Manamadurai | |
Settlement Type: | Municipality |
Pushpin Map: | India Tamil Nadu |
Pushpin Label Position: | right |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Mananadurai, Tamil Nadu |
Coordinates: | 9.689°N 78.4581°W |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | India |
Subdivision Type1: | State |
Subdivision Type2: | District |
Subdivision Name1: | Tamil Nadu |
Subdivision Name2: | Sivaganga district |
Established Date: | 1912 |
Government Type: | Municipal Taluk |
Governing Body: | Municipality |
Unit Pref: | Metric |
Population Total: | 2,07,223 (2011 Population Census) |
Population Density Km2: | 296 |
Population Urban: | 56,811 |
Elevation M: | 90 |
Population Rural: | 1,50,412 |
Population Blank2 Title: | Sister town |
Population Blank2: | Thiruppuvanam |
Demographics Type1: | Languages |
Demographics1 Title1: | Official (Tamil, English) |
Timezone1: | IST |
Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
Postal Code Type: | PIN |
Postal Code: | 630 606 (Manamadurai Head post office) |
Area Code: | 04574 |
Area Code Type: | Manamadurai Town Area code |
Registration Plate: | TN 63 (Sivagangai RTO) |
Demographics1 Info1: | Tamil |
Leader Party: | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) |
Leader Title: | Member of Legislative assembly (M.L.A) |
Leader Name: | A.Tamilarasi Ravikumar |
Leader Title1: | Member of Parliament (M.P) |
Leader Name1: | Karti Chidambaram |
Blank Name Sec1: | Prime Minister |
Blank Info Sec1: | Narendra Modi |
Blank1 Name Sec1: | Chief Minister |
Blank1 Info Sec1: | M.K.Stalin |
Blank Name Sec2: | Governor |
Blank Info Sec2: | R. N. Ravi |
Blank1 Name Sec2: | Collector |
Blank1 Info Sec2: | Mrs.Asha Ajith I.A.S |
Manamadurai is a Municipality Town [1] in Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Manamadurai falls under Manamadurai Legislative assembly. It is a river based settlement town. River Vaigai makes its way through the town bifurcating it into two parts.
The Tamilnadu Government Department of Municipal Administration and Metro Water Supply Additional Chief Secretary Shiv das Meena issued an ordinance for the Promotion of Manamadurai Selection grade town Panchayat to Manamadurai Municipality on 16 October 2021.[2] [3]
Manamadurai falls under Manamadurai State assembly constituency and Sivaganga Loksabha constituency.[4] For further details, see
Manamadurai is located at . It has an average elevation of .[5] The Vaigai river flows from north to south through Manamadurai and divides the town into Eastern bank and Western bank.
As of 2011 India Census, Total number of households in Manamadurai is 52,131. Manamadurai has a total population of 2,07,223. In which 50.39% (1,04,428) are Males and 49.61% (1,02,795) are Females. In which children below the age of 12 is 22,403. Literacy rate is 69.99% (1,45,052)[6]
This town is famous for manufacturing Ghatam musical instruments, clay pots, clay horses, and other clay items.[7] [8] The Manamadurai Pottery Works Cottage Industrial Co-operative Society applied for Geographical Indication for Manamadurai Pottery on 28/07/2016. The Geographical Indications Registry Of India under World Trade organizations Act, issued the Certificate of Geographical Indication for Manamadurai Pottery officially on 31/03/2023 on the journal numbered 166 and certificate number 446.[9] [10] [11]
As Similar to Madurai's Chithirai Thiruvizha and Meenakshi Tirukalyanam, Manamadurai people too celebrate the Chithirai Thiruvizha and Aananthavalli Tirukkalyanam.
The 'Chithirai Thiruvizha' festival is celebrated every year in the Tamil month of Chithirai (April–May) for 15 days. The festival commences by Hoisting the Holy flag in the Temple's sacred flagpole and this ritual is called Kodiyettram. This is a festival without caste and Religion Discrimination celebrated by all people in and around manamadurai together in the River banks. As the thiruvizha begins, the Aananthavalli ascends the throne as Queen of Manamadurai in a Ritual called "Pattabishekam". After pattabishekam, she parades around the town in different Vahanams namely Simma Vaahanam, Mayil Vaahanam, Rishaba vaahanam, Garuda Vaahanam, Nandhi Vaahanam and finally Kamadhenu Vaahanam for 8 days. then, she marries her destinied Husband Somanatha. Lord Shiva Incarnates as Somanatha, a common man. Aananthavalli falls in love with him. they both get married in a ritual called Aananthavalli Somanatha Tirukkalyanam and the next day, they are paraded around the Car streets(Therodum Veedhi) in the huge Chariot hauled by People with help of ropes tied to chariot called "Vadam". This ritual is called Thirutherottam. The festival crowd reaches the peak during the Azhagar Uprising on the Vaigai River on the 13th day of Chithirai. It happens to commemorate that, Veera Azhagar's Sister Aanandhavalli marries Somanatha without the presence of her brother Azhagar as he delayed to the marriage. He arrives lately and uprises into the Vaigai River In his golden horse on the 14th day of Chithra. The Aananthavalli and Somanatha gets praised by him on the river banks. The next day is the Full moon of chithira, also called Chithra Pournami, all the local people of Manamadurai gather in the river banks at night to celebrate "Nila Soru" - The moonlight feast. people who can't able to come to river banks celebrate it on their home terraces. The street food vendors in and around manamadurai Gather here and make their stalls. Amusement Rides, Circus, Family Games, Bike Stunt Amusements, and fireworks display, and toy shops and fruit vendors make this festival unforgettable. The whole people in and around Manamadurai eagerly wait for the festival. The amusement rides were temporarily setted up on the river banks. And temporary stalls were made and Tax were collected from the vendors by Contractors. As the Tamilnadu Government usually opens the vaigai dam for the Madurai's Chithirai Thiruvizha, Sivaganga district collector usually issues an ordinance to close the Viraganoor Barrage dam, So the River water never reaches Manamadurai and the Thiruvizha won't be spoiled by River water. But during 2022 and 2023 festival, the Government failed to close the Viraganoor Barrage dam and ruined the Manamadurai's Festival leaving the river banks messy and floody.
The annual urus (Santhanakoodu) festival marking the martyrdom day of the Panch shuhadas is commemorated on the 17th of the Islamic month of Jamadil Awwal every Hijri year.Other prominent Hindu Festivals include The Dhayapuram Mariyamman Thiruvizha, Burma Colony Santhana Mariyamman Thiruvizha, A.Vilakulam Niraigulathu Ayyanar Thiruvizha, Thayamangalam Muthumaari Amman thiruvizha, Prathyangira Devi Sahasra Sandi Maha Yagnam, Sri Veera Azhagar Temple's Vaikuntha Ekadesi Sorga Vaasal Opening ceremony, Maha Shivaratri at Aananthavalli Somanathar Temple, Vaikasi Visakam at Valividu Murugan Temple, Aadi Ammavasai Thiruvizha at Annavasal Somanathaswamy Temple are some of them.
See main article: Manamadurai Bus Terminal. The Manamadurai Integrated Bus terminus is situated at Western bank of the town on Cochin - Dhanushkodi interstate Highway (Asian Highway;AH-45). It was formerly a two lane road. Later, during 2017, a new fourway road was built from Viraganoor Ring road(Madurai) with bypasses for every town and truck lay-by for every 5 kilometers and a petrol bulk every 4 kilometers throughout the highway.Initially it would take two hours to go to madurai from Manamadurai. Now, this road makes it possible in 30 minutes.There are many TNSTC and TNSETC buses operated From various cities to Manamadurai.
See main article: Manamadurai Junction railway station. The Manamadurai Junction railway station is situated in southern part of the town at the Western Bank at 500 metres from the bus terminus. It is a major stopping for all the trains running between Rameshwaram - Madurai, Rameswaram - Chennai and Virudhunagar - Karaikudi. The railway junction in manamadurai connects with Virudhunagar railway junction in south west, Madurai railway junction in north west, and "the holy temple city" Rameswaram railway terminus in south east and Karaikudi railway junction in north east. The daily thrice operating Passenger train via Manamadurai connects the main cities of virudhunagar and Tiruchirapalli via Sivaganga, Kallal, karaikudi, Chettinad devakkottai road, Thirumayam, Pudukkottai, Vellanur, keeranur. A daily thrice passenger train runs between Madurai to Rameswaram via Tiruppuvanam, thiruppachethi, Manamadurai, paramakkudi, Ramanathapuram, Mandapam, pamban and also makes its way on our nation's one of the greatest heritage site The Pamban Railway Bridge. The railway line between Manamadurai and Rameswaram became the country's first green train corridor.[12]
Rameswaram - manamadurai - Madurai line and Virudhunagar - Manamadurai - Tiruchirapalli line's Electrification works are completed smoothly and trains are hauled by electric locomotives at an average speed of 110 km/h.
Manamadurai doesn't have its own Airport. Some of the airports near Manamadurai are
Madurai International Airport (57 kms)
Tiruchirapalli International airport(143 kms.),
Tuticorin Domestic Airport (160 kms.)
Manamadurai has its own Government Industrial training institute (ITI) and a Government arts & science college was proposed on the 2022 TN govt Financial Budget, and soon the location would be fixed and start the construction.
Manamadurai has its SIPCOT Industrial Complex in Seikalathur, and has a TANSIDCO Industrial Complex at Kirungakottai, a village near Muthanendhal. The Manamadurai Pottery Works is a leading pottery artisan Hub in India and owns a GI TAG for Manamadurai Pottery. The Red brick Manufacturers contribute a huge Revenue to Manamadurai's Financial growth. Many Red Brick Manufacturers in and around Manamadurai make the Manamadurai as a leading Brick Manufacturing Hub in Sivaganga district. The Thorn trees (i.e., Prosopis Juliflora) which covers all the poromboke and arid lands are also utilized for Charcoal Industries. Manamadurai has almost 4 to 5 Charcoal manufacturing hub and they are exported from Manamadurai to all over India Through Goods Trains from Manamadurai Junction. Thus Manamadurai is a leading industrial hub in the Sivaganga District.
The tourism industry is one of the major revenue generators for Manamadurai. There are various places of interest.
This Temple is the Actual Resemblance of Thirukoshtiyur Anandhavalli samedha Somanathaswamy Temple attached with Sowmya Narayana Perumal Temple. The Manamadurai Temple is the Sister Temple of it. The both temples are separated by a distance of 30 kilometres.
Arulmigu Somanathar temple is an ancient Shiva temple consorted with Devi Anandavalli, which also houses the Maha Samadhi of the great saint Sadasiva Brahmendra.[15] The temple is located on the west bank of the Vaigai river. This Temple comes under the Control and Maintenance of Sivagangai Samasthan Devasthan Board on the supervision of Sri Madhuraandhagi Naachiyar, the Present Queen of Sivaganga Estate (Sivagangai Samasthanam)
Shri Aanandhavalli Thirukalayanam festival is celebrated every year in this temple. The festival resembles the celebration done in Madurai Meenakshi amman temple. But Thirukalyanam will take place in the early morning in Madurai and late morning in Manamadurai.the Chithirai Tiruvizha takes place as similar in Madurai
Thayamangalam is a village in Ilayayankudi Panchayat Union, Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu.The village is situated 68 km from Madurai and 18 kilometres from Manamadurai. The famous Muthumariamman Temple is located here . The town is known as Thayamangalam because of The word Amman literally means 'Mother' or 'Thaai' in tamil and hence called Thayamangalam. In this temple, every year from the 15th day of the Tamil month of Panguni, a festival is held for 10 days. Chariots are the most important event in this 10-day festival . the local people haul the chariot around the temple on which Muthumariamman sits.Special buses are arranged from Madurai, Paramakudi, Sivagangai, Manamadurai and Ramanathapuram during the festival
See main article: Sacred Heart Shrine, Idaikattur.
The Sacred Heart shrine is located on the outskirts of Manamadurai at a village named Idaikattur. It was built in Gothic style. It was built in 1886. It was an actual replica of Reims Cathedral, France.
Sri Maha Panchamuka Prathyangira Devi Temple located in Panchabhutheswaram, also known as Vedhiyanendal vilakku, 5 km from Manamadurai, is on old ramanathapuram road, the route in which Lord Rama went to Sri Lanka to confront Ravanan. This temple houses the 11¼ feet high statue of lord Shakthi, an incarnation of Parvati in the form of Adarvana Pathrakali alias Prathyangira Devi. This place is known for its hard cut-rock (granite) temple dedicated to Shri Maha Panchamukha Prathyangira Devi. It houses the big deity of shri Maha Panchamukha Prathyangira Devi. There are two more sannidhies for Lakshmi Ganapathi and Sornagarshna Bhairavar. Kumbhabhishekham was performed on 24 June 2010. Sahasra Sandi Maha Yagnam was also performed from 25 June 2010 to 29 June 2010. It has come in a total area of about 5.5acres. Soon within the temple premises, ten more sannidhies are going to come for Dasamaha Vidya. Non-stop annadharmam right from 2000 since inception. Every Amavasai, people were various parts of Tamil Nadu and other states visit the temple.[16]
The Holy Paanch peer (Anjanamar) Five Shuhadaas Dargah is located near Kannar street, Manamadurai in Sivaganga District. The Panchpeer durgah is at Kannar road, on the Manamadurai-Ilayangudi State Highway. The Graves of Five Martyrs who came with Badusha Sulthan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed of Ervadi is found here.[17]
This temple is situated in the middle of the two lanes of NH49 (Cochin-Dhanushkodi Highway) near Manamadurai By-pass. This temple takes its place under the shade of a huge peepal tree. This temple entered into a highly controversial topic during the Expansion of two lane road into a fourway road. For the road extension, the Peepal tree was a great disturbance. So, NHAI officials ordered to cut the tree. A worker with a electric saw, approached the tree. Once, he started cutting, he started coughing with vomitting blood, and was sent to hospital. He was said to be died on the way. From that incident, the workers dropped down the idea of cutting it. NHAI sent another worker to cut the tree. The people say that the worker too lost his life in an accident. Due to such coincided deaths, NHAI dropped the idea of cutting the peepal tree and layed road leaving the temple in middle, undisturbed. Since, the story seems to be a Urban Legend or something rumour, people firmly believe in eternal presence of god at the peepal tree.
This temple is situated in the outskirts of Manamadurai in a village named Nedunkulam that comes under Keelapasalai Panchayat. It houses the infamous African Baobab tree which is rare in this region. It was very old and had fallen due to a strong breeze once a few decades ago. The tree was named "Perilla Maram" (transl:Nameless tree) by the local people as it doesn't look like any of the local species. Many botanical Researchers frequently visited the tree, and clarrified to the local people that, this ain't unlisted or unfounded species. Its African Baobab tree which is widespread found in Ramanathapuram. It could have grown here by someone who took the sapling from there and planted it here. But still, all the localites call this tree as Unnamed tree.
This dam was built across Vaigai River, located near Vediyanendhal in a village called Enathikottai which comes under Parthibanur panchayat of Ramanathapuram district but it is nearest to Manamadurai. And hence, treated as a tourist spot of Manamadurai. The annual tourist visit had a massive increase in recent years. It has 25 shutters and controlled by Ramanathapuram Water Resources management department. It becomes usually crowded whenever Tamilnadu Government opens Vaigai River for Periodic irrigation. It seems to be best spot for photography and swimming.
This barrage dam was also built across Vaigai River but comes under the Sivaganga district. It is located in Aathanoor Village of Keelapasalai Panchayat. Whenever Tamilnadu Government opens the Vaigai River for Periodic irrigation, the dam becomes well sourced for tourists and the local people who take bath and swim in the river.