TIRUNELVELI: The town of cultural tradition

"If the boundary of the town is made with stone, it will not have the aesthetic beauty hence it is fenced with paddy field," said a Tamil poet on the little town in Tamilnadu called Tirunelveli, which is about 2000 years old. As such the town was called 'Nelvelli', ie Paddy-Hedge since it was wired on all sides by paddy fields. Since the town in the temple is dedicated to Lord Siva, the town got the name 'Tiru-nel-veli' ('Tiru'-holy, 'nel'-paddy, 'veli'-fence). Situated on the West Bank of Thamiraparani River and Palayamkottai River on the east, the town was rebuilt by Viswanatha in 1560, the founder of the Nayak dynasty who built many more temples in the town. 

The Thamiraparani River provides irrigation water for rice and cotton, the major cultivation there. The locality's chief large-scale industry is cotton million. With electricity supplied from the Papanasam dam on the Thamiraparani River, Tirunelveli is now an industrial city specialized in the manufacture of textiles, cigars and

jewellery.

Kanthimathi-Nellaiyapper temple is a prime attraction in Tirunelveli. It is one of the most beautiful temples in India and is hailed as one of the five Pancha Sabhas of Nataraja housing Tamra Sabha (the copper hall) - a beautiful hall with exquisite woodwork where Nataraja is worshipped during Arudra Darisanam. The rare jewels, the golden lily tank, musical pillar, the hall of thousand pillars and abundance of sculptures in stone and in mortar are rare attractions. 

Courtallam, the "Spa of the South" is situated at an elevation of some 167 meters on the Western Ghats in Tirunelveli district. It is an excellent health resort and the water of Courtallam is believed to have medicinal qualities as it flows through the forests of herbs. The Kalakadu wildlife sanctuary is very popular with the botanists and the ornithologists as it has a great variety of fauna and bird life. Situated closely is the Mundanthurai wildlife sanctuary that boasts of dry deciduous to tropical wet evergreen forest patches of pure reeds. There is nothing to differentiate this sanctuary from that of Kalakadu, except the absence of Elephant and the Gaur. Further, Tirunelveli is famous for silk saris, jewelry and particularly Tirunelveli halwa (sweet). 

"Kodaivizha" popularly known as "Kodal", is the famous festival celebrated in Tirunelveli district. The festival is intended for the propitiation of village deities. It usually commences from the month of "Thai" i.e. after the 15th January and is celebrated throughout the district. There is no particular day for this festival. Car festival of the Tirunelveli Kanthimathi - Nellaiyapper temple attract large number of devotees.

Major Resellers

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