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Tiruchirappalli (தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி) Trichy
Rock Fort from Cauvery Bridge
Tiruchirappalli (தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி) Location of Tiruchirappalli (தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி) in Tamil Nadu and India
Coordinates	10°49′N 78°41′E / 10.81°N 78.69°E / 10.81; 78.69
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District(s)	Tiruchirappalli
Mayor	Sujatha
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	146.90 km2 (57 sq mi) • 85 m (279 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 620 xxx • Telephone • +91-431 • UN/LOCODE • IN TRZ • Vehicle • TN 45 and TN 48
Website	www.trichycorporation.gov.in

Tiruchirappalli (Tamil: தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி (tiruccirāppaḷḷi) pronunciation (help·info) also spelled Tiruchirapalli, commonly known as Tiruchi or Trichy (Tamil: தி௫ச்சி) formerly also pronounced as Trichinopoly under British rule).

It is Tamil Nadu's fourth largest ^[1] City after Chennai,Madurai and Coimbatore with an estimated population of 1,139,534 (as of 2009).

It is situated in the centre of the state, on the banks of the Cauvery River. Trichy is a Municipal Corporation and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirapalli District.

The most famous landmark of Trichy is the Rockfort temple which is perched on a huge rocky out crop. The smooth crop was first hewn by the Pallavas but it was the Nayaks of Madurai who later built the Rock fort temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha.^[2]

Trichy city encompasses Srirangam, a Vaishnavite temple and the biggest functioning Hindu temple in the world. Trichy also contains "ThiruAnaikka" (ThiruvAnaikkaval), House of Water, one of the five main abodes ("Panchaboodha Sthalam") of Lord Shiva. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was born in Thiruvanaikaval and his house has been preserved as a museum. Trichy is also called as Rock City.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Geography and climate 4 Demography 5 Culture 5.1 Cuisine 6 Economy 7 Transportation 7.1 Roadways 7.1.1 National Highways passing through Tiruchirappalli 7.2 Railways 7.2.1 Trains Originating from Trichy 7.2.2 Trains Passing through Trichy junction 7.3 Airways 8 Administration 9 Education 10 Health-care 11 Tourism 11.1 Important and Famous Temples, Churches and Mosques 11.1.1 Important Temples 11.1.2 Important Churches 11.1.3 Important Mosque 12 Media and communication 13 Entertainment 14 Notable people 15 References

Etymology

There are several theories for the origin of the city's name. One is that Tiruchirapalli was named after the three-headed demon Trishira (or "Chira") who performed penance at the Shiva temple in the city and obtained favors. The city was therefore named after the demon. Another theory states that since there are three peaks in the area, which are occupied by Shiva, Parvati, and Vinayaka the name Tri-Shikharam or Tirisirapuram arose. The legend says that Shiva in the guise of a woman attended to the call of a devotee in labor, hence he is called as Matrubhuteswarar (Matru means mother, Bhuteswar is another name of Siva meaning 'king of ghosts') or Taayumaanavar in Tamil.^[3]

The name Tiruchirappali is the combination of three words Thiru + Chira + Palli, meaning the 'School Chira'. In Thaayumanavar Temple in Rock fort, the pictures depict that there was a saint called 'Chira', who established a school ('Palli' in Tamil) near that area. Hence the name Chira Palli or Tiruchirappalli, Tiru is a honoric prefix for the saint Chira.^{[citation needed]}

Normally the place names ends with 'Palli' refers the ancient devotional place of Jains (Samanar). Rocky caves in many places occupied by them. 'Palli' means not only school but also refers to resting place.

History

Tiruchirapalli was originally a Chola citadel and later, during 1^st millennium AD, then it was occupied by other south Indian dynasties such as the Pallavas, and Pandyas. The Chola regained control over Tiruchirapalli during the 10^th century. Urayur,which has a known history and tradition of about 2500 years, was the capital of Early Cholas. Later, after the fall of the Chola empire, it came under the direct conrol of the Madurai Nayak Dynasty who paid tribute to the Vijayanagara empire. The Rock Fort temple, the most famous landmark in Tiruchirapalli, was built by the Nayaks.^[2] The Madurai Nayak rulers changed their capital from Madurai to Tiruchirapalli, and back, several times.

The city is home to Nagaraja Cholan and it has many historic temples, monuments, churches and mosques. It was the capital of the early Chola kings. The oldest human-built dam, Kallanai, was built by Karikala Cholan across the Kaveri River about 10 miles from Urayur.

With regard to the centre of origin of iron, ^[4]Sir William Larke, Director of the British Iron and Steel Federation, says -

"The centre of origin is variously placed in India, where there are historical traditions and remains indicating a highly developed iron culture. Hyderabad and Trichinopoly are considered by many to have been the centres of production of wootz..... This steel was noted for centuries, being carried by merchants from India to Damascus and Toledo.." Sir William gives the date of this origin of the iron age as 1400 to 1500 B.C.E

Trichy was an important town in the days of the Later Cholas and of the Nayak kings, and during the early days of the British East India Company. The conquest of Tiruchirapalli by the British East India Company marked a major step in the British conquest of India.

The well-known Trichinopoly cigars are chiefly manufactured from Tobacco grown outside the district at Dindigul. It was said that Winston Churchill developed a taste for the mildly aromatic Trichy cigar that was traded from Fort St George to Whitehall during 2nd World War

One famous landmark in Tiruchirapalli is the Rock Fort, a big outcrop of rock, 83 metres in height. It is the only such outcrop of its kind. Because of it Trichy is also called as Rock City. On top of it is the Ucchi Pillayar Koil, a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vinayaka (Ganesh), from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Tiruchirapalli. The temple was also used as a military fort by the Nayaks for some time.

On the southern face of the rock are several beautifully-carved cave temples of the Pallava period. On the eastern side is Sri Nandrudayan Vinayakar Temple, with Ganesha as the main deity. A large-sized Ganesha and depictions of other rare deities can be seen in this temple, which hosts festivals every year during the Vinayaka Chathurthi (birthday of Ganesha). Many Carnatic musicians have given concerts in this famous shrine. Around the rock temple is a busy commercial region, mainly known for its textiles and Burma, China, Japan goods, known as Chatram. The Main Guard Gate is flooded on festive occasions such as Deepavali, Ramzan, Bakrid, Christmas, and Pongal.

Trichy is famous for the number of Christian churches it contains—it is said to have the greatest number of chapels in India. The most famous are Holy Redeemer's Church (Sagayamatha Kovil), Our Lady of Lourdes Church(built by Jesuits) near Chatram bus stand, and The Cathedral in Melapudur(built by Jesuits), all more than a century and a half old. The most famous college in Trichy, St. Joseph's College was also built by the Jesuits, and so was St. Joseph's school,etc. Trichy also is famous for Arcot Nawab masjid (one of the oldest), with its large water storage tank (Ahail)

Geography and climate

The topology of Trichy is flat. It lies at an altitude of 78 m above sea level. The river Kaveri (also called Cauvery) and the river Coleroon (also called Kollidam) flows through Trichy, the latter forms the northern boundary of the city. The river Cauvery flows along WNW-SSE direction through the city.

There are a few hills located within the city, the prominent among them are Golden Rock, Rock Fort, Kajamalai and in Thiruverumbur. There are few reserve forests along the river Cauvery, located at the west and the north-west of the city. The southern and the south-western part of the district is dotted by several hills which are thought to be an offset of the Western Ghat. Eastern ghats also pass through the district. The soil here is considered to be very fertile. As two rivers flows through the city, the northern part of the city is more greener than other areas of the city.

Trichy has a moderate and pleasant climate, with humidity slightly above normal. The city experiences mild winters and humid summers. The timing of the monsoon in this part of the country has lately become unpredictable, with the rainy season starting from mid-October until early-November and the rains then extending until early or mid-January.

	Summer	Winter
Max.	41 °C (106 °F)	36 °C (97 °F)
Min.	21 °C (70 °F)	18 °C (64 °F)

Demography

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	%±
1871	76,530	—
1881	84,449	10.3%
1891	90,609	7.3%
1901	104,721	15.6%
1911	123,512	17.9%
1921	120,422	−2.5%
1931	142,843	18.6%
1941	159,566	11.7%
1951	218,921	37.2%
1961	249,862	14.1%
1971		—
1981		—
1991	711,120	—
2001	746,062	4.9%

As of 2009, Trichy had a population of 11,39,534. Males constitute 49.97% of the population and females 50.03%. Trichy has an average literacy rate of 91.45%. Male literacy is 94.17% and female literacy is 88.73%. In Trichy 9.59% of the population is under 6 years of age. The city's population is predominantly Hindu (with both Saivaite and Vaishnavaite), and there are sizable population of Christians and Muslims. Sikhs and Jains are also present in smaller numbers.

The most widely spoken language is Tamil, though there are also significantly large numbers of people speaking Telugu, Saurashtrian, Kannada and Thanjavur Marathi. The standard dialect is the Central Tamil dialect.^[5][6] Madurai Tamil is also widely spoken.

During the pre-independence era, Anglo-Indians, many of whom worked in the 'South-Indian Railways', started settling in 'Golden Rock-Township' and 'Crawford' located within the city. Crawford is considered as one of the expensive areas in the city. The place is predominantly Christian.

Culture

The city has a multi-cultural society with a sizeable presence of Tamil, English, Marathi, Telugu, Hindi, and Malayalam-speaking population. The city projects a calm outlook and is considered to be friendly toward tourists. One may experience typical Anglo-Indian, Andhra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu cuisines here. In addition to Pongal, the Thamizhar Thirunaal, Ugadi, Holi & Onam are festivals celebrated by their respective communities retaining their cultural roots.

People living in Trichy have a rich ancient cultural heritage. The city served as the centre of fine arts since sangam literature periods. Uraiyur, the old head and name of the city, was the capital of early Cholas. Here lived a number of great Tamil Scholars and contributed to the Tamil literature. People living here even today speak Tamil mostly what is being used in written form than any other people living in other parts of Tamil Nadu.

Cuisine

Trichy cuisine is predominantly South Indian with rice as the main-dish. The city prefers a fairly mild flavour, with variations to suit the local palette. Lunch is usually served in many restaurants over a banana leaf. North Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisines are also available. Jelebi, idly, dosa, halwa, parotta and biryani are popular among the locals.

Economy

Trichy is a major engineering hub and energy equipment and fabrication center of India.^{[citation needed]}

• BHEL --- Bharat Heavy Electriclas Limited

Bharat Heavy Electriclas Limited (BHEL) is ranked among the leading Power Plant Manufacturers in the world. At TIRUCHIRAPALLI, the High Pressure Boiler Plant of the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) was setup in 1963. Now, it is one of the foremost manufacturing facilities within BHEL and it has 3 major plants namely, High Pressure Boiler Plant, Seamless Steel Tube Plant and Boiler Auxiliaries Plant. BHEL is the first state-owned company to acquire ISO 9000 certification during 1993 for all its operations. Further it has been accredited to ISO 14001 Standard. It is having a very big Housing colony, with all facilities including good educational facilities, on the NH-67, just in front of the main factory. And it manufactures about 86% of the total outcome of BHEL is from this factory.BHEL was set up during the period of K.Kamaraj, the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the statue of K.Kamaraj is there at the entrance of the Colony main Gate.

• A number of small scale industries have also sprung up in Trichy, mostly around Thuvakudi and Mathur.

• Leather tanneries are located on the way to Pudukottai. Viralimalai, considered an industrial sub urban, has the factories.

• Manachanallur has numerous rice mills supplying polished rice all over Tamil Nadu and it is well known for the quality of the rise produced from its land.
• The economy of the city is driven to a certain extent by IT/ITES companies encouraged by the support from state government. A dedicated stretch of land has been identified and developed to increase the state's share in national IT/ITES exports. The government had begined its work for setting up IT park in the city. The economy of the city would be incresed to a great extend if this park comes into working. Which would be finished in about one year.

• Infosys is eyeing Tiruchirapalli for its expansion.

• HCL has a carrier development centre in the city to guide the youth of the city.

• More over the city has many reputed MNC's are in the city, and still many to come.

Transportation

Roadways

Trichy is well connected to various parts of Tamil Nadu, by private and public bus services. There are two Bus Stands at Tiruchirappalli, as explained below:

• Chathiram (also called Chinthamani or Main Guard Gate Bus Stand)

The Chathram (Main Guard Gate) bus stand, near Rock Fort temple, runs local and mofussil (City-to-Town) bus services which connect people to nearby towns and villages such as Thuraiyur, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Cuddalore,

Jeyankondacholapuram, Vriddhachalam, Chidambaram, Neyveli, and many.

Bus services are frequent whole day and night, once in every two to five minutes you can get a bus of your destination.

• Central / Main Bus Station

The central bus stand runs long distance services to major cities and states of South India such as Tanjore,Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Tirupathi, Salem, Erode, Pudukkotai, Dindigul, Rameswaram, Theni, Tindivanam, Hosur, Vellore,Tiruvannamalai, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Namakkal, also well-connected to Karnataka, Andhra and Kerala through private charter and Luxury buses.

One can get buses from Trichy to almost any part of the state, due to its geographical location in the center of Tamil Nadu.

• Other Transport Facilities

The State-run DCTC town buses cover areas from Trichy to Pudukkottai, Manapparai, Musiri, Viralimalai and Vallam.

Private and public buses connect Trichy to all parts of Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu Government introduced the Share -Auto scheme in the year 2001.

The city has a very wide network of city buses and mini buses.

National Highways passing through Tiruchirappalli

On the road infrastructure Trichy will have four track highways from the city branching to destination Chennai, Madurai, Nagappattinam and Coimbatore. The four-laning of Chennai-Trichy should be completed in 2010 and also Trichy-Madurai would be completed at the same time. The widening of Trichy-Tanjore, Trichy-Karur and Trichy-Rameswaram should also be completed in 2 years.

Trichy is connected by major National Highways which connect

• NH-45 --- Chennai (towards north-east) and Dindigul (towards south-west)
• NH-45B --- Madurai and Tuticorin by NH 45B (towards south)
• NH-67 --- Erode and Coimbatore (towards west) and Tanjore and Nagapatinam (towards east)
• NH-210 --- Pudukkottai - Karaikudi - Ramanathapuram (towards south-east)

• Trichy also a ring road under construction which connects all the 5 highway tracks leading out from the city.

Railways

Trichy is a hub of Southern Railway (India). Southern railway connect this central part of Tamil Nadu to various parts of India, notably regions in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh.

Trichy Railway Junction has five branches leading to Madurai, Rameswaram, Erode, Tanjore and Chennai and currently there are 4 platforms in operation. Platform no 5, 6, 7 is under gauge conversion which is to be finished and brought into working soon.

Trichy is one of the busiest railway junctions in India. It has more than 200 train crossings per day in its division. It also has the record of a railway station to have broadgage next to Chennai. The railway station has been accredited with international standard, and the development is under process. The Electrification between Villupuram and Tiruchchirappali has been completed and service started with electric traction on the chord line. The double line is also approved for the same section and the work had started.

This division has the press which supplies the printed unreserved ticket for Tamil Nadu railway stations. The railway station code for Trichy Junction is TPJ.

Trains Originating from Trichy

Pallavan Express, Howrah Express, Rockfort Express, Ernakulam Tea Garden Express, Mayiladuthurai Express are the important trains originating from Trichy.

Trains Passing through Trichy junction

The other important trains passing through Trichy junction are Kanyakumari Express, Tamil Nadu Sampark Kranti Express, Tirukkural Express, Ananthapuri Express, Pothigai Express, Nellai Express, Pandian Express, Mysore-Mayiladuthurai Express, Cape-Howrah Express, Chennai-Mangalore Express, Pearl City Express,Pallavan Express Guruvayur Express, Jan Shatabdi Express, Nagercoil-Mumbai Express, Vaigai express, Sethu Express, Madurai-Jammutawi link Express, Pandian Express, Madurai-Lokmanya Tilak express, Nagercoil Express.

Other than Express trains there are more number of Passenger Trains which connects the Trichy with the nearest town frequently.

The Trichy city comprises the following railway stations:

Station name	Station code
Tiruchirapalli Junction	TPJ
Tiruchirapalli Town	TPTN
Tiruchirapalli Fort	TP
Tiruchirapalli Palakkarai	TPE
Ponmalai	GOC
Srirangam	SRGM
Thiruverumbur	TRB
Uttamar Kovil	UKV

Airways

Trichy has an international airport about eight kilometres from the city, which operates flights to Indian cities, territories, and neighbouring countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the Gulf by Air Asia, Indian Airlines, Air India Express, Srilankan Airlines, Mihin Lanka,Kingfisher Airlines,Paramount Airways. Trichy airport is the second largest airport in Tamil Nadu next to Chennai to get international connectivity to Colombo (Srilanka) in 1981. Nowadays, flights are operated to Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Plans are being made to upgrade it to a full fledged international airport in the next three years.^[7] The extended runway (8000 ft) was commissioned and further expansion to 12500 ft has started. The new terminal building is opened in 2009. Two aero bridge are opened to use. This is the second airport in Tamil Nadu to get it next to Chennai. An new Air Traffic Control Centre is also being planned to be constructed to cope up with growing air traffic in the region.

Kingfisher Airlines has stopped the service to Bangalore which is expected to resume soon. Air India Express made Dubai and Singapore flights a daily service

Airlines and Destinations

Domestic
Carrier	Destination
Air-India Express	Chennai
Kingfisher Airlines	Chennai
Paramount Airways	Chennai
International
Carrier	Destination
AirAsia	Kuala Lumpur
SriLankan Airlines	Colombo
Air-India Express	Singapore, Abu-Dhabi, Dubai
Mihin Lanka	Colombo

Administration

The city is a Municipal Corporation. It also serves as the headquarters of the district with the same name. The city is headed by a Mayor, under whom are the Deputy Mayor and several councillors elected by people representing administrative wards; as well as a corporation Commissioner of the rank of IAS to administer the city.

The city has one Member of Parliament representing the Trichy constituency, pudukkottai parliamentary constituency has been mearged with trichy and few regions are mearged with other constituncy for administrative reasons. Both Tiruchi (East) and Tiruchi (West) assembly constituencies are part of Tiruchirappalli (Lok Sabha constituency).^[8]

The district is headed by the District Collector of the rank of IAS. The District court is the highest court of appeal in Trichy/Tiruchirappalli. The city has seen moderate to high development in spite of funds constraint.

The city's police force is headed by the City Police Commissioner of the rank of IPS. One of the 5 Central prisons of the state is located here.

Education

• Considered an educational city, Tiruchirapalli has schools and colleges that are hundreds of years old. St. Joseph's College (SJC) is one of the important and the oldest institution in Trichy, with more than 160+ years of its presence. College Road in Chatram has three colleges and five schools, including St. Joseph's College.

• Notable educational institutions from the city include: National College, Trichy; Bishop Heber College, Trichy; Jamal Mohamed College the National Institute of Technology, Trichy (formerly known as REC Trichy — Regional Engineering College), Anna University Trichy, Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Bharathidasan University, the Government Law College and K.A.P Viswanatham Government Medical College.

• The Indian Institute of Management is scheduled to open in Trichy by 2009-2010.^[9]

• Former President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and writer Sujatha Rangarajan (Rangarajan) studied here. R. Venkataraman, another former President of India also had his education in Trichy.

• Bishop Heber Higher Secondary School(Fort Bishop), R.S.K Higher secondary school and Campion Anglo Indian School are prominent schools located here.

Health-care

The city has numerous hospitals. Apart from the Government hospital, several multi-facility hospitals function in the city. The district's health department is one of the best in terms of implementing government-initiated healthcare schemes.

Rare surgical procedures have taken place in some of the hospitals in the city. The polio eradication programme is heavily assisted by various NGOs and clubs in the city. It also has many sidhdha/unani/ayurveda/homeopathic clinics.

Tourism

• Temples of Historical Importance:

A number of temples of historic importance stands here in Trichy include Sri Rangam, Rock Fort, Samayapuram, Thiruvanaikkaval, Vekkaliyamman, Iyappan Temple, Vayalur Murugan Kovil, Somarasam Pettai Mariyamman Kovil, Uyyakondan Thirumalai, Erumbeeshwar Temple, Rettai Malai Sami Kovil,bikshandar koil, etc.

• Planetarium/Science centre:

The Anna Science Centre-Planetarium is located at Guttapet, 5 km from Trichy-Central bus terminus on Pudukkottai Road, close to Trichy Airport.

• Zoo:

A Zoological Park has been proposed to be set up in Trichy, along the River Cauvery.

• Picnic spots:

Grand Anaicut at Kallanai (24 km) is an ancient dam built (according to legends) by Karikala Chola across the River Cauvery in the 1st century CE. It still is in use as part of the district's irrigation system.

Mukkombu or Upper Anaicut (18 km) is a wonderful picnic spot where the River Kollidam or Coleroon branches off from the River Cauvery.

Viralimalai (30 km) a hillock has a peacock sanctuary at the foothills.

Sittanavasal (58 km) is the site of an ancient Jain monastery with exquisite fresco paintings in a cave. It is also noted for its prehistoric burial grounds.

Puliancholai (72 km) is a waterfall in the foothills of the Kolli Hills. It is a nice picnic spot.

Musiri (20 km) here Thiruengoimalai Maragatha Lingeswar temple is nice place and also cavery river is looking nice, when we see from the Thiru-engoi-malai.

• Hill Station

Kolli Hills seated on the Pachamalai (Green hills) range which in turn is an eastern offshoot of the Eastern Ghats. The Pachaimalai range of hills is cut across by the River Cauvery at numerous places, forming small valleys.

Kolli Hills is a low lying hill station with gentle plateau falls inside Trichy district. Though the altitude of these hills is only average, it always has a pleasant climate and many parts of the hills are heavily wooded. However, it has retained its pristine beauty owing to being lesser known among the tourists.

• Kollam Pond, is a large water-body located in Crawford lies along the Trichy-Madurai Railway line. The pond is home to different types of bird varieties including ducks and Kingfisher. One could also see few fisherman spreading nets naviagating with the help of vehicle tyre tubes.

Important and Famous Temples, Churches and Mosques

Important Temples

• The spectacular Rock Fort Temple, the landmark of the city, is on the shores of the River Cauvery. It is perched on a massive rocky outcrop at an altitude of 83 m above sea level. The Thayumanaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is situated halfway to the top. It has a 100-pillar Hall and a vimana covered with gold. On the southern face of the rock are several beautifully carved rock-cut cave temples of the Pallava period.

• The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam, situated 6 km north of the city, is among the most revered shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu in South India, and is the largest temple complex in the world. Shrouded in a haze of coconut palms away to the north, the temple is built on an island in the middle of the River Cauvery and covers an area of 2.5 km². Enclosed by seven rectangular walled courtyards, this temple has 21 gopurams, the largest of which was completed in 1987 and measures 73 m in height. Srirangam Town is an island and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The temple is replete with excellent carvings and numerous shrines dedicated to various gods. It is believed that Sri Ramanujar the Vaishavite saint and philosopher is embalmed inside the temple premises in the Sri Ramanujar Sannidhi.

• Erumbeeswarar Temple, also known as Tiruverumbeeswarar Temple, is located at Thiruverumbur, in Tiruchirappalli District of Tamil Nadu. It is located about 15 km east of Tiruchirapalli, on the way to Thanjavur. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple enshrines Erumbeeswarar as the presiding deity along with his consort Saurabhya Kudalaambal.The temple has several inscriptions dating back to the Chola and Pandya period

• The Jambukeshwara Temple (Thiruvanaikaval), dedicated to Lord Shiva, is situated just 2 km east of Srirangam and houses five concentric walls and seven gopurams. Mythology has it that an elephant once worshipped the Lord under the Holy Jambu Tree, and hence the name Jambukeshwara. The principal deity is the shiva lingam, almost submerged in water, which flows from the subterranean spring in the sanctum sanctorum. It is one of the panchabhoota sthalam - representing five basic elements. This is the Appu Sthalam among the Pancha Bootha Sthalams.

The others are -

Tiruvannamalai (Thejo sthalam - Fire)

Kanchipuram (Prithvi sthalam - Earth)

Kalahasti (Vayu sthalam - Air)

Chidambaram (Akasa sthalam - Space).

• The Samayapuram Mariamman Temple is located 12 km north of the Trichy central bus terminus on Trichy-Chennai NH 45. The Maariamman Temple is one of the most visited shrines in Tamil Nadu, dedicated to Maariamman, a manifestation of the primeval energy shakti as the mother goddess. The offerings are in various forms. The most common offering is the mavilakku mavu made of jagery, rice-flour, dhal and ghee. Mariamman is believed to be a form of shakti associated with prosperity and health. Local beliefs associate the deity with cures for diseases such as small-pox and chicken-pox. Samayapuram was a local capital of the Vijayanagar rulers in the vicinity of Tiruchirappalli, and was known as Vikramapuram.

• Tirupattur is located around 5 km from Samayapuram. It is famous for its Bramhapureeswarar Temple which has a huge shrine for Lord Brahma. This is the second of the two temples dedicated to Lord Bramha in the world. The first being in Pushkar near Ajmer, Rajasthan.

• Katha Veeraiya swamy temple is a very famous temple in Tamil Nadu. It is located in Pachur near Mannachanallur. (Bus root no 27a,e )

• The Bikshandar koil also called as uttamar kovil is about 5 kilometers from chatiram bus stand. It is one of the 108 divya desams.

Important Churches

The architecture of the St. Lourd's Church situated within the St. Joseph College Campus is awe inspiring.

The Poondi Madha Basilica is one of the famous churches near Trichy. It is approximately 25 km from Trichy junction and around 12 km from the Grand Anaikut, Kallanai.

Important Mosque

There are numerous other churches, temples, and mosques in and around the city.

The first mosque of Tamil nadu is in Trichy near Fort station.The Nadhar Shah mosque is rumored to be over a 1000 years old.

Khanmian Masjidh and Nanamuna Masjidh are in Palakkarai where muslims are living bulk.

Media and communication

• Dailies

The city has two major English dailies, The Hindu and The New Indian Express. Tamil language dailies include Dina Malar, Dina Thanthi, Dina Mani and Dinakaran with two other dailies Tamil Murasu and Malai Malar published in the evening.

• Radio Station

A short wave radio station is operated by All India Radio, with most programmes in Tamil, English and Hindi. A FM station AIR FM Rainbow operated by All India Radio with the programmes in Tamil, English and Hindi, Also a other Private FM Stations Hello FM 106.4Mhz (Malar Publication), Suryan FM 93.5Mhz (SUN Network),Gyan vani(Educational)FM 104.8Mhz and Holy Cross (Educational) 90.4Mhz Operated in this City.

• Television

Television relay started in 1985 from Delhi Doordarshan. In 1986, after inception of a repeater tower at Kodaikanal, telecast from Madras Doordarshan commenced. Television reception is through DTH or by Cable, while "Doordarshan" reception is still available using an external antenna.

• Telecom

Trichy has an excellent communication infrastructure, with the major cellular/broadband service providers involved in. Telecom services BSNL (Second Largest Electronic Exchange in Tamilnadu), VSNL (TATA Indicom), Reliance, Vodafone, Airtel, Aircel and BPL available are by Landline, CDMA and GSM. Fiber optic cables were laid in 2001, improving internet access.

Entertainment

• Zoo:

A Zoological Park has been proposed to be set-up in Trichy soon.

• Theme Park:

A Water-theme park proposed by Trichy City Corporation is to come-up in Anna Nagar soon.

Also another theme park promoted by a private company is under construction near Kudamuratti river within Trichy city limit.

• List of Theaters in Trichy

The following list gives the Cinema halls in Trichy city. There are local, defunct and non-operating theatres which are not included in this list.

Cinema Theatres	Location	Features
Kalaiyarangam	Central Bus Stand	A/C, Qube Digital, 70MM
Maris	Fort Station	A/C, DTS, 70MM
Cauvery	Palakkarai	A/C, DTS
Sona	Central Bus Stand	A/C, DTS
Mega Star	Thillai Nagar	A/C, DTS
Ramba	Chatram Bus Stand	A/C, Qube Digital
Mina	Central Bus Stand	A/C, DTS, 35MM
Venkatesha	Tiruvanaikovil	A/C, DTS
Maris Rock	Fort Station	A/C, DTS
Oorvasi	Chathram Bus Stand	A/C, 35MM
Star	Thennur Terminal	A/C, DTS
Ramakrishna	Thennur	DTS
Maharani	E.B.Road	70MM
Urvashi	Chatram Bus Stand	70MM
Rukmani	Woraiyur	70MM
Aruna theatre	Ramalinga Nagar	70MM
VVV theatre	Ponnagar	70MM
Venkateshwara Theatre	Mannarpuram	70MM

Notable people

Some prominent people from Trichy include:

• Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (Sir CV Raman) , Indian physicist and Nobel laureate in physics (Nobel Prize-winning physicist)

• Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai born in Adavattur near Somarasam Pettai (4 km west of Trichy) who contributed to Tamil Literature during the 17th century and wrote many great Tamil lyrics
• K. A. P. Viswanatham Pillai, (Fondly remembered as Ki. Aa. Pe), a great Tamil writer
• Akilan, author, Tamil scholar, Sahitya Akademi Award recipient
• Sangitha Kalanidhi Clarinet A.K.C. Natarajan
• Kalaimamani Clarinet A.K.C. Venugopal
• Sujatha Rangarajan, writer
• Hema Malini, actress
• Lalgudi Jayaraman, violinist
• Kavingnar Vaali, Tamil poet and lyricist
• M. K. Thiyagaraja Bhagavatar, first superstar of Tamil cinema (MKT as he was popularly known was born in MAyuram, which stands for the first initial in his name)
• A. R. Murugadoss, Tamil Film Director.
• Prasanna, Tamil Film Actor
• Iravatham Mahadevan, famous epigraphist, specializing on the Indus script and Early Tamil epigraphy.
• Dr. Vijayanandan, famous doctor and fourth dental surgeon of Tiruchirappalli.
• James Vasanthan, music director
• G.M.Vridhachalam , Famous Lawyer
• Vanitha Rangaraju Ramanan, OSCAR award winner in 2004

References

State of Tamil Nadu  · Topics: Cinema · Cuisine · Economy · Government · History · Language · Literature · Music · People · Politics · Temples · Wildlife Capital: Chennai  · State bird: Emerald Dove  · State Animal: Nilgiri Tahr  · State Tree: Palm Tree  · State flower: Gloriosa Lily  · Districts: Ariyalur · Chennai · Coimbatore · Cuddalore · Dharmapuri · Dindigul · Erode · Kanchipuram · Kanyakumari · Karur · Krishnagiri · Madurai · Nagapattinam · Namakkal · Perambalur · Pudukkottai · Ramanathapuram · Salem · Sivaganga · Thanjavur · The Nilgiris · Theni · Thoothukudi · Tiruchirapalli · Tirunelveli · Tirupur · Tiruvallur · Tiruvannamalai · Tiruvarur · Vellore · Viluppuram · Virudhunagar Major cities: Chennai  · Coimbatore  · Erode  · Madurai  · Salem · Tiruchirapalli · Tirunelveli  · Tirupur  · Tuticorin · Vellore Protected areas: Biosphere Reserves: · Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve · Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve · Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve · National Parks: Guindy National Park · Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park · Indira Gandhi National Park · Mudumalai National Park · Mukurthi National Park · Palani Hills National Park Wildlife Sanctuaries: Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary · Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary · Vallanadu Wildlife Sanctuary · Bird Sanctuaries: Koothankulam Bird Sanctuary · Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary · Conservation reserves: Tiruvidaimarudur Conservation Reserve Tamil Nadu Portal

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• srirangam,Tiruchchirappalli

(Redirected to Tiruchirappalli article)

From Wikitravel

Tiruchirappalli (Trichy or Tiruchy) is in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India.

Get in

Trichy is an ancient city of South India and it was capital of Chola & Naicka kings for many centuries,having historical background. The battle between British ( East Indian Company) & French with the help of locals, decided the beginnings of British empire in southern part of India.

Tiruchy or Tiruchirappalli is well connected to Chennai the capital city of Tamil Nadu by bus, train as well as by Air. Frequently there are buses and trains from Coimbatore. Night travel is the best if travelling by train or by bus. The airport is located around 7 km towards Pudukottai at Chembattu.

Since 2008, Tiruchirappalli became a convenient low-cost entry point to India from South-East Asia (or vice versa), as AirAsia started to fly here from Kuala Lumpur. Tickets booked in advance, as of summer 2009, cost around Rs.3000 ($60, for 4 hour flight), but can be well below Rs.2000 during frequent sales. This is quite a good option even if you fly from Thailand to South India.

• Thanjavur- another Historical city away from 60 km, Important tourist center in South India, famous for its Prahadeeshwara Temple - Big Temple, Don't miss it. There are many interesting places and temples in and around Thanjavur.
• Pudukkottai - 45 km from Trichy, near by to Sithanna vasal , famous for its carvings & Paintings dated back centuries.
• Jayakondam - 120 km, important historical place.
• Karur- 80 km, Industrial town for handlooms and woven fabrics and you can find few temples.

• On your way to Kulithalai, you can enjoy the road journey virtually on the banks of Cauvery, unforgettable experience.
• Musiri

See

Trichy district is famous for many ancient and popular temples and religious institutions. The various temples the city is known for.

• The Rockfort Temple is at 5 kms from Trichy junction. The temple complex has many temples. Thayumaavar, Uchchi pillayar and Manikka vinayagar are the most important temples. One can feel the icy chill of the wind when getting to the top of the rock. (The temple is housed on the top of a famous rock). One also gets a splendid view of the city and the Cauvery river from the top. A must-visit place of anyone in South India.

• Sri Rangam Ranga Nathar Temple 8 km from Trichy Junction. Temple for the sleeping form of Lord Vishnu. This temple is considred the foremost temple of lord vishnu (Bhooloka Vaikundam)for Vaishnavites. Very big temple having tallest Temple tower ( Raja gopuram).Many interesting things are there try to Explore and understand. One must see this temple for its history, architectural beauty and for its religious value.

• Thiruvanaikkoil with Jambukeshwar and AkhilandEshwari is 7 km from Trichy Junction. This is a famous Shiva temple and One of the five Pancha bootha kshetras (five elements namely water, earth, air, fire and ether). This one is appu sthala (representing water).

• Perumal Malai in Thuraiur. Another Temple for Lord Vishnu

• Samayapuram Amman Temple 13 km from Trichy Junction. Popular with the masses. Can be crowded on Fridays

• Woriyur with Vekkaliamman Temple 5 km from Trichy Junction. Popular with the masses. Can be crowded on Fridays

• Rock Fort Ganapathi Temple at 5 km from Trichy Jn. Enjoy the bird's eye view of Trichy , SriRangam , Cauvery and its surroundings in the morning or in the evening.

A rock temple housing both Lord Thayumanavar and His son Pillaiyar(Ganapathi).

• Vayalur Murugan Temple

• Viralimalai Murugan Temple

• Gunaseelam - Vishnu Temple , dedicated to Lord Srinivasa.

• 200 years old St.Joseph's Church at 5 km from Trichy Jn.

Apart from temples, there are also some destinations, ideal for picnics/day trips.

• Mukkombu - A tourist spot at 15 km from Trichy Jn.
• Kallanai - a 2000 yr old dam built on the river Kallanai, (an offshoot of the Cauvery river) by Karikala Cholan.
• Puliyancholai - A green hideout around a pretty waterfall. On the Foot hills of Kollimalai - Kolli hills near Thuraiur.

Do

Gangaikonda cholapuram temple----This a historical place 110 km from trichy

• Chinna Kadai Street, The main shopping center is the "Chinna Kadai" street that runs along the "teppakulum" (temple tank) of the Uchchi Pillaiyar Rock temple. The street is packed with apparel, jewellery and household merchandise stores interpersed with restaurants and snack bars.

• Driving a car is a nightmare with pedestrians, bikes, street vendors, etc. Take an autorickshaw to the "teppakulum" and walk through the street for a great experience and some serendipitous shopping.

• The most popular stores for apparel shopping are
  • Saradhaas - very old store famour for silk saris and biggest store. Cheap and best quality
  • Krishna Readymade Hall - cramped shop with good selection of readymade salwars and western wear
  • Lakshmi Silks - further down the street beyond the Uchchi pillaiyar temple, good collection of wedding saris

• Traditional jewellery can be found in
  • Mangal and Mangal-Good collection of jewellery.
  • Gopaldas - good quality, traditional designs

• Thillainagar This is a well developed area where we can shop for the branded items

• BharathiDasan University is located at Trichy at 20 KM away from Trichy towards pudukkottai road.There are several colleges in Tiruchy. Mookambigai College of Engineering , JJ college of engineering and technology abt 20 km from central bustand, St.Joseph's, Jamal Mohamed College, Bishop Heber's College,National College, Holy Cross College,SRC,IGC,EVR are some of the reputed colleges of Trichy. Law College of Trichy is very famous for its reputation.The renouned state of art institutions National Institute of Technology & Bharathidasan institute of Managment are located near Tiruverumbur 14 km from Trichy

There are some very popular schools with high educational standards. Some of them are The Higher Secondary School for Boys(Srirangam), St. Joseph's Anglo Indian Girls Higher Secondary School, Campion, St. John's Vestry, Mahatma Gandhi , RSK, Montfort School, Kamakoti vidhyala.

• Kurinji Restaurant
• Hotel Femina
• Anand
• Sangeetha
• Raghunath
• Hotel Ajantha
• Mathura Lodge - Typical Brahmin Meals
• Abirami
• Hotel Madhura

• Hotel Sangam
• Hotel Breeze Residency

• Ice Blue Restaurant,newly opened Non-veg restaurant on the trichy-tanjore highway near Thiruverumbur(opp to VKN building) serves high class chettinad food with great taste.
• Banana Leaf
• Breeze
• Kannapa Chettinad restaurant, Here you get high class chettinad food with a traditional taste
• Kulathur Briyani hotel, Little away from city on dindugal road. Famous for Sunday afternoon briyanies with good taste!!

• Jenny Residency
• Femina
• Ramyas
• Gajapriya
• Abirami
• Arun - 0431-241-50-21
• Anand - 0431-241-55-45
• Sangeetha

• CSI Mission Hospital, Woriur
• GH Trichy
• Sea Horse Hospital
• Child Jesus
• CMC
• KMC
• Deepan Nursing Home
• Vishwanathan Pillai Hospital
• Sundaram Nursing Home - Puthur

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