Introduction
Ariyalur district is one of the districts of the Tamil Nadu state in India. This district came into existence by the bifurcation of Perambalur. It is bounded on the northern side by Cuddalore, on the South by Thanjavur, on the East by Cuddalore and Thanjavur and on the West by Perambalur and the Tiruchirapalli districts. This is a new district of the state of Tamil Nadu which started functioning from the 23rd of November 2007.
History of Ariyalur District
History of Ariyalur district describes the rule of the Marathas and also the reign of the great Muslim ruler Tipu Sultan. This district came into existence by the bifurcation of the Perambalur district and it started functioning as a separate district from the 23rd of November 2007. The district of Ariyalur is bordered by Cuddalore in the North, Thanjavur in the South, Cuddalore and Thanjavur in the East and Perambalur and Tiruchirapalli districts in the west. The Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu state comprises of two divisions called the Ariyalur and Udayarpalayam. It has also three taluks know as Ariyalur, Sendurai and Udayarpalayam and six blocks.
The Marathas invaded Tiruchirappalli in the year 1741 and imprisoned Chanda Saheb, but Chanda Saheb got himself freed and in the year 1748 involved himself in a great war for the Nawab`s place in the Carnatic against Anwardeen, the Nawab of Arcot and his son Mohammed Ali. Mohammed Ali took over the two palayams of Ariyalur and Udayarpalayam, located with troops in the Ariyalur district on the grounds of default in payment of tributes and not able to assist him in crushing the rebellion of Yusuf Khan.
In the month of November 1764, Mohammed Ali represented the issue to Madras Council and got the military assistance on the 3rd of January 1765. Umdat-Ul-Umara and Donald Campbell entered Ariyalur along with the forces and captured it. The young Poligar and his followers escaped to Udayarpalayam. On 19th January the army marched upon Udayarpalayam and there the Poligar`s troops were defeated and the palayams were occupied. The two poligars fled and took shelter in Tharangampadi, a Danish settlement at that time. The seizure of the palayam gave the Navab undisputed possession of all his territories extending Arcot to Tiruchirapalli.
Thus, the history of Ariyalur followed a power struggle between Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan with the British. After the death of Tipu Sultan, the English took over the civil and military administration of the Carnatic in their hands in the year 1801. Thus Tiruchirappalli became a part of the British-ruled India and the district was formed in 1801. The Tiruchirappalli district was trifurcated in the year 1995 and the Perambalur and Karur district were formed. Perambalur district was further divided into Perambalur and Ariyalur district in the year 2001 and merged with Perambalur in the year 2002. Then the district of Ariyalur got bifurcated from Perambalur and started to function as a new district from 23rd November 2007.
Geography of Ariyalur District
Ariyalur district is centrally located in the state of Tamil Nadu and is about two hundred and sixty five kilometers away in southern direction from Chennai. This district has an area of one thousand nine hundred and forty nine square kilometers. It is an inland district without any coastal line. The Ariyalur district has the Vellar River in the North and Kollidam River in the South and it has no well-marked natural divisions. Sugarcane is the main cash crop grown in the district of Ariyalur. There is one private sugar factory near Keelapalur which is functioning in the district with a capacity of crushing three thousand tones of Sugarcane per day. Another major crop grown in this district is cashew. The pre-dominate soil of this district is red sanding with scattered packers of black soil. The soil is very much suitable for raising dry crops. The district experiences a high means of temperature and low degree of humidity.
Temples of Ariyalur District
The temples of Ariyalur District in Tamil Nadu are famous for Chola architecture and temple celebrations. Ariyalur district is one of the major districts of Tamil Nadu. The temples of Ariyalur District echo the memories of the past. The region has been laden with history, temple, art and architecture. The temples of Ariyalur District are famous for fossils.
Ariyalur is best known for the Kaliyaperumaal Temple situated at 5 km from Ariyalur. The famous Kangaikonda cholapuram is located very close to it. This town is famous for the temple, which was built by the King Rajendra Cholan of Chola`s Empire. Puraittasi Saturdays is the main attraction of this temple. In the month Puraittasi (September), special Pujas, Arathanai, abhishekams are held on the four Saturdays to the main deity. The 10-day Car Festival (March/April) is another key event, which draws a large number of people from far and near.
Tourism in Ariyalur District
Tourism in Ariyalur district comprises some of the famous temples, a church, bird sanctuary and a number of beautiful natural settings. The Vaithiyanatha Swamy temple at Thirumazhapadi, Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal Kovil at Kallankurichi and Siva Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram are the important holy places for the Hindus. Elakurichi, which is thirty two kilometers away from Ariyalur, is well-known for the Church constructed by the famous Catholic Missionary Constantino Joseph Besky popularly known as Veerama Munivar.
The Gandaikonda Cholapuram Siva temple is one of the most prominent temples in the district of Ariyalur which was constructed by Rajendra Chola-I, the son of the Great Rajaraja Chola-I. He erected this temple after his victorious march to the river Ganges on Northern India. He was previously known as Madurantakan, but later he assumed the title of Rajendra during his coronation and went on to rule along with his father Rajaraja-I for a while. The temples in the district of Ariyalur form the best destinations in the Tamil Nadu state where pilgrims in large numbers visit from different parts of the state and also from other parts of India.
The Gandaikonda Cholapuram Siva temple constructed by Rajendra Chola I comprises of three stories and surrounded by a huge fort like wall. The outer wall was severely destructed during the English rule in order to reuse the building material for the construction of the Lower Anicut, the dam across Kollidam River. He constructed about ten temples at a number of places. Rajendra-I assumed the title of Gangaikonda Cholan and named his new capital as Gangaikondacholapuram and he also constructed a large lake known as Chola Gangam which spreads over twenty two kilometers mainly used for drinking and irrigation. A statue of Rajendra-I is also found in Kolaram temple at Kolar District of Karnataka state in India.
The famous monument at Gangai Konda Cholapuram, the second Pragadeeswar Temple speaks of the imperial dignity of the capital that Rajendra, the son of Raja Raja established after his victorious march to North East India up to the Ganga River. The Vettakudi Karaivetti tank located at a distance of twenty two kilometers, East of Ariyalur in Thirumanur block is a water refuge for a number of migratory birds and some migratory species visit this tank every year from December to March in large congregation. Visiting this district of Tamil Nadu is very convenient with the Ariyalur Railway station which connects this district to Madurai, Tuticorin, Chennai and Thirunelveli.
Another major temple in the Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu is the Sri Kaliuga Varatharaja Perumaal temple. It is one of the major attractions of the district. This temple is located at a distance of about five kilometres from Ariyalur. It is known for its well-known `car festival` which is conducted every year during the month of March-April. This car festival is grandly celebrated by the people of this district every year. It is a ten day long festival in the district of Ariyalur. The festival commences with the day of `Srinavami` in the month of Chithirai or Panguni which is from the month of March to April. The grand event of Eganthem Sevai for Varatharajapermual is on the tenth day of the festival. The temple is also known for the Puraittasi Saturdays. Every year in the month of `Puraittasi` or September, special pujas are performed on the four Saturdays.
Thirumazhapadi is a place which is on the bank of the River Kollidam which is the branch of the Kaveri River. This region was previously the region of the Chola Dynasty. The entire surrounding is filled with paddy and sugarcane fields. The renowned Siva temple is situated in Thirumazhapadi and it is known as Sri Vaithiyanatha Samy Koil.
Another major attraction in the district of Ariyalur is the Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary. It is located at a distance of about sixty five kilometres from Tiruchirappalli and about thirty five kilometres to the north of Thanjavur. This bird sanctuary spreads over an area of over four hundred and fifty four hectares. Water birds congregate in this place during the month of November to February. About fifty species of resident and migratory birds are recorded to visit this area. The list of birds includes varieties of stork, heron, pelicans, darter, egrets, ibis, coot, cormorants, terns, kingfisher, plovers etc. Apart from this, there is also a church at Elakurichi. Elakurichi is thirty two kilometres away from Ariyalur. The church at Elakurichi was constructed by the famous Catholic Missionary Constantino Joseph Besky famously known as Veerama Munivar.
