Dharmapuri is a city and the administrative headquarters of Dharmapuri district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located 65 km north of Salem. It is a part of the Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu ruled by the ancient Western Ganga Dynasty.

The famous Hogenakal water falls is in Dharmapuri district. Rich in Mango farming, the district also boasts one of the best quality marble stone reserves in the world.

History

The earliest known chieftain who ruled Tagadur (present Dharmapuri) during the Sangam era, is Adhiyaman Naduman Anji, whose patronage sustained the famous poetess Avvaiyar. The next we hear in the 8th century when the northern parts of Salem District were probably under the Pallavas regime. Subsequently, we hear of the Ganga Pallavas having sway over the western parts of the Salem District. The Western Gangas are also mentioned as having ruled Baramahal during the end of the 8th century.

In the beginning of the 9th Century, the Rashtrakutas gained power and influenced the history of the district for the next two centuries. During the period, the Cholas also rose to power in the south and Aditya-I conquered the Kongunadu in 894 A.D. During 949-950 A.D., the Cholas suffered a defeat from the Rastrakutas whose decline started later after the death of their king Krishna-III. Subsequently, the entire area in Salem District came under the rule of the Cholas. The Gangavadi was then annexed to the Chola territory and placed in charge of an Adigaman Tagadur. The 12th century witnessed the decline of the Chola empire when the Hoysalas rose to power and routed the Cholas from Gangavadi. They are said to have captured Kolar, sacked Kotayur and over ran the western parts of Kongunadu. The Baramahal and Talaget areas apparently still remained with the Cholas. But the Adigaman seems to have practically become free and owed only nominal allegiance to the Cholas. Soundrapandia-I assisted the Yadavas in driving out the Hoysala king, Vira Someswara from the Chola territory.

The history of the 13th Century revolve itself between the Hoysalas and the Pandyas. This portion may be added after when they were attacked from the North by the Yadavas, the Hoysalas retreated towards the South in Kongunadu. It is known that Jatavarman Soundrapandian-I assisted the Yadavas in driving out the Hoysalas king, Vira Someswara, from the Chola territory. But it is doubtful whether he made himself master of the Talaghat area as there are records to show that Vira Someswara's son Vira Ramanatha later ruled the whole of Salem District and the Pandiyas were then eclipsed by the Mohammadan emissaries of the Delhi Sultanate.

The rise of Vijayanagar kingdom was seen in the 14th century. In 1365-66 A.D., Bukka-I turned his attention towards the south to overthrow the Mohammedan Sultanate of Madurai. One of these campaigns must have brought Salem District under the Vijayanagar kings. They ruled these parts till 1565 A.D when the glory of the Vijayanagar king was laid in dust by the combined armies of the Deccan Sultans on the field at Talikota Hosur Denkanikota. While Jagaderea Raya of Chennapatna ruled the Baramahal along with Mysore. Meanwhile the ascendancy of the Madurai Nayakas reached its zenith during the time of Tirumala Nayak who came to power in 1623 A.D. and this tract was placed in charge of Poligars owing allegiance to him. Ramachandra Nayaka, one of his poligars was incharge of Talaimalai a hill overlooking the Cauvery in the south Namakkal taluk. The Namakkal Fort is said to have been built by them. The Gathi Mudaliars were incharge of the most dangerously exposed province of the Nayak Kingdom with Kaveripuram on the right bank of the Cauvery as their strategic capital commencing one of the principal passes to the Mysore plateau. The centre of then power seems, however to have been Taramangalam where they built a grand edifice of a temple. It is said that their domination extended as far as Talaivasal to the east, Dharapuram in Coimbatore District in the south. The forts of greatest strategic importance held by the Gathi Mudaliars were Omalur and Attur.

Several places in Coimbatore were taken by Kantirava Narasa Raja of Srirangapatinam from Gathi Mudaliars in 1611 A.D. After 11 years, he seized Baramahal including Viralahadradurg, Pennagaram, Dharmapuri and Denkanikotta in 1654 A.D., he took over Hosur from Chandra Sankar Dodda Devaraju the king of Mysore wrested Omalur from the Gathi Mudaliars and thus erased them out of political scene. The aggression of Marattas, however checked the power of the Mysore Kings. For a time Baramahal and Talaghat passed into the hands of Marattas. In 1688-89 A.D., Chikka Deva Raya king of Mysore felt strong enough once again to invade Baramahal and wrested Dharmapuri, Manukonda, Omalur Paramathi, Kaveripatinam and Attur were also retrieved by Chika Deva Raya and the whole district of Salem came under his control before his death in 1704 A.D. Meanwhile Abdul Nabikhan of Nawab of Cuddapah extended his possession towards South and by 1714 A.D., he made himself master of the Baramahal.

By about 1750 A.D., Hyder Ali was in power in Mysore Baramahal came under his sway in 1760 A.D. By 1767 A.D., the British Government at Madras planned an attack on Hyder Ali and seized Kaveripattinam without serious opposition. Krishnagiri was then besieged. Meanwhile, reinforcement was brought by Hyder Ali and they drove away the British. Thus, Kaveripattinam was recaptured. Some months later the British made another invasion on the Baramahal. Further, South Dharmapuri, Salem, Attur, Sendamangalam and Namakkal were surrendered to the British without serious difficulties. The victory, however, was short-lived because Hyder Ali soon recaptured Dharmapuri, Denkanikota, Omalur, Salem and Namakkal. During the period of second Mysore war, Salem District was in the hands of Hyder Ali.

Tippu Sultan succeeded Hyder Ali and proved to be a formidable power. The British made an alliance with the Marattas and the Nizam and started the third Mysore war in 1790 A.D., in order to curb the power of Tippu Sultan. A wing of the British forces stationed itself fully reinforced at Kaveripattinam. Even though Tippu Sultan rushed to this spot with his full force, he could not dislodge the British. A number of alternations took place between the commanding forces in the Baramahal area. In 1791, Hosur, Anjetti, Nilgiri and Ratnagiri came under the British Royakotta and many other small forts fell without much resistance. In 1791 Tippu sent a force from the South along the Tippu pass. In the battle at Pennagaram they surrendered to the British. In 1792 A.D., a peace treaty was signed between Tippu and English. According to this, a half of the dominion of Tippu was taken away. The whole of Salem District except the Balaghat and a portion of Hosur came into the hands of the British. The first British Collector had is headquarters at Krishnagiri on strategic consideration.

The last Mysore war in 1799 added up several places in Hosur Taluk like Nilgiri, Anjetti, Durgam, Ratnagiri and Kelamangalam which were recaptured by British. After the fall of Srirangapattinam in which Tippu Sultan lost his life the Balaghat area was also added to Salem District. The present Dharmapuri District was then the part of the Salem District. The British on their victory over Tippu had control over this area since 1792 A.D. During the British rule in the country and even till 1947 there was no separate district except Dharmapuri as one of the taluks of Salem District. This was formed as a separate district in 1965 with it headquarters at Dharmapuri.

Geography

Dharmapuri is located at . It has an average elevation of 468 metres (1535 feet).

It is situated in the northwestern corner of Tamil Nadu and is bounded by Tiruvannamalai and Viluppuram districts on the east, Salem district on the South, Krishnagiri district on the north and the river Kaveri on the west. It is located between latitudes N 11 47’ and 12 33’ and longitudes E 77 02’ and 78 40’. The total geographical area of Dharmapuri district is 4497.77 km² which is 3.46% of Tamil Nadu.

Dharmapuri was named as Thagadoor when King Adhiyaman administering the Kongu Nadu; the name itself stating that the district was famous for charity. Yes, "Adhiyaman Avaiyaar paatiku nelli kani thanthaar".

Soil

The Soil type ranges from black to mixed loam; Red sandy soils are seen in Harur Taluk. Black and loam soil are found in Dharmapuri Taluk. Generally the soil is low in Nitrogen and Phosphate content with no marked variation between Taluks.

Mineral Resources

Dharmapuri district is endowed with sizeable reserves of Granite. High quality black Granite is available in Pennagaram, Harur and Palacode blocks. Quartz is available at Kendiganapalli Village of Pennagaram Taluk, Velampatti of Harur taluk and Pethathampatti of Pappireddipatti Taluk.

Another High value mineral available here is Molybdinum, which is identified as a good conductor. It is available in Harur.

Climate

The climate here is generally warm. The hottest period of the year is between the months of March to May, reaching a maximum temperature of up to 38°C in April. The temperatures drop in December and the low temperatures continue up to February, touching a minimum of 18°C in January. The district receives an average annual rainfall of 895.56 mm.

Economy

Horticulture

Dharmapuri district forms a major horticultural belt in the state. As the area is drought–prone it has become essential to switch over to cultivation of drought tolerant perennial fruit crops in this district.

Although almost all types of fruits and vegetables are cultivated here, Mango is the main horticulture crop of this District. It has the highest area under the fruit crops. The district accounts for nearly one-third area under mango and nearly one-half of the mango yield in the state. Nearly 80% of the products are of Thotapuri variety (Banglora) commonly referred to as Kilimukku.

The district has the 2nd highest area under Tomato and accounts for 22% of the area in the state. Palacode is the main area where Tomato is cultivated. Chili is cultivated mainly at Pennagaram.TAMARIND Business is one of main occupation is done here, around 1000 families are depend on it. This district is the biggest supply of tarmarind not only for Tamil Nadu also for Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra also.

Fisheries

Dharmapuri being an inland district, fishing is restricted to inland only here. Main varieties of fish available are katla, rogu, mirgal, and common carp.

Demographics

 India census, Dharmapuri had a population of 64,444. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Dharmapuri has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79% and, female literacy is

68%. In Dharmapuri, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Education

Medical Colleges

• Government Dharmapuri Medical College, Dharmapuri

Nursing colleges

• Padmavathy College of Nursing, Dharmapuri
• Sri Vijay Vidhyalaya College of Nursing, Dharmapuri
• Sri Paspo College of Nursing, Dharmapuri
• Swami Vivekananda College of Nursing, Dharmapuri
• DNV college of Nursing

Engineering colleges

• Sapthagiri College of Engineering,Periyanhalli,Dharmapuri
• Jayam College of Engineering and Technology,Nallanur, Dharmapuri
• Jayalakshmi Institute of Technology, Thoppur ,Dharmapuri.
• Varuvan Vadivelan Institute of Technology, Dharmapuri

Arts and Science Colleges

• Government Arts College, Dharmapuri
• Sri Vijay Vidyalaya Arts And Science college,Dharmapuri
• Kamadhenu College of Arts and Science, Dharmapuri
• P.M.P. College of Arts and Science, Dharmapuri
• Pee Gee College of Arts and Science, Dharmapuri
• Harur Muthu Arts and Science College for Women, Harur,Dharmapuri
• Pachamuthu Arts and Science Women's College, Dharmapuri

Tourist Places

Hogenakal Falls

Hogenakal Falls is located at the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, around 46 km from Dharmapuri. In Hogenakal, the Kaveri River enters Tamil Nadu as a big river with gushing water. The name 'Hogenakal' is derived from Kannada means Smoky Rocks. When the river falls on the rock below, the gushing force of water causes a smoke-like haze, leading to the origin of the name. At Hogenakal, the water spreads for miles around and cruising on country-made dinghies (Parisal) is possible.

Hogenakal is considered the Grand Canyon of India in terms of the unique landscape and the wild Kaveri river flowing there for ages. It is also sometimes referred to as the Niagara falls of India.

Theerthamalai

Theerthamalai is an important sacred place in Harur taluk of Dharmapuri district. Shri Theerthagirishwarar Temple is located at the top of a hillock. Chola and Vijayanagara kings donated liberally to this temple. A lot of devotees throng the temple during the Maha Shivarathiri. It is believed that Lord Rama created the waterfall to do abhishek for Lord Shiva, after waiting for a long time for Hanuman to bring water.

Hanumanthathirtham

This place is situated on the bank of Pennaiyar at a distance of 10 km from Uthangarai and traditionally associated with Tirtamalai. It is believed that Hanuman was instructed by Lord Rama to , Hanuman was said to have thrown down the vessel in which he brought the holy water and this spilled water is believed to be the "Hanumantatirtham".

Adhiyamankottam

The capital of Adhiyamans, ancient rulers of Tagadur, was Adhiyamankottam which is situated on the Salem-Dharmapuri road at a distance of 7 km from Dharmapuri. The ruins of the roughly oval shaped fort is still there. The Chenraya Perumal temple is the biggest of the lot which is held as a protected monument. It is believed to have been constructed both by the King Krishna Devaraya and the Hoysala kings. There is a mandapam which leads to the sanctum sanctorum. There are paintings in the ceiling depicting scenes from the Mahabharata, Viswarupa darshan of Lord Krishna and some scenes from the Ramayana. All the paintings belong to the 13th century.

Kottakovil

This is one of the famous temples built for Lord Shiva. It is located on the northern side of Dharmapuri. This old temple was renovated and is now maintained by the Government and people of Dharmapuri. Rare sculptures and paintings can be found in this temple. The main speciality of this temple is the 'Hanging pillar'. There is also a legend that there was a secret passage that connects this temple to Adhiyamankottai and that the Government has closed the passage for certain issues.

Subramanya Siva Memorial

Subramanya Siva was born on Sep-19,1884 in Vathalagundu, Madhurai. Subramanya Siva was a firebrand revolutionary independence fighter from Tamil Nadu, He worked closely with freedom fighters, V.O Chidambaram Pillai and Subramanya Bharathi and inspired many young men to join the freedom movement. Siva was the first political prisoner in the Madras presidency. Siva had described his jail experience in a small book " Jail Life". He published "Gnana Bhanu" a collection of poems. He was an admirer of the philosopher, Swami Vivekanandha and his religious master Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa. Siva disagreed on many things with Gandhian Philosophy. He believed in using violent methods where constructional methods had failed. Subramanya Siva died on July 23, 1925.

A monument has been built in memory of the patriot Subramanya Siva, near Subramanya Siva Govt Boys High School, Papparapatti, Pennagaram Taluk.

Sacred Heart Cathedral

The Sacred Heart Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dharmapuri.

Cinema Theatres

• Sri Hari
• GM Theatre
• Sri Ganesha
• DNC-Ratna
• Madheswara
• Santhosh
• Anandh
• AV
• Sri Lakshmi

Politics

Dharmapuri assembly constituency is part of Dharmapuri .

References

See also

• Dharmapuri