Tiruchirappalli தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி (tiruccirāppaḷḷi) , also called Tiruchi or Trichy (Tamil: தி௫ச்சி), is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirapalli District. It is the fourth largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu and also the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state. Situated at a distance of 319 kilometres south of Chennai and 402 kilometres north of Kanyakumari on the national highway NH 45, it is located almost at the geographic centre of the state.
Tiruchirapalli is believed to have been named after the three-headed demon Trishira of Hindu mythoology who is believed to have indulged in penance and obtained favours at this place. The city is of great antiquity and has been ruled by the Early Cholas, Early Pandyas, Pallavas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Delhi Sultanate, Madurai Sultanate, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, the Carnatic state and the British at different times. The archaeologically important town of Uraiyur which served as the capital of the Early Cholas is a suburb of Tiruchirapalli. Tiruchirapalli has a number of historical monuments, the RockfortThiruvanaikaval being the most prominent among them. and
Tiruchirapalli is a prominent industrial and educational hub of central Tamil Nadu. The factories of the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and the Golden Rock Railway Workshops are located in Tiruchirapalli. The National Institutes of Technology (NIT), Bharathidasan University, Bharathidasan Institute of Management and Anna University have their campuses in Tiruchirapalli.
There are several theories for the origin of the city's name. One is that Tiruchirapalli was named after the three-headed demon Trishira (or "Chira") who performed penance at the Shiva temple in the city and obtained favors. The city was therefore named after the demon. Another theory states that since there are three peaks in the area, which are occupied by Shiva, Parvati, and Vinayaka the name Tri-Shikharam or Tirisirapuram arose. The legend says that Shiva in the guise of a woman attended to the call of a devotee in labor, hence he is called as Matrubhuteswarar (Matru means mother, Bhuteswar is another name of Siva meaning 'king of ghosts') or Taayumaanavar in Tamil.
The name Tiruchirappali is the combination of three words Thiru + Chira + Palli, meaning the 'School Chira'. In Thaayumanavar Temple in Rock fort, the pictures depict that there was a saint called 'Chira', who established a school ('Palli' in Tamil) near that area. Hence the name Chira Palli or Tiruchirappalli, Tiru is a honoric prefix for the saint Chira.[citation needed]
Normally the place names ends with 'Palli' refers the ancient devotional place of Jains (Samanar). Rocky caves in many places occupied by them. 'Palli' means not only school but also refers to resting place.
Tiruchirapalli, along with Madurai, is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Tamil Nadu. Uraiyur, which served as the capital of the Early Cholas from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD is a suburb of present-day Tiruchirapalli.[2] The oldest human-built dam, Kallanai, was built by Karikala Cholan across the Kaveri RiverUraiyur. about 10 miles from
The medieval history of Tiruchirapalli begins with the reign of the Pallava king Mahendravarman I who ruled over South India in the 6th century AD. Mahendravarman laid the foundation of the Rockfort which is regarded as the cultural symbol of the city and is one of the oldest surviving monuments in Tamil Nadu. Following the demise of the Pallavas in the 8th century AD, Tiruchirapalli was conquered by the Medieval Cholas under whom it served as a regional stronghold.
When the Chola Empire began to decline, Tiruchirapalli was conquered by the Pandyas who ruled from 1216 to 1311 when they were defeated by Malik Kafur. The victorious armies of the Sultanate are believed to plundered and ravaged the kingdom. According to a local legend, the idol of Lord Ranganatha in the Hindu temple of Sirangam was saved from destruction by transporting it out of the city. Tiruchirapalli was ruled by the Delhi Sultanate and the Madurai Sultanate from 1311 to 1378 when it was annexed by the Vijayanagar Empire.In the year 1463 Tiruchirapalli along with parts of Tamil country was annexed by Surya Vamsi king of Orissa Gajapati Kapileswar Dev.He appointed his son Rajkumar Hamvira Dev as Governer of his southern most province.According to inscriptions the Gajaptis have made enourmous gifts& landgrants to Sri Rangaraja temple and other temples of this region.This region was a war ground between Gajapatis of Orissa & Vijayanagara Kingdom till 1510. Tiruchirapalli remained a part of the Vijayanagar Empire[2] and its successor, the Madurai Nayak kingdom till 1736. Under the Madurai Nayak kingdom, Tiruchirapalli was an important stronghold in the wars against the Thanjavur Marathas and later, Chanda Sahib. It served as the capital of the kingdom from 1616 to 1634 and from 1665 to 1736. In 1736, the last Madurai Nayak ruler Meenakshi committed suicide and Tiruchirapalli was conquered by Chanda Sahib who ruled the kingdom from 1736 to 1740 when he was captured and killed by the Thanjavur Marathas.
With regard to the centre of origin of iron,[3] Sir William Larke, Director of the British Iron and Steel Federation, says -
"The centre of origin is variously placed in India, where there are historical traditions and remains indicating a highly developed iron culture. Hyderabad and Trichinopoly are considered by many to have been the centres of production of wootz..... This steel was noted for centuries, being carried by merchants from India to Damascus and Toledo.." Sir William gives the date of this origin of the Iron Age as 1400 to 1500 B.C.E
The well-known Trichinopoly cigars are chiefly manufactured from Tobacco grown outside the district at Dindigul. It was said that Winston Churchill developed a taste for the mildly aromatic Trichy cigar that was traded from Fort St George to Whitehall during 2nd World War
One famous landmark in Tiruchirapalli is the Rock Fort, a big outcrop of rock, 83 metres in height. It is the only such outcrop of its kind. Because of it Trichy is also called as Rock City. On top of it is the Ucchi Pillayar Koil, a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vinayaka (Ganesh), from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Tiruchirapalli. The temple was also used as a military fort by the Nayaks for some time.
On the southern face of the rock are several beautifully-carved cave temples of the Pallava period. On the eastern side is Sri Nandrudayan Vinayakar Temple, with Ganesha as the main deity. A large-sized Ganesha and depictions of other rare deities can be seen in this temple, which hosts festivals every year during the Vinayaka Chathurthi (birthday of Ganesha). Many Carnatic musicians have given concerts in this famous shrine. Around the rock temple is a busy commercial region, mainly known for its textiles and Burma, China, Japan goods, known as Chatram. The Main Guard Gate is flooded on festive occasions such as Deepavali, Ramzan, Bakrid, Christmas, and Pongal.
Trichy is famous for the number of Christian churches it has—it is said to have the greatest number of chapels in India. The most famous are Holy Redeemer's Church (Sagayamatha Kovil), Our Lady of Lourdes Church(built by Jesuits) near Chatram bus stand, and The Cathedral in Melapudur(built by Jesuits), all more than a century and a half old. The most famous college in Trichy, St. Joseph's College was also built by the Jesuits, and so was St. Joseph's school,etc. Trichy also is famous for Arcot Nawab masjid (one of the oldest), with its large water storage tank (Ahail)
The topology of Trichy is flat. It lies at an altitude of 78 m above sea level. The area of the city is 146.90 sq. km while the urban agglomeration is spread over an area of 180 sq. km. There is also a plan to increase the area of the corporation to 223 sq. km which would result in an increase in population of 0.9 million(2001). The river Kaveri (also called Cauvery) and the river Coleroon (also called Kollidam) flows through Trichy, the latter forms the northern boundary of the city. The river Cauvery flows along WNW-SSE direction through the city.
The city is divided into three parts: the Cantonment area to the south, the temples to the north and the bazaar in the centre of the city.[2] Most of Tiruchirapalli's hotels and government and post offices are situated in the cantonment while most of Tiruchirapalli's temples are located in the north.The Rockfort and its temple are situated in the centre of the city and surrounded by a bazaar.
There are few hills located within the city, the prominent among them are Golden Rock, Rock Fort, Kajamalai and in Thiruverumbur. There are few reserve forests along the river Cauvery, located at the west and the north-west of the city. The southern and the south-western part of the district is dotted by several hills which are thought to be an offset of the Western Ghat. Eastern ghats also pass through the district. The soil here is considered to be very fertile. As two rivers flows through the city, the northern part of the city is more greener than other areas of the city.
Trichy has very hot climate, with humidity slightly above normal. The city experiences mild winters and humid summers. The timing of the monsoon in this part of the country has lately become unpredictable, with the rainy season starting from mid-October until early-November and the rains then extending until early or mid-January.
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