119-688: Vedaranyam ( Tamil: [ʋeːdaːɾaɳjam] ) (also spelt as Vedaraniam and Vedaranniyam ) is a town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . The town is named after the presiding deity of the Vedaranyeswarar Temple . The recorded history of Vedaranyam is known from medieval Chola period of the 9th century and has been ruled, at different times, by the Medieval Cholas , Later Cholas , Later Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire and
238-469: A Deputy Superintendent. There is one police station in the town. There are special units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at the district level police division headed by a Superintendent of Police. The Vedaranyeswarar temple, an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva , is located in Vedaranyam. The temple has
357-420: A Municipal Commissioner, who is the executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of elected members from each ward of the municipality. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson. Nagapattinam District was formerly a part of Thanjavur District . The district boundary is shared by Tiruvarur, Karaikal, Tanjore and Cuddalore districts. Its population at
476-428: A Roman Catholic church built during the 17th century. Pilgrimage to the basilica is common during September when people of many faiths, especially Hindus, Muslims and Christians of all denominations visit the basilica. Hoysalas The Hoysala kingdom was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of
595-519: A Vaishnava temple with an image of Ramanuja exists in the Vitthalapura area of Vijayanagara. Scholars in the later Kingdom of Mysore wrote Vaishnavite works upholding the teachings of Ramanuja. King Vishnuvardhana built many temples after his conversion from Jainism to Vaishnavism. The later saints of Madhvacharya's order, Jayatirtha , Vyasatirtha , Sripadaraja , Vadiraja Tirtha and devotees ( dasa ) such as Vijaya Dasa , Gopaladasa and others from
714-486: A capital: first, its location on the Yagachi River provided a good supply of water year-round. Second, its location in hilly terrain made it easily defended. Third, it lay on an important trade route, helping both commerce and communications. However, Belur was barely capital for a decade before it was moved again. The third and longest-lasting Hoysala capital was Dwarasamudra (also called Dorasamudra or Dvaravatipur), at
833-414: A distance of 37 km (23 mi) from the town. Vedaranyam municipality accommodates 102.5 km (63.7 mi) of roads: 2.05 km (1.27 mi) of cement roads, 58.85 km (36.57 mi) of bituminous roads, 8.7 km (5.4 mi) of WBM roads and 32.9 km (20.4 mi) of earthen roads. The municipality maintains a bus stand that accommodates local as well as long-distance buses. Bus
952-537: A family of accountants ( Karanikas ) from Halebidu and spent many years in Hampi writing more than one hundred ragales (poems in blank verse) in praise of Virupaksha (a form of Shiva). Raghavanka was the first to introduce the Shatpadi metre into Kannada literature in his Harishchandra kavya which is considered a classic even though it occasionally violates strict rules of Kannada grammar. In Sanskrit, Madhvacharya wrote
1071-565: A forest, near the temple of the goddess Vasantika at Angadi, now called Sosevuru. The word strike translates to "hoy" in Old Kannada , hence the name 'Hoy-sala'. The legend purporting to show how Sala became the founder of the Hoysala dynasty is shown in the Belur inscription of the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana , dated c. 1117 , but owing to several inconsistencies in the story it remains in
1190-455: A key economic role for the town even though fishing is the major occupation. Kayarohanaswami Temple , a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva , is located in Nagapattinam. The temple has been in existence from the 6th century CE and has been revered by the verses of Tevaram , the 7th–8th century Saiva canonical work by Appar , Sambandar and Sundarar . The temple is one of the seven temples of
1309-540: A part of Thanjavur district until 1991, and later became part of the newly created Nagapattinam district. Vedaranyam has an average elevation of 1 m (3.3 ft) and is located on the Coramandel coast of Bay of Bengal . The Vedaranyam swamp is located parallel to the Palk Strait for 48 km (30 mi). The river Cauvery was flowing south easterly direction from Trichy and had its confluence at Vedaranyam due to
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#17328511856241428-625: A period when large areas of northern India were under Muslim rule. Alauddin Khalji , the Sultan of Delhi, was determined to control southern India. In 1311 he sent his commander Malik Kafur on an expedition to plunder Devagiri , the capital city of the Seuna Kingdom By 1318 the Seuna Kingdom had been subjugated. The Hoysala capital Halebidu was besieged and sacked twice, in 1311 and 1327. By 1336,
1547-410: A population of 34,266 with a sex-ratio of 1,068 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 3,261 were under the age of six, constituting 1,711 males and 1,550 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 14.91% and .2% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 77.86%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had
1666-527: A salt march in parallel , on the east coast starting from Trichonopoly (modern day Tiruchirappalli ) to Vedaranyam. His group, having people like Sardar Vedaratnam , started from Tiruchirappalli, in Madras Presidency (now part of Tamil Nadu), to the coast of the town. After making illegal salt there on 30 April 1930, the group was arrested by the British. After India's independence, Vedaranyam continued to be
1785-434: A scale of one thousand in rural areas of the district is 19.9, urban is 17.8 and the combined birth rate is 18.85. The death rate on a scale of one thousand in rural areas of the district is 8.2, urban is 6.7 and the combined rate is 7.45. Tamil is the predominant language, spoken by 99.56% of the population. There are a total of 891 elementary schools, 185 middle schools, 83 high schools and 79 higher secondary schools in
1904-407: A second grade municipality on 9 August 2010. The municipality has 21 wards and there is an elected councillor for each of those wards. The municipality has 3 revenue villages namely Vedaranyam, Thoputhurai and Agasthyanpalli. The functions of the municipality are devolved into five departments: General administration, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health and Town planning. All these departments are under
2023-832: A shrine for Thyagaraja (a form of Shiva), known for "Hamsapthanathaanam", the dance pose similar to the gait of a swan. According to legend, a Chola king named Mucukunta obtained a boon from Indra (a celestial deity) to receive an image of Thyagaraja from the Hindu god Vishnu. Indra tricked the king with six other duplicate images, but the king chose the right image which was later installed at Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur . The remaining six images were installed in Dharbaranyeswarar Temple , Kayarohanaswamy Temple , Kannayariamudayar Temple , Brahmapureeswarar Temple , Vaimoornaathar Temple and Vedaranyeswarar Temple . All seven Thyagaraja images are believed to possess different dance styles and
2142-545: A total of : 8665 households. There were a total of 12,694 workers, comprising 835 cultivators, 912 main agricultural labourers, 98 in house hold industries, 3,440 other workers, 7,409 marginal workers, 421 marginal cultivators, 2,277 marginal agricultural labourers, 175 marginal workers in household industries and 4,536 other marginal workers. As per the religious census of 2011, Vedaranyam had 90.17% Hindus , 8.93% Muslims , 0.74% Christians , 0.09% Jains and 0.07% following other religions. The primary economic activities of
2261-608: A voluntary form was prevalent and prostitution was socially acceptable. As in most of India, a caste system was conspicuously present. Trade on the west coast brought many foreigners to India including Arabs , Jews , Persians , Europeans , Chinese and people from the Malay Peninsula . Migration of people within Southern India as a result of the expansion of the empire produced an influx of new cultures and skills. In South India, towns were called Pattana or Pattanam and
2380-420: Is a 14-day event celebrated for the annual urs (anniversary) of the saint Hajrath Shahul Hamid (1490–1579 CE), for whom the minaret was built. The festival is celebrated in commemoration of the anniversary of the saint's death, and pilgrims from various religions participate in the rituals and rites. The festival is also seen as a sacred exchange between Hindus and Muslims expressing solidarity of mixed faith in
2499-412: Is a government hospital and two private hospitals in the town. Rajaji Park and Gandhi Park are the two parks maintained by the municipality. Nagapattinam district Nagapattinam district is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India . Nagapattinam district was carved out by bifurcating the erstwhile composite Thanjavur district on 19 October 1991. The town of Nagapattinam
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#17328511856242618-408: Is a part of the Nagapattinam (Lok Sabha constituency) which elects its Member of Parliament (MP) once in five years. The town is administered by the Vedaranyam municipality, which covers an area of 36.26 km (14.00 sq mi). As of 2011, the town had a population of 34,266. Vedaranyam was a part of Thanjavur District till 1991 and Nagapattinam District from then on. The town is a part of
2737-602: Is its attention to exquisite detail and skilled craftsmanship. The tower over the temple shrine ( vimana ) is delicately finished with intricate carvings, showing attention to the ornate and elaborately detailed rather than to a tower form and height. The stellate design of the base of the shrine with its rhythmic projections and recesses is carried through the tower in an orderly succession of decorated tiers. Hoysala temple sculpture replicates this emphasis on delicacy and craftsmanship in its focus on depicting feminine beauty, grace and physique. The Hoysala artists achieved this with
2856-574: Is regulated and distributed by the Nagapattinam circle of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). Water supply project through the Vedaranyam Municipality is approved by the Commissioner of Municipal Administration, Chennai. Water is obtained from hand pumps and fountains located in various parts of the town. Door to door collection of garbage is done by sanitary workers of the municipality and about 6 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from
2975-575: Is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham as Nagai in the 5th to 9th century CE Vaishnava canon, by Alvars . It is considered one of the important temples visited by Thirumangai Alvar. Appar and Tirugnanasambandar , the 7th-century saint poets refer to the city as Nagai in their verses in Tevaram . The town was originally called "Nagai"; the word Pattinam was attached during the Chola era when
3094-460: Is the district headquarters. Until Mayiladuthurai district was created out of it on 24 March 2020, Nagapattinam was the only discontiguous district in Tamil Nadu. Nagapattinam is derived from Nagar , referring to people, and pattinam referring to town. In Tamil Pattinam and paakkam depicts coastal towns. The town was also called Cholakula Vallipattinam during the Chola period, when it
3213-431: Is the primary mode of public transport from the town. There was a railway branch line connecting Vedaranyam to Mayiladuthurai via Thiruthuraipoondi and ending at Agastiyampalli. The line was opened to passenger traffic on 15 May 1919. The railway line is discontinued and in turn affects the economy of the town. The nearest railway station is located at Thiruthuraipoondi Junction , located 35 km (22 mi) away from
3332-581: The Sribhashya , a critique on Adi Shankara's Advaita. The effect of these religious developments on culture, literature, poetry and architecture in South India was profound. Important works of literature and poetry based on the teachings of these philosophers were written during the coming centuries. The Saluva , Tuluva and Aravidu dynasties of the Vijayanagara Empire were followers of Vaishnavism and
3451-524: The Bay of Bengal and on the south by the Palk Strait . On the coast between Tharamgambadi and Nagapattinam lies the small district of Karaikal , an enclave belonging administratively to the Puducherry Union Territory . This is the only district in Tamil Nadu to be formed out of two disjoint regions. The district headquarters, Nagapattinam, is located in the southern part which is less populated than
3570-683: The British . During India's independence struggle, C. Rajagopalachari , who would later become independent India's first Governor-General , launched a salt march in Vedaranyam parallel to the Dandi March launched by Gandhi in 1930 to protest against the sales tax levied on salt extraction. Vedaranyam comes under the Vedaranyam assembly constituency which elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years and it
3689-540: The Champu style relating the life of Krishna leading up to his fight with the demon Banasura . Harihara , (also known as Harisvara) a Lingayati writer and the patron of King Narasimha I, wrote the Girijakalyana in the old Jain Champu style which describes the marriage of Shiva and Parvati in ten sections. He was one of the earliest Virashaiva writers who was not part of the vachana literary tradition. He came from
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3808-460: The Kaveri , whose systems facilitated the growth of crops and generated an agricultural output that was immense. The highlands ( malnad regions) with its temperate climate was suitable for raising cattle and the planting of orchards and spices. Paddy and corn were staple crops in the tropical plains ( Bailnad ). As agricultural land was scarce, forests, waste land and previously unfarmed land
3927-782: The Rigbhshya on the Brahma Sutras (a logical explanation of Hindu scriptures, the Vedas) as well as many polemical works rebutting the doctrines of other schools. He relied more on the Puranas than the Vedas for logical proof of his philosophy. Another famous writing was Rudraprshnabhashya by Vidyatirtha. The modern interest in the Hoysalas is due to their patronage of art and architecture rather than their military conquests. The brisk temple building throughout
4046-530: The Tirumangai Alvar , one of the 12 poet saints called Alwars of the 6th–9th century. The other prominent Hindu temples in the district are Sikkal Singaravelan Temple at Sikkal , Vedaranyeswarar Temple at Vedaranyam , Ettukudi Murugan Temple and Koothanur Maha Saraswathi Temple . Nagore Durgha , a 16th-century minaret located in Nagore , is an important pilgrimage centre of the town. The Kanduri festival
4165-459: The Vedaranyam assembly constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years. From the 1977 elections, the assembly seat was won by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) five times during 1977, 1984, 1996, 2001 and 2006 elections, Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) three times during 1980, 2011 and 2016 elections and Indian National Congress for two times during 1989 and 1991 elections. The current MLA of
4284-457: The Vedaranyeswarar Temple , a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva . The place was earlier known as "Tirumaraikadu", meaning the place where Vedas , oldest scriptures of Hinduism, originated. The 7th century Saiva canonical work Tevaram by Appar and Tirugnanasambandar mentions the place as "Tirumaraikadu". As per Hindu legend, the Vedas worshipped Shiva in this place, giving the name "Vedaranyam" to
4403-488: The 11th century CE, Chudamani Vihara , a Buddhist monastery was built by Javanese king Sri Vijaya Soolamanivarman with the patronage of Raja Raja Chola . Nagapattinam was the prominent port of Cholas for trade and conquering gateway to the east. In the early 16th century the Portuguese made commercial contacts with the town and established a commercial centre in 1554 CE. The Portuguese also conducted missionary enterprise in
4522-631: The 14th century. The defeat of the Jain Western Gangas by the Cholas in the early 11th century and the rising numbers of followers of Vaishnavism and Lingayatism in the 12th century was mirrored by a decreased interest in Jainism. Two notable locations of Jain worship in the Hoysala territory were Shravanabelagola and Panchakuta Basadi, Kambadahalli . The decline of Buddhism in South India began in
4641-408: The 2001 Census was nearly 1.5 million. The district has seven taluks , eleven administrative blocks, eight town panchayats, and four municipalities. Five of the talukas are coastal, and all are named after their main towns, which are their administrative centres. From north to south, they are Nagapattinam , Kilvelur , Thirukkuvalai (non-coastal), and Vedaranyam . It is bordered on the east by
4760-521: The 7th-century poets Appar and Sambandar mention that the town had fortified walls, busy roads, buildings and a busy port. The inscriptions from the Kayarohanswami temple indicate the construction was initiated during the reign of the Pallava king, Narasimha Pallava II (691 – 729 CE). A Buddhist pagoda was built under Chinese influence by the Pallava king and town was frequented by Buddhist travellers. In
4879-525: The Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). According to the 2011 census , Nagapattinam district had a population of 698,094 with a sex-ratio of 1,025 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. 26.94% of the population lived in urban areas. A total of 165,245 were under the age of six, constituting 84,335 males and 80,910 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 30.51% and 0.23% of
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4998-592: The Hoysala Empire followed some of the well-established and proven methods of its predecessors covering administrative functions such as cabinet organisation and command, the structure of local governing bodies and the division of territory. Several of their major feudatories were Gavundas of the peasant extraction. Records show the names of many high-ranking positions reporting directly to the king. Senior ministers were called Pancha Pradhanas , ministers responsible for foreign affairs were designated Sandhivigrahi and
5117-491: The Hoysala dynasty is dated 950 and names Arekalla as the chieftain. Arekalla was succeeded in turn by Maruga and Nripa Kama I (976), and Munda (1006–1026). The next king, Nripa Kama I, had the title Permanadi , showing that an early alliance with the Western Ganga dynasty existed at the time of his reign. Vishnuvardhana's ambition of creating an independent Kingdom was fulfilled by his grandson Veera Ballala II , who freed
5236-844: The Hoysalas from domination by the Chalukya Empire during the first 20 years of his reign. He declared war against the Yadavas and defeated the Kadambas . He declared independence in 1193. During the establishment of the Hoysala Kingdom, the Deccan Plateau saw a four-way struggle for hegemony between four dynasties: the Hoysalas, the Pandyans , the Kakatiyas , and the Seunas. In 1217, Veera Ballala II defeated
5355-596: The Hoysalas was initially located at Belur , but was later moved to Halebidu . They belonged to the Yadava clan of Chandravamsa lineage. The Hoysala rulers were originally from Malenadu , an elevated region in the Western Ghats . In the 12th century, taking advantage of the internecine warfare between the Western Chalukya Empire and Kalachuris of Kalyani , the Hoysalas annexed areas of present-day Karnataka and
5474-553: The Hoysalas were descendants of the Yadu by referring to the Yadava vamsa (or clan) as the "Hoysala vamsa ". But there are no early records directly linking the Hoysalas to the Yadavas of North India . Kannada folklore tells a legend of a young man, Sala (also known as Poysala), who saved his Jain guru Sudatta by killing a tiger (sometimes described as a lion) that they encountered whilst in
5593-558: The Karnataka region spread his teachings far and wide. His teachings inspired later philosophers like Vallabha in Gujarat and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Bengal . Another wave of devotion ( bhakti ) in the 17th and 18th centuries found inspiration in his teachings. Hoysala society in many ways reflected the emerging religious, political and cultural developments of those times. During this period,
5712-494: The Kesava temple at Somanathapura being an exception with strictly Vaishnava sculptural depictions. Temples built by rich landlords in rural areas fulfilled fiscal, political, cultural and religious needs of the agrarian communities. Irrespective of patronage, large temples served as establishments that provided employment to hundreds of people of various guilds and professions sustaining local communities as Hindu temples began to take on
5831-691: The Kingdom was accomplished despite constant threats from the Pandyas to the south and the Seunas Yadavas to the north. Their architectural style, an offshoot of the Western Chalukya style, shows distinct Dravidian influences. The Hoysala architecture style is described as Karnata Dravida as distinguished from the traditional Dravida , and is considered an independent architectural tradition with many unique features. A feature of Hoysala temple architecture
5950-528: The Sultan had conquered the Pandyas of Madurai, the Kakatiyas of Warangal and the tiny Kingdom of Kampili. The Hoysalas were the only remaining Hindu Kingdom who resisted the invading armies. Veera Ballala III stationed himself at Tiruvannamalai and offered stiff resistance to invasions from the north and the Madurai Sultanate to the south. Then, after nearly three decades of resistance, Veera Ballala III
6069-517: The Thyagaraja cult, classified as Saptha Vidangam , where the deity Thyagaraja is believed to portray different dance styles. The temple is also known for the shrine of Neelayadakshi, the consort of Kayarohanaswami. Soundararajaperumal Temple is a Hindu temple in Nagapattinam dedicated to Vishnu . It is one of the Divya Desams , the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by
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#17328511856246188-493: The aggressive Pandya after they invaded the Chola Kingdom, and helped to restore the Chola king. The Hoysalas extended their foothold in modern-day Tamil Nadu around 1225, making the city of Kannanur Kuppam near Srirangam a provincial capital and taking control over the southern Deccan region. Vira Narasimha II 's son Vira Someshwara earned the honorific "uncle" ( Mamadi ) from the Pandyas and Cholas. From 1220 to 1245
6307-410: The capital from Belur to Dorasamudra (modern Halebidu), After taking Talakadu and Kolar in 1116, Vishnuvardhana assumed the title Talakadugonda in memory of his victory. Historians refer to the founders of the Hoysala dynasty as Maleparolganda ('Lord of the hills'), basing their evidence on inscriptions that describes them as being originally from Malenadu . The earliest record of a member of
6426-494: The chief treasurer was Mahabhandari or Hiranyabhandari . Dandanayakas were in charge of armies and the chief justice of the Hoysala court was the Dharmadhikari . The Kingdom was divided into provinces named Nadu , Vishaya , Kampana and Desha , listed in descending order of geographical size. Each province had a local governing body consisting of a minister ( Mahapradhana ) and a treasurer ( Bhandari ) that reported to
6545-595: The coast of Negapatam, as it was then known: the first in 1758 as part of the Seven Years' War and the second in 1782 as part of the American Revolutionary War . The town was taken by the British from the Dutch in 1781 (who had been formally brought into the war in 1780). When the Dutch and British reached a peace agreement in 1784 , Nagapattinam was formally ceded to the British. 277 villages, with Nagore as
6664-452: The conflict between the Western Chalukya Empire and the Cholas, gaining power as they sided with the Chalukyas and were made provincial governors. After the authority of the Chalukyas declined, the Hoysalas managed to gain their independence. Under Vishnuvardhana, the Hoysalas achieved the status of a real Kingdom. He annexed Gangavadi and parts of Nolambavadi from the Cholas in 1116 and moved
6783-503: The constituency is O. S. Manian from the ADMK party. Vedaranyam is a part of the Nagapattinam (Lok Sabha constituency) – it has the following six assembly constituencies – Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam , Thiruthuraipoondi , Vedaranyam, Kilvelur (SC) and Nannilam . The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is A.K.S. Vijayan from the DMK. From 1957, the Nagapattinam parliament seat
6902-409: The control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the supreme executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 21 members, one each from the 21 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson. The town became part of Nagapattinam district since January 1997 when the Nagapattinam district was created as a separate district. Vedaranyam comes under
7021-548: The district is carried out by Panchayat Unions (or Town Panchayats) in rural areas. These panchayat unions have a set of panchayat villages under them. In urban areas, the governance is done by municipal corporations, municipalities or town panchayats based on the size of the town; each of these has a set of wards. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town Planning, and Information Technology (IT). The municipalities are administered by
7140-539: The district. The Collector is the administrative head of each district and is the principle representative of the government for the district. The Collector's main responsibilities include revenue administration, Executive Magistracy, maintaining law and order, licensing and regulatory functions, disaster management, civil supplies, public distribution, social welfare, excise, transport, mining, labour laws, elections, legal affairs, census, general administration, treasury management and co-ordination with various departments of
7259-500: The dynasty's hegemony increased southwards to cover both the Chola and Pandya Kingdoms. Toward the end of the 13th century, Veera Ballala III recaptured territory in the Tamil country which had been lost during a Pandya uprising, thus uniting the northern and southern portions of the Kingdom. In the early part of the 14th century, major political changes took place in the Deccan region during
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#17328511856247378-559: The eastern coast, 350 kilometers down south of the State capital Chennai and of Tiruchirappalli . It has an average elevation of 9 metres (30 ft) above the mean sea level. The district has a coastline of 187 kilometres (116 mi). In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Nagapattinam one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640 ). It is one of the six districts in Tamil Nadu currently receiving funds from
7497-633: The ecstatic experience of closeness to the deity ( vachanas and devaranama ). Literary works were written in it on palm leaves which were tied together. While in past centuries Jain works had dominated Kannada literature, Shaiva and early Brahminical works became popular during the Hoysala reign. Writings in Sanskrit included poetry, grammar, lexicon, manuals, rhetoric, commentaries on older works, prose fiction and drama. Inscriptions on stone ( Shilashasana ) and copper plates ( Tamarashasana ) were written mostly in Kannada but some were in Sanskrit or were bilingual. The sections of bilingual inscriptions stating
7616-550: The eighth century with the spread of Adi Shankara 's Advaita Vedanta . The only places of Buddhist worship during the Hoysala time were at Dambal and Balligavi . Shantala Devi, queen of Vishnuvardhana, was a Jain but nevertheless commissioned the Hindu Kappe Chennigaraya temple in Belur, evidence that the royal family was tolerant of all religions. During the rule of the Hoysalas, three important religious developments took place in present-day Karnataka inspired by three philosophers, Basava , Madhvacharya and Ramanuja . While
7735-419: The emergence of Vedaranyam nose (the nose shaped stretch from Vedaranyam to Kodiyakarai) during the pleistocene period. Due to the rise of tertiary rocks in the Pattukottai – Mannargudi region and also due to the increase of sediments in the Vedaranyam area, the river migrated northwards. There is lesser marine activity in the Vedaranyam shore due to the presence of Vedaranyam nose in the north and Sri Lanka in
7854-405: The fertile Cauvery delta region , but salt extraction and prawn cultivation are the major occupations. Roadways are the major mode of transportation to Vedaranyam and the nearest Airport is Tiruchirapalli Airport , located 135 km (84 mi) away from the town. On 17 November 2018, Vedaranyam was devastated by Cyclone Gaja . Vetharanyam is named after Vedaranyeswarar, the presiding deity of
7973-492: The fertile areas north of the Kaveri delta in present-day Tamil Nadu . By the 13th century, they governed most of Karnataka, north-western Tamil Nadu and parts of western Andhra Pradesh in the Deccan Plateau . The Hoysala era was an important period in the development of South Indian art, architecture, and religion. The Kingdom is remembered today primarily for Hoysala architecture ; 100 surviving temples are scattered across Karnataka. Well-known temples which exhibit what
8092-559: The fishing community who resided close to the seashore. The damage impacted the fishing industry, as most of the boats were damaged by the inundation. The immediate aftermath created a lull in tourism. The district shares borders with Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal district of the union territory Puducherry . The district of Nagapattinam lies on the shores of the Bay of Bengal between latitude 10.7906 N and Longitude 79.8428 E an area of 1,397 square kilometres (539 sq mi). The District capital, Nagapattinam lies on
8211-411: The form of cash, from trade and commerce generated considerable wealth for the Hoysala state, and enabled it to buy armaments, elephants, horses and precious goods. The state and the merchant class became interdependent, with some more prosperous merchants being known as Rajasresthigal (royal merchants), officially recognised on account of their wealth. They were seen as puramulasthamba ('the pillars of
8330-406: The headquarters, were handed over to the East India Company . From 1799 to 1845 CE Nagapttinam was the headquarters of Tanjore district. Nagapattinam and Nagore were incorporated as a single municipality in 1866 CE. The town remained one of the chief ports to the Madras Presidency . The port suffered decline after the inclusion of Tranquebar and Tuticorin . The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
8449-468: The historian Sailendra Sen has called "an amazing display of sculptural exuberance" include the Chennakeshava Temple in Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebidu, and the Chennakesava Temple in Somanathapura. These three temples were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2023. The Hoysala rulers also patronised the fine arts, encouraging literature to flourish in Kannada and Sanskrit . Early inscriptions, dated 1078 and 1090, have implied that
8568-420: The king releases them and gives up the practice of human sacrifice. In honour of this work, Janna received the title "Emperor among poets" ( Kavichakravarthi ) from King Veera Ballala II. Rudrabhatta , a Smarta Brahmin, was the earliest well-known Brahminical writer. His patron was Chandramouli, a minister of King Veera Ballala II. Based on the earlier work Vishnu Purana , he wrote Jagannatha Vijaya in
8687-547: The king to the level of "God on earth". Temple building served a commercial as well as a religious function and was not limited to any particular sect of Hinduism. Shaiva merchants of Halebidu financed the construction of the Hoysaleswara temple to compete with the Chennakesava temple built at Belur, elevating Halebidu to an important city as well. Hoysala temples however were secular and encouraged pilgrims of all Hindu sects,
8806-678: The legends "victor at Nolambavadi" ( Nolambavadigonda ), "victor at Talakad" ( Talakadugonda ), "chief of the Malepas" ( Maleparolganda ), "Brave of Malepa" ( malapavira ) in Hoysala style Kannada script. Their gold coin was called Honnu or Gadyana and weighed 62 grains of gold. Pana or Hana was a tenth of the Honnu , Haga was a fourth of the Pana and Visa was fourth of Haga . There were other coins called Bele and Kani . The first Hoysala capital
8925-550: The locked temple. At this, on Tirugnanasambandar's request, Appar sang devotional hymns praising Shiva, after which the gates opened. Tirugnanasambandar's devotional hymns locked the gates again. The recorded history of Vedaranyam is found from the inscriptions in Vedaranyeswarar Temple. The inscriptions date from the reign of Aditya Chola (871–907), Rajaraja Chola I (985–1014), Rajendra Chola I (1012–1044) and Kulothunga Chola I (1070–1120) indicating various grants to
9044-644: The lord") The Hoysala administration supported itself through revenues from an agrarian economy. Land was assessed as being wet land, dry land or garden land for the purposes of taxation, and judged according to the quality of the soil. Taxes on commodities (gold, precious stones, perfumes, sandalwood, ropes, yarn, housing, hearths, shops, cattle pans, sugarcane presses) as well as produce (black pepper, betel leaves, ghee, paddy, spices, palm leaves, coconuts, sugar) are noted in village records. The Hoysalas encouraged people to move to newly-built villages by means of land grants and tax concessions. Taxes, collected in
9163-499: The margins. According to historian Sheldon Pollock, the Hoysala era saw the complete displacement of Sanskrit, with Kannada dominating as the courtly language. Temples served as local schools where learned Brahmins taught in Sanskrit, while Jain and Buddhist monasteries educated novice monks. Schools of higher learning were called Ghatikas . The local Kannada language was widely used in the rising number of devotional movements to express
9282-556: The marketplace, Nagara or Nagaram , the marketplace serving as the nuclei of a city. Some towns such as Shravanabelagola developed from a religious settlement in the 7th century to an important trading centre by the 12th century with the arrival of rich traders, while towns like Belur attained the atmosphere of a regal city when King Vishnuvardhana built the Chennakesava Temple there. Large temples supported by royal patronage served religious, social, and judiciary purposes, elevating
9401-526: The members of the royal family at all times. These servants moved closely yet inconspicuously by the side of their master, their loyalty being so complete that they committed suicide after his death. Hero stones ( virgal ) erected in memory of these bodyguards are called Garuda pillars. The Garuda pillar at the Hoysaleswara temple in Halebidu was erected in honor of Kuvara Lakshma, a minister and bodyguard of King Veera Ballala II. King Vishnuvardhana's coins had
9520-439: The name Nagappattinam engraved in Tamil letters. Under an agreement between the first Maratta King Egoji of Thanjavur and the Dutch, Naagappattinam and surrounding villages were handed over to the Dutch on 30 December 1676. In 1690, the capital of Dutch Coromandel moved from Pulicat to Nagapattinam. This town fell into the hands of the British in 1781 after the two naval battles between British and French fleets were fought off
9639-489: The northern one. The district has two Lok Sabha constituencies, namely Nagapattinam Lok Sabha constituency . The current Member of Parliament from the Nagapattinam constituency is M. Selvarasu from the CPI. There are a total of three legislative assembly constituencies in the district, namely, Kilvelur , Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam . Out of these Kilvelu constituencies is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC). Tourism plays
9758-430: The notable examples of Hoysala art. While the temples at Belur and Halebidu are the best known because of the beauty of their sculptures, the Hoysala art finds more complete expression in the smaller and lesser known temples. The outer walls of all these temples contain an intricate array of stone sculptures and horizontal friezes (decorative mouldings) that depict the Hindu epics. These depictions are generally clockwise in
9877-581: The origin of Lingayatism is debated, the movement grew through its association with Basava in the 12th century. Madhvacharya was critical of the teachings of Adi Shankara and argued the world is real and not an illusion. His Dvaita Vedanta gained popularity, enabling him to establish eight mathas in Udupi . Ramanuja, head of the Vaishnava monastery in Srirangam, preached the way of devotion ( bhakti marga ) and wrote
9996-482: The participation of women in the fine arts, such as Queen Shantala Devi's skill in dance and music, and the 12th-century vachana sahitya poet and Lingayati mystic Akka Mahadevi 's devotion to the bhakti movement is well known. Temple dancers ( Devadasi ) were common and some were well educated and accomplished in the arts. These qualifications gave them more freedom than other urban and rural women who were restricted to daily mundane tasks. The practice of sati in
10115-471: The place. According to another Hindu legend, Rama , the seventh avatar of god Vishnu , is believed to have visited Vedaranyam to absolve himself from sins committed in the war against the demon king Ravana . The footprints of Rama is preserved in a place called Ramar Padam near Vedaranyam. According to a Tamil legend, the Vedas locked the gates of the temple after worshipping Shiva. The Nayanmars (Saiva saints) Appar and Tirugnanasambandar could not enter
10234-529: The population respectively. The average literacy of the district was 75.04%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The district had a total of 413,837 households. There were a total of 671,994 workers, comprising 54,329 cultivators, 216,353 main agricultural labourers, 7,925 in household industries, 207,721 other workers, 185,666 marginal workers, 13,153 marginal cultivators, 128,704 marginal agricultural labourers, 3,630 marginal workers in household industries and 40,179 other marginal workers. The birth rate on
10353-453: The present-day site of Halebid . It became capital in 1062 and remained capital until the dynasty's end. The reason for the shift is unknown, but it may have been for administrative convenience. Canals were dug connecting Dwarasamudra with Belur and bringing water from the Yagachi to Dwarasamudra. Two trade routes passed through the city, and scores of temples were built in it. The city declined in
10472-502: The realm of folklore. Vishnuvardhana achieved a victory over the Cholas at Talakadu in 1116, and the legend may have arisen or gained popularity after this event, as the Hoysala emblem depicts Sala fighting a tiger, the tiger being the emblem of the Cholas. The Hoysalas originated from the Western Ghats , mountains north-west of Gangavadi in Mysore . They emerged as borderland chiefs during
10591-413: The region and occurrence of number of sand bodies. Modern day Vedaranyam has five fresh water channels from river Cauvery draining into the swamp. The total area of the swamp is about 349 km (135 sq mi), with 10 km (6.2 mi) width in the northwestern part and 6 km (3.7 mi) width in the western side. The Kodikarai wildlife reserve is located in the extreme eastern portion of
10710-529: The region are salt-manufacturing, fishing, salt water prawn culture and agriculture. Saltpans (crystallisers) are spread over 11,000 acres (45 km) along the coastline, including those of small, medium and large salt manufacturers. According to estimates, about 3.5 lakh tonnes of salt is produced annually in the region. The salt industry employs around 20,000 people. Some of the major private companies like Chemplast Sanmar , Vedaranyam Marine Products have salt manufacturing units in Vedaranyam. Salt manufacturing,
10829-491: The region. It is believed that 60 percent of the shrines were built by Hindus and historically the minaret has many domestic and international visitors. There are three other prominent mosques; one near Nagai Pudhur Road, one near the new bus stand and another at Moolakadai Street. Velankanni is a pilgrimage centre located 10 km (6.2 mi) from Nagapattinam. The town is known for the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health ,
10948-417: The ruler of that province ( Dandanayaka ). Under this local ruler were officials called Heggaddes and Gavundas who hired and supervised the local farmers and labourers recruited to till the land. Subordinate ruling clans such as Alupas continued to govern their respective territories while following the policies set by the empire. An elite and well-trained force of bodyguards known as Garudas protected
11067-447: The salt march during India's independence movement is another prominent landmark in Vedaranyam. The tourist destinations around the town are Ayurvedic Medicinal Forest, Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary located Point Calimere at a distance of 10 km (6.2 mi), Historical Light House, Ramar Paatham, Ettukudi Murugan temple located at a distance of 40 km (25 mi) and Our Lady of Good Health , Velankanni located at
11186-489: The shape of wealthy Buddhist monasteries . Although Sanskrit literature remained popular during the Hoysala rule, royal patronage of local Kannada scholars increased. In the 12th century some works were written in the Champu style, but distinctive Kannada metres became more widely accepted. The Sangatya metre used in compositions, Shatpadi (six line), tripadi (three line) metres in verses and ragale (lyrical poems) became fashionable. Jain works continued to extol
11305-399: The society became increasingly sophisticated. The status of women was varied. Some royal women were involved in administrative matters as shown in contemporary records describing Queen Umadevi's administration of Halebidu in the absence of Veera Ballala II during his long military campaigns in northern territories. She also fought and defeated some antagonistic feudal rebels . Records describe
11424-457: The south, both causing weak shore currents. The quality of ground water is poor compared to the northern shores of Tamil Nadu due to the presence of marine and semi-marine origin in sediments. The images from the satellite IRS 1A shows Thiruthuraipoondi was a coastal town (which is an inland in modern times) and the sea has regressed up to Vedaranyam in modern times. The analysis of backwaters from 1932 to 1992 indicates considerable enlargement in
11543-446: The state and central governments. The Collector is also the head of various committees formed at the district level for the various central and state government schemes. There are 32 districts in Tamil Nadu, each divided for revenue administration purposes into revenue divisions , which are further divided into Talukas . Each of these Talukas has a list of revenue villages and is headed by a Tahsildar. Developmental administration of
11662-483: The state. The Hoysalas put resources into repairing breached tanks and broken sluices , easily damaged by heavy rainfall. They collected taxes on irrigation systems, canals and wells, all of which were built and maintained at the expense of local villagers. Repairs were undertaken by the landlords as well as their workers; such repairs were considered to be a duty and a pious act. Importing horses for use as general transportation and in army cavalries of Indian Kingdoms
11781-500: The swamp. The northern tip of the swamp obtains continuous source of fresh, saline or brackish water during the south west monsoon and dries up during the summer season. The swamp is used for salt extraction and other marine-based industries. The swamps are filled by two periodical high tides that occur during the full moon days of May and June. The swamp along with the sanctuary is the important wintering and staging area for waders and water birds. According to 2011 census , Vedaranyam had
11900-454: The temple. Paranjothi Munivar, a 13th-century saint, who wrote the book Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam , was born at Vedaranyam. Vedaranyam continued to be a part of the Chola Empire and the Chola region emerged as a centre of Saivism during the reign of Kulothunga Chola I (1070–1120). After the fall of Cholas during the reign of Rajendra Chola III in the 13th century, the erstwhile Chola region
12019-466: The temples are classified as Saptha Vidangam , meaning temples with the seven dance moves. The twin festivals celebrated during the full moon days of Tamil month Adi (July – August) and Thai (January – February) attract large number of pilgrims from whole of Tamil Nadu. Pilgrims take a holy dip in the seashore round the year and the holy dip is considered similar to the worship practises at Rameswaram . The Salt Sathyagraga Memorial Stupe built in memory of
12138-594: The town emerged as an important port. Nagapattinam district was an important region of the Chola kingdom . There are urn burials in and around the city from the Sangam period indicating some level of human habitation. The neighbouring port, Kaveripoompattinam (modern day Poompuhar), was the capital of the Chola kingdom of the Sangam Age, referred to widely in Tamil scriptures like Paṭṭiṉappālai . The early works of Tevaram by
12257-560: The town every day. Vedaranyam municipality does not have underground drainage system and the current sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks and public conveniences. Vedaranyam comes under the Nagapattinam Telecom circle of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Apart from telecom, BSNL also provides broadband internet service There
12376-432: The town. In 1658, the Dutch established an agreement with King Vijaya Nayakkar of Thanjavur on 5 January 1662. Ten villages were transferred from the Portuguese to the Dutch – Nagappattinam Port, Puthur, Muttam, Poruvalancheri, Anthanappettai, Karureppankadu, AzhingiMangalam, Sangamangalam, Thiruthinamangalam, Manjakollai, Nariyankudi. Ten Christian churches and a hospital were built by the Dutch. They also released coins with
12495-530: The town. The nearest Airport is Tiruchirapalli Airport , located 135 km (84 mi) away from Vedaranyam. Vedaranyam has three elementary schools, three middle schools, four high schools and three higher secondary schools. The Bharathidasan University started the Bharthidasan University Model College in 2011, the first government college in the town. The college offers arts and science related courses. Electricity supply to Vedaranyam
12614-413: The towns'). The increased prosperity and prestige of some merchants encouraged them to open markets and weekly fairs, with some becoming Pattanaswami (town administrators), who had the authority to collect tolls on goods that entered the town. Merchants engaged in minting activities, sometimes producing the coins and supplying them to the state. Tanks (large reservoirs) were created at the expense of
12733-612: The traditional direction of circumambulation ( pradakshina ). The temple of Halebidu has been described as an outstanding example of Hindu architecture and an important milestone in Indian architecture. The temples of Belur and Halebidu are a proposed UNESCO world heritage sites . The support of the Hoysala rulers for the Kannada language was strong, and this is seen even in their epigraphs , often written in polished and poetic language, rather than prose, with illustrations of floral designs in
12852-417: The traditional occupation of the town, has been overshadowed by prawn cultivation since the 90s. All major nationalized banks such as Indian Bank , Canara Bank and Indian Overseas Bank and private banks like City Union Bank have their branches in Vedaranyam. Vedaranyam is administered by a second grade municipality. It was originally declared a third grade municipality on 28 August 2004 and promoted to
12971-611: The use of Soapstone (Chloritic schist), a soft stone as basic building and sculptural material. The Chennakesava Temple at Belur (1117), the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu (1121), the Chennakesava Temple at Somanathapura (1279), the temples at Arasikere (1220), Amruthapura (1196), Belavadi (1200), Nuggehalli (1246), Hosaholalu (1250), Aralaguppe (1250), Korvangla (1173), Haranhalli (1235), Mosale and Basaralu (1234) are some of
13090-453: The virtues of Tirthankaras (Jain saviour figures). The Hoysala court supported such notable poets as Janna , Rudrabhatta, Harihara and his nephew Raghavanka, whose works are enduring masterpieces in Kannada. In 1209, the Jain scholar Janna wrote Yashodharacharite , the story of a king who intends to perform a ritual sacrifice of two young boys to a local deity, Mariamma. Taking pity on the boys,
13209-469: Was Sosavur (also called Sasakapura, Sosevuru, or Sosavurpattana), at present-day Angadi in Chikmagalur district . Sosavur was the Hoysala capital from 1026 to 1048. Even after the capital was moved, though, Sosavur remained an important commercial and administrative centre, as well as a Jain religious centre. In 1048, the Hoysala capital was moved to Belur . Several factors made Belur an attractive site as
13328-539: Was a flourishing business on the western seaboard. Song dynasty records from China mention the presence of Indian merchants in ports of South China, indicating active trade with overseas Kingdoms. South India exported textiles, spices, medicinal plants, precious stones, pottery, salt made from salt pans, jewels, gold, ivory, rhino horn, ebony , aloe wood , perfumes, sandalwood , camphor and condiments to China, Dhofar , Aden , and Siraf (the entryport to Egypt, Arabia and Persia ). In its administrative practices,
13447-454: Was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra , Indonesia, triggering a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean. Nagapattinam was one of the regions severely affected in Tamil Nadu, accounting for 6,064 of the 8,009 casualties in the state, predominantly from
13566-506: Was caught under a power struggle between Pandyas and Hoysalas . The royal patronage continued to the temple during the rule of the Nayaks . The Negapatam region (modern day Nagapattinam district) was briefly captured by French troops led by Lally (1702–66) in 1759. The Tanjore district was annexed by British after the French failed to subdue the king of Tanjore. During the British period, Vedaranyam
13685-501: Was held by the Indian National Congress for five times during 1957–1961, 1962–67, 1967–71, 1991–96, and 1996–98 elections. CPI won the seat for 5 times during 1971–77, 1977–80, 1989–91, 1996–98 and 1998 elections. DMK won 4 times during 1980–84, 1999–2004, 2004–09 and 2011 elections. ADMK won the seat once during 1984–89. Law and order in Vedaranyam is maintained by the Nagapattinam sub division of Tamil Nadu Police headed by
13804-641: Was killed at the battle of Madurai in 1343, and the sovereign territories of the Hoysala Kingdom were merged with the areas administered by Harihara I in the Tungabhadra River region. This new Hindu Kingdom resisted the northern invasions and would later prosper and come to be known as the Vijayanagara Empire . The empire consisted of the valleys of three main rivers, the Krishna , the Tungabhadra, and
13923-474: Was one of the important ports. Ptolemy refers to Nagapattinam as Nikam and mentions it as one of the most important trade centres of the ancient Tamil country . This view is doubtful as there is no contemporary evidence to prove the existence of the town as a metropolis in the name of "Nikama" or "Nikam". Nagapattinam was referred to by early writers and the Portuguese as "the city of Coromandel ". The place
14042-558: Was part of Thiruthuraipoondi Taluk under Tanjore district. Salt from Vedaranyam was transported to Nagapttinam port through a 32 mi (51 km) long canal. The channel was constructed in 1869 because road transportation facilities between these two towns were limited. During India's independence struggle, Gandhi launched the Dandi March along India's west coast to protest against the sales tax levied on salt extraction. His close associate C. Rajagopalachari , who would later become independent India's first Governor-General , carried out
14161-432: Was reclaimed, and new settlements were established. Large areas of forest were cleared to bring lands under cultivation and build villages. The Hoysala kings gave grants of land as rewards for service to the heads of families, who then became landlords ( gavunda ) to tenants who worked on the land and in the forests. The praja gavunda ("the gavunda of the people") had a lower status than the wealthier prabhu gavunda ("of
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