Sankarapandiapuram | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Sankarapandiapuram Location in Tamil Nadu, India | |
| Coordinates: 9°17′N 77°47′E / 9.29°N 77.78°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Virudhunagar District |
| Elevation | 94 m (308 ft) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 626 201 |
| Telephone code | 91 4562 |
| Vehicle registration | TN 67 |
| Distance from Chennai | 562 kilometres (349 mi) |
| Distance from Virudhunagar | 48 kilometres (30 mi) |
| Distance from Vembakottai | 8.8 kilometres (5.5 mi) |
Sankarapandiapuram (Tamil: சங்கரபாண்டியபுரம்) is a panchayat village in Vembakottai taluk of Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India. Previously, the village came under Sattur taluk, recently, it was included in newly formed Vembakottai taluk[1] [2]. It is located on the way from Sattur to Sankarankovil or Rajapalayam via Elayirampannai route. The village has two sections namely Kila (Meaning: East) and Mela (Meaning: West) Sankarapandiapuram and has around 500 households [3].
Geography and Climate
editSankarapandiapuram is located close to the borders of Tenkasi and Thoothukudi districts. The closest town to the village is Kovilpatti which is 19.3 km away. The climate of Virudhunagar district is hot and dry coupled with low relative humidity [4]. This climate is also applicable to Sankarapandiapuram.
Language
editThe main languages of the village are Tamil and Telugu. Tamil is the official language of the village. Unofficially, Telugu is being spoken by the majority of the village population. This scenario is common in several places of Tamil Nadu [5]. The existence of Telugu people in the village as well as in nearby areas and districts are the descendants of Madurai Nayak dynasty who ruled Tamil Nadu for centuries [6]. Telugu spoken in this village and nearby areas is a variant to Telugu of Andhra Pradesh. This is likely due to the incorporation of Tamil words over a period of time.
Industry
editThe main livelihood of this village is agriculture, black loamy soil [7] of the area is renowned for the cultivation of cotton. Apart from these crops, black gram, green gram, red gram, sesame, cumbu, ragi, maize, chilli and cholam are also cultivated. Most of the farmlands are rainfed which means the cultivation of crops is depended on the rainfall. Northeast Monsoon is the main source of rainfall that starts around mid-October and ends in December. Some traditional varieties of cumbu, cholam and some minor millets are still cultivated in here. According to the locals, a few years ago, an attempt to grow lime fruit by a farmer in this village showed a promising outcome which might encourage other farmers to follow.
In addition to Agriculture, the village has a few fireworks and match industries and there are many fireworks in nearby villages which provide employment to the people throughout the year.
Bird sanctuary
editSankarapandiapuram is well known for its bird sanctuary in the district [8] [9] [10] [11]. The birds namely Egrets, Ibis, Storks and Herons visit the village during monsoon season (October) for breeding and their stay will continue until the end of April. Most of these birds are believed to come from overseas, particularly Australia and Nigeria [12]. According to the local people, the village has a few centuries old a massive tamarind tree and many decades-old other tree species that can shelter the birds. These birds can obtain their food mainly from the village community ponds and nearby water resources particularly Vembakottai and irukkankudi reservoirs. The visitors from nearby areas and other cities have been visiting the village to see the birds, as a result, the local people have requested the Government of Tamil Nadu to establish a bird sanctuary in the village. During Deepavali festival, people in this village avoid using firecrackers to protect the birds from being displaced [13] [14].
Dog breed
editSankarapandiapuram along with Chippiparai and nearby villages are well known for a dog breed known as Chippiparai. Chippiparai is a panchayat village located 6.6 km southwest of Sankarapandiapuram. The name Chippiparai was given to the dog breed because of their origin from Chippiparai and adjoining region [15]. Chippiparai dog breed is famous in Tamil Nadu and considered as a pride of Tamil Nadu. It is an ancient dog breed used by kings and known for its physical feature, braveness, speed, intelligence and friendliness to humans [16].
Festival
editSankarapandiapuram has many temples for Hindu deities namely Kaliamman, Vinayagar, Perumal and Onnammal. Every year the celebration of the village Pongal takes place in the second week of Tamil month Chithirai. This is a two days event celebrated by the village people and their relatives from other places and people of nearby villages in a grant manner. After the Pongal celebration, there is a prevailing custom in the village to organise traditional folk dance and music. There is a belief among the locals that following this custom would bring good fortune to the village. Furthermore, a separate Pongal celebration for Onnammal temple also takes place every year. But, this celebration is performed by a particular group of the village.
References
edit- ^ "Vembakottai taluk to be formed soon". March 6, 2015 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ "district-profile | Virudhunagar District, Government of Tamil Nadu | District of Crackers & Matches | India".
- ^ "Where birds of a feather matter". October 17, 2014 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ http://dcmsme.gov.in/dips/IPS%20Virudhunagar%202012.pdf
- ^ "Restoring the forgotten Telugu". The Times of India. 29 August 2013.
- ^ C. Talbot (2001). Precolonial India in Practice: Society, Region, and Identity in Medieval Andhra. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-19-803123-9.
- ^ http://www.spc.tn.gov.in/DHDR/virudhunagar.pdf
- ^ "சங்கரபாண்டியபுரம்: பறவைகள் சரணாலயம் அமைக்க பொதுமக்கள் கோரிக்கை" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "International birds from Australia and Nigeria throng Sankarapandiapuram" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ http://www.indianbirds.in/pdfs/Subramanya_TN%20Heronries.pdf
- ^ "வெளிநாட்டுப் பறவைகள் இளைப்பாறும் `குளு குளு' ஸ்பாட் - இது விருதுநகர் `வேடந்தாங்கல்' #MyVikatan". www.vikatan.com. May 8, 2019.
- ^ "சிவகாசிக்குப் படையெடுத்து வரும் வெளிநாட்டுப் பறவைகள்". Samayam Tamil.
- ^ "Eco-conscious hamlet chooses its birds over the lighting of Diwali fireworks". The New Indian Express.
- ^ "Hamlets' inspiration for responsible Deepavali". The New Indian Express.
- ^ "Meet the desi doggos finding favour, and homes across the country". Hindustan Times. April 20, 2019.
- ^ "Breeders shower praise on Chippiparai".