Kuzhithurai

Kuzhithurai
Town
Kuzhithurai Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates:
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Kanniyakumari
Government
• Type	Second Grade Municipality
• Body	Kuzhithurai Municipality
Population (2011)
• Total	21,307
Languages
• Official	Tamil,Malayalam
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Vehicle registration	TN-75

Kuzhithurai is a city and a municipality in Kanniyakumari District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Vilavancode Taluk. It has a historical seaport (thurai) where ancient merchants came from across the Arabian sea in ancient times. It is mentioned in ancient Indian maps. As of 2011, the town had a population of 21,307.

Demographics

Religious census
Religion			Percent(%)
Hindu			43.57%
Muslim			4.91%
Christian			51.41%
Buddhist			0.02%
Other			0.09%

According to 2011 census, Kuzhithurai had a population of 21,307 with a sex-ratio of 1,022 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 1,829 were under the age of six, constituting 922 males and 907 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 1.45% and .02% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 85.99%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had a total of : 5519 households. There were a total of 7,861 workers, comprising 171 cultivators, 615 main agricultural labourers, 238 in house hold industries, 5,573 other workers, 1,264 marginal workers, 27 marginal cultivators, 99 marginal agricultural labourers, 136 marginal workers in household industries and 1,002 other marginal workers.

As per the religious census of 2011, Kuzhithurai had 43.57% Hindus, 4.91% Muslims, 51.41% Christians, 0.02% Buddhists and 0.09% following other religions.

Geography

Kuzhithurai municipality spreads over an area of 5 km². The Thamiraparani river flows through Kuzhithurai.

Historical Importance

This town is famous for the annual Vavu Bali (Shradham for the ancestors held during the Mahalaya Amavasi) ceremony that is held here during July/Aug (malayalam Month Karkidakam). Along with the religious ceremony during this time, a great exhibition -Valubali Mela/Exhibition -was started by Shri. T.C Kesava Pillai, MLC from Kuzhithurai in 1900s. Today this is continued by the Kuzhithurai Town Municipality.

Education

The Government Higher Secondary School Vilavancode is situated at Kuzhithurai junction. It was founded by HRH Sir Sree Chithira Thirunal, Maharajah of Travancore GCSI, GCIE (November 7, 1912–July 19, 1991) who was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Travancore. Its other name is Malayalam palli in older days. Before 10 years Tamil, Malayalam along with English are used as a medium of teaching in here. Sree Devi Kumari Women's College, Kuzhithurai, Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Marthandam (from 1964 to present) run by the Kanyakumari Diocese of the Church of South India, Annai Velankanni College, Tholayavattam and Annammal Nursing college

Tourist spots

Chitharal JainMonuments : The Chitharal Jain Monuments are the ruins of a Jain training centre from the 9th century CE, on a small hill. It is famous for the hillock which has a cave containing rock-cut sculptures of Thirthankaras and attendant deities carved inside and outside dating back to the 9th century.[1][2] Among the rock-cut relief sculptures is a figure of the goddess Dharmadevi.[3] Jain influence in this region was due to the King Mahendravarman I (610-640).

Mathur Aqueduct : one of the largest Aqueducts in Asia.It is one of the longest and highest aqueducts in South Asia and is also a popular tourist spot in Kanyakumari District.The Aqueduct is built across the Pahrali river, a small river that originates in the Mahendragiri Hills of the Western Ghats. Mathur Aqueduct itself carries water of the Pattanamkal canal for irrigation over the Pahrali river, from one hill to another, for a distance of close to one kilometer. This Aqueduct is necessitated due to the undulating land terrain of the area, which is also adjacent to the hills of the Western Ghats.

Mathur Aqueduct is a concrete structure held up by 28 huge pillars, the maximum height of the pillars reaching 115 ft. The trough structure is 7 ft in height, with a width of 7.5 ft. The trough is partly covered on top with concrete slabs, allowing people to walk on the bridge and also see the water going through the trough. Some of the pillars are set in rocks of the Pahrali river, though some of the pillars are set in hills on either side.

Road access allows one to drive in to one side of the Aqueduct (up to one end), while it is also possible to drive into the foot of the Aqueduct (the level where the Pahrali flows) on the opposite side. There is also a huge flight of stairs (made in recent times) that allows one to climb from the level of the Pahrali river to the trough.

Culture

People of this town generally know both Tamil and Malayalam languages, because of its proximity to the border state of Kerala. Tamil and Malayalam are widely spoken by the people. The culture is a mixture of Tamil and Malayalam culture and traditions. Hinduism and Christianity are the major religions in the town. On Monday, December 22, 2014, Pope Francis erected the new Roman Catholic Diocese of Kuzhithurai, with 264,222 Catholics and a total population of 855,485, out of territory taken from the neighboring Roman Catholic Diocese of Kottar, and named the Rev. Fr. Jerome Dhas Varuvel, S.D.B., 63, until then a novice master for the Salesians of Don Bosco in the Vellore diocese, as its first Bishop. Its headquarters will be at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Thirithuvapuram, and it will be a suffragan see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madurai.

External links

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