Tiruchirappalli[b] (Tamil pronunciation:[ˈt̪iɾɯtːʃiɾapːaɭːi]ⓘ,formerly calledTrichinopoly in English, also known asTiruchi orTrichy), is a majortier II city in theIndian state ofTamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters ofTiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with being the best livable[12] and the cleanest city of Tamil Nadu, as well as the fifth safest city for women in India.[13] It is the fourth largest city as well as the fourth largesturban agglomeration in the state.[citation needed] Located 322 kilometres (200 mi) south ofChennai and 374 kilometres (232 mi) north ofKanyakumari, Tiruchirappalli sits almost at the geographic centre of Tamil Nadu state. TheCauvery Delta begins 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west of the city where theKaveri river splits into two, forming the island ofSrirangam which is now incorporated into theTiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation. The city occupies an area of 167.23 square kilometres (64.57 sq mi) and had a population of 916,857 in 2011.[a]
Historically, Tiruchirappalli was commonly referred to in English as "Trichinopoly".[19] The shortened forms "Trichy" or "Tiruchi" are used in everyday speech and the full name Tiruchirapalli appears in official use by government and quasi-government offices but seldom used by the general public.[20][21]
According to the late scholarC. P. Brown, Tiruchirappalli might be a derivative of the wordChiruta-palli (lit. "little town").[22][23]OrientalistsHenry Yule andArthur Coke Burnell have speculated that the name may derive from a rock inscription carved in the 16th century in which Tiruchirappalli is written asTiru-ssila-palli, meaning "holy-rock-town" inTamil.[22][23] Other scholars have suggested that the name Tiruchirappalli is a rewording ofTiru-chinna-palli, meaning "holy little town".[22][23] TheMadras Glossary gives the root asTiruććināppalli or the "holy (tiru) village (palli) of theshina (Cissampelos pareira) plant".[23]
According toHindu mythology, Tiruchirappalli derives its name from the three-headed demonTrishira, whomeditated on the Hindu godShiva near the present-day city to obtain favours from the god.[22] An alternative derivation, albeit not universally accepted,[22] is that the source of the city's name is theSanskrit word "Trishirapuram"—Trishira, meaning "three-headed", andpalli orpuram meaning "city".[22][23]
Tiruchirappalli is one of the oldest inhabited cities inTamil Nadu; its earliest settlements date back to the Sangam period.[24]Uraiyur, the capital of the Early Cholas for 600 years from the 3rd century BC onwards,[25] is a neighbourhood in the present-day Tiruchirappalli.[26][27] The city is referred to as Orthoura by the historianPtolemy in his 2nd-century workGeography.[28] The world's oldest surviving dam, theKallanai (Lower Anaicut) about 18 kilometres (11 mi) from Uraiyur,[29] was built across the Kaveri River byKarikala Chola in the 2nd century AD.[30]
The medieval history of Tiruchirappalli begins with the reign of the Pallava kingMahendravarman I, who ruled over South India in the 6th century AD and constructed the rock-cut cave-temples within theRockfort.[31][32][33] Following the downfall of the Pallavas in the 8th century, the city was conquered by theMedieval Cholas, who ruled until the 13th century.[34]
After the decline of the Cholas, Tiruchirappalli was conquered by thePandyas,[35] who ruled from 1216 until their defeat in 1311 byMalik Kafur, the commander ofAllauddin Khilji.[36][37] The victorious armies of theDelhi Sultanate are believed to have plundered and ravaged the region.[36][37][38] The statue of the Hindu godRanganatha in the temple ofSrirangam vanished at about this time and was not recovered and reinstated for more than fifty years.[37][38] Tiruchirappalli was ruled by the Delhi andMadurai sultanates from 1311 to 1378,[39] but by the middle of the 14th century the Madurai Sultanate had begun to fall apart.[40] Gradually, the Vijayanagar Empire established supremacy over the northern parts of the kingdom, and Tiruchirappalli was taken by the Vijayanagar princeKumara Kampanna Udaiyar in 1371.[41] The Vijayanagar Empire ruled the region from 1378 until the 1530s, and played a prominent role in reviving Hinduism by reconstructing temples and monuments destroyed by the previous Muslim rulers.[42] Following the collapse of the Vijayanagar Empire in the early part of the 16th century, theMadurai Nayak kingdom began to assert its independence.[43][44][45] The city flourished during the reign ofVishwanatha Nayak (c. 1529–1564), who is said to have protected the area by constructing theTeppakulam and building walls around the Srirangam temple.[46][47] His successorKumara Krishnappa Nayaka made Tiruchirappalli his capital,[47] and it served as the capital of the Madurai Nayak kingdom from 1616 to 1634 and from 1665 to 1736.[48][49][50]
The Carnatic kingdom wasannexed by the British in July 1801 as a consequence of the discovery of collusion between Tipu Sultan—an enemy of the British—andUmdat Ul-Umra, son of Wallajah and theNawab at the time, during theFourth Anglo-Mysore War.[64][65] Trichinopoly was incorporated into theMadras Presidency the same year, and the district ofTrichinopoly was formed, with the city of Trichinopoly (or Tiruchirappalli) as its capital.[66]
During theCompany Raj and later theBritish Raj, Tiruchirappalli emerged as one of the most important cities in India. According to the1871 Indian census—the first in British India—Tiruchirappalli had a population of 76,530, making it the second largest city in the presidency after the capital of Madras (now Chennai).[67] It was known throughout theBritish Empire for its unique variety ofcheroot, known as theTrichinopoly cigar.[23] Tiruchirappalli was the first headquarters for the newly formedSouth Indian Railway Company in 1874 until its relocation toMadras in the early 20th century.[c][69]
Tiruchirappalli played an active role during thepre-independence era; there were a number of strikes and non-violent protests during theQuit India Movement,[70] notably theSouth Indian Railway Strike that took place in 1928.[71] The city was the base for theVedaranyam salt march initiated byC. Rajagopalachari in parallel with theDandi March in 1930.[72] Tiruchirappalli was an epicentre of theanti-Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu when a team of Tamil language supporters gathered and organised a rally from the city to Madras in1938.[73] Later in 1965, Tiruchirappalli was made the base of the "Madras state Anti-Hindi Conference" convened by C. Rajagopalachari.[74][75] The population of Tiruchirappalli continued to grow rapidly, achieving a growth rate of 36.9% during the period 1941–51.[76] After independence in 1947, Tiruchirappalli fell behind other cities such asSalem andCoimbatore in terms of growth.[77][78][79] Tiruchirappalli remained a part ofMadras State, which was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969.[80] The city underwent extensive economic development in the 1960s with the commissioning ofBharat Heavy Electricals Limited.[81][82] In the early 1980s,M. G. Ramachandran, thenChief Minister of Tamil Nadu drafted a plan to move the state's administrative headquarters to Tiruchirappalli.[83] Asatellite town was developed nearNavalpattu on the outskirts of the city,[83] but the proposed move was shelved by successive governments.[84]
Like much of Tamil Nadu, Tiruchirappalli remains prone to communal tensions based on religion and ethnicity. There have been occasional outbreaks ofviolence against Sri Lankans. In 2009, the offices of a Sri Lankan airline were attacked in the city.[85][86] In September 2012, two groups of Sri Lankan pilgrims who had visited theBasilica of Our Lady of Good Health inVelankanni and thePoondi Madha Basilica had their buses attacked in Tiruchirappalli by a group of Tamil activists.[87][88][89] Owing to a series of terrorist attacks in Indian cities since 2000, security has been increased at sites such asSri Ranganathaswamy Temple.[90]
Panorama of Tiruchirappalli showing Cauvery river and the Srirangam island.
Aerial photograph of Srirangam island, sandwiched between the rivers Kaveri and Kollidam
Tiruchirappalli is situated in central south-eastern India, almost at the geographic centre of the state of Tamil Nadu. TheCauvery Delta begins to form 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west of the city where the river divides into two streams—theKaveri and theKollidam—to form theisland of Srirangam.[76][91][92] By road it is 912 kilometres (567 mi) south ofHyderabad, 322 kilometres (200 mi) south-west of Chennai and 331 kilometres (206 mi) south-east ofBangalore.[93] The topology of Tiruchirappalli is almost flat with an average elevation of 81 metres (266 ft). A few isolated hillocks rise above the surface,[94] the highest of which is the Rockfort;[95][96] its estimated age of 3,800 million years makes it one of the oldest rocks in the world.[97][98] Other prominent hillocks include theGolden Rock,Khajamalai,[99] and one each atUyyakondan Thirumalai andThiruverumbur.[100]
Apart fromKaveri and its tributaryKollidam,[101] the city is also drained by the Uyyakondan Channel, Koraiyar andKudamurutti river channels.[102] The land immediately surrounding the Kaveri River—which crosses Tiruchirappalli from west to east—consists of deposits of fertile alluvial soil[103] on which crops such asfinger millet andmaize are cultivated.[104] Further south, the surface is covered by poor-qualityblack soil.[103] A belt ofCretaceous rock known as theTrichinopoly Group runs to the north-east of the city,[105] and to the south-east there are layers ofarchaean rocks,granite andgneiss covered by a thin bed ofconglomeraticlaterite.[95] The region falls underSeismic Zone III, which is moderately vulnerable to earthquakes.[106]
Panorama of Tiruchirappalli as seen from the top of the Rockfort.
Skyline of the cantonment area, south of the Central Bus Station (ca. August 2022)
The city of Tiruchirappalli lies on the plains between theShevaroy Hills to the north and thePalani Hills to the south and south-west.[107] Tiruchirappalli is completely surrounded by agricultural fields.[78] Densely populated industrial and residential areas have recently been built in the northern part of the city, and the southern edge also has residential areas.[78] The older part of Tiruchirappalli, within the Rockfort, is unplanned and congested while the adjoining newer sections are better executed.[108] Many of the old houses in Srirangam were constructed according to theshilpa sastras, the canonical texts of Hindu temple architecture.[109]
Tiruchirappalli experiences a dry-summertropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification:As), with no major change in temperature between summer and winter.[110][111] The climate is generally characterised by high temperature and low humidity.[112] With an annual mean temperature of 28.9 °C (84.0 °F) and monthly average temperatures ranging between 25 °C (77 °F) and 32 °C (90 °F),[110] the city is the hottest in the state.[113] The warmest months are from April to June,[114] when the city experiences frequent dust storms.[114] As of November 2013,[update] the highest temperature ever recorded in Tiruchirappalli was 43.9 °C (111.0 °F), which occurred on 2 May 1896;[115] the lowest was observed on 6 February 1884 at 13.9 °C (57.0 °F).[116][117] The high temperatures in the city have been attributed to the presence of two rivers—Kaveri and Kollidam—[d]and the absence of greenery around the city.[113] As Tiruchirappalli is on theDeccan Plateau the days are extremely warm and dry; evenings are cooler because of cold winds that blow from the south-east.[110] From June to September, the city experiences a moderate climate tempered by heavy rain and thundershowers. Rainfall is heaviest between October and December because of the north-eastmonsoon winds, and from December to February the climate is cool and moist.[110] The average annual rainfall is 841.9 mm (33.15 in),[118] slightly lower than the state's average of 945 mm (37.2 in).[119] Fog and dew are rare and occur only during the winter season.[114]
Source 2: Tokyo Climate Center (mean temperatures 1991–2020)[122]
Trichy has been ranked 11th best “National Clean Air City” (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results'[123]
According to the2011 Indian census, Tiruchirappalli had a population of 847,387,[a] 9.4% of whom were under the age of six, living in 214,529 families within the municipal corporation limits. The recorded population density was 5,768/km2 (14,940/sq mi) while thesex ratio was 975 males for every 1,000 females.[15] The Tiruchirappalli urban agglomeration had a population of 1,022,518, and was ranked the fourth largest in Tamil Nadu and the 53rd in India as of 2011.[update][5] The city had an average literacy rate of 91.37%,[15] significantly higher than the national average of 73.00%.[127]Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 10.48% and 0.27% of the population respectively.[15] There were 228,518 people, roughly constituting about 26.96% of the total population, who lived in slums in the city.[128] The dailyfloating population of the city was estimated at around 250,000.[129]
Covering 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi), the municipality of Tiruchirappalli was inaugurated under the Town Improvements Act 1865 on 1 November 1866;[156] it originally consisted of two ex-officers and nine nominated members.[157] Council elections were introduced in 1877 and the first chairman was elected in 1889.[157] The municipality was upgraded to amunicipal corporation as per the Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation Act 1994[158] by inclusion of the erstwhile Srirangam and Golden Rock municipalities.[159] Covering 167.23 square kilometres (64.57 sq mi),[a][160] the municipal corporation comprises 65 wards and four administrative zones; these are Srirangam,Ariyamangalam, Golden Rock andAbhishekapuram.[161]
Headquarters of Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation
Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation Council, the legislative body, comprises 65 councillors elected from each of the 65 wards and is headed by a mayor assisted by aDeputy Mayor.[162][163] The executive wing has seven departments—general administration, revenue, town planning, engineering, public health, information technology and personnel—and is headed by a City Commissioner. The Commissioner is assisted by two executive engineers for the east and west sections, and Assistant Commissioners for personnel, accounts and revenue departments, a public relations officer, a city engineer, a city health officer and an Assistant Commissioner for each of the four zones.[164] A Local Planning Authority for Tiruchirappalli was created on 5 April 1974 as per the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act of 1971 with the District Collector of Tiruchirappalli as chairman and the assistant director of Town and Country Planning as its member secretary.[165]
Law and order are enforced by the Tamil Nadu police, which for administrative purposes, has constituted Tiruchirappalli city as a separate district, divided into 18 zonal offices and units, with a total of 38 police stations.[183]The Tiruchirappalli city police force is headed by aCommissioner of police assisted by Deputy Commissioners.[184] Law and order in suburban areas is enforced by the Tiruchirappalli district police.[185] It has the lowest proportion of rape and murder cases in the state.[186]
Electricity supply to the city is regulated and distributed by theTamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB).[187] Tiruchirappalli is the headquarters of the Trichy region of TNEB. The city and its suburbs form the Trichy Metro Electricity Distribution Circle, which is subdivided into six divisions.[187] A chief distribution engineer is stationed at the regional headquarters atTennur.[187] Water supply is provided by theTiruchirappalli City Corporation.[188] The city gets its drinking water supply from theKaveri River and 1,470 bore wells linked to 60 service reservoirs in and around the city.[189] Four of the six head works from which the city gets its water supply are maintained by the municipal corporation and the rest by other agencies.[190]
Pollution has been a major concern in Tiruchirappalli. TheTamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has set up five stations in the city to check the quality of air.[191] As of 2012,[update] about 432 tonnes (432,000 kg) of solid waste are produced in the city every day.[192] Solid waste management in the city is handled by the corporation; places such as the Gandhi Market, Central Bus terminus and the Chathram bus terminus are being monitored by other agencies.[190] The principal landfill is at Ariyamangalam.[193] Waste water management in the Trichy-Srirangam underground drainage (UGD) areas is handled by theTamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) and in other areas by the Tiruchirappalli Municipal Corporation.[190] As of 2013,[update] there were a total of 40,580 UGD connections maintained by the municipal corporation.[194] In 2020, it is estimated that 31% of the city is covered under a networked sewage system; however, As of September 2020,[update] the corporation has fast-tracked its project to cover the entire city, funded jointly by urban local body, Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (Tufidco) andAsian Development Bank.[195] The high toxicity of the waste water released by the Trichy Distilleries and Chemicals Limited (TDCL) is a major cause of concern for the corporation.[196] The corporation's annual expenditure for the year 2010–11 was estimated to be₹1,559.4 million (equivalent to₹3.2 billion or US$37 million in 2023).[197] In 2013, researchers from Bharathidasan University assessed water quality in the Tiruchirappalli area and concluded that although the quality of the groundwater was suitable for human consumption, the quality of the pond water in the city was "not fit for human usage, agricultural or industrial purposes".[198]
Under the National Urban Sanitation Policy, Tiruchirappalli was ranked sixth in India and first in Tamil Nadu on the basis of sanitation for the year 2009–10.[199] In January 2010, Tiruchirappalli became the first city in India where open defecation was prevented in all its slums.[200] In a 2016 survey conducted by theMinistry of Urban Development, as a part of theSwachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign, Tiruchirappalli was ranked third in thelist of cleanest cities in India.[201]
Under the ease of living index 2018 published by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Tiruchirappalli was ranked twelfth in India and first in Tamil Nadu among the 111 cities considered.[12] The ranking framework was categorised into four pillars, namely Institutional, Social, Economic and Physical, which comprised 78 indicators such as urban transport, waste water management, solid waste management and governance.
Tiruchirappalli comes under the Tiruchi Telecom District of theBharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider.[202] There are about 20,000 business telephone subscribers in the city.[203] Both Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) andCode division multiple access (CDMA) mobile services are available.[204] BSNL also provides broadband internet services.[205] BSNL began offering wireless internet services with the commencement ofEvolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) transmission in 2008.[204] Tiruchirappalli is one of the few cities in India where BSNL's Caller Line Identification (CLI)-based internet service Netone is available.[206] Softnet (STPI),Tata VSNL,Bharti andReliance are other major broadband internet service providers in the city.[207]
Tiruchirappalli has a regional passport office, the second in Tamil Nadu, which commenced its operations on 23 March 1983 bifurcated from Chennai region.[208] After Coimbatore and Madurai regional office were established in late 2000s by bifurcating from Trichy region, currently the office caters to the needs of Trichy and seven adjacent districts namely,Karur, Nagappattinam, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Ariyalur and Tiruvarur.[209]
During British rule, Tiruchirappalli was known for itstanneries, cigar-manufacturing units and oil presses.[210] At its peak, more than 12 million cigars were manufactured and exported annually.[210] Tanned hides and skins from Tiruchirappalli were exported to the United Kingdom.[210] The city has a number of retail and wholesale markets, the most prominent among them being theGandhi Market, which also serves people from other parts of the district.[211][212][213] Other notable markets in the city are the flower bazaar in Srirangam[213] and the mango market atMambazha Salai.[214] The suburb ofManachanallur is known for its rice mills, where polishedPonni rice is produced.[215]
Tiruchirappalli is a major engineering equipment manufacturing and fabrication hub in India.[82] TheGolden Rock Railway Workshop, which moved to Tiruchirappalli fromNagapattinam in 1928, is one of the three railwayworkshop–cum–production units in Tamil Nadu.[216] The workshops produced 650 conventional and low-container flat wagons during 2007–2008.[217]
A high-pressure boiler manufacturing plant was set up byBharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), India's largest public sector engineering company, in May 1965.[218][219] This was followed by aseamless steel plant and a boiler auxiliaries plant.[220] In 2010, the Tiruchirappalli unit of the company contributed to nearly 30 per cent of its total sales, making it the largest of all units.[221] As of 2011,[update] the Tiruchirappalli division employed about 10,000 people,[221] and is supported by a number of ancillary industries producing almost 250,000 tonnes (250,000,000 kg) of fabricated materials.[82] These ancillary units together with BHEL contribute nearly 60 per cent of India's steel fabrication,[82] earning the city the title, "Energy equipment and fabrication capital of India".[222] Other important industries in Tiruchirappalli include Trichy Distilleries and Chemicals Limited (TDCL), which was established atSenthaneerpuram in the former Golden Rock municipality in 1966.[223] and the Trichy Steel Rolling Mills, which was started as a private limited company on 27 June 1961.[224] The Trichy Distilleries and Chemicals Limited manufacturesrectified spirit,[223]acetaldehyde,[223]acetic acid,[223]acetic anhydride[225] andethyl acetate. It is one of the biggest private sector distilleries in Tamil Nadu and produced 13.5 megalitres (3.0 million imperial gallons) ofspirit alcohol between December 2005 and November 2006.[226] TheOrdnance Factories Board runs a weapons manufacturing unit and aHeavy Alloy Penetrator Project (HAPP) facility;[227] the latter was set up in the late 1980s and consists of aflexible manufacturing system (FMS)—the first of its kind in India.[228][229][230]
From the late 1980s, a synthetic gem industry was developed in the city; the gemstones are cut and polished inTiruchirappalli district and inPudukottai district.[231] In 1990, the Indian government launched a scheme to increase employment by boosting the production ofAmerican diamonds and training local artisans in semi-automated machinery and technology. The local gem industry was reportedly generating annual revenues of₹100 million (equivalent to₹600 million or US$6.8 million in 2023) by the mid-1990s.[232] Concerns have been raised over the employment of children aged 9–14 in the gem cutting and polishing industry.[232][233] As a result, in 1996, Tiruchirappalli district was selected to be involved in theNational Child Labour Project and in the running of special schools to educate working children.[234]
As of December 2010,[update] the Tiruchirappalli region annually exports around₹262.1 million (equivalent to₹590 million or US$6.7 million in 2023) of software.[235][236] TheELCOT IT Park Trichy—the city's first IT park—commissioned at a cost of₹600 million (equivalent to₹1.3 billion or US$15 million in 2023) was inaugurated in December 2010.[237][238] Set up by the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu, the park occupies an area of 59.74 hectares (147.6 acres) and constitutes aSpecial Economic Zone.[238][239]
Employing a workforce of over 1,500, more than six companies includingVuram, iLink Systems Pvt. Ltd., Scientific Publishing Company, Vdart Technologies, GI Tech Gaming Co. India Pvt. Ltd., VR Della IT Services Pvt. Ltd., and the Tamil Nadu Disaster Recovery Centre function out of the existing building, occupying the entire built-up space.[240] TheELCOT IT Park Trichy is in close proximity to the Tiruchi International Airport. The facility was highlighted through the two editions of Global Investors Meet and became a key factor for the demand for the built-up space.[241]
A resident of Tiruchirappalli is generally referred to as aTiruchiite.[242] Situated at the edge of the Kaveri Delta, the culture of Tiruchirappalli is predominantlyBrahminical, prevalent elsewhere in the delta.[243] With a substantial population of students and migrant industrial workers from different parts of India, Tiruchirappalli has a more cosmopolitan outlook than the surrounding countryside.[244][245] The main festival celebrated in Tiruchirappalli isPongal, a regional harvest festival celebrated during January. As part of the Pongal celebrations,Jallikattu, a bull-taming village sport played on the last day of the festival,[246] is occasionally held on the outskirts of the city.[247]Aadi Perukku,[248] Samayapuram flower festival,[249]Vaikunta Ekadasi,[250] Srirangam car festival,[251] and the Teppakulam float festival are some of the prominent festivals that are held locally.[252]Bakrid andEid al-Fitr are also widely celebrated, owing to the substantial number of Muslims in the city.[253][254] Nationwide festivals such as theGregorian New Year,[255] Christmas,Deepavali[256] andHoli[257] are also celebrated in Tiruchirappalli.
Textile weaving, leather-work and gem cutting are some of the important crafts practised in Tiruchirappalli.[263] Wooden idols of Hindu gods and goddesses are sold atPoompuhar, the crafts emporium run by the Government of Tamil Nadu.[264] The Trichy Travel Federation (TTF) was formed on 5 May 2009 to promote Tiruchirappalli as a favourable tourist destination.[265] The federation organises an annual food festival calledSuvai.[266] Lack of infrastructure has been a major deterrent to the city's tourism industry.[267][268]
Night View of Trichy from the top of Rockfort, photographed from the temple window.
Considered one of the symbols of Tiruchirappalli, the Rockfort is a fortress which stands atop a 273-foot-high rock.[277] It consists of a set of monolithic rocks accommodating many rock-cut cave temples. Originally built by the Pallavas, it was later reconstructed by the Madurai Nayaks andVijayanagara rulers. The temple complex has three shrines, two of which are dedicated toLord Ganesha, one at the foot and theUcchi Pillayar Temple at the top, and theThayumanavar Temple between them. The Thayumanavar temple, the largest of the three, houses a shrine forPārvatī as well as the main deity. As per a legend, Vayu Bhaghvan and Adiseshan had a dispute to find out who is superior, to prove the superiority adiseshan encircled the Kailasam, Vayu tried to remove this encircle by creating santamarutham (Twister). Because of the santamarutham, eight kodumudigal (parts) fell from kailasam into eight different places which are Thirugonamalai (Trincomalee, Sri Lanka),Thirukalahasti, Thiruchiramalai (Rock fort),Thiruenkoimalai,Rajathagiri,Neerthagiri,Ratnagiri, and SwethagiriThirupangeeli.[278][279]
The Rockfort is visible from almost every part of the city's north.[97] The Teppakulam at the foot of the Rockfort is surrounded by bazaars.[280] It has amandapa at its centre.[281]
The Ranganathaswamy Temple, dedicated to the Hindu godVishnu, is located on the island of Srirangam.[97] Often cited as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world,[97] it has a perimeter of 4,116 metres (13,504 ft) and occupies 156 acres (630,000 m2).[282] Considered to be among the 108Divya Desams (Holy shrines of Lord Vishnu),[283] the temple is believed to house the mortal remains of theVaishnavite saint and philosopherRamanujacharya.[284] Originally built by the Cholas,[285] the temple was later renovated by the Pandyas, theHoysalas, the Madurai Nayaks and the Vijayanagar empire between the 9th and 16th centuries AD.[286] There are 21gopurams (towers),[287] of which theRajagopuram is 236 feet (72 m).[288] According to theLimca Book of Records, it was the tallest temple tower in the world until 1999.[289]
Tiruchirappalli has been recognised in India as an important educational centre since the time of British rule.[300][301][302]St. Joseph's College, which opened in Nagapattinam in 1846 and transferred to Tiruchirappalli in 1883, is one of the oldest educational institutions in South India.[303] The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG) college, established in 1883, is a premium missionary institution in the city.[300]
As of 2013,[update] Tiruchirappalli has 45 arts and science colleges, 40 polytechnic colleges and 13 colleges that offer management education. National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli is located in a area of 800 acres. National Institutional Ranking Framework ranked this NIT the first among other others in India.[304] The St. Joseph's College,National College,[305]Bishop Heber College,[306]Jamal Mohamed College,[307] MIET Engineering College, and theGovernment Law College are prominent colleges providing higher education in the arts and sciences.[308] There are approximately 35 engineering colleges in and around the city.[236] TheNational Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli established by the government in 1964 as the Regional Engineering College,[309] has a campus atThuvakudi on the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli.[310] National Institute of Technology-Trichy (NIT-T) released the enhanced version of e-commerce mobile application, the institute Sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology
Hockey andcricket are the most popular sports in Tiruchirappalli.[331][332] Former Indian hockey goalkeepersCharles Cornelius andLeslie Fernandez;[333]Rajagopal Sathish who represents theMumbai Indians in theIndian Premier League;[334] andDharmaraj Ravanan who representsChennai City F.C. in theI League;[335] all hail from the city. TheAnna Stadium complex is the main venue for sports in the city; it hosts an indoor stadium and anastro turf hockey ground.[333] The stadium complex also includes a football ground, an athletic track, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, a badminton court and a hostel for the athletes.[336] The Tiruchirappalli District Cricket Association (TDCA) is one of the constituents of theTamil Nadu Cricket Association,[337] and regulates school, college and club cricket in the district.[338]First class cricket matches were held at theJawaharlal Nehru Stadium—formerly the Khajamalai Stadium.[339][340] At the association's golden jubilee celebrations in 2008–09, plans for the establishment of another cricket stadium and an academy in the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli city were mooted.[341][342] TheMannarpuram Cricket Academy is one of the noted cricket coaching academies in Tiruchirappalli.[343] Domestic association football, tennis and volleyball tournaments are held in and around the city.[344][345][346] Tiruchirappalli hosted theFederation Cup, a knockout-style club football tournament in 1984 and an open chess tournament organised byFIDE in 2006.[347][348]
The first radio transmission station in Tiruchirappalli was opened byAll India Radio (AIR) on 16 May 1939.[357][358] AIR started providing direct-to-home enabled radio broadcasting service from 2006.[359] In 2007, the AIR launchedRagam, a separate Carnatic music station, from the city.[360] Apart from thegovernment-owned AIR, private FM radio stations such asHello andSuryan FM andMirchi 95.0 from Tiruchirappalli.[361]Indira Gandhi National Open University'sGyan Vani started broadcasting from the city in 2008.[362] Tiruchirappalli's first campus community radio station was started by Holy Cross College on 22 December 2006.[363]
Television broadcasting from Chennai was started on 15 August 1975.[364] Satellite television channels have been available since 1991.[365] Direct-to-home cable television services are provided byDD Direct Plus[366][367][368] and various other operators.[369]
The most commonly used modes of local transport in Tiruchirappalli are the state government-ownedTamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses, andauto rickshaws.[370][371] Tiruchirappalli forms a part of the Kumbakonam division of the TNSTC.[372] The city has two major bus termini;Chatram Bus Stand andCentral Bus Stand, both of which operate intercity services and local transport to suburban areas.[373] The municipal administration and water supply department has accorded administrative sanction to construct new bus stands in three central districts at a total cost of 31.8 crore. The state infrastructure amenities promotion committee has approved providing 50% of the estimated cost in 10 towns and cities across the state.
Tiruchirappalli sits at the junction of two major National Highways—NH 45 andNH 67.[374] NH 45[375][376][377] is one of the most congested highways in south India and carries almost 10,000 lorries on the Tiruchirappalli–Chennai stretch every night.[378] Other National Highways originating in the city is NH336[379] connectingTrichy-Pudukkottai-Devakottai, this two lane route is going to be converted to four lane route tillKaraikudi as there is a massive increments in road PCU usages.[380] State highways that start from the city includeSH 25 and SH 62.[381] Tiruchirappalli has 715.85 km (444.81 mi) of road maintained by the municipal corporation.[382] A semi-ring road connecting all the National Highways is being constructed to ease traffic congestion in the city.[383] As of 2013,[update] approximately 328,000 two-wheelers, 93,500 cars and 10,000 public transport vehicles operate within the city limits,[191] apart from the 1,500 inter-city buses that pass through Tiruchirappalli daily.[160] Tiruchirappalli suffers from traffic congestion mainly because of its narrow roads and absence of an integrated bus station.[160][384]
Passenger trains also carry a significant number of passengers from nearby towns.[370] The Great Southern of India Railway Company was established in 1853 with its headquarters at England.[385] In 1859, the company constructed its first railway line connecting Tiruchirappalli and Nagapattinam.[385] The company merged with the Carnatic Railway Company in 1874 to form theSouth Indian Railway Company with Tiruchirappalli as its headquarters.[386][387] The city retained the position until 1908 when the company's headquarters was transferred to Madras.[388]Tiruchirappalli Junction is one of the busiest in India.[389] It constitutes aseparate division of theSouthern Railway.[390] Tiruchirappalli has rail connectivity with most important cities and towns in India.[376] Other railway stations in the city includeTiruchirappalli Fort,Tiruchirappalli Town,Srirangam,Tiruchirappalli Palakkarai andGolden Rock (Ponmalai).[391][392] Non-stop flight time from Chennai to Trichy isbetween 1 hr to 1 hr 30 mins depending on the aircraft's cruising speed, technical condition and weather/wind.
Tiruchirappalli is served byTiruchirappalli International Airport (IATA:TRZ,ICAO:VOTR),[393] 5 km (3.1 mi) from the city centre.[394][395] The airport handles fivefold more international air traffic than domestic services, making it the only airport in India with this huge variation. It serves as a gateway to immigrants fromSouth-east Asian countries[396] There are regular flights to Chennai,[397] Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad,Colombo,[398]Dubai,Kuala Lumpur,[399] andSingapore.[400] The airport handled more than 1 million passengers and 2012 tonnes of cargo during the fiscal year 2013–14.[401]
^abcdThe area of the city was expanded from 146.9 square kilometres (56.7 sq mi) to 167.23 square kilometres (64.57 sq mi) in 2010, as a result of which the population increased from 847,387 to 916,857 according to the2011 census.[14][15]
^The official spelling, as per the municipal corporation website is "Tiruchirappalli".[8] However, the spellings Tiruchirapalli, Tiruchchirapalli and Tiruchchirappalli are also widely used.[9][10][11]
^"Primary Census Abstract Data (Final Population)". Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved25 January 2014.Click the link "Primary Census Abstract Data for Slum (India & States/UTs – Town Level) (Excel Format)" to download the file in excel format
^"Trichy city". Tamil Nadu police. Archived fromthe original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved12 February 2014. Click on the "Commissioner Office" tab to get the name and contact details of police commissioner of Tiruchirappalli city district.
^ab"Publication Place Wise-Registration – Tamil Nadu". Registrar of Newspapers for India. Archived fromthe original on 18 September 2013. Retrieved22 November 2013. On this page, enter "Trichy", "Tiruchirapalli", "Tiruchirappalli" and "Tiruchi" in the tab to get the name and other details of the newspapers.
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