor , meaning Grave . The graves of Hazrat Sulthan Alauddin Badhusha, Hazrat Sulthan Shamsuddeen Badhusha and Hazrat Sulthan Ghaibuddeen Badhusha are found here. The urus festival of this dargah
5973-565: Is no longer applied, "the Carnatic" having become a mere geographical term. Administratively the name Carnatic (or rather Karnatak) is now applied only to the Bombay portion of the original Karnata, viz. the districts of Belgaum, Dharwar, and Bijapur, part of North Kanara, and the native states of the Southern Mahratta agency and Kolhapur. The region generally known to Europeans as the Carnatic, not
6154-449: Is not suitable for agriculture. The southwest monsoon from June to September accounts for most of the rainfall in the region. The Arabian Sea branch of the southwest monsoon hits the Western Ghats along the coastal state of Kerala and moves northward along the Konkan coast , with precipitation on coastal areas west of the Western Ghats. The lofty Western Ghats prevent the winds from reaching
6335-565: Is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Viyooga Sundarrajan, and his consort Lakshmi as Mathuravalli. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple has a five-tiered raja gopuram , the gateway tower. The temple is originally believed to be built by the Pandyas , with later additions by the Vijayanagara empire and Madurai Nayaks kings who commissioned pillared halls and major shrines of
6516-697: Is one of the seven circles of the Tamil Nadu State Highway network. Madurai is the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Madurai) and provides local and inter city bus transport across four districts namely Madurai, Dindigul , Theni , and Virudhunagar . Madurai has four major bus stands, namely, Mattuthavani Integrated Bus Terminus (MIBT), Arappalayam , Palanganatham and Periyar Bus stand. There are 12,754 registered three-wheeled vehicle called auto rickshaws which are commercially available for renting within
6697-479: Is referred by various names including "Madurai", "Koodal", "Malligai Maanagar", "Naanmadakoodal" and "Thirualavai". It is believed that Madurai is the derivative of the word Marutham , which refers to the type of landscape of the Sangam age . A town in the neighbouring Dindigul district is called Vada Madurai ( North Madurai ) and another in Sivagangai district is called Manamadurai . The different names by which
6878-691: Is represented in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by six elected members, one each for the Madurai East, Madurai West, Madurai North, Madurai Central, Madurai South and Thirupparankundram constituencies. Most of Madurai city comes under the Madurai Lok Sabha constituency and elects a member to the Lok Sabha , the lower house of the Parliament of India , once every five years. From 1957,
7059-619: Is spoken by 89.0% of the population. Saurashtra , is the largest minority language which is spoken by 5.4% of the population. Other significant minority languages include Telugu (2.7%) and Urdu (1.5%). Roman Catholics in Madurai are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madurai, while Protestants are affiliated with the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese of the Church of South India . In 2001, Slum-dwellers comprise 32.6 per cent of
7240-502: Is spoken by about 1.5 million people in coastal Kerala and Karnataka; Konkani , an Indo-Aryan language, is spoken by around 0.8 million people in the Konkan coast (Canara) and Kerala; Kodava Takk is spoken by more than half a million people in Kodagu, Mysore, and Bangalore. English is also widely spoken in urban areas of South India. Deccani Urdu a regional dialect of Urdu is spoken by
7421-552: Is sub-urban of Madurai is business hub for automotive industries such as KUN BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Toyota, Mahindra, Tata, Maruti Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Ashok Leyland, Jeep, Fiat India (FCA). The government has created Uchapatti-Thoppur satellite Township in Kappalur. Small Industries Development Corporation Kappalur has many polymer and houseware manufacturing units. Some software companies have opened their offices in Madurai. Software Technology Parks of India , an agency of
Carnatic region - Misplaced Pages Continue
7602-532: Is the tropical monsoon climate characterized by moderate to high year-round temperatures and seasonally heavy rainfall above 2,000 mm (79 in) per year. The tropical climate is experienced in a strip of south-western lowlands abutting the Malabar Coast , the Western Ghats and the Lakshadweep islands. A tropical wet and dry climate , drier than areas with a tropical monsoon climate, prevails over most of
7783-627: Is the highest peak in South India. The Eastern Ghats run parallel to the Bay of Bengal along the eastern coast and the strip of land between them forms the Coromandel region. They are a discontinuous range of mountains, which have been eroded and quadrisected by the four major rivers of southern India, the Godavari , Mahanadi , Krishna , and Kaveri . Both mountain ranges meet at the Nilgiri mountains which run in
7964-473: Is the staple food and major crop in the region. South India is a major producer of spices with black pepper , cardamom , clove and nutmeg grown exclusively in the region. Some of the main crops cultivated in South India include sugarcane , chilli , banana , cotton , turmeric , millets and pulses. Other plantation crops include cashew , coffee , tea , rubber , betel , areca nut , coconut , bamboo and cocoa . The region accounts for 92% of
8145-659: The 1937 elections to the Indian National Congress, and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari became the Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Self-Respect Movement , spearheaded by Theagaroya Chetty and E. V. Ramaswamy (commonly known as Periyar), emerged in the Madras Presidency. In 1944, Periyar transformed the party into a social organisation, renaming the party Dravidar Kazhagam , and withdrew from electoral politics. The initial aim
8326-491: The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation , Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation , Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation , Telangana State Road Transport Corporation , Kerala State Road Transport Corporation , and Puducherry Road Transport Corporation . In 1832, the proposal to construct the first railway line in India at Madras was made. In 1835, a railway track
8507-626: The Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , Kerala , Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry , occupying 19.31% of India's area (635,780 km or 245,480 sq mi) and 20% of India's population. It is bound by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in
8688-677: The Eastern Ghats and the Coromandel Coast in the presidency of Madras . The name is applicable only to the country of the Kanarese extending between the Eastern and Western Ghats , over an irregular area narrowing northwards, from Palghat in the south to Bidar in the north including Mysore. The extension of the name to the country south of the Karnata was probably due to the Mahommedan conquerors who in
8869-512: The Kupgal petroglyphs of eastern Karnataka, at Stone Age sites. Hinduism is the major religion today in South India, with about 84% of the population adhering to it, which is often regarded as the oldest religion in the world, tracing its roots to prehistoric times in India. Its spiritual traditions include both the Shaivite and Vaishnavite branches of Hinduism, although Buddhist and Jain philosophies were influential several centuries earlier. Ayyavazhi has spread significantly across
9050-512: The Madras States Agency (composed of Travancore , Cochin , Jeypore , and a number of other minor princely states ). The region played a major role in the Indian independence movement . Of the 72 delegates who participated in the first session of the Indian National Congress at Bombay in December 1885, 22 hailed from South India. After Indian Independence in 1947, the region was organized into four states Madras State , Mysore State , Hyderabad State and Travancore-Cochin . Dravida Nadu
9231-445: The Madurai Monorail in 2011; as of 2020 , it remains in planning stages. Madurai International Airport , first used by the Royal Air Force in World War II in 1942., is located 12 kilometers from the city. The airport was declared a customs airport in 2012 allowing limited number of international flights. It offers domestic flights to some cities in India and international services to Colombo , Dubai and for Singapore on
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#17330945600179412-497: The Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations and expected to be achieved by 2015, Kerala and Tamil Nadu achieved the goals related to improvement of maternal health and of reducing infant mortality and child mortality by 2009. Languages of South India ( 2011 census ) The largest linguistic group in South India is the Dravidian family of languages , of approximately 73 languages. The major languages spoken include Telugu , Tamil , Kannada , and Malayalam . Tulu
9593-611: The Muslims . Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Urdu, and konkani are listed among the 22 official languages of India . Tamil was the first language to be granted classical language status by the Government of India in 2004. Later Telugu (2008), Kannada (2008) and Malayalam (2013) were also declared as classical languages. These four languages combined have literary outputs larger than other literary languages of India. Religion in South India (2011) Evidence of prehistoric religion in South India comes from scattered Mesolithic rock paintings depicting dances and rituals, such as
9774-665: The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Nilgiri Hills , the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in the Agastya Mala - Cardamom Hills and Gulf of Mannar coral reefs. The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 10,500 km (4,100 sq mi) of ocean, islands and the adjoining coastline including coral reefs , salt marshes and mangroves. It is home to endangered aquatic species, including dolphins , dugongs , whales and sea cucumbers . Bird sanctuaries including Thattekad , Kadalundi , Vedanthangal , Ranganathittu , Kumarakom , Neelapattu , and Pulicat are home to numerous migratory and local birds. South India
9955-422: The Pandyan Kingdom , Chola Empire , Madurai Sultanate , Vijayanagar Empire , Madurai Nayaks , Carnatic kingdom , and the British East India Company's British Raj . The city has a number of historical monuments, with the Koodal Azhagar temple , Meenakshi Temple and the Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal being the most prominent. Madurai is an important industrial and educational hub in South Tamil Nadu. The city
10136-403: The Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta , the Chalukyas of Badami , the Hoysalas of Belur , and the Kakatiyas of Orugallu ruled over the region from the 6th century BCE to the 14th century CE. In the 15th century, Vijayanagara empire was the last kingdom to conquer all of Southern India. After repeated invasions from the Sultanate of Delhi , the Vijayanagara empire fell in 1646 and the region
10317-418: The Sangam period (c. 3rd century BCE to c. 4th century CE). The region was part of the ancient Silk Road connecting the East with the West . Several dynasties such as the Cheras of Karuvur , the Pandyas of Madurai , the Cholas of Thanjavur , the Zamorins of Kozhikode , the Satavahanas of Amaravati , the Pallavas of Kanchi , the Kadambas of Banavasi , the Western Gangas of Kolar ,
10498-528: The Thiagarajar College of Engineering being the oldest. The Madurai Law College , established in 1979, is one of the seven government law colleges in the state. It is administered by the Tamil Nadu Government Department of Legal Studies, and affiliated with the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University . There are three teacher training institutes, two music colleges, three management institutes and 30 arts and sciences colleges in Madurai. The agricultural college and research institute in Madurai, started in 1965 by
10679-407: The coffee and 85% of the natural rubber production in the country. Other major agricultural products include poultry and silk . Being a peninsular region, aquaculture is a major contributor to the economy. As of 2017–18, the region produced 53.68 lakh tonnes fish contributing to nearly 43% of total fish production in India. Like most of the Indian subcontinent, agriculture in the region
10860-400: The 10 busiest in the country. Chennai International Airport serves as the Southern Regional Headquarters of the Airports Authority of India , the Southern Region comprising the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, and the union territories of Puducherry and Lakshadweep. Four of the ten busiest airports in India are in South India. The region comes under
11041-421: The 16th century overthrew the kingdom of Vijayanagara and extended the name which they used for the country north of the Ghats to that south of them. After this period the plain country of the south came to be called Karnata Payanghat, or "lowlands", as distinguished from Karnata Balaghat, or "highlands." The misapplication of the name Carnatic was carried by the British a step further. Officially, however, this name
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#173309456001711222-420: The 2011 census, the HDI in the southern states is high, and the economy has grown at a faster rate than those of most northern states. As per the 2011 census, the average literacy rate in South India is approximately 80%, considerably higher than the Indian national average of 74%, with Kerala having the highest literacy rate of 93.91%. South India has the highest sex ratio with Kerala and Tamil Nadu being
11403-441: The 3rd century BCE. Megasthenes may have visited Madurai during the 3rd century BCE, with the city referred as "Methora" in his accounts. The view is contested by some scholars who believe "Methora" refers to the north Indian city of Mathura , as it was a large and established city in the Mauryan Empire . Madurai is also mentioned in Kautilya 's (370–283 BCE) Arthashastra . Sangam literature like Maturaikkāñci records
11584-496: The 7th- or 8th-century Tamil compositions on Shiva by the three prominent Nayanars ( Saivites ), namely Appar , Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandar, address the city as Thirualavai . The Buddhist text Mahavamsa mentions Madurai in the context of Prince Vijaya 's (543–505 BCE) arrival in Sri Lanka with his 700 followers. According to the Mahavamsa, emissaries laden with precious gifts, jewels and pearls, were sent from Sri Lanka to Madurai of ancient Tamilakam . Their mission
11765-427: The 9th century, the history of the country is illustrated only by occasional and broken lights. The 4th century saw the rise of the Tamil Pallava power, which for some 400 years encroached on, without extinguishing, the other Tamil kingdoms. When in A.D. 640 the Chinese traveller Hsuan Tsang visited Kanchi (Conjevaram), the capital of the Pallava king, he learned that the kingdom of Chola (Chu-li-ya) embraced but
11946-441: The Chalukyas and other dynasties, and the Chola power continued in the ascendant until the death of Kulottunga Chola III in 1278, when a disputed succession caused its downfall and gave the Pandyas the opportunity of gaining for a few years the upper hand in the south. In 1310, however, the invasion under Malik Kafur overwhelmed the Hindu states of southern India in a common ruin. Though crushed, however, they were not extinguished;
12127-488: The Corporation of Madurai, is situated between the Gandhi museum and the Tamukkam grounds – it has a visitor average of 5,000 per day during holidays and 2,000–3,000 on working days. MGR Race Course Stadium is an athletic stadium which has a synthetic track and a swimming pool. Several National Meets are held here. It also hosts several international and national level Kabbadi Championships. Railway grounds at Arasaradi, Medical college grounds & Madura College Grounds are
12308-408: The Deccan Plateau; hence, the leeward region (the region deprived of winds) receives very little rainfall. The Bay of Bengal branch of the southwest monsoon heads toward northeast India, picking up moisture from the Bay of Bengal. The Coramandel coast does not receive much rainfall from the southwest monsoon, due to the shape of the land. Tamil Nadu and southeast Andhra Pradesh receive rains from
12489-402: The Deccan were laid down in the massive Deccan Traps eruption, which occurred towards the end of the Cretaceous period, between 67 and 66 million years ago. Layer after layer was formed by the volcanic activity that lasted many years and when the volcanoes became extinct, they left a region of highlands with typically vast stretches of flat areas on top like a table. The plateau is watered by
12670-426: The Government of India operates the railway system. Currently, operational metro systems are there in four cities Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi. Chennai Suburban founded in 1928 is one of the oldest and largest urban networks in the country. Opened in 1995, Chennai MRTS was the first elevated urban railway in India. Hyderabad MMTS was opened in 2003, becoming the second city in South India to have
12851-399: The Government of India, has authorised several such companies to receive benefits under its national information technology development program. The state government proposed two IT-based Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in Madurai, and these have been fully occupied by various IT companies, HCLTech and Honeywell have their own campuses in ELCOT IT Park in Madurai. Meenakshi Amman Temple
13032-558: The Indian Navy are headquartered at Visakhapatnam and Kochi respectively. In the region, the Indian Navy has its major operational bases at Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Kochi, Karwar, and Kavaratti. Kochi Water Metro is the first water metro service in India launched in 2023. After independence, the economy of South India conformed to a socialist framework, with strict governmental control over private sector participation, foreign trade , and foreign direct investment . From 1960 to 1990,
13213-432: The Islamic calendar year to commemorate Islamic saints. The city hosts several radio stations, including the state-owned All India Radio and private channels like Hello FM , Radio Mirchi , Suryan FM and Radio City . The Hindu , The New Indian Express and The Times of India are the three principal English-language daily newspapers which have Madurai editions. Deccan Chronicle , though not printed in
13394-580: The Madras Presidency began in 1859 and the 80 miles (130 km) link from Trichinopoly to Negapatam and a link from Tirur to the Port of Beypore at Kozhikode on the Malabar Coast , which eventually got expanded into the Mangalore - Chennai line via Palakkad Gap were opened in 1861. The Carnatic Railway Company was founded in 1864 and opened a Madras– Arakkonam – Conjeevaram –Katpadi junction line in 1865. These two companies subsequently merged in 1874 to form
13575-672: The Madras State, the districts of Belgaum , Bijapur , North Canara and Dharwad from Bombay State , the Kannada-majority districts of Bidar , Raichur and Gulbarga from Hyderabad State and the province of Coorg . Mysore State was renamed as Karnataka in 1973. The Union Territory of Puducherry was created in 1954 comprising the previous French enclaves of Pondichéry , Karaikal , Yanam and Mahé . The Laccadive Islands which were divided between South Canara and Malabar districts of Madras State were united and organized into
13756-515: The Madurai morning flower market. An average of 2,000 farmers sell flowers daily at the flower market. With the advent of Small Scale Industries (SSI) after 1991, the industrialisation of Madurai increased employment in the sector across the district from 63,271 in 1992–93 to 166,121 persons in 2001–02. Madurai is one of the few rubber growing areas in South India, and there are rubber-based industries in Madurai. Gloves, sporting goods, mats, other utility products and automobile rubber components are
13937-606: The Madurai parliament seat was held by the Indian National Congress seven times in the 1962–67, 1971–77, 1977–80, 1980–84, 1984–89, 1989–91 and 1991 elections. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) won the seat three times during 1967–71, 1999–2004 and 2004–09 general elections. The Communist Party of India (1957–61), Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) (1996–98), Janata Party (1998), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (2009–2014) and All India Anna Dravida Munnertra Kazhagam (2014–2020) have each won once. Part of
14118-697: The Nawab Dost Ali (1732–1740) had added to his dominions in 1736 after the demise of the Nayaks of Madurai , was conquered by the Marathas; and in 1743 Hyder Ali of Mysore overran and ravaged the central Carnatic. The latter was re-conquered by the British, to whom Madurai had fallen in 1758; and, finally, in 1801 all the possessions of the Nawab of Arcot were transferred to them by a treaty which stipulated that an annual revenue of several lakhs of pagodas should be reserved to
14299-506: The Nawab, and that the British should undertake to support a sufficient civil and military force for the protection of the country and the collection of the revenue. On the death of the Nawab in 1853, it was determined to put an end to the nominal sovereignty, a liberal establishment being provided for the family. The rest of the Carnatic region, when first entered into by the British, was ruled by military chieftains called Poligars . In 1805, after
14480-712: The South Indian Railway Company. In 1880, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway , established by the British , built a railway network radiating from Madras . In 1879, the Madras Railway constructed a line from Royapuram to Bangalore; and the Maharaja of Mysore established the Mysore State Railway to build an extension from Bangalore to Mysore . The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway
14661-514: The South Indian economies experienced mixed economic growth. In the 1960s, Kerala achieved above-average growth while Andhra Pradesh's economy declined. Kerala experienced an economic decline in the 1970s while the economies of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh consistently exceeded national average growth rates, due to reform-oriented economic policies. As of March 2015, there are 109 operational Special Economic Zones in South India, which
14842-507: The Tamil language, the Tamil Sangam (about the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE), were said to have been held at Madurai. Tamil poets of different epochs participated in these assemblies, and their compositions are referred to as Sangam literature . During the third Tamil sangam , the comparative merit of the poets was decided by letting the works float in the lotus tank of the temple. It
15023-658: The Thiruvonam festival celebrated in the temple. Koodal Azhagar temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabhandam , the 5th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Periyalvar , Thirumalisai Alvar and Thirumangai Alvar . The temple is classified as a Divya Desams , one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the temple finds mention in several works like 108 Tirupathi Anthathi by Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar and Koodal Sthala Purana . |date=September 2023}} Tevaram ,
15204-476: The Vaigai delta across Madurai North, Melur, Nilakottai and Uthamapalayam are known as "double-crop paddy belts". Farmers in the district supplement their income with subsidiary occupations like dairy farming, poultry-farming, pottery, brick making, mat-weaving and carpentry. Madurai is famed for its jasmine plantations, called Madurai Malli , primarily carried out at the foothills of Kodaikanal hills and traded at
15385-537: The Western Ghats while tropical dry forests and scrub lands are common in the interior Deccan plateau. The southern Western Ghats have rain forests located at high altitudes called the South Western Ghats montane rain forests , and the Malabar Coast moist forests are found on the coastal plains. The Western Ghats is one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Important ecological regions of South India are
15566-623: The area covered by the Deccan Plateau that covers most of peninsular India excluding the coastal areas, is an anglicised form of the Prakrit word dakkhiṇa derived from the Sanskrit word dakshiṇa meaning south. Carnatic , derived from "Karnāḍ" or "Karunāḍ" meaning high country , has also been associated with South India. Carbon dating shows that ash mounds associated with Neolithic cultures in South India date back to 8000 BCE. Towards
15747-457: The area covered under the Corporation of Madurai had a population of 1,017,865 with a sex-ratio of 999 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 100,324 were under the age of six, constituting 51,485 males and 48,839 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 6.27% and 0.31% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city
15928-473: The area of its jurisdiction from seventy-two wards to one hundred wards, an increase in area from 51.82 square kilometres (12,810 acres) to 147.997 square kilometres (36,571 acres). Madurai is built around the Koodal Azhagar temple and Meenakshi Temple , which acted as the geographic and ritual centre of the ancient city of Madurai. The city is divided into a number of concentric quadrangular streets around
16109-460: The banks of River Vaigai , Madurai has been a major settlement for two millennia and has a documented history of more than 2500 years. It is often referred to as "Thoonga Nagaram", meaning "the city that never sleeps". Madurai is closely associated with the Tamil language . The third Tamil Sangam , a major congregation of Tamil scholars, is said to have been held in the city. The recorded history of
16290-527: The beginning of 1000 BCE, iron technology spread through the region; however, there does not appear to be a fully developed Bronze Age preceding the Iron Age in South India. The region was in the middle of a trade route that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu linking the Mediterranean to East Asia . Trade with Phoenicians , Romans , Greeks , Arabs , Syrians , Jews , and Chinese began during
16471-474: The celestial wedding of Meenakshi (Parvati) with Sundareswarar (Shiva). During the Cradle festival, the festive idols of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are taken in procession to a mirror chamber and set on a rocking swing for nine days. Avanimoolam festival is celebrated during the month of September when the 64 sacred games of Hindu god Shiva, thiruvilayadal are recited. The Thepporchavam festival or float festival
16652-420: The city and the surrounding streets appearing liken a lotus and its petals. The city's axes were aligned with the four-quarters of the compass, and the four gateways of the temple provided access to it. The wealthy and higher echelons of the society were placed in streets close to the temple, while the poorest were placed in the fringe streets. With the advent of British rule during the 19th century, Madurai became
16833-419: The city as matiray , an Old Tamil word meaning a "walled city". Madurai is one of the many temple towns known for Arshad in the state which is named after the groves, clusters or forests dominated by a particular variety of a tree or shrub and the same variety of tree or shrub sheltering the presiding deity. The region is believed to have been covered with Kadamba forest and hence called Kadambavanam. The city
17014-647: The city goes back to the 3rd century BCE, being mentioned by Megasthenes , the Greek ambassador to the Mauryan Empire , and Kautilya , a minister of the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya . Signs of human settlements and Roman trade links dating back to 300 BCE are evident from excavations by Archeological Survey of India in Manalur. The city is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by
17195-436: The city has been referred to historically are listed in the 7th-century poem Thiruvilayaadal Puraanam written by Paranjothi Munivar. Vaishnava texts refer to Madurai as the "southern Mathura", probably similar to Tenkasi ( southern Kashi ). Koodal means an assembly or congregation of scholarly people, referring to the three Tamil Sangams held at Madurai. Naanmadakoodal, meaning the junction of four towers, refers to
17376-566: The city which falls under Thirupparankundram assembly constituency comes under the Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency . Law and order is enforced by the Tamil Nadu Police , which, for administrative purposes, has constituted Madurai city as a separate district. The district is divided into four sub-divisions, namely Thallakulam, Anna Nagar, Thilagar Thidal and Town, with a total of 27 police stations. The Madurai city police force
17557-454: The city, is another English-language daily newspaper available in the city. The most read Tamil-language daily morning newspapers include Dinamalar , Dina Thanthi , Dinamani and Dinakaran – all these newspapers have editions from Madurai. There are also daily Tamil evening newspapers like Tamil Murasu , Malai Murasu and Maalai Malar published in Madurai. Television broadcasting from Chennai for whole of Tamil Nadu
17738-821: The city. Over the government operated city buses that are used for public transport, there are 236 registered private mini-buses that support local transportation. Madurai Junction is an important railway junction in southern Tamil Nadu and constitutes a separate division of the Southern Railway zone . There are direct trains from Madurai connecting the important cities in Tamil Nadu like Chennai , Coimbatore , Kanyakumari , Tiruchirappalli , Tirunelveli , Karaikudi , Mayiladuthurai , Rameswaram , Thanjavur , Tiruttani, Tirupathi and Virudhachalam . Madurai has rail connectivity with most important cities and towns in India. Madurai has rail connectivity with important cities and towns in India. The state government has announced
17919-511: The close of the 9th century. From this time onward, the inscriptional records are abundant. The Chola Dynasty , which in the 9th century had been weak, now revived, its power culminating in the victories of Rajaraja the Great, who defeated the Chalukyas after a four years war, and, about AD 994, forced the Pandya kings to become his tributaries. A magnificent temple at Tanjore, once his capital, preserves
18100-565: The country and abroad. About 9,100,000 tourists visited Madurai in 2010, out of which foreigners numbered 524,000. The palace complex of Thirumalai Nayak Palace was constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style by Thirumalai Nayakar in 1636 CE. It is a national monument maintained by the Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department. The daily sound and light show organized by the department explains the virtues of King Thirumalai and
18281-489: The country. In the earliest historical period, the area now known as the Carnatic was divided between the Pandya and Chola kingdoms, which with that of Chera dynasty or Kerala formed the three Tamil kingdoms of southern India. The Pandya kingdom practically coincided in extent with the districts of Madurai and Tinnevelly; that of the Cholas extended along the Coromandel coast from Nellore to Pudukottai , being bounded on
18462-612: The data available with the Indian Meteorological Department on Madurai over a period of 62 years indicate rising trend in atmospheric temperature over Madurai city, attributed to urbanisation, growth of vehicles and industrial activity. The maximum temperature of 42 °C or 107.6 °F for the decade of 2001 to 2010 was recorded in 2004 and in 2010. Madurai has been ranked 42nd best “National Clean Air City” (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India. According to 2011 census based on pre-expansion limits,
18643-641: The death of Kulasekara Pandian (1268–1308 CE), Madurai came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate . The Madurai Sultanate then seceded from Delhi and functioned as an independent kingdom until its gradual annexation by the Vijayanagara Empire in 1378 CE. Madurai became independent from Vijayanagar in 1559 CE under the Nayaks . Nayak rule ended in 1736 CE and Madurai was repeatedly captured several times by Chanda Sahib (1740 – 1754 CE), Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan (1725 – 1764 CE) in
18824-531: The death of Nawab Mahommed Anwar-ud-din (1744–1749), the succession was disputed between Mahommed Ali and Husein Dost . In this quarrel, the French and English, then competing for influence in the Carnatic, took opposite sides. The victory of the British established Mahommed Ali in power over northern Carnatic till his death in 1795. Meanwhile, however, the region had been exposed to other troubles. In 1741 Madurai , which
19005-402: The decades immediately after the independence of India, the economies of South Indian states have, over the past three decades, registered growth higher than the national average. While South Indian states have improved in some of the socio-economic metrics, poverty continues to affect the region as it does the rest of the country, although it has considerably decreased over the years. Based on
19186-622: The decisive defeat of the Poligars, the Poligar forts and military establishments were destroyed. The Carnatic region was a place of Carnatic Wars between the Mughal Empire, Britain and France which ultimately led to British victory and the domination of the British Empire over India. South India South India , also known as Southern India or Peninsular India , is the southern part of
19367-513: The depression between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, which define the northern spur of the Deccan plateau . The low-lying coral islands of Lakshadweep are situated off the southwestern coast of India and the Andaman and Nicobar islands lie far off the eastern coast. The Palk Strait and the chain of low sandbars and islands known as Rama's Bridge separate the region from Sri Lanka , which lies off
19548-652: The derivation of the term Carnatic or Karnatic . According to Bishop Robert Caldwell , in his Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian Languages , the term is derived from Kar , "black", and nadu, "country", i.e. "the black country", which refers to the black soil prevalent on the plateau of the Southern Deccan . When the English settled on the East Coast, all South India, from the river Krishna to Cape Comorin,
19729-617: The earliest Tamil literature available today (around 200 BC), it is possible to trace the various forms of music (Isai) that had existed in different periods and the way it has transformed into today's Carnatic music, by absorbing techniques from other Indian forms of music. For the first two centuries after Christ, a large sea-borne trade was carried on between the Roman Empire and the Tamil kingdoms; but after Caracalla's massacre at Alexandria in A.D. 215, this ceased, and with it all intercourse with Europe for centuries also. Henceforward, until
19910-856: The east-flowing Godavari , Krishna , Kaveri , Penna , Tungabhadra , Vaigai rivers and their tributaries. Other prominent features include the Gulf of Mannar , the Palk Strait , which separates India from Sri Lanka; the Ten Degree Channel , which separates the Andamans from the Nicobar Islands; and the Eight Degree Channel, which separates the Laccadive and Amindivi Islands from the Minicoy Island to
20091-643: The end of the Vellore Mutiny in 1806, the British consolidated their power over much of present-day South India, with the exception of French Pondichéry . The British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857. During the British colonial rule, the region was divided into the Madras Presidency (later, the Madras Province), Hyderabad State , Mysore , and
20272-437: The establishment of municipality in land ceiling and tax collection in Madurai and Dindigul districts under the direct administration of the officers of the government. The city, along with the district, was resurveyed between 1880 and 1885 CE and subsequently, five municipalities were constituted in the two districts and six taluk boards were set up for local administration. Police stations were established in Madurai city, housing
20453-646: The features of the palace. The palace of Rani Mangamma has been renovated to house one of the five Gandhi Sanghralayas ( Gandhi Memorial Museum, Madurai ) in the country. It includes a part of the blood-stained garment worn by Gandhi when he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse . A visit by Martin Luther King Jr. to the museum inspired him to lead peaceful protests against discrimination. The Eco park, situated in Tallakulam, features fountains and lighting in trees using optical fibres. Rajaji children park, maintained by
20634-410: The festivals associated. The temple prakarams (outer precincts of a temple) and streets accommodate an elaborate festival calendar in which dramatic processions circumambulate the shrines at varying distances from the centre. The temple chariots used in processions are progressively larger in size based on the size of the concentric streets. Ancient Tamil classics record the temple as the centre of
20815-483: The flat and fertile plain of the river Vaigai , which runs in the northwest–southeast direction through the city, dividing it into two almost equal halves. The Sirumalai and Nagamalai hills lie to the north and west of Madurai. The land in and around Madurai is utilised largely for agricultural activity, which is fostered by the Periyar Dam . Madurai lies southeast of the western ghats, and the surrounding region occupies
20996-492: The four major Dravidian languages : Telugu , Tamil , Kannada and Malayalam . During its history , a number of dynastic kingdoms ruled over parts of South India, and shaped the culture in those regions. Major dynasties that were established in South India include the Cheras , Cholas , Pandyas , Pallavas , Satavahanas , Chalukyas , Hoysalas , Rashtrakutas and Vijayanagara . European countries entered India through Kerala and
21177-403: The four major temples for which Madurai was known for. The sangam literature mentions the Koodal Azhagar temple at the centre of the city. Historians are of the opinion that Koodal Azhagar temple finds mention in Sangam literature (3rd century BCE–3rd century CE) in works like Madurai Kanchi by Mangudi Marudan, Paripāṭal , Kaliththokai and Silappatikaram . Madurai Kanchi details
21358-544: The full-fledged cricket stadiums in the city. The people of Madurai celebrate numerous festivals, which include Meenakshi Tirukkalyanam, the Chittirai Festival and the Car Festival . The annual 10 day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival, also called Chittirai festival, celebrated during April–May every year attracts 1 million visitors. Legend has it that Hindu god Vishnu, as Alagar, rode on a golden horse to Madurai to attend
21539-470: The government of Madras Presidency under C. Rajagopalachari in 1939 removed restrictions prohibiting Shanars and Dalits from entering Hindu temples. The temple entry movement was first led in Madurai Meenakshi temple by independence activist A. Vaidyanatha Iyer in 1939. In 1971, the municipality of Madurai was upgraded to a Municipal Corporation . In 2011 the Corporation of Madurai expanded
21720-428: The headquarters of a large colonial political complex and an industrial town; with urbanisation, the social hierarchical classes became unified. The Corporation of Madurai has an area of 147.97 square kilometres or 57.13 square miles. Madurai is located at 9°56′N 78°07′E / 9.93°N 78.12°E / 9.93; 78.12 . It has an average elevation of 134 metres. The city of Madurai lies on
21901-598: The headquarters of the District Superintendent. It was in Madurai, in 1921, that Mahatma Gandhi , pre-eminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India, first adopted the loin cloth as his mode of dress after seeing agricultural labourers wearing it. Leaders of the independence movement in Madurai included N. M. R. Subbaraman , Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar and Mohammad Ismail Sahib. The Temple Entry Authorization and Indemnity Act passed by
22082-755: The importance of Madurai as a capital city of the Pandyan dynasty. Madurai is mentioned in the works of Roman historians Pliny the Younger (61 – c. 112 CE ), Ptolemy ( c. 90 – c. CE 168 ), those of the Greek geographer Strabo (64/63 BCE – c. 24 CE ), and also in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea . After the Sangam age, most of present-day Tamil Nadu, including Madurai, came under
22263-434: The inland peninsular region except for a semi-arid rain shadow east of the Western Ghats. Winter and early summer are long dry periods with temperatures averaging above 18 °C (64 °F); summer is exceedingly hot with temperatures in low-lying areas exceeding 50 °C (122 °F); and the rainy season lasts from June to September, with annual rainfall averaging between 750 and 1,500 mm (30 and 59 in) across
22444-572: The middle of the 18th century. In 1801, Madurai came under the direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to the Madras Presidency . The British government made donations to the Meenakshi temple and participated in the Hindu festivals during the early part of their rule. The city evolved as a political and industrial complex through the 19th and 20th centuries to become
22625-633: The military classes for war, the Tamil civilization in the country was highly developed. This was sustained largely through the wealth of the country, famous in the earliest times as now for its pearl fisheries. Of this fishery, Korkai (the Greek KhXxot), now a village on the Tambraparni River in Tinnevelly but once the Pandya capital, was the centre long before the Christian era. In Pliny 's day, owing to
22806-418: The most produced items by these industries. Automobile manufacturers are the major consumers of rubber components produced in the city. There are numerous textile, granite and chemical industries operating in Madurai. Kashmir gold granite and Kashmir white granite are the trade names of two types of granite produced in Madurai. Madurai is promoted as a tier II city for IT and Industry . Kappalur which
22987-412: The mountain ranges. The plateau rises to 100 metres (330 ft) in the north and to more than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) in the south, forming a raised triangle within the downward-pointing triangle of the Indian subcontinent 's coastline. It also slopes gently from West to East resulting in major rivers arising in the Western Ghats and flowing east into the Bay of Bengal. The volcanic basalt beds of
23168-576: The municipality are devolved into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town planning, and the Computer Wing. All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner, who is the supreme executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 100 members, one each from the 100 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Mayor assisted by a Deputy Mayor. The corporation received several awards in 2008 for implementing development works. The city of Madurai
23349-408: The national parties usually aligning as junior partners to the major Dravidian parties, AIADMK and DMK. Indian National Congress dominated the political scene in Tamil Nadu in the 1950s and 1960s under the leadership of K. Kamaraj , who led the party after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru and ensured the selection of Prime Ministers Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi . Congress continues to be
23530-525: The north by the Pennar River ( Penner River ) and on the south by the Southern Vellaru. The government of the area was shared for centuries with these dynasties by numerous independent or semi-independent chiefs, evidence of whose perennial internecine conflicts is preserved in the multitudes of forts and fortresses, the deserted ruins of which crown almost all the elevated points. Despite this passion of
23711-509: The northeast monsoon. The northeast monsoon takes place from November to early March, when the surface high-pressure system is strongest. The North Indian Ocean tropical cyclones occur throughout the year in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, bringing devastating winds and heavy rainfall. There is a wide diversity of plants and animals in South India, resulting from its varied climates and geography. Deciduous forests are found along
23892-551: The northernmost part of The Carnatic region was reduced by the armies of Aurangzeb , who in 1692 appointed Zulfikar Ali , Nawab of the Carnatic , with his seat at Arcot . Meanwhile, the Marathas power had begun to develop; in 1677 Shivaji had suppressed the last remnants of the Vijayanagar power in Vellore , Gingee and Kurnool , while his brother Venkoji , who in 1674 had overthrown the Nayaks of Tanjavur , established in that city
24073-412: The other six abodes of the Hindu god Murugan, is located atop the Solaimalai hill. Thiruparankundram is a hill 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) away from Madurai, where the Hindu god Murugan is believed to have married Deivanai. The temple is the first among the six holy abodes of Murugan, the Arupadai Veedu , literally "Six Battle Camps", and one of the most visited tourist spots in Madurai. The temple has
24254-434: The past fifty years, these two coalitions have been alternately in power; and E. M. S. Namboodiripad , the first elected chief minister of Kerala in 1957, is credited as the leader of the first democratically elected communist government in the world. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) are significant parties in Karnataka. C. Rajagopalachari, the first Indian Governor General of India post independence,
24435-431: The period 1891 to 1896, when no elections were held due to violent factionalism. During the early years of independent India, the Madurai municipality was dominated by reformists of the Indian National Congress . Madurai was upgraded to a municipal corporation on 1 May 1971 as per the Madurai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1971. It is the second oldest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu, after Chennai. The functions of
24616-415: The plains of South India and contains several mountain spurs. The soil type in central Madurai is predominantly clay loam, while red loam and black cotton types are widely prevalent in the outer fringes of the city. Paddy is the major crop, followed by pulses, millet, oil seed, cotton and sugarcane. As is typical for Tamil Nadu, Madurai has a hot semi-arid climate ( BSh ), although it borders closely upon
24797-475: The population of South India to India's total population has declined. Scheduled Castes and Tribes form 18% of the population of the region. Agriculture is the major employer in the region, with 47.5% of the population being involved in agrarian activities. About 60% of the population lives in permanent housing structures. 67.8% of South India has access to tap water, with wells and springs being major sources of water supply. After experiencing fluctuations in
24978-409: The purview of the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram . In addition, the National Training Command is headquartered at Bengaluru . The Air Force operates nine air bases in Southern India. In the region, the Indian Navy operates airbases at Kochi , Arakkonam , Uchipuli , Vizag and Chennai. The region is covered by water on three sides and has
25159-420: The records of his victories engraved upon its walls. His career of conquest was continued by his son Rajendra Choladeva I, self-styled Gangaikonda owing to his victorious advance to the Ganges, who succeeded to the throne in AD 1018. The ruins of the new capital which he built, called Gangaikonda Cholapuram, still stand in a desolate region of the Trichinopoly district. His successors continued the eternal wars with
25340-408: The region include the grizzled giant squirrel , grey slender loris , sloth bear , Nilgiri tahr , Nilgiri langur , lion-tailed macaque , and the Indian leopard . Politics in South India is characterized by a mix of regional and national political parties. The Justice Party and Swaraj Party were the two major parties in the erstwhile Madras Presidency. The Justice Party eventually lost
25521-467: The region was colonized by Britain , Portugal and France . After experiencing fluctuations in the decades immediately after Indian independence , the economies of South Indian states have registered a sustained higher-than-national-average growth over the past three decades. South India has the largest combined largest gross domestic product compared to other regions in India. The South Indian states lead in some socio-economic metrics of India with
25702-728: The region. Once the dry northeast monsoon begins in September, most precipitation in India falls in Tamil Nadu, leaving other states comparatively dry. A hot semi-arid climate predominates in the land east of the Western Ghats and the Cardamom Hills . The region – which includes Karnataka, inland Tamil Nadu and western Andhra Pradesh – gets between 400 and 750 millimetres (15.7 and 29.5 in) of rainfall annually, with hot summers and dry winters with temperatures around 20–24 °C (68–75 °F). The months between March and May are hot and dry, with mean monthly temperatures hovering around 32 °C (90 °F), with 320 millimetres (13 in) precipitation. Without artificial irrigation, this region
25883-421: The river Pennar to the northern limit of the country, and the chief town was Ongole . The Carnatic, as above defined, comprehended within its limits the maritime provinces of Nellore, Chingleput , South Arcot , Tanjore, Madurai and Tinnevelly, besides the inland districts of North Arcot and Trichinopoly. The population of this region consisted chiefly of Brahmanical Hindus. Muslims were thinly scattered over
26064-406: The rule of the Kalabhra dynasty , which was ousted by the Pandyas around 590 CE. The Pandyas were ousted from Madurai by the Chola dynasty during the early 9th century. The city was fought over between the Cholas and the Pandyas during the 12th century, changing hands several times, until the early 13th century, when the second Pandyan empire was established with Madurai as its capital. After
26245-414: The rule of the kings of Vijayanagar; but in the anarchy that followed the overthrow of the Vijayanagar empire by the Mussulmans in the 16th century, the Hindu viceroys ( Nayaks ) established in Madurai, Tanjore and Kanchi made themselves independent, only in their turn to become tributary to the kings of Golconda and Bijapur , who divided the Carnatic between them. Towards the close of the 17th century,
26426-408: The sanctum of the main deities. The temple is a significant symbol for Tamils and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature , though the present structure was built between 1623 and 1655 CE. The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a day and around 25,000 during Fridays. There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple. Koodal Azhagar Temple is a historic Hindu temple located on
26607-445: The second lowest crime rate at 169.1 of all the cities in Tamil Nadu. The city is also the seat of a bench of the Madras High Court , one of only a few outside the state capitals of India. It started functioning in July 2004. The National Highways NH 7 , NH 45B , NH 208 and NH 49 pass through Madurai. The state highways passing through the city are SH-32, SH-33 and SH-72, which connect various parts of Madurai district. Madurai
26788-533: The silting up of the harbour, its glory had already decayed and the Pandya capital had been removed to Madurai, famous later as a centre of Tamil literature. The Chola kingdom, which four centuries before Christ had been recognized as independent by the Maurya king Ashoka , had for its chief port Kaviripaddinam at the mouth of the Kauvery, every vestige of which is now buried in the sand. Tamil literature (particularly Iyal, in prose and poetry) contains in itself vast amounts of knowledge on Carnatic music . Starting from
26969-406: The south side of the Vaigai River in Madurai, which is one of the most prominent landmarks of the city. The temple is dedicated to Maha Vishnu . It has idols of the Navagraha (nine planet deities), which are otherwise found only in Shiva temples. the temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham , the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It
27150-412: The south. Laccadive Sea is a smaller sea. There are coral reefs located in the Gulf of Mannar and Lakshadweep islands. Large lakes include Vembanad Lake and Pulicat Lake . The region has a tropical climate and depends on monsoons for rainfall. According to the Köppen climate classification , it has a non- arid climate with minimum mean temperatures of 18 °C (64 °F). The most humid
27331-445: The south. The geography of the region is diverse, with two mountain ranges, the Western and Eastern Ghats , bordering the plateau heartland. The Godavari , Krishna , Kaveri , Penna , Tungabhadra and Vaigai rivers are important non- perennial sources of water. Chennai , Bangalore , Hyderabad , Coimbatore and Kochi are the largest urban areas in the region. The majority of the people in South India speak at least one of
27512-403: The southeastern coast. The southernmost tip of mainland India is at Kanyakumari where the Indian Ocean meets the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats runs south along the western coast from south of the Tapti River to Kanyakumari and forms a narrow strip of land with the Arabian sea called Konkan region. Anai Mudi in the Anaimalai Hills 2,695 m (8,842 ft)
27693-465: The southern parts of South India. Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy is prominent among many communities. Islam was introduced to South India in the early 7th century by Arab traders on the Malabar Coast, and spread during the rule of the Deccan Sultanates, from the 17th to 18th centuries. About 11% of the population In South India follow Islam . Muslims of Arab descent in Kerala are called Jonaka Mappila . About 4% follow Christianity . Christianity
27874-455: The state government, provides agricultural education to aspirants in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. All India Institutes of Medical Sciences , a premier medical institution, is also under construction in Madurai and will cover 224 acres (910,000 m ) of land, at an estimated cost of ₹ 1,264 crore (US$ 150 million), and additionally allotted ₹ 736 crore (US$ 88 million) total around ₹ 2,000 crore (US$ 240 million) in
28055-427: The state government. Each state or territory is further divided into districts , which are further subdivided into revenue divisions and taluk s / Mandal s or tehsil s. Local bodies govern respective cities, towns, and villages, along with an elected mayor , municipal chairman , or panchayat chairman , respectively. South India elects 132 members to the Lok Sabha , accounting for roughly one-fourth of
28236-427: The sub-urban Thoppur Madurai district. There are a total of 369 primary, secondary and higher secondary schools in the city. Madurai was traditionally an agrarian society, with rice paddies as the main crop. Cotton crop cultivation in the regions with black soil in Madurai district was introduced during the Nayaka rule during the 16th century to increase the revenue from agriculture. The paddy fields cultivated in
28417-403: The subsequently of part of the city into the Theni district in 1997. The compounded annual growth rate dropped from 4.10 per cent during 1971–81 to 1.27 per cent during 1991–2004. The municipality of Madurai was constituted on 1 November 1866 as per the Town Improvement Act of 1865. The municipality was headed by a chairperson and elections were regularly conducted for the post except during
28598-447: The temple during the 16th century. The Kallalagar temple , Alagar Koyil , is a celebrated Vishnu temple 21 kilometres (13 mi) northeast of Madurai situated at the foothills of Solaimalai. The deity, Kallazhagar, is believed to be the brother of Meenakshi and worshiped by Meenakshi, the presiding deity at the Meenakshi temple. The festival calendars of these two temples overlap during the Meenakshi Thirukalyanam festival. The temple
28779-431: The temple. Viswanatha Nayak (1529–64 CE), the first Madurai Nayak king, redesigned the city in accordance with the principles laid out by Shilpa Shastras (Sanskrit: śilpa śāstra , also anglicised as silpa sastra meaning rules of architecture) related to urban planning. These squares retain their traditional names of Aadi, Chittirai, Avani-moola and Masi streets, corresponding to the Tamil month names and also to
28960-432: The top two states. The South Indian states rank amongst the top 10 in economic freedom, life expectancy ., access to drinking water , house ownership , and TV ownership The poverty rate is at 19% while that in the other Indian states is at 38%. The per capita income is ₹ 19,531 (US$ 230), which is more than double of the other Indian states ( ₹ 8,951 (US$ 110)). Of the three demographically related targets of
29141-440: The total population, much higher than the national average of 15.05 per cent. The increase in growth rate to 50 per cent from 1971 to 1981 is due to the city's upgrade to a municipal corporation in 1974 and the subsequent inclusion of 13 Panchayats into the corporation limits. The decline in the population growth rate between 1981 and 2001 is due to the bifurcation of Madurai district into two, Madurai and Dindigul in 1984, and
29322-542: The total strength. The region is allocated 58 seats in the Rajya Sabha , out of the total of 245. The state legislatures of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry are unicameral , while Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana have bicameral legislatures. States with bicameral legislatures have an upper house ( Legislative Council ) with members not more than one-third the size of the Assembly. State legislatures elect members for terms of five years. Governors may suspend or dissolve assemblies and can administer when no party
29503-428: The town of Trichinopoly , was called the Southern Carnatic . The principal towns of this division were Tanjore , Trichinopoly, Madurai , Tranquebar , Negapatam and Tinnevelly . The Central Carnatic extended from the Coleroon river to the river Pennar ; its chief towns being Madras , Pondicherry , Arcot , Vellore , Cuddalore , Pulicat , Nellore and a few other towns. The Northern Carnatic extended from
29684-404: The union territories of Puducherry, and Lakshadweep. Puducherry and the five states each have an elected state government, while Lakshadweep is centrally administered by the president of India . Each state is headed by a Governor who is appointed by the President of India and who names the leader of the state legislature's ruling party or coalition as chief minister , who is the head of
29865-430: The union territory of Lakshadweep . Telangana was created on June 2, 2014, by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh and comprises ten districts in northwestern Andhra Pradesh. South India is a peninsula in the shape of an inverted triangle bound by Indian Ocean in the South, Arabian Sea in the west, by Bay of Bengal in the east and the Vindhya and Satpura ranges in the north. The Narmada river flows westwards in
30046-640: The university in and around the city, consisting of autonomous colleges, aided colleges, self-financing colleges, constituent colleges, evening colleges and other approved institutions. There are seven polytechnical schools and five Industrial training institutes (ITIs) in Madurai, with the Government ITI and the Government Polytechnic for Women being the most prominent of them all. There are two government medical institutes in Madurai, Madurai Medical College and Homoeopathic Medical College, Thirumangalam and 11 paramedical institutes. There are fifteen engineering colleges in Madurai affiliated to Anna University , with
30227-616: The winter season. Being equidistant from mountains and the sea, it experiences similar monsoon pattern with Northeast monsoon and Southwest monsoon , with the former providing more rain during October to December. The average annual rainfall for the Madurai district is about 85.76 cm. Temperatures during summer generally reach a maximum of 42 °C or 107.6 °F and a minimum of 26.3 °C or 79.3 °F, although temperatures up to 43 °C or 109.4 °F are not uncommon. Winter temperatures range between 29.6 °C or 85.3 °F and 18 °C or 64.4 °F. A study based on
30408-403: Was 81.95%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The urban agglomeration of Madurai had a population of 1,465,625, and is the third largest in Tamil Nadu and the 31st in India. According to the religious census of 2011, Madurai had 85.83% Hindus , 8.54% Muslims , 5.18% Christians and 0.47% others. Tamil is the main language, and the standard dialect is the Madurai Tamil dialect, and
30589-403: Was a proposal for a separate sovereign state for the speakers of the Dravidian languages in South India. Initially, the demand of Dravida Nadu proponents was limited to Tamil -speaking regions, but it was later expanded to include other Indian states with a majority of Dravidian-speakers in the region. The States Reorganisation Act 1956, which created linguistic States, weakened the demand for
30770-449: Was believed that a divine force would cause the work of superior merit to float on the surface, while the inferior ones would sink. The American College is the oldest college in Madurai, and was established in 1881 by American Christian missionaries. The Lady Doak College , established in 1948, is the oldest women's college in Madurai. Thiagarajar College (established in 1949), Madura College (established in 1889), Fatima College
30951-427: Was constructed between Red Hills and Chintadripet in Madras and became operational in 1837. The Madras Railway was established in 1845. The Great Southern of India Railway Company was founded in England in 1853 and registered in 1859. The construction on the first main line in the South between Royapuram in Madras and Arcot started in 1853, which became operational on 1 July 1856. Construction of track in
31132-428: Was created on 1 April 2003. Most of the region is covered by the three zones, with small portions of the coasts covered by East Coast Railway and Konkan Railway . In 2019, a new South Coast Railway zone was announced but is yet to become operational as of 2023. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway of Southern Railway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Indian Railways under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways of
31313-447: Was created with the merger of Andhra State with the Telugu-speaking districts of Hyderabad State in 1956. Kerala was created with the merger of Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk of South Canara districts of Madras State with Travancore-Cochin . Mysore State was re-organized with the addition of districts of Bellary and South Canara (excluding Kasaragod taluk) and the Kollegal taluk of Coimbatore district from
31494-419: Was founded on 1 January 1908 by merging the Madras Railway and the Southern Mahratta Railway . On 14 April 1951, the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway, and the Mysore State Railway were merged to form the Southern Railway , the first zone of Indian Railways . The South Central zone was created on 2 October 1966 as the ninth zone of Indian Railways and the South Western zone
31675-431: Was from South India. The region has produced six Indian presidents, namely, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan , V. V. Giri , Neelam Sanjiva Reddy , R. Venkataraman , K. R. Narayanan , and APJ Abdul Kalam . Prime ministers P. V. Narasimha Rao and H. D. Deve Gowda were from the region. South India consists of the five southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, as well as
31856-741: Was introduced to South India by Thomas the Apostle , who visited Muziris in Kerala in 52 CE and proselytized natives, who are called Nazrani Mappila . Kerala is also home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, who are supposed to have arrived on the Malabar coast during the reign of King Solomon . The major metropolitan areas in south India are as follows: South India has an extensive road network with 20,573 km (12,783 mi) of National Highways and 46,813 km (29,088 mi) of State Highways . The Golden Quadrilateral connecting Chennai with Mumbai and Kolkata traverses Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Bus services are provided by state-run transport corporations, namely
32037-411: Was ruled by various Deccan Sultanates , polygars and Nayak governors of the erstwhile Vijayanagara empire who declared independence. The Europeans arrived in the 15th century; and by the middle of the 18th century, the French and the British were involved in a protracted struggle for military control over South India. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799 and
32218-403: Was started on 15 August 1975. Direct-to-home cable television services are provided by DD Direct Plus and other private service providers. Electricity supply to the city is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The city is the headquarters of the Madurai region of TNEB and along with its suburbs, forms the Madurai Metro Electricity Distribution Circle, which
32399-545: Was the secession of Dravida Nadu from the rest of India upon Indian independence. After independence, C. N. Annadurai , a follower of Periyar, formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1948. The Anti-Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu led to the rise of Dravidian parties that formed Tamil Nadu's first government, in 1967. In 1972, a split in the DMK resulted in the formation of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led by M. G. Ramachandran . Dravidian parties continue to dominate Tamil Nadu electoral politics,
32580-443: Was to secure a bride for Prince Vijaya. The Pandyan King of Madurai agreed to the proposal. He not only sent his own daughter to marry Prince Vijaya but also requested other families to offer their daughters to marry the prince's ministers and retainers. So, along with the Princess and hundreds of maidens, craftsmen and a thousand families from the eighteen guilds were also sent to Sri Lanka. Madurai has been inhabited since at least
32761-406: Was under the rule of a Kanarese dynasty , reigning at Vijayanagar, and was known as the Karnataka Realm. Hence the name "Carnatic" has come to be popularly applied to the coastal plains south of Madras, although these are Tamil-speaking districts and quite outside the Kanarese country proper. The region that was named Carnatic or Karnatak (Kannada, Karnata, Karnatakadesa) by Europeans lies between
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