Mecheri

Mecheri is a town panchayat which is divided into 18 wards. The wards cover 31 villages and about 230 square kilometres (89 sq mi).

In the 2011 Census of India,[1] Mecheri had a population of 25,676. Males constituted 53 percent of the population, and females 47 percent. Mecheri has an average literacy rate of 59 percent, slightly lower than the national average of 59.5 percent: male literacy is 75 percent, and female literacy 65 percent. Twelve percent of the population is under six years of age.

Mecheri is a holy site,[2] with broad conifers surrounding the main temple. Rajagopuram is the temple's main entrance, and Mecheri has a number of other temples.

Mecheri Sheep Research Station at Pottaneri

Goats at the MSRS

Sheep at the MSRS

Agriculture is the mainstay of the region; about 70 percent of the population is engaged in agriculture. Major field crops are:

• Cereals and pulses: Rice, jowar, bajra (cumbu), ragi, maize, korra, toor dhal, greengram, blackgram and horsegram
• Fruits and vegetables: Custard apple, plantains, mangoes, watermelon, cucumber, pomegranates, lemons, tomatoes, chillies, brinjal, pumpkins, lady's fingers, bitter gourd, snake gourd, bottle gourd, greens, bush beans
• Cash crops: Turmeric, sugarcane, tapioca and cotton

Southern Iron and Steel Company, a joint venture with JSW Steel), built India's first integrated steel plant at a cost of ₹2,235  crore (₹22.35 million) in Pottaneri for the production of TMT corrosion-resistant bars and alloy steel.[4] Mecheri also produces hand-loomed silk and cotton sarees, dothi and angavasthram.

Mecheri receives little rainfall, and has moderately dry weather except during the monsoon season. The first two months of the year are generally pleasant, with summer beginning around March. The highest temperatures normally occur during May, which is dry. The climate becomes more temperate in June and July, during the pre-monsoon period, and August is overcast and still dry. The northeast monsoon occurs from September to November, and the rains disappear by December.

Yercaud is a hill station about 55 kilometres (34 mi) from Mecheri, in the Shevaroy Hills of the Eastern Ghats. At an altitude of 1,515 metres (4,970 feet) above sea level, its highest point is the Servarayan temple, at 5,326 feet (1,623 m). The Cauvery River flows over a waterfall in Hoganakkal, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Mecheri. Mettur Dam is a scenic location near the town.

• Mecheri temple
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• The Hindu article on making Mecheri a taluk