Gobichettipalayam

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Gobichettipalayam
Gobi
Town
Arch at entrance
Pariyur temple
Kodiveri Dam
Western Ghats
Nickname: 
Chinna Kodambakkam (Mini Kollywood)[1]
Gobichettipalayam is located in Tamil Nadu
Gobichettipalayam
Gobichettipalayam
Gobichettipalayam, Tamil Nadu
Coordinates: 11°27′17.6″N 77°26′11.4″E / 11.454889°N 77.436500°E / 11.454889; 77.436500
CountryIndia
StateTamil Nadu
RegionKongu Nadu
DistrictErode District
Municipality1949[3]
Government
 • BodyGMC
 • ChairmanN. R. Nagaraj[4]
 • Member of the Legislative AssemblyK. A. Sengottaiyan[5]
 • Member of ParliamentK. Subbarayan[6]
Elevation
241 m (791 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total59,523[2]
Languages
 • OfficialTamil
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
638452, 638476
Telephone code91(04285)
Vehicle registrationTN36
Literacy74%
Lok Sabha constituencyTiruppur
Vidhan Sabha constituencyGobichettipalayam
Planning agencyGMC
ClimateTropical climate (Köppen)
Avg. annual temperature28 °C (82 °F)
Avg. summer temperature34.3 °C (93.7 °F)
Avg. winter temperature24 °C (75 °F)
WebsiteGobi Municipality

Gobichettipalayam (Tamil: [koːbitɕtɕeʈʈippaːɭaɪjam]) is a town and municipality in Erode district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Gobichettipalayam taluk. It is situated at the centre of the South Indian Peninsula at 213 metres (699 ft) above sea level, surrounded by Western Ghats. It is located 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the district headquarters Erode, 44 kilometres (27 mi) from Tiruppur and 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Coimbatore. Agriculture and textile industries are major contributors to the economy of the town.

The town is a part of Gobichettipalayam constituency that elects its member to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly and the Tirupur constituency that elects its member of parliament. The town is administered by Gobichettipalayam Municipality established in 1949 and has a population of 59,523 as per the 2011 census. It is known as "Mini Kollywood" because of the film production that takes place here and many films in Tamil and other languages have been shot here.

History

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A major part of present day Gobichettipalayam was previously known as "Veerapandi Gramam", and documents and records still use that name.[7] The town was part of the country ruled by king Vēl Pāri, who is regarded as one of the Kadai ēzhu vallal (the last seven great patrons).[8] Pariyur, a temple town near Gobichettipalayam was named after him.[9] The region was later ruled by the Cheras and Vijayanagara empire with the town deriving its name after Gobi Chetti, a Vijayanagara Polygar.[10] It was captured by Tipu Sultan and after Tipu's defeat, British annexed it to their territory.[11]

Geography and climate

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Gobichettipalayam is located in Kongu Nadu, the northwestern part of Tamil Nadu about 400 kilometres (250 mi) south west of Chennai. Western Ghats forms the border of the region resulting several hill locks and Bhavani River traverses across the region. The temperature is moderately warm in Gobichettipalayam, except during the summer months when it is very hot.[12] Rainfall is moderate to high, unpredictable and unevenly distributed. The average annual Rainfall of Gobichettipalayam is 92cms.[12] The soil mainly consists of black loam, red loam and red sand.[13] In general, the soil in and around the city is fertile and good for agriculture purposes and the surrounding water logged rice fields contribute to the high humidity levels.[12]

Climate data for Gobichettipalayam
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 30
(86) 		32
(90) 		35
(95) 		35
(95) 		34
(93) 		31
(88) 		30
(86) 		31
(88) 		32
(90) 		31
(88) 		29
(84) 		29
(84) 		32
(90)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 18
(64) 		19
(66) 		21
(70) 		23
(73) 		23
(73) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		21
(70) 		19
(66) 		22
(72)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 14
(0.6) 		12
(0.5) 		19
(0.7) 		53
(2.1) 		76
(3.0) 		38
(1.5) 		57
(2.2) 		42
(1.7) 		56
(2.2) 		153
(6.0) 		123
(4.8) 		50
(2.0) 		693
(27.3)
Source: Erode district collectorate

Demographics

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Religion in Gobichettipalayam (2011)[14]
Religion Percent(%)
Hindu
 
 90.3%
Muslim
 
 7.1%
Christian
 
 2.5%
Other or not stated
 
 0.1%

According to 2011 census, Gobichettipalayam had a population of 59,523 of which 28,866 are males while 30,657 are females.[2] The town had a sex ratio of 1,062 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929 and a literacy rate of 85.2% higher than the national average of 72.99 %.[15] A total of 4,669 were under the age of six, constituting 2,364 males and 2,305 females with Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounting for 10.74% and 0.08% of the population respectively. The town had a total of 17,064 households and 25,225 engaged workers.[16]

The population is dominated by the Kongu Vellalar community.[8][17] There are also a significant number of Senguntha Mudaliars, Vanniyars, Dalits, Nadars and Vettuva Gounders.[1][18] As per the religious census of 2011, Gobichettipalayam had 90.3% Hindus, 7.1% Muslims, 2.5% Christians and 0.1% others.[14]

Administration and politics

[edit]
Administrative officials
Title Name
Chairman N. R. Nagaraj
MLA K. A. Sengottaiyan
MP K. Subbarayan

The town is administered by the Gobichettipalayam Municipality. The municipal body was constituted on 1 October 1949 and was elevated to Grade II on 10 February 1970. It was later upgraded to first Grade on 1 October 1977 and Selection Grade on 2 December 2008.[3] The town was among the first in the country when manual scavenging was abolished by then chairman G. S. Lakshman Iyer in 1952.[19]

The town elects a Member to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly. It is currently represented by K. A. Sengottaiyan of AIADMK.[5] Gobichettipalayam was a parliamentary constituency until 2009 when it was replaced by the newly formed Tirupur constituency during delimitation by Election Commission of India. After the delimination, Gobichettipalayam assembly constituency is part of the Tirupur constituency, which is currently represented by K. Subbarayan of Communist Party of India.[20]

Transport

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The municipality of Gobichettipalayam has 67.604 kilometres (42.007 mi) of roads of which 6.6 kilometres (4.1 mi) is owned by the State Highways Department.[12] The town is well connected by roads with the major arterial roads including State Highway 81, State Highway 15, State Highway 15A. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates a depot as a part of the Coimbatore division of TNSTC. Buses ply to all major towns and cities within Tamil Nadu and neighboring state of Karnataka. KSRTC buses also connect to the town due to its proximity to Karnataka.

The nearest major railway station is Erode Junction located 38 kilometres (24 mi) from the town. A proposal to construct a railway line connecting Mysore with Erode via Gobichettipalayam was mooted during the British rule in 1915. Four official surveys were made in 1922, 1936, 1942 and as recently as 2008, but the plan failed to take off due to the concerns of railway line passing through the Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary.[21][22] The nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport, located 74 kilometres (46 mi) from the town. The airport has regular flights from/to major domestic destinations and international destinations like Sharjah, Colombo and Singapore.[23]

Education

[edit]
Main article: List of educational institutions in Gobichettipalayam

Gobichettipalayam has a good educational infrastructure. Notable schools are Diamond Jubilee Higher Secondary School, established over 100 years ago and visited by Mahatma Gandhi and Shree Vidyalaya which has a full-time dyslexic center.[24][25] The town is home to Gobi Arts and Science College, one of the oldest arts colleges in the state.[26] The city itself has only a few colleges, but its proximity to Coimbatore and Erode makes it an ideal educational hub.

Economy

[edit]
Agriculture is the major occupation; Pictured Bhavani river along the Western ghats which irrigates most of the lands around the town

The town has been described by the government as "Bi-functional", with 31% of the work force engaged in agriculture, 56% in trading and other activities and 13% in industry.[12] A number of banks have their branches in the town with private banker ICICI Bank establishing its third branch in Tamil Nadu here. The economy is predominantly dependent on agriculture.[27] The economy of Gobichettipalayam centers on agriculture, with paddy, sugarcane, plantain, tobacco and turmeric being the principal crops.[7] The taluk is known for its lush green paddy fields which attracts cine industry. Gobichettipalayam is well known for its plantain cultivation and the production of coconuts. There are regulated market places run by the Government of India for the trade of agricultural products mainly turmeric, copra and bananas.[1]

Gobichettipalayam is one of the leading producers of silk cocoon in the country.[27] Mulberry cultivation has increased in the recent years and a silk research extension center was established by the Government of Tamil Nadu in collaboration with the Central Silk Board.[28] India's second automated silk reeling unit was established in here in 2008.[29] A large number of spinning mills have come up in to support to the weaving and knitwear to supplement Tirupur. IT and BPO sectors are also developing with a few start up companies based out of the town.[30] Other industries include cotton textiles, motors, pumps, automobile spares, textile machinery manufacturing, castings and machined parts.

Culture

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Kongu Tamil, a dialect of Tamil is the language spoken by majority of the people.[31][32] English is used as an official language along with Tamil. Other languages spoken include Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. Gobichettipalayam cuisine is predominantly south Indian with rice as its base. Most locals still retain their rural tradition, with many restaurants still serving food on a banana leaf. Idly, dosa, vada-sambar and biryani are popular among the locals.[33][34]

Places of interest

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Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Kumaran, Senthil (13 May 2016). "Gobichettipalayam likely to go for tried and tested AIADMK again". Times of India. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b Census of India, Class II towns (Report). Government of India. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b "About Gobichettipalayam". Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  4. ^ "DMK bags Chairman post in four municipalities in Erode". The Hindu. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b Detailed Result, Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2021 (PDF) (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  6. ^ "K Subbarayan, profile". Government of India. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b "District Profile". Gobichettipalayam.com. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  8. ^ a b Office of the Registrar General (1968). Census of India, 1961: Madras. Manager of Publications. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  9. ^ "About Kondathu Kaliamman Temple". Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  10. ^ Baliga, B. S. (1967). Madras District Gazetteers: Salem. by Ramaswami, A. Madras State, Printed by the Superintendent, Govt. Press. p. 64. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  11. ^ Rana, Mahendra Singh (1 January 2006). Indian great votes: Local Sabha & Mane Sabha elections 2001-2005. Sarup & Sons. p. 399. ISBN 978-81-7625-647-6. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  12. ^ a b c d e "About the Municipality". Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  13. ^ Manickam, V (2001). Kongu Nadu, a History Up to A.D. 1400. University of Michigan. p. 40.
  14. ^ a b Population By Religious Community - Tamil Nadu (XLS) (Report). Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  15. ^ "Gobichettipalayam Town Population Census 2011". Government of India. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  16. ^ Census Info 2011 Final population totals - Gobichettipalayam (Report). Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  17. ^ Journal of Indian history. University of Michigan. 1955. p. 6.
  18. ^ Zvelebil, Kamil Veit (1982). The Irula language. Harrassowitz. p. 46. ISBN 978-3-447-02247-7.
  19. ^ "TN Guv urges people to lead simple life". India news. 29 April 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  20. ^ List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies (PDF) (Report). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 October 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  21. ^ "Sathyamangalam Chamrajnagar railway line only after clearance". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 10 March 2008. Archived from the original on 13 March 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  22. ^ "Locals protest rail line through forest, suggest alternative route". The Times of India. 28 February 2013. Archived from the original on 27 March 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  23. ^ "Coimbatore Airport". airportsindia.org. Archived from the original on 4 August 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  24. ^ "Aided schools come under RTI Act, rules Madras High Court". The Hindu. Chennai. 18 April 2007. Archived from the original on 2 December 2007. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  25. ^ Government Examinations (PDF). Government of Tamil Nadu (Report). Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  26. ^ "Gobi Arts and Science College Profile". Dinamalar. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  27. ^ a b Productivity. National Productivity Council. 1999. pp. 139–40. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  28. ^ "Sericulture - Brief Note on Sericulture". Tnsericulture.gov.in. 31 March 2012. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  29. ^ "Tamil Nadu's first automatic silk reeling unit opened". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 24 August 2008. Archived from the original on 26 August 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  30. ^ Hariharan, Sindhu (12 March 2015). "Incubators rev up new-age firms". Times of India. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  31. ^ Silva, Severine (1963). Toponomy of Canara. University of Michigan. p. 34. In the southern part of Mysore the Tamil language is at this day named the Kangee, from being best known to them as the language of the people of Kangiam
  32. ^ Poezold, F; Simpson, William (1809). Tamil̲umaiṅakilēcumāyirukakir̲a akarāti (2nd ed.). Oxford University.
  33. ^ "Serving on a banana leaf". ISCKON. Archived from the original on 14 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  34. ^ "The Benefits of Eating Food on Banana Leaves". India Times. 9 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
  35. ^ "Remembering a great man". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  36. ^ "Article of Association of Bannari Amman Sugars" (PDF). bannari.com.com. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  37. ^ "Tamil Nadu Election Results" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  38. ^ Holmstrom, Lakshmi (1996). Maṇimēkalai. Orient Blackswan. p. 182. ISBN 9788125010135. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  39. ^ "Casteism is all-pervasive: K Bhagyaraj". Deccan Chronicle. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  40. ^ "K.A. Sengottaiyan (AIADMK), Gobichettipalayam, Erode District". Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  41. ^ "G. V. Loganathan, profile". acolumbinesite.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
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