Ettayapuram () is a
panchayat town in
Thoothukudi district (also known as Tuticorin district) of
Tamil Nadu,
India. It is notable for being the birth place of the great
Tamil Poet Mahakavi
Bharathiar.
Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the triad of
Carnatic music also was patronised in his final years by the ruler of Ettayapuram.
Umaru Pulavar a Tamil Islamic poet also lived here.
History
Ettayapuram was originally Ilasanadu, which was ruled by the
Pandya Kings. When they could no longer rule directly, Ettappan was appointed as
Zamindar. After 150 years of rule by the descendants of Ettappan, Ilasanadu became Ettayapuram in 1565. Even today, some people call it Ilasai. Notable among them is
Ilasai Sundaram, who is a Tamil Scholar.
Legacy of Subramanya Bharathy
See also Subramanya Bharathy
Subramanya Bharathi better known as
Mahakavi Bharathiar (
Maha Kavi meaning Great Poet) in Tamil, deemed as one of the greatest poets of twentieth-century
India was born here on 11 December 1882. A prolific writer, philosopher and a great visionary of immense genius and perspicacity, Bharathiar was also one of the most prominent leaders of the
Indian independence movement in
South India. He studied in a local high school named "Raajah's High School", where he showed exemplary poetic talent even at an early age of 11. At various points in time, he was patronised by Ettappan, the local ruler, even though differences used to crop up between them often.
Ettappan
Ettappan carries a mixed image. The negative impression is because he gave away the information regarding Veerapandiya
Kattabomman's whereabouts to the British, which eventually led to the arrest and hanging of Kattabomman. In fact,
Ettappan came to be used as a metaphor for a
whistleblower or
traitor. On the other hand, his
namesake descendant was admired by some of the natives for his welfare activities including arrangements for water supply through huge tanks. His spouse name is Ettamaal. He was also a patron of poets and musicians. Notable examples are Bharathy and Muthuswami Dikshitar., Ettayapuram had a population of 12,800. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Ettayapuram has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 61%. In Ettayapuram, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
People of Ettayapuram are primarily engaged in weaving, making matches and agriculture. Currently all these trades have become less remunerative and the people here migrate to cities like Chennai to work as labourers in grocery shops.
Weaving
with a handloom]]
Most of the people living here are traditional weavers who weave cotton
yarn using
handlooms. These handlooms are not suited for weaving complex patterns as designs on the cloth. There are some recent moves by
National Institute of Fashion Technology to train people on
Jacquard looms, which is suited for weaving complex patterns in a semi-automated way using punched cards. Some people who are relatively wealthy, use
power looms. People are also employed in other allied trades of preparing the thread for weaving,
dyeing etc.
Making match boxes
The next major occupation here is making match boxes, which includes manufacturing small boxes that contain matchsticks, preparing match sticks and loading them on to the match boxes. Nowadays, as many people have started using mechanical lighters for starting fire and also due to automated match stick makers, this trade is on the decline.
Agriculture
The area of land under cultivation has fallen due to failing rains and relatively poor
soil fertility. The soil type is
black soil, which supports crops like
kezhvaragu,
cumbu,
cholam,
cotton,
sunflower etc.
Kanni breed of goats, a drought-resistant variety reared for its meat, is most common in this region.
Tourist attractions
Ettayapuram is well connected to
Madurai,
Thoothukkudi, and
Tirunelveli by road. Train services are available from Chennai,
Bangalore, Madurai, Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli and else where in India, up to Kovilpatti, which is 15 km from here.
Places of interest in Ettayapuram
# Bharathiar's House
# Bharathy's Memorial
# Muthuswamy Dikshitar's Memorial
# Umarup Pulavar Dargah
# Ettappan's Palace
Raja's Higher Secondary School, where Mahakavi Bharathiyar studied.
Places of interest near Ettayapuram
#
Panchalankurichi Fort of
Veerapandiya Kattabomman
# Nellaiappar Temple in Tirunelveli
#
Courtallam waterfalls near Tirunelveli
#
Ottapidaram, the birth place of
V.O.Chidambaranar
# Ayyanar temple, Vangarpatti, 5 km from Ettayapuram
# Sinthalakkarai Shri Vetkaliamman temple - 5 km from Ettayapuram.
See also
Ettaiyapuram estate
Educational Institutions in Ettayapuram:
Raja's Higher Secondary School
Government Girl's Higher Secondary School
C.K.T Matriculation Higher secondary School, 5 km from Ettayapuram
Bharathiyar memorial Government polytechnic for women
References
External links
Tamilnadu Government Site on Ettayapuram
Tamilnadu Government Site on Ettayapuram History & Tourism
Tourism information on Ettayapuram and near by areas
Category:Cities and towns in Thoothukudi district
