Tiruchirappalli (தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி) Trichy
Rock Fort from Cauvery Bridge
Tiruchirappalli (தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி) Location of Tiruchirappalli (தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி) in Tamil Nadu and India
Coordinates	10°49′N 78°41′E / 10.81°N 78.69°E / 10.81; 78.69
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District(s)	Tiruchirappalli
Mayor	Sujatha
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area • Elevation	146.90 km2 (57 sq mi) • 85 m (279 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 620 xxx • Telephone • +91-431 • UN/LOCODE • IN TRZ • Vehicle • TN 45 and TN 48
Website	www.trichycitycorporation.com

Tiruchirappalli (Tamil: தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி (tiruccirāppaḷḷi) pronunciation (help·info) also spelled Tiruchirapalli, commonly known as Tiruchi or Trichy (Tamil: தி௫ச்சி) formerly also pronounced as Trichinopoly under British rule).

It is Tamil Nadu's fourth largest ^[1] City after Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai with an estimated population of 1,067,915 (as of 2008).

It is situated in the centre of the state, on the banks of the Cauvery River. Trichy is a Municipal Corporation and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirapalli District.

The most famous landmark of Trichy is the Rockfort temple which is perched on a huge rocky out crop. The smooth crop was first hewn by the Pallavas but it was the Nayaks of Madurai who later built the Rock fort temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha.^[2]

Trichy city encompasses Srirangam, a Vaishnavite temple and the biggest functioning Hindu temple in the world. Trichy also contains "ThiruAnaikka" (ThiruvAnaikkaval), House of Water, one of the five main abodes ("Panchaboodha Sthalam") of Lord Shiva. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was born in Thiruvanaikaval and his house has been preserved as a museum.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Geography and climate 4 Demographics 5 Culture 5.1 Cuisine 6 Economy 7 Transportation 7.1 Roadways 7.1.1 National Highways passing through Tiruchirappalli 7.2 Railways 7.2.1 Trains Originating from Trichy 7.2.2 Trains Passing through Trichy junction 7.3 Airways 8 Administration 9 Education 10 Health-care 11 Tourism 11.1 Important and Famous Temples, Churches and Mosques 11.1.1 Important Temples 11.1.2 Important Churches 11.1.3 Important Mosque 12 Media and communication 13 Entertainment 14 Notable people 15 References

[edit] Etymology

There are several theories as 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.^[3]

Perhaps Tiruchirappalli is a shortened form of ThIRU sri(CHI) RAnganathan PALLI, reflecting the sleeping posture of Lord Ranganatha in Srirangam. Or, as another belief says, perhaps the name started out as Thiru Javvandhipuram (Place of Marigold Flowers): chevvanthi being the Tamil name for the marigold flower that still grows in abundance in and around the region, and puram which means a dwelling-place.

The name Tiruchirappali is the combination of three words Thiru + Chira + Palli, meaning the 'School Chira'. In Thanyumanavar Temple in Rock fort, the pictures depict that there was a saint called 'Chira', who established a school ('Palli' in Tamil) near that area and taught. 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, it means resting place.

[edit] History

Tiruchirapalli was originally a Chola citadel and later, during 1^st millennium AD, it was occupied by other south Indian dynasties such as the Pallavas and Pandyas. The Chola's regained control over Tiruchirapalli during the 10^th century. Nearby Urayur was the capital of the Early Cholas. Later, after the fall of the Chola empire, it came under the direct conrol of the Madurai Nayak Dynasty who paid tribute to the Vijayanagara empire. The Rock Fort temple, the most famous landmark in Tiruchirapalli, was built by the Nayaks.^[2] The Madurai Nayak rulers changed their capital from Madurai to Tiruchirapalli, and back, several times.

The city is home to Nagaraj Cholan and many historic temples, monuments, churches and mosques. Urayur, the Old Tiruchy, has over 2,500 years of known history and tradition. It was the capital of the early Chola kings. The oldest human-made dam, Kallanai, was built by Karikala Cholan across the Kaveri River about 10 miles from Urayur.

Trichy was an important town in the days of the Later Cholas and of the Nayak kings, and during the early days of the British East India Company. The conquest of Tiruchirapalli by the British East India Company marked a major step in the British conquest of India.

One famous landmark in Tiruchirapalli is the Rock Fort, a large outcrop of rock, 83 metres high. It is the only such outcrop in the otherwise-flat land of the city, and because of it Trichy is also called Rock City. On top of the rock is the Ucchi Pillayar Koil, a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vinayaka (Ganesha), 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, specializing in textiles, 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 contains -- it is said to have the greatest number of chapels in India. The most famous are Holy Redeemer's Church (Sagayamatha Koil), Lourdes Church, and The Cathedral. Trichy also is famous for Arcot Nawab masjid (one of the oldest) , with its large water storage tank (Ahil) .

[edit] Geography and climate

The topology of Trichy is flat. It lies at an altitude of 78 m above sea level. The river Kaveri (also called Cauvery) and the river Coleroon (also called Kollidam) flows here, the latter forms the northern boundary of the city. The river Cauvery flows along WNW-SSE direction through the city.

There are a few hills located within the city, the prominent among them are Golden Rock, Rock Fort, and the one in Thiruverumbur. There are few reserve forests along the river Cauvery, located at the west or 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 Mountain range—the soil here is considered to be very fertile. As two rivers flows through the city, the northern part of the city is greener than other areas of the city.

Trichy has a moderate and pleasant 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.

Summer temperature : 41.10°C (maximum) 36.40°C (minimum)

Winter temperature : 21.31°C (maximum) 18.60°C (minimum)

[edit] Demographics

As of the 2008, Trichy had a population of 10,62,015. Males constitute 49.97% of the population and females 50.03%. Trichy has an average literacy rate of 91.45%. Male literacy is 94.17% and female literacy is 88.73%. In Trichy 9.59% of the population is under 6 years of age. The city's population is predominantly Hindu (with both Saivaite and Vaishnavaite), and there are sizable Christian and Muslim populations. Sikhs and Jains also are present in smaller numbers.

Tamil is the official language. The dialect of the Tamil language spoken here is usually 'Neutral', with a blend of Kongu Tamil. Madurai Tamil may be heard as one travels through the eastern and southern-eastern boundaries of the city. One may also hear elangai / Sri Lankan Tamil spoken in some pockets of the city. Other language spoken here is English.

Tiruchirapalli served as the headquarters of the South-Indian Railways (which was renamed later 'Southern Railways', with Madras/Chennai as the headquarters) during the pre-independence era, for a few years. Anglo-Indians, many of whom worked in the 'South-Indian Railways', started settling in 'Golden Rock-Township' and 'Crawford' located within the city, during that time. Crawford is considered asone of the expensive areas in the city. It houses a former MP - Mr.Adaikalaraj and a former DMK MLA. The place predominantly christian.

[edit] Culture

The city has a multi-cultural society with a sizeable presence of Tamil, English, Marathi, Telugu, Hindi, and Malayalam-speaking population. The city projects a calm outlook and is considered to be friendly toward tourists. One may experience typical Anglo-Indian, Andhra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu cuisines here. In addition to Pongal, the Thamizhar Thirunaal, Ugadi, Holi & Onam are festivals celebrated by their respective communities retaining their cultural roots.

People living in Tiruchirapalli district have a rich ancient cultural heritage. The city served as the centre of fine arts since sangam literature. Uraiyur, the old name of Tiruchirapalli city, was the capital of early Cholas. Here lived a number of great Tamil Scholars and contributed to the Tamil literature. People living here even today speak Tamil mostly what is being used in written form than any other people living in other parts of Tamil Nadu.

[edit] Cuisine

Trichy cuisine is predominantly South Indian with rice as the main-ingredient. The city prefers a fairly mild flavour, with variations to suit the local palette. Lunch is usually served in many restaurants over a banana leaf. North Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisines are also available. Jelebi, idly, dosa, halwa (a sweet made of milk, wheat, and rice), parotta and biryani are popular among the locals.

[edit] Economy

Trichy is a major engineering hub and energy equipment and fabrication center of India.^{[citation needed]}

• BHEL --- Bharat Heavy Electriclas Limited

Bharat Heavy Electriclas Limited (BHEL) is ranked among the leading Power Plant Manufacturers in the world. At TIRUCHIRAPALLI, the High Pressure Boiler Plant of the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) was setup in 1963. Now, it is one of the foremost manufacturing facilities within BHEL and it has 3 major plants namely, High Pressure Boiler Plant, Seamless Steel Tube Plant and Boiler Auxiliaries Plant. BHEL is the first state-owned company to acquire ISO 9000 certification during 1993 for all its operations. Further it has been accredited to ISO 14001 Standard. It is having a very big Housing colony, with all facilities including good educational facilities, on the NH-67, just in front of the main factory. BHEL --- Tiruchirappalli was set up during the period of K.Kamaraj, the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the statue of K.Kamaraj is there at the entrance of the Colony main Gate.

• A number of small scale industries have also sprung up in Trichy, mostly around Thuvakudi and Mathur.
• Leather tanneries are located on the way to Pudukottai. Viralimalai, considered an industrial suburb on Madurai road has the factories.
• Manachanallur has numerous rice mills supplying polished rice all over Tamil Nadu and outside and is located about 7 km from Main Guard gate.
• The economy of the city is driven to a certain extent by IT/ITES companies encouraged by the support from state government. A dedicated stretch of land has been identified and developed to increase the state's share in national IT/ITES exports.
• Infosys is eyeing Tiruchirapalli for its expansion.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Roadways

Trichy is well connected to various parts of Tamil Nadu, by private and public bus services. There are 2 Bus Stands at Tiruchirappalli, as explained below:

• Chathiram, Chinthamani, Main Guard Gate Bus Stand

The Chathram (Main Guard Gate) bus stand, near Rock Fort temple, runs local and mofussil (City-to-Town) bus services which connect people to nearby towns and villages such as Thuraiyur, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Cuddalore so and so.....

Bus services are frequent, once in every two to five minutes, you will get a bus of your destination.

• Central / Main Bus Stand

The central bus station runs long distance services to major cities and states of South India such as Tanjore,Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Tirupathi, Salem, Erode, Pudukkotai, Dindigul, Rameswaram, Theni, Tindivanam, Hosur, Vellore also well-connected Karnataka, Andhra and Kerala through private charter and Luxury buses.

One can get buses from Trichy to almost any part of the state, due to its geographical location in the center of Tamil Nadu.

• Other Transport Facilities

The State-run DCTC town buses cover areas from Trichy to Pudukkottai, Manapparai, Musiri, Viralimalai and Vallam.

Private and public buses connect Trichy to all parts of Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu Government introduced the Share -Auto scheme in the year 2001.

The city has a very wide network of city buses and mini buses.

[edit] National Highways passing through Tiruchirappalli

On the road infrastructure front, with the completion of highway projects in Tamil Nadu state. Trichy will have four track highways from the city branching to destination Chennai, Madurai, Nagappattinam and Coimbatore. The four-laning of Chennai-Trichy should be completed in 2010 and also Trichy-Madurai would be completed at the same time. The widening of Trichy-Tanjore, Trichy-Karur and Trichy-Rameswaram should also be completed in 2 years.

Trichy is connected by major National Highways which connect

• NH-45 --- Chennai (towards north) and Dindigul (towards south) by NH 45
• NH-45B --- Madurai and Tuticorin by NH 45B (towards south)
• NH-67 --- Coimbatore and Ooty (towards west) and Tanjore and Nagapatinam (towards east) by NH 67
• NH-210 --- Putukkottai and Ramanathapuram (towards south-east) by NH 210
• NH-227 --- Chidambaram (towards north-east) by NH 227

[edit] Railways

Trichy is a hub of Southern Railway (India). Southern railway connect this central part of Tamil Nadu to various parts of India, notably regions in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh.

Trichy Railway Junction has five branches leading to Madurai, Rameswaram, Erode, Tanjore and Chennai and currently there are 4 platforms in operation. Platform no 5, 6, 7 is under gauge convertion which is to be finished at the end of 2009.

Trichy is one of the busiest railway junction in India. It has more than 200 train crossings per day in its division. It also has the record of a railway station to have broadgage next to Chennai. The Electrification between Villupuram and Tiruchchirappali is completed and service would be inaugrated soon. The double line is also approved for the same section works will be starting soon.

This division has the press which supplies the printed unreserved ticket for Tamil Nadu railway stations. The railway station code for Trichy Junction is TPJ.

[edit] Trains Originating from Trichy

Pallavan Express, Howrah Express, Rockfort Express, Ernakulam Tea Garden Express, Mayiladuthurai Express are the important trains originating from Trichy.

[edit] Trains Passing through Trichy junction

The other important trains passing through Trichy junction are Kanyakumari Express, Tamilnadu Sampark Kranti Express, Tirukkural Express, Ananthapuri Express, Pothigai Express, Nellai Express, Pandian Express, Mysore-Mayiladuthurai Express, Cape-Howrah Express, Chennai-Mangalore Express, Pearl City Express, Guruvayur Express, Jan Shatabdi Express, Nagercoil-Mumbai Express, Vaigai express, Sethu Express, Madurai-Jammutawi link Express, Pandian Express, Madurai-Lokmanya Tilak express, Nagercoil Express.

Other than Express trains there are more number of Passenger Trains which connects the Trichy with the nearest town frequently.

The Trichy city comprises the following railway stations:

Station name	Station code
Tiruchirapalli Junction	TPJ
Tiruchirapalli Town	TPTN
Tiruchirapalli Fort	TP
Tiruchirapalli Palakkarai	TPE
Ponmalai	GOC
Srirangam	SRGM
Thiruverumbur	TRB
Uttamar Kovil	UKV
Valadi	VLDE
Punggudi	PUG
Pichchandarkovil	BXS
Kumaramangalam	KRMG
Mandurai	MAND
Lalgudi	LLI
Manjattidal	MCJ
Muttarasanallur	MTNL

[edit] Airways

Trichy has an international airport about eight kilometres from the city, which operates flights to Indian cities, territories, and neighbouring countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the Gulf by Air Asia, Indian Airlines, Air India Express, Srilankan Airlines, Mihin Lanka,Kingfisher Airlines,Paramount Airways. Trichy airport is the second largest airport in Tamil Nadu next to Chennai to get international connectivity to Colombo (Srilanka) in 1981. Nowadays, flights are operated to Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Plans are being made to upgrade it to a full fledged international airport in the next three years.^[4] The extended runway (8000ft) was commissioned and further expansion to 12500 ft has started. The new terminal building is opened in 2009. Two aero bridge are opened to use. This is the second airport in Tamil Nadu to get it next to Chennai. An new Air Traffic Control Centre is also being planned to be constructed to cope up with growing air traffic in the region.

Various airlines including Malaysian airlines, Oman Air, Air Arabia will soon operate international flights. Kingfisher Airlines has stopped the service to Bangalore which is expected to resume soon. Air India Express made Dubai and Singapore flights a daily service

Airlines and Destinations

Domestic
Carrier	Destination
Air-India Express	Chennai
Kingfisher Airlines	Chennai
Paramount Airways	Chennai
International
Carrier	Destination
AirAsia	Kuala Lumpur
SriLankan Airlines	Colombo
Air-India Express	Singapore, Abu-Dhabi, Dubai
Mihin Lanka	Colombo
** Starting soon

[edit] Administration

The city is a Municipal Corporation. It also serves as the headquarters of the district with the same name. The city is headed by a Mayor, under whom are the Deputy Mayor and several councillors elected by people representing administrative wards; as well as a corporation Commissioner of the rank of IAS to administer the city.

The city has one Member of Parliament representing the Trichy constituency, pudukkottai parliamentary constituency has been mearged with trichy and few regions are mearged with other constituncy for administrative reasons. Both Tiruchi (East) and Tiruchi (West) assembly constituencies are part of Tiruchirappalli (Lok Sabha constituency).^[5]

The district is headed by the District Collector of the rank of IAS. The District court is the highest court of appeal in Trichy/Tiruchirappalli. The city has seen moderate to high development in spite of funds constraint.

The city's police force is headed by the City Police Commissioner of the rank of IPS. One of the 5 Central prisons of the state is located here.

[edit] Education

• Considered an educational city, Tiruchirapalli has schools and colleges that are hundreds of years old. St. Joseph's College (SJC) is one of the important and the oldest institution in Trichy, with more than 160+ years of its presence. College Road in Chatram has three colleges and five schools, including St. Joseph's College.

• Notable educational institutions from the city include: National College, Trichy; Bishop Heber College, Trichy; Jamal Mohamed College the National Institute of Technology, Trichy (formerly known as REC Trichy — Regional Engineering College), Anna University Trichy, Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Bharathidasan University, the Government Law College and K.A.P Viswanatham Government Medical College.

• The Indian Institute of Management is scheduled to open in Trichy by 2009-2010.^[6]

• Former President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and writer Sujatha Rangarajan (Rangarajan) studied here. R. Venkataraman, another former President of India also had his education in Trichy.

• Campion Anglo Indian School and R.S.K Higher secondary school are prominent schools in the state.

[edit] Health-care

The city has numerous hospitals. Apart from the Government hospital, several multi-facility hospitals function in the city. The district's health department is one of the best in terms of implementing government-initiated healthcare schemes.

Rare surgical procedures have taken place in some of the hospitals in the city. The polio eradication programme is heavily assisted by various NGOs and clubs in the city. It also has many sidhdha/unani/ayurveda/homeopathic clinics.

Trichy - A low-cost high-quality healthcare destination

Fast pace of economic development with the increase in the health awareness have led to the growth of the healthcare industry in the city. The city stands next to Chennai in Tamilnadu for affordable and quality healthcare deliveries of high-standards.

Trichy is only city other than Chennai have made the heart transplation surgery successfully in Tamilnadu.

Trichy is also a preferred healthcare destination to the population from nearby towns and districts.

[edit] Tourism

• Temples of Historical Imporance:

A number of temples of historic importance stands here in Trichy include Sri Rangam, Rock Fort, Samayapuram, Thiruvanaikkaval, Vekkaliyamman, Iyappan Temple, Vayalur Murugan Kovil, Somarasam Pettai Mariyamman Kovil, Uyyakondan Thirumalai, Erumbeeshwar Temple, Rettai Malai Sami Kovil,bikshandar koil, etc.

• Planetarium/Science centre:

The Anna Science Centre-Planetarium is located at Guttapet, 5 km from Trichy-Central bus terminus on Pudukkottai Road, close to Trichy Airport.

• Zoo:

A Zoological Park has been proposed to be set up in Trichy, along the River Cauvery.

• Picnic spots:

Grand Anaicut at Kallanai (24 km) is an ancient dam built (according to legends) by Karikala Chola across the River Cauvery in the 1st century CE. It still is in use as part of the district's irrigation system.

Mukkombu or Upper Anaicut (18 km) is a wonderful picnic spot where the River Kollidam or Coleroon branches off from the River Cauvery.

Viralimalai (30 km) a hillock has a peacock sanctuary at the foothills.

Sittanavasal (58 km) is the site of an ancient Jain monastery with exquisite fresco paintings in a cave. It is also noted for its prehistoric burial grounds.

Puliancholai (72 km) is a waterfall in the foothills of the Kolli Hills. It is a nice picnic spot.

Musiri (20 km) here Thiruengoimalai Maragatha Lingeswar temple is nice place and also cavery river is looking nice, when we see from the Thiru-engoi-malai.

• Hill Station

Kolli Hills seated on the Pachamalai (Green hills) range which in turn is an eastern offshoot of the Eastern Ghats. The Pachaimalai range of hills is cut across by the River Cauvery at numerous places, forming small valleys.

Kolli Hills is a low lying hill station with gentle plateau falls inside Trichy district. Though the altitude of these hills is only average, it always has a pleasant climate and many parts of the hills are heavily wooded. However, it has retained its pristine beauty owing to being lesser known among the tourists.

• Kollam Pond, is a large water-body located in Crawford lies along the Trichy-Madurai Railway line. The pond is home to different types of bird varieties including ducks and Kingfisher. One could also see few fisherman spreading nets naviagating with the help of vehicle tyre tubes.

[edit] Important and Famous Temples, Churches and Mosques

[edit] Important Temples

• The spectacular Rock Fort Temple, the landmark of the city, is on the shores of the River Cauvery. It is perched on a massive rocky outcrop at an altitude of 83 m above sea level. The Thayumanaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is situated halfway to the top. It has a 100-pillar Hall and a vimana covered with gold. On the southern face of the rock are several beautifully carved rock-cut cave temples of the Pallava period.

• The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam, situated 6 km north of the city, is among the most revered shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu in South India, and is the largest temple complex in the world. Shrouded in a haze of coconut palms away to the north, the temple is built on an island in the middle of the River Cauvery and covers an area of 2.5 km². Enclosed by seven rectangular walled courtyards, this temple has 21 gopurams, the largest of which was completed in 1987 and measures 73 m in height. Srirangam Town is an island and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The temple is replete with excellent carvings and numerous shrines dedicated to various gods. It is believed that Sri Ramanujar the Vaishavite saint and philosopher is embalmed inside the temple premises in the Sri Ramanujar Sannidhi.

• Erumbeeswarar Temple, also known as Tiruverumbeeswarar Temple, is located at Thiruverumbur, in Tiruchirappalli District of Tamil Nadu. It is located about 15 km east of Tiruchirapalli, on the way to Thanjavur. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple enshrines Erumbeeswarar as the presiding deity along with his consort Saurabhya Kudalaambal.The temple has several inscriptions dating back to the Chola and Pandya period

• The Jambukeshwara Temple (Thiruvanaikaval), dedicated to Lord Shiva, is situated just 2 km east of Srirangam and houses five concentric walls and seven gopurams. Mythology has it that an elephant once worshipped the Lord under the Holy Jambu Tree, and hence the name Jambukeshwara. The principal deity is the shiva lingam, almost submerged in water, which flows from the subterranean spring in the sanctum sanctorum. It is one of the panchabhoota sthalam - representing five basic elements. This is the Appu Sthalam among the Pancha Bootha Sthalams.

The others are -

Tiruvannamalai (Thejo sthalam - Fire)

Kanchipuram (Prithvi sthalam - Earth)

Kalahasti (Vayu sthalam - Air)

Chidambaram (Akasa sthalam - Space).

• The Samayapuram Mariamman Temple is located 12 km north of the Trichy central bus terminus on Trichy-Chennai NH 45. The Maariamman Temple is one of the most visited shrines in Tamilnadu, dedicated to Maariamman, a manifestation of the primeval energy shakti as the mother goddess. The offerings are in various forms. The most common offering is the mavilakku mavu made of jagery, rice-flour, dhal and ghee. Mariamman is believed to be a form of shakti associated with prosperity and health. Local beliefs associate the deity with cures for diseases such as small-pox and chicken-pox. Samayapuram was a local capital of the Vijayanagar rulers in the vicinity of Tiruchirappalli, and was known as Vikramapuram.

• Tirupattur is located around 5 km from Samayapuram. It is famous for its Bramhapureeswarar Temple which has a huge shrine for Lord Brahma. This is the second of the two temples dedicated to Lord Bramha in the world. The first being in Pushkar near Ajmer, Rajasthan.

• Katha Veeraiya swamy temple is a very famous temple in Tamil Nadu. It is located in Pachur near Mannachanallur. (Bus root no 27a,e )

[edit] Important Churches

The architecture of the St. Joseph's College Church situated within the St. Joseph College Campus is awe inspiring.

The Poondi Madha Basilica is one of the famous churches near Trichy. It is approximately 25 km from Trichy junction and around 12 km from the Grand Anaikut, Kallanai.

[edit] Important Mosque

There are numerous other churches, temples, and mosques in and around the city.

A famous mosque is located in Palakarai. The Nadhar Shah mosque is rumored to be over a 1000 years old.

[edit] Media and communication

• Dailies

The city has two major English dailies, The Hindu and The New Indian Express. Tamil language dailies include Dina Malar, Dina Thanthi, Dina Mani and Dinakaran with two other dailies Tamil Murasu and Malai Malar published in the evening.

• Radio Station

A short wave radio station is operated by All India Radio, with most programmes in Tamil, English and Hindi. A FM station AIR FM Rainbow operated by All India Radio with the programmes in Tamil, English and Hindi, Also a other Private FM Stations Hello FM 106.4Mhz (Malar Publication), Suryan FM 93.5Mhz (SUN Network) and Holly Cross (Educational) Operated in this City.

• Television

Television relay started in 1985 from Delhi Doordarshan. In 1986, after inception of a repeater tower at Kodaikanal, telecast from Madras Doordarshan commenced. Television reception is through DTH or by Cable, while "Doordarshan" reception is still available using an external antenna.

• Telecom

Trichy has an excellent communication infrastructure, with the major cellular/broadband service providers involved in. Telecom services BSNL (Second Largest Electronic Exchange in Tamilnadu), VSNL (TATA Indicom), Reliance, Vodafone, Airtel, Aircel and BPL available are by Landline, CDMA and GSM. Fiber optic cables were laid in 2001, improving internet access.

[edit] Entertainment

• Zoo:

A Zoological Park has been proposed to be set-up in Trichy soon.

• Theme Park:

A Water-theme park proposed by Trichy City Corporation is to come-up in Anna Nagar soon.

Also another theme park promoted by a private company is under construction near Kudamuratti river within Trichy city limit.

• List of Theaters in Trichy

The following list gives the Cinema halls in Trichy city. There are local, defunct and non-operating theatres which are not included in this list.

Cinema Theatres	Location	Features
Kalaiyarangam	Central Bus Stand	A/C, Qube Digital, 70MM
Maris	Fort Station	A/C, DTS, 70MM
Cauvery	Palakkarai	A/C, DTS
Sona	Central Bus Stand	A/C, DTS
Mega Star	Thillai Nagar	A/C, DTS
Ramba	Chatram Bus Stand	A/C, Qube Digital
Mina	Central Bus Stand	A/C, DTS, 35MM
Venkatesha	Tiruvanaikovil	A/C, DTS
Maris Rock	Fort Station	A/C, DTS
Oorvasi	Chathram Bus Stand	A/C, 35MM
Star	Thennur Terminal	A/C, DTS
Ramakrishna	Thennur	DTS
Maharani	E.B.Road	70MM
Urvashi	Chatram Bus Stand	70MM
Rukmani	Woraiyur	70MM
Aruna theatre	Ramalinga Nagar	70MM
VVV theatre	Ponnagar	70MM

[edit] Notable people

Some prominent people from Trichy include:

• Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (Sir CV Raman) , Indian physicist and Nobel laureate in physics (Nobel Prize-winning physicist)
• Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai born in Adavattur near Somarasam Pettai (4 km west of Trichy) who contributed to Tamil Literature during the 17th century
• K. A. P. Viswanatham Pillai, (Fondly remembered as Ki. Aa. Pe), a great Tamil writer
• Akilan, author, Tamil scholar, Sahitya Akademi Award recipient
• Sangitha Kalanidhi Clarinet A.K.C. Natarajan
• Kalaimamani Clarinet A.K.C. Venugopal
• Sujatha Rangarajan, writer
• Hema Malini, actress
• Lalgudi Jayaraman, violinist
• Kavingnar Vaali, Tamil poet and lyricist
• M. K. Thiyagaraja Bhagavatar, first superstar of Tamil cinema (MKT as he was popularly known was born in MAyuram, which stands for the first initial in his name)
• A. R. Murugadoss, Tamil Film Director.
• Prasanna, Tamil Film Actor
• Iravatham Mahadevan, famous epigraphist, specializing on the Indus script and Early Tamil epigraphy.
• Dr. Vijayanandan, famous doctor and fourth dental surgeon of Tiruchirappalli.
• James Vasanthan, music director
• G.M.Vridhachalam , Famous Lawyer
• Vanitha Rangaraju Ramanan, OSCAR award winner in 2004

[edit] References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tiruchirapalli

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