Gudiyatham

Gudiyatham
Town
Nickname(s): Kudiyettram
Gudiyatham Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates: 12°56′23″N 78°51′52″E / 12.93972°N 78.8644°E / 12.93972; 78.8644Coordinates: 12°56′23″N 78°51′52″E / 12.93972°N 78.8644°E / 12.93972; 78.8644
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Vellore
Government
• Type	First Grade Municipality
• Body	Gudiyattam Municipality
Population (2011)
• Total	2,35,672
Languages
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Postal code	632 602, 635 803,635 806
Telephone codes	+91 ,04171
Vehicle registration	TN 23

Gudiyatham (also called Gudiyattam or Gudiyettram) is a Suburban and a historical Town of Vellore district. It is a municipality in Vellore district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is located at the centre of two megacities namely Bangalore and Chennai. District headquarter Vellore is 31 km away from the town. In 2011, the town had a population of 2,35,672. This is where the first Indian national flag was woven. Gudiyatham is a first-grade municipality. It was named Gudiyatham Municipality in 1886.

CREATION OF TOWNSHIP:

The town was built by Kulothunga choza during his reign. He named it as "Kudiyetra-nallur" which denotes, a place that suits for good and hood living.

Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary is just 26 km from Gudiyatham. Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary and an elephant reserve situated in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the only sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh with a population of Asian elephants, which migrated after 200 years from neighbouring regions.

Geography

Gudiyatham is the largest mucipalty town in Vellore district,Gudiyatham is about 160 km west of Chennai and 165 km southeast of Bengaluru. The town is near the border of Andhra Pradesh state. Gudiyatham has more than 500 small villages around it.

In 2010, the opening of NH 234 highway was announced. NH234 passes through it from Mangaluru to Villupuram en route to Vellore and Tiruvannamalai.^[1]

• NEAREST AIRPORT: Vellore, Bengaluru and Chennai.
• NEAREST SEAPORT: Chennai.
• NEAREST RAILWAY STATIONS: Gudiyatham and Ambur.
• NEAREST MAJOR RAILWAY JUNCTIONS: Vellore [Katpadi] Junction, Chittore junction (AP State)
• NEAREST HIGHWAY JUNCTION: Pallikonda

Gudiyattam is located around 30.0 kilometer away from its district headquarter Vellore. Surrounding districts from Gudiyattam are as follows:

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Gudiyatham had a population of 2,35,672 with a sex-ratio of 1,029 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.^[2] A total of 9,273 were under the age of six, constituting 4,738 males and 4,535 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 16.8% and 0.1% of the population respectively.

The average literacy of the town was 77.46%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.^[2] The town had 55,103 households. There were 1,05,133 workers, comprising 9,700 cultivators, 25,373 main agricultural labourers, 6,501 in household industries, 40,891 other workers, 22,668 marginal workers, 877 marginal cultivators, 8,949 marginal agricultural labourers, 1,122 marginal workers in household industries and 11,369 other marginal workers.^[3]

As per the religious census of 2011, Gudiyatham had 81.58% Hindus, 16.96% Muslims, 0.98% Christians, 0.01% Sikhs, 0.01% Buddhists, 0.28% Jains, 0.16% following other religions and 0.02% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.^[4]

Tourist attractions

Mordhana dam, is about 8 kilometers from Gudiyatham. The dam is built between two hills that are covered with lush greenery and is 33 meters high and 220 meters long. The Famous PachaiAmman Temple is also located There Karupuleeswarar Temple, also known as Balasarthuleeswarar (Baby-Tiger Eswarar)temple in Nellorepet is more than 1000 years old and is historically connected with Gudiyatham town. It is famous for its car festival (Thaer Thiruvizha). This temple was the abode for famous sage Goundanya Rishi and the river passing through the town is called in his name "Goundanya Maha Nadi". The temple has lion tank (Simha kulam).

Gangaiamman Temple in Gudiyatham is famous for its 4 days carnival (Gangai Amman Thiruvizha) every year during 14–17 May (Tamil month - Vaigasi 1st) which attracts 10 lakhs of people from all around India. For this famous occasion, government announces local holiday for the whole district.In January 2018,A linga was founded by temple administration and named as " Gangaeeswara".

Arulmigu Subramaniyar temple in kamatchiamman pet, built decades ago is famous for its 'Sura-Samharam' event conducted every year in the Tamil month of 'aipasi'. This temple is administered by a local-community's trust body.

Siva-Siva temple located in more busier 'vani steet' built centuries ago is famous for its 'Pradhosham' events every month.

Arulmigu Punganoor Amman Temple in Chunnambupet (Old Bus Stand backside).

Sethukkarai hill (Serukkiri hill) is recently famous for the Girivalam (going around hill) among the locals on full moon days.

Sports entertainment

Chettikuppam Ambedkar sports ground, is a nice place to see kabaddi matches and Bluestar(chettikuppam), is a current vellore district kabaddi champions.

Commerce

• India's first national flag hoisted after Independence was weaved in Gudiyattam. This flag was hoisted by the first prime minister Pandit.Jawaharlal Nehru at Redfort on 15 August 1947.

Gudiyatham has a small scale sector manufacturing safety matches, lungis, and beedis. The safety matches industry is second largest in Tamil Nadu after Sivakasi. Beedis are exported to Pakistan and other parts of India. The handloom and powerloom lungies which are manufactured here are exported to many parts of India, African and Arab countries. The whole of middle east countries are supplied with handloom lungis by major exporting firms from Gudiyatham. Gudiyatham is so called "The Little Sivakasi" for its major match box factories around the town.

The town has many cinema theaters (more than 10). At present "Ganga complex" has Ganga,Gowri and Gayathri theatres in a compound as well as Lakshmi,Little lakshmi and Mahalakshmi theatres in the other compound. All these six theatres are present near the Kamarajar bridge. Other theatres, Murugan and Raguram are also located in this town. Gudiyatham is famous for gold jewellery making.There are more than 400 jewellery shops in the town. Being on the Katpadi-Jolarpettai railway line, it is well connected to Chennai and Bengaluru.

The central government has recently announced Chennai-Bangalore expressway enroute Gudiyattam.

Other than these, there were two cotton mills running in Gudiyatham. One is Thirumagal Mills Limited and other one is Rajeshwari Mills Limited; but the latter was closed. Cow and Ox market is held near Nellorepet on every Tuesday and it has been so, for more than 100 years.

Education

Gudiyattam Polytechnic College was established in 2008. This Polytechnic College offers Diploma courses in Mechanical, Civil, Electrical & Electronics, Electronics & Communication and Computer Science Engineering. located at kakathoppu.

The Govt. Thirumagal Mills college, Gudiyatham was established in the year 1964-65. The college was established with a pre-University course and now it has 6 UG courses and 2 PG courses apart from two certificate courses. Located in the Gudiyattam - Katpadi Road.

The K.M.G College was started in the year 2000. From a humble beginning of 7 Undergraduate courses started in the very first year of opening of the college.The college now offers 10 Undergraduate courses,6 PG courses and 2 Research programs.

The Rajagopal Polytechnic College was established in the year 1960. This Polytechnic College offers three year Diploma courses in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics, Electronics & Communication Engineering, and Automobile Engineering. Located in the Gudiyattam - Katpadi Road.It provides quality education for people in and around gudiyatham and also produces good ranks.

Guru Raagavindra Polytechnic College was newly established in 2009. This Polytechnic College offers 3 Years Diploma courses in Mechanical, Civil, Electrical & Electronics, Electronics & Communication, Computer Science Engineering. Located near Gudiyattam Railway station.

The Sugarcane Research Station at Melalathur, Gudiyatham was started in 1935 under a scheme for sugarcane research of the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research. From 1981 onward, it is under the jurisdiction of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. (TNAU)

Seventh day adventist matriculation higher secondary school at sadukarai is one of the most famous school in the surrounding ,it is a christian missionary school.It famous for it simplicity,and one of the less fees collecting private schooling in the surrounding.After spreading quality education for few year the school extended it boundary by extending another campus nearby.

Thiruvalluvar higher secondary school established around 65 years ago is one of the leading government-aided educational institution in the town providing quality school-level education to pupils. The school was established by K.M.Govindarsanar. The school has more than 120 teaching staffs and 50 non-teaching staffs. Most of the people around the town are educated from this school.

Abirami arts and science college for women a newly established institution in 2016 is now a fast-growing,leading educational institution in the town. The college offers all undergraduate courses in arts and science department

National higher secondary school in the town offers quality education to students in the town. This institution is a government-aided institution having more than 100+ teaching staffs.

Vallalar higher secondary school established long back situated in nellorepet provides quality education to pupils in and around that area. This is also a government-aided institution.

Saraswathi vidhyalaya higher secondary schoolOne of the oldest school of the surrounding mainly famous for it quality education.

Vidhyalakshmi matriculation higher secondary school lies few kilometer away from gudiyatham ,they say it provide quality education,even though the school has given district ranks few times, there are few negative thing that affect student character ,people say that students are trained to make malpractice in board exam to score high.

Other schools such as Ashirwad's International CBSE School St.John's matriculation higher secondary school, Crescent maticulation school, Vidhyalakshmi CBSE school, Vidhyalakshmi matriculation higher secondary school, Vidhyalakshmi CBSE school, Ashirwad's International CBSE School, Brahmas CBSE vidhyalaya, Saraswathi matriculation vidhyalaya, Saraswathi vidhyalaya higher secondary school are providing quality education to students in and around the town.

Politics

Gudiyatham assembly constituency is part of Vellore Lok Sabha constituency.^[5] Kamarajar was elected as a Member of Legislative Assembly from the Gudiyatham constituency when he was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Jayanthi Padmanabhan is the current Member of Legislative Assembly.

References