Srivaikuntam Taluk
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Srivaikuntam Taluk
South-eastern taluk of Tinnevelly District, Madras, lying between 8° 17' and 8° 48' N. and 77° 48' and 78° 10' E., with an area of 542 square miles. The population rose from 287,603 in 1891 to 321,534 in 1901, the density being nearly 600 persons per square mile. Srivaikuntam is second only to the Tinnevelly taluk in the literacy of its inhabitants, and it has the largest Christian com- munity (over 54,000) in the District. It contains an unusually large number of interesting places, chief of which are Tiruchendur (popula- tion, 26,056), a famous Saivite shrine on the coast ; Kularekarapatnam (19,898) and Kayalpatnam (11,746), two decayed ports with a large population of Musalman Labbais ; Srivaikuntaisi (10,550), the head- quarters ; Alvar Tirunagari (6,630), which contains two noted Vaishnavite temples ; the two smaller towns of Sattankulam (6,953) and SIRUTTONDANALLUR (6,099) ; Nazareth, a centre of native Christians ; Kayal and Kolkai, celebrated as the early capitals of the Pandyan dynasty ; and Adichanallur, the most interesting pre- historic burial-place in Southern India. The number of villages is 134. The demand for land revenue and cesses in 1903-4 amounted to Rs. 6,30,000. The soils consist of black cotton soil in the north : red sand and red clay to the south and west ; the ten, or blown sand, founded upon the sandstone and claystone ridges parallel to the coast ; and, lastly, the rich alluvial belt of the Tambraparni Valley. Four main channels, two on either bank of the river leading from the Marudur and Srivaikuntam dams, irrigate the fdliik directly, besides supplying a large series of tanks. To the south the country is covered with thousands of palmyra palms.
