T.Kallupatti

T.Kallupatti is a panchayat town in the Madurai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

T.Kallupatti
Panchayat town
T.Kallupatti
Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates: 9.75°N 77.89°E / 9.75; 77.89
Country India
StateTamil Nadu
DistrictMadurai
Government
 • Chairmanvacant
Population
 (2011)
 • Total10,762
Languages
 • OfficialTamil
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
625 702
Telephone code04549
Sex ratio1000-1001 ♂/♀

Ancient history and archaeological findings

Archaeological excavations conducted in 1977 by the Archaeological Survey of India in the Upper Gundar Basin discovered Iron Age historical remains in T.Kallupatti. The early history of the region can be dated back to the fifth century A.D. T.Kallupatti and Chinnakattalai are among the few places in South India with Iron Age historical remains of copper and gold. The findings of the investigation were reported by the Journal for South Asian Studies.[1] The region also features in the book Distinctive Beads in Ancient India.[2]

Demographics

According to the 2011 Indian census,[3] T.Kallupatti had a population of 10,762. Males constituted 51% of population and females 49%. Then, T.Kallupatti had an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy was 75% and female literacy was 64%. By 2019, the literacy rate had increased to 86.5%.[4] In T.Kallupatti, 11% of the population was under six years of age in 2011. At 25,000, the floating population is high for a rural town.

Geography

T.Kallupatti is at the crossroads of the highways connecting Madurai to Rajapalayam, and Virudhunagar to Theni. Due to this, it is considered a rural hub. The Western Ghats reach to the western, northeastern and southwestern sides of the town. Due to its proximity to the Western Ghats, the town has a cooler average temperature than that of the city of Madurai and other eastern areas.[5]

Towns with initials: the concept of a mother village

The town has an initial similar to that of a person, something which is, in fact, a common feature of towns in Southern Tamil Nadu. The initial for Kallupatti comes from the name of the mother village from which it derives its existence. The form is similar to that between a mother and her children, a convention which was a feature of the original Tamil culture for years. T.Kallupatti's mother village is Devankuruchi (spelled as Thevankurichi), a small village on the road towards Peraiyur. The Devankurichi hill is a symbol of spirituality, one which is visible while driving near to T.Kallupatti. Many people throng to the Agneeswaran Temple of Devankurichi in order to perform the last rites of those who are dead and so it is equated to Kasi.[6]

Community

T.Kallupatti is a symbol of mixed culture.

All communities contribute equally to the total population of the town and the people of Kallupatti live in harmony, which is not the case in other villages of south Tamil Nadu, where caste-related violence is common.

The Brahmin population has been eroded, though they were once dominant in the community.

The Christian population in the town has increased recently to a significant number. Dalits of the area are well educated and settled except for a small group.

Notable locations within this historical place include Eazhoor (seven villages); the Muthalamman Temple; the Devankurichi Temple; the Gandhi Niketan Ashram; the Rural Extension Training Centre (RETC) and the District Institutions of Education and Training (called the teacher-training school),[7] along with government hospitals, etc.

Before Indian independence, T.Kallupatti acted as a hub for meetings and discussions among freedom fighters. The town was visited by many national freedom fighters and political leaders.

Temples and festivals

The Madurai District has an endless list of towns with special religious practices and T.Kallupatti is not far behind in this regard. Among the nearby temples are:

  • The Agneeswaran(SHIVA LINGA) Umadevi (PARVATHI) hill temple at Easwaraberi Thevanturichi.
  • The Muthalamman (Women Goddess) Temple Festival: a famous Temple Festival celebrated once in two years between seven villages around T.Kallupatti.[8] It is one of the rare festivals which does nor have any caste issues and for which everyone comes together to help the celebrations. This is a major shift from the caste-related violence during the Temple festivals in Tamil Nadu and the Southern districts in particular. The festival involves each of the seven villages preparing their own Sapparam for their goddess. Vannivelampatti comes close to competing with T.Kallupatti Sapparam in terms of importance. The festival comes a few days before or after Deepavali.
  • The Mariamman Temple Festival is a yearly festival involving Tamil traditions. Women take Mulaipari during the festival.[9][10]
  • The Solapatti Karuppaswamy Temple: Telugu and Tamil communities make offerings on a regular basis to the Karuppaswamy temple.
  • Ugadi (The Telugu New year) is also celebrated with the same fanfare as with other Tamil festivals and Telugu communities have local deities which they share with Tamil communities.

Karaikeni Padukalam

Karaikeni is a small village where the Padukalam is celebrated by many villages coming together to have different war-like activities. The history of this practice goes back over five hundred years to when the Karaikeni ruler Arasuthevar decided to resolve a dispute between two other small rulers. His decision was that there should be a military contest to decide the winner. One of the rulers and his army was destroyed but one warrior escaped. His descendants come together every two years to celebrate this festival. Now the festival involves a fight between groups dressed in typical, traditional Tamil garb, which includes the Silambu.[11][12]

Languages

Gandhiniketan Ashram

An important place to visit in T.Kallupatti is the Gandhiniketan Ashram. When one travels from Madurai in Tamil Nadu along the highway leading to Coutrallam, past the famous waterfalls, what comes strikingly into view at the fortieth kilometre is the Gandhi Niketan Ashram: one of the few surviving Gandhian Institutions in India, still vibrant with Gandhian thoughts and ideals. On entering the campus of this institution, which is located in a sprawling 40 acres of land, one can feel the peace and tranquility that pervades the place.

Formation

Gandhi Niketan Ashram, which has a long history and rich tradition behind it, is the brain-child of Freedom fighter G. Venkatachalapathy ("The Architect of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Movement in Tamil Nadu") and was started in 1940 to help create an independent India and reconstruct the type of rural India envisioned by Mohandas K. Gandhi.

After independence

After India attained independence in 1947, the Gandhi Niketan Ashram was involved in areas like community development, panchayati raj, and khadi and village industries. Development officials and activists from all over India were trained here to work at a grassroots level. The Ashram also played a key role in the Bhoodan movement spearheaded by Acharya Vinoba Bhave.

Martin Luther King, Jr., the Nobel laureate and civil rights leader of America, visited the founder of the Madras twice and obtained a first-hand account of the experiences of Venkatachalapathy in organizing Satyagraha and constructive programmes. E. F. Schumacher, one of the founders of the Green Movement in the west and renowned author of the book Small is Beautiful visited the Ashram in 1962 and obtained valuable insights into the areas of appropriate technology for the benefit of the rural poor. Schumacher was later seen as an adviser for the Indian planning commission in the early 1970s.

Objectives
  • To implement the Gandhian vision of Gram Swaraj by promoting constructive training, demonstration and development programmes.
  • To enable the villagers to produce their own clothing by spinning and weaving with hand-spun yarn.
  • To promote an appropriate educational system suited to rural realities based on the Gandhian concept of Basic Education.
  • To eradicate the evil of untouchability and to propagate Adult Literacy.
  • To train rural people to keep their villages clean.
  • To improve agricultural practices and to teach villagers to produce nutritive food grains.
  • To educate people on the dangers of alcoholism and wean them away from liquor.
  • To achieve all of the above in order to create a village reconstruction army.

e-Learning at Gandhiniketan Ashram

An ambitious programme to introduce computer-aided learning and interactive curriculum support in 1,000 rural schools in the country was launched here in 2008. The e-learning/digital content programme was launched by former President A P J Abdul Kalam at the Gandhi Niketan Ashram School. The initiative helps students clarify their doubts while sitting in their class. Schools are given the infrastructure required for IT-based education which includes animation and interactive tools for various projects at the high/higher secondary school level. [13]

Public administration and rural development

The T.Kallupatti Block comprises about 42 Villages and is one of the more effectively administered rural blocks of the state. There is 100% electricity coverage in all villages. Protected Water Supply is available in all villages under the Block. The Male to Female Ratio is 1000–1001, which shows a major shift from Usilampatti Block (just 20 km away) where female infanticide is high. Forty-four per cent of women are employed, which constitutes a diverse workforce. Sixty-five per cent depend on agriculture. MicroFinance and illegal money lending are uncommon in the Block as there are 15 Agriculture Cooperative Banks. All 42 Villages are Panchayats and 39 of the 42 are Revenue Villages. There are 88 Child Welfare Centres with most of them concentrated in the town of T.Kallupatti and these are well connected by village roads. Although Peraiyur is the Taluk, the Central Location of T.Kallupatti and its being on the NH 208 provided it with an advantage in development and so Peraiyur comes under the T.Kallupatti block as a revenue firka.

T.Kallupatti Block
Density of population per km2319
Percentage of urban population to total Population22.69
Number of females per 1000 males1001
Percentage of workers to total population51.12
Percentage of female workers to total workers44.24
Percentage of agricultural workers to total workers67.46
Percentage of gross cropped area to net area sown99.54
Bovine population per km250.23
Percentage of villages electrified100%
Percentage of villages covered by prot. water supply100%
No. of police stations3
No. of noon meal centres88

[14]

Sustainable development

At T. Kallupatti, 35 street lights, seven sodium vapour lamps at a bus stand, and a motor pumpset of 7.5 horsepower used for an overhead tank are powered by a biomass gasifier unit. The unit of 12 KVA (kilovolt ampere) generates 220 units a day at a mere Rs.500. The bus stand and a nearby park are lit up round the clock, even in times of load shedding.

Biomass power generation method

The unit is fuelled completely by Julia Flora, a plant known as Seemakaruvellai (Thorny tree). A feasibility study for the project showed that the plant was available in abundance in the locality. This was critical to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project. Self-help groups supply the wood, which is dried in the sun for 10 days and then chopped into pieces. The progress of the unit is closely monitored. The advantages of biomass power generation method include:

  • Reduction in the emission of carbon and in soil erosion.
  • Provision of a means of restoring degraded land.
  • Reuse of residues from the raw materials of wood, bagasse, rice husk and other agricultural materials. These can be used to generate heat and electricity for agricultural and industrial processes.
  • Short-rotation of wood species, including casuarina, which is used to fuel the biomass units.

By harvesting crop in rotation, a standing plantation of 250 hectares will grow 10,000 tonnes of casuarina, which is sufficient to generate 1 megawatt. A 2,500-hectare casuarina energy plantation could support a plant of 10-12 MW.

[15]

Police station

T.Kallupatti police stations are present in mother villages and in hamlets under each mother village. There are 15 mother villages. [16]

Electricity

T.Kallupatti has a substation of TNEB which supplies electricity to the town and nearby villages. The capacity of this plant was upgraded in 2010.[17]

Transportation

By road

The town is well connected by National Highway 208 (India) as far as Thirumangalam where it joins with National Highway 7 (India) to Madurai in the North. The NH208 runs via Rajapalayam until it reaches Kollam(Kerala) in the south. All buses to Rajapalayam and Tenkasi run through the town and it is the route for Srivilliputhur, Courtallam, Ayyappa Temple in Pamba and southern Kerala Towns including Trivandrum via Shencottah.[5]

By rail

The nearest Railway Stations are kalligudi (13.64 km&8.48 mile) Thirumangalam (18 km) and Virudhunagar (27 km)

Economy

Agriculture is the highest grossing industry in and around T.Kallupatti. Cucumber cultivation yields the most revenue along with other seasonal crops. Cucumber sales can be seen when vehicles cross the town and stop near the Bus Station.[18]

Cotton is a major crop here due to the presence of extensive black cotton soil. This has contributed to the rise of more textile industries in the area. Rice is cultivated in the western side of the town and the block. Due to the presence of black soil there is also a high level of Groundnut cultivation.

The Institute for Village Industries

The Dr. J.C. Kumarappa Institute of Rural Technology and Development at T. Kallupatti (an institutional training centre of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)), provided training in a variety of skills. It offer: six-months training in footwear and leather goods manufacturing; five-months training in tailoring and embroidery; four-months training in the servicing of electronics and electrical appliances; three-months training in welding and fabrication, fancy leather and resin-goods making, motor winding, cutting and tailoring; two-months training in exercise book manufacturing, toilet and laundry soap making, handmade paper conversion (notebooks, file, cover, carry bag, etc.) and fruit and vegetable processing; one-month training in spices and masala making, detergent cake making; two-week training in screen printing; week-long training in cleaning powder making, detergent powder, fruit jam, squash and pickle-making, and four-day training in bio manure and vermin-compost. From 2011, this institute was closed by the administration of the Gandhi nekaten ashram.[19]

Recent industrialisation

T.Kallupatti is at the centre of the Madurai-Rajapalayam belt of textile industries. These textile mills arose because of the extremely rich black soil deposits in and around Kallupatti, which favours cotton cultivation in large volumes. Textile industries (weaving mills, spinning mills, dyeing units), handlooms, handicrafts and factories have grown around T.Kallupatti, leading to a large number of jobs for men and women. This is due to the cheap labour around the town. Textile mills from Rajapalayam have opened their units in the vicinity. The subsequent availability of jobs for women accounts for more than 40% jobs for women, with the Chennai-based ROPE company providing training and job opportunities for women.

Major employers include:

  • Vee Bee Textile Mills
  • Small-Scale Industrial units in Gandhi Niketan, including leather factories.
  • Khadi Units.
  • M/s. Rope Enterprises (p) Ltd.
  • M/s. Rope Artisans and crafts foundation.

[13]

Banking

[20]

  • 15 Primary Agricultural Co-operative Banks.
  • 2 Scheduled Banks
  • 5 Nationalised Banks

[14]

Rural industrial service centre

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission has a rural industrial service centre here. There are only three centres like this. The other two centres are in Chennai and Madurai. The cells guide budding entrepreneurs to set up industries in rural areas. This free service gives a boost to the rural employment-generation programme of the KVIC .[21]

Teachers' hub

Kallupatti has a high literacy rate. There are a number of villages surrounding Kallupatti and every village has a government primary school or high school or higher-secondary school. Most of the teachers working in these villages are resident at Kallupatti. Kallupatti is well connected to all these villages by good roads. The government provides a regular bus service from Kallupatti for the schools, so it is easy for the teaching population to go to the village schools in the morning and reach home in the evening.

Education

Higher secondary schools
  • Gandhi Niketan Higher Secondary School. Students wear the traditional Khadi dress and the institution educates almost 80% of the students in the union and villages. The school is part of the ECO CLUB and is evaluated as part of the National Green Corps.[21]
  • GOVT. Higher Secondary School.
  • M.S.R. Matriculation Higher Secondary School, run by Dr.R.Muthukrishnan.
  • Lord Venkateshwara Matriculation Higher Secondary School

[22]

Primary and middle schools
  • Jaya Nursery English School, started in 1990

[23] [24]

Colleges
  • DIET" Government Teacher Training College
  • MSR Teacher Training Centre
  • Sri Nagalakshmi Ammal College of sciences

Educational district

T.Kallupatti comes under the Usilampatti Educational District.[25]

Politics

T.Kallupati comes under the Tirumangalam (State Assembly Constituency) (Madurai). The parliamentary constituency is that of the Virudhunagar (Lok Sabha constituency). T.Kallupatti also has Seva Groups for each community. These include Perarasar Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar Sangam, Ambalakarar Peravai, Karana Maravar Seva Sangam, All Telugu Sangam and branches of AITUC.

Current Representations:

Sedapatti R. Muthiah

A prominent leader from this region is R. Muthiah. From 1991–6, R. Muthiah was the Former Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker while part of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). He was also the Union Minister for Surface Transport in the NDA Government led by A.B. Vajpayee. He later joined Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).[27]

Mr. Muthiah was elected for Sedappatti as a Member of Legislative Assembly for five terms. He was instrumental in the development of a large number of villages and brought efficient rural administration by forming the Peraiyur Taluk and T.Kallupatti Union. Many village roads connecting to T.Kallupatti were developed. Government schools were started in many villages and health care was provided to almost all villages.[28]

Healthcare

There are many private hospitals at Kallupatti along with a Government primary health centre. The major hospitals are the Semanthi Clinic run by (Dr. J.Mahendra Varman), Srinivas clinic (run by Dr R.Muthukrishnan), the Sugam clinic run by Dr Thanga Ram, the Seva clinic, the Jeyam nursing home, the Lakshmi clinic, the Vanaraj clinic and the Suga Nivas clinic of Kallikudi road run by Dr Geetha. An NGO called the Nagar Nala Committee operates in the town, providing a Free Eye Camp on the last Saturday of every month in association with Aravindh Eye Hospital Madurai. This is organised by its secretary, Thiru. N. Rajagopal Ayya. By 2016, the organisation had completed more than 200 camps.

Community centers and marriage halls
  • Ayyanar Kalyana Mandapam
  • Town Panchayat community center
  • Kammavar Mahal
  • Lakshmi Mahal
  • K.K.S.S Mahal

References
  1. "South Asian Studies: Journal of the Society for South Asian Studies ... - Google Books". Books.google.com. 29 August 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  2. "Distinctive Beads in Ancient India - Google Books". Books.google.com. 1 January 2000. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  3. http://www.census2011.co.in/data/town/803751-t-kallupatti-tamil-nadu.html
  4. "T.kallupatti Ward No 01 - 2019". Census Population 2015 Data. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  5. "Google Maps". Maps.google.com. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  6. "родрпЗро╡ройрпНроХрпБро▒ро┐роЪрпНроЪро┐ – роЪро┐ро▒рпБрооро▓рпИропро┐ро▓рпН рокрпЖро░рпБроирпНродрпЖропрпНро╡роЩрпНроХро│рпН | родрооро┐ро┤рпНро╣ро┐роирпНродрпБ". Tamilhindu.com. 22 February 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  7. "Diet roles and functions". WikiEducator. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  8. "ஏழு ஊர் அம்மன் திருவிழா: லட்சக்கணக்கான பக்தர்கள் திரண்டனர்". Dinamalar. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  9. Aadi Perukku#Mulaipari and Adiperukku
  10. "முத்தாலம்மன் பொங்கல் | தமிழ்ஹிந்து". Tamilhindu.com. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  11. Published: Saturday, 28 February 2009, 14:22 [IST] (28 February 2009). "இது படுகள திருவிழா..! | Unique festival near Madurai, மதுரை அருகே நடக்கும் படுகள திருவிழா - Tamil Oneindia". Thatstamil.oneindia.in. Retrieved 1 December 2016.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. "Madurai - T Kallupatti Block". Madurai.tn.nic.in. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  15. "Archive News". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. "Archive News". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  18. "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". 17 July 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  19. "Training in village industries from Nov 9". The Hindu. 29 October 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  20. "IOB - Branch Information". Iob.in. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  21. "Rural industries consultancy service cells inaugurated". The Hindu. 13 January 2004. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  22. "Archive News". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  23. "Welcome to Madurai - Schools". Madurai.tn.nic.in. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  24. http://wserver1.tn.nic.in:8080/tpanchayat/data/1264824241647~MAJOR%20EDUCATIONAL%20INSTITUTIONS.pdf%5B%5D
  25. http://www.pallikalvi.in/Schools
  26. http://www.tn.gov.in/government/loksaba?page=1
  27. http://www.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19980409/09950294.html%5B%5D
  28. http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/10/stories/2006041015980700.htm
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