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INTRODUCTION
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Tamilnadu is one of the well
developed states in terms of industrial development.
In the post liberalization era, the state
has emerged as one of the front – runners
in attracting large number of domestic and foreign
investors. Government with a view to stimulate
further industrial development , attract
investment, facilitate new nufacturing capacity
and enable global manufacturing competence and
competitiveness of local industry has
announced the New Industry, Policy 2007
on 5th November 2007
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Sivaganga
District has been carved out from composite Ramnad
District as per G.O. MS. No. 1122 Rev. Dept. Dated.
6.7.84 and the District was functioning from 15.3.85
as per G.O Ms.No. 346 Rev. dept. Dated: 8.3.85.
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King assigned to Peria Oodaya Thevar of Nalukottai
a portion of land sufficient to maintain 1000 armed
men. Vijaya Regunatha Sethupathy became the 8th
King of Ramnad in 1710 after the death of Kilavan
Sethupathy. The King gave in marriage his daughter
AKILANDESWARI NACHIAR, to Sasivarna Thevar, the
son of Nalukottai Peria Oodaya Thevar. The King
gave Sasivarna Thevar lands as dowry, free of taxation,
sufficient to maintain 1,000 men. He placed him
in charge of the fortresses of Piranmalai, Tiruppathur,
Sholapuram and Tiruppuvanam as well as the harbour
of Thondi. Meanwhile Bhavani Sankaran, the son of
Kilavan Sethupathy conquered Ramnad territory and
arrested Sundareswara Regunatha Sethupathy, the
9th King of Ramnad. Bhavani Sankaran proclaimed
himself as the Rajah of Ramnad. He became the 10th
king of Ramnad and he reigned from 1726 to 1729.
He quarrelled with Sasivarna Peria Oodaya Thevar
of Nalukottai and drove him out of his Nalukottai
palayam. Kattaya Thevan, the brother of the late
Sundareswara Regunatha Sethupathy fled from Ramnad
and sought refuge with the Rajah of Tanjore Tuljaji.
While Sasivarna Thevar was passing through the jungles
of Kalayarkoi, he met a Gnani (sage) named Sattappiah,
who was performing Thapas (meditation) under a jambool
tree near a spring called `SIVAGANGA' . The deposed
king prostrated himself before him and narrated
all the previous incidents of his life. The Gnani
whispered a certain mantra in his ears (Mantra Opadesam)
and advised him to go to Tanjore and kill a ferocious
tiger which was kept by the Rajah especially to
test the bravery of men. Sasivarna Thevar went to
Tanjore. There he became acquainted with Kattaya
Thevan a refugee like himself. Satisfied with the
good behaviour of Sasivarma Thevar and Kattaya Thevan,
the Rajah of Tanjore wanted to help them to regain
the States again, ordered his DALAVOY to go with
a large army to invade Bhavani Sankaran. Sasivarna
Thevar and Kattaya Thevan at once proceeded to Ramnad
with a large army furnished by the king of Tanjore.
They defeated Bhavani Sankaran at the battle of
Uraiyur and captured Ramnad in 1730. Thus Kattaya
Thevan became the 11th King of Ramnad.
Ist RAJAH SASIVARNA THEVAR (1730
- 1750 ) Kattaya Thevan divided Ramnad into five
parts and retained three for himself. He granted
the two parts to Sasivarna Thevar of Nalukottai
conferring on him the title of "Rajah Muthu Vijaya
Regunatha Peria Oodaya Thevar".
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- 2nd
RAJAH - MUTHU VADUGANATHA PERIA OODAYA THEVAR (1750
- 1772).
Sasivarna Peria Oodaya Thevar died in or about the
year 1750. He was succeeded by his only son Muthu
Vaduganatha Peria Oodaya Thevar. He was the second
Rajah of Sivaganga. His wife Rani Velu Nachiar acted
as "friend, Philosopher and guide" to him. Tandavaraya
Pillai was the able minister of Sivaganga country.
Muthu Vaduganatha Peria Oodaya Thevar granted commercial
facilities to the Dutch only after the English rejected
a similar offer, made to Colonel Heron. Further
the aim of the English was to oblige the ruler of
Sivaganga to serve the Nawab or to pay tribute to
him or to dissuade them from establishing relations
with foreign powers like the Dutch. A two pronged
offensive was made by the English. Joseph Smith
from the east and Benjour from the west invaded
Sivaganga Palayam in June 1772. The country was
full of bushes of cockspur thorn, though there were
villages and open spaces here and there. Rajah Muthu
Vaduganatha Thevar, in anticipation of the invasion,
erected barriers on the roads, dug trenches and
established posts in the woods of Kalayarkoil. On
the 21st of June of 1772 the detatchment of Smith
and Benjour effected a junction and occupied the
town of Sivaganga. The next day, the English forces
marched to Kalayarkoil and captured the posts of
Keeranoor and Sholapuram. Now, Benjour continuing
the operations came into conflict with the main
body of the troops of Sivaganga on the 25th June
1772. Muthu Vaduganatha Rajah with many of his followers
fell dead in that heroic battle. The heroic activities
shown in the battle field by Velu Nachiar is praised
by the Historians. The widow queen Velu Nachiar
and daughter Vellachi Nachiar with Tandavaraya Pillai
fled to Virupakshi in Dindigul. Later they were
joined by the two able Servaigarars Vellai Marudu
and Chinna Marudhu.
3rd RANI VELU NACHIAR (1772 - 1780)
Rani Velu Nachiar and her daughter Vellachi Nachiar
lived under the protection of Hyder Ali at Virupakshi
near Dindigul. Frustrated by the joining of forces
against him, the Nawab ordered that Velu Nachiar
and Marudhu Brothers were permitted to return to
Sivaganga and rule the country subject to payment
of Kist to the Nawab. Abiding by this Order, Rani
Velu Nachiar accompanied by Marudu brothers and
Vellachi Nachiar entered Sivaganga. An agreement
was reached where by Rani Velu Nachiar was permitted
to govern the Sivaganga Country and Chinna Marudu,
the younger was appointed her minister and the elder
Vellai Marudu as the Commander-in-chief. Thus the
widow Queen Velu Nachiar succeeded her husband in
1780.
The Queen Velu Nachiar granted powers to Marudhu
Brothers to administer the country in 1780. Velu
Nachiar died a few years later, but the exact date
of her death is not known (it was about 1790). Marudu
brothers are the sons of Udayar Servai alias Mookiah
Palaniappan Servai and Anandayer alias Ponnathal.
They are native of Kongulu street of Ramnad. They
belonged neither to the family of the ancient poligars
nor to their division of the caste.
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Servaikaran
was the caste title and Marudu the family name.
The Marudu Brothers served under Muthu Vaduganatha
Thevar. Later they were elevated to the position
of Commanders. Boomerangs are peculiar to India.
Two forms of this weapons are used in India. These
weapons are commonly made of wood. It is cresent-shaped
on end being heavier than the other and the outer
edge is sharpened. Their name in Tamil is VALARI
stick. It is said that Marudu Brothers were experts
in the art of throwing the valari stick. It is
said that Marudus used Valari in the POLIGAR wars
against the English. The Marudu brothers with
12,000 armed men surrounded Sivaganga and plundered
the Nawab's territories. The Nawab on the 10th
of March 1789 appealed to the Madras Council for
aid. On 29th April 1789, the British forces attacked
Kollangudi. It was defeated by a large body of
Marudu's troops. He was in close association with
Veera Pandiya Kattabomman of Panchalankurichi.
Kattabomman held frequent consultations with Marudhus.
After the execution of Kattabomman in 17th October
1799 at Kayattar, Chinna Marudhu gave asylum to
Kattabomman's brother Oomadurai (dumb brother).
He issued an epoch-making Jumboo Deweepa proclamation
to the people in the island of Jamboo the peninsular
South India to fight against the English whether
they were Hindus, Mussalamans or Christians. At
last the Marudhu Pandiyars fell a victim to the
cause of liberating the motherland from the English
supremacy. Marudu Pandiyan the popular leader
of the rebels, together with his gallant brother
Vellai Marudu were executed on the ruins of fort
at Tiruppathur in SIVAGANGA District on 24th October
1801. They showed their determination and spirit
at the outset of the final struggle of 1801 by
setting their handsome village Siruvayal on fire
to prevent its being made use of by the English
forces.
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- Marudu
brothers were not only warriers and noted for bravery,
but they were very great Administrators. During
the period from 1783 to 1801, they worked for the
welfare of the people and the Sivaganga Seemai was
reported as fertile. They constructed many notable
temples (i.e Kalayarkoil) Ooranis and Tanks.
After, so many successions of legal heirs ruled
the estate, lastly, Sri D.S. Karthikeya Venkatachalapathy
Rajah succeeded to the estate of late Sri. D. Shanmuga
Rajah and he was the Hereditary Trustee of Sivaganga.
Devasthanam and Chatrams consisting of 108 temples,
22 Kattalais and 20 Chatrams. Sri. D.S. Karthikeya
Venkatachalapathy Rajah passed away in 30.8.1986
leaving a daughter named Tmt.. Maduranthagi Nachiyar
as his heir. At present, Tmt. Maduranthagi Nachiyar
is administering the Sivaganga Estate , Sivaganga
Devasthanam and Chatram of Sivaganga Royal Family
now. Based on the "District Gazette" 1990 of Ramanathapuram,
and the history of Sivaganga maintained by Samasthanam,
Sivaganga District has been formed mostly with an
area of entire Sivaganga Zamin and part of Ramnad
Zamin.
BOUNDRIES
Sivaganga and Karaikudi are the two major towns
in Sivaganga district. Known as the capital of Chettinad.It
is bounded on the north and northeast by Pudukkottai
District, on the southeast and south by Ramanathapuram
District, on the southwest by Virudhunagar District,
and on the west by Madurai District, and on the
northwest by Tiruchirappalli District
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Tourism |
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PILLAIYARPATTI
TEMPLE
Pillaiyarpatti temple is a rock - cut temple located
about 12 kms from Karaikudi on the Karaikudi Madurai
road.It was built after hewing a hillock by the
early Pandiya kings and the image of Karpaga Vinayaka
and that of a Siva Linga were carved out of a
stone by a sculptor called Ekkattur Koon Peruparanan
who put his signature on a stone inscription found
even today in the sanctum. He put his signature
in Tamil Language which was in use between 2nd
and 5th century AD. It can be concluded that the
icon of Karpaga Vinayaka must have been carved
around 4th century AD. This temple is 1,600 years
old. The 14 stone inscriptions found in this temple,
dated between 400 AD and 1238 AD reveal that the
place was known as Ekkattur Thiruveengaikudi Maruthankudi
Raja Narayanapuram before it came to be called
Pillaiyarpatti.
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KALEESWARAR
TEMPLE
The holy temple KALAIYARKOIL is in Sivagangai
District. It is 18 K.M east of Sivagangai, 30
K.M west of Devakottai on the Devakottai –
Manamadurai Road and 66 KM south – east
of Madurai – Tondi Toad. “KALAIYARKOIL”
derived its name from the KALEESWARAR temple of
the place.
The temple of Kalaiyarkoil is a very large and
handsome building surrounded by a strong stone-wall
about 18 feet in height.
Kalaiyarkoil has two Rajagopuram viz big and small
one.
There is a big Tank on the Southern side of the
Temple.
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KANDADEVI
TEMPLE The Village Kandadevi is situated
3 Km away from Devakottai Town. Here the Temple
is called as Arulmigu Sowarna Moortheeswarar
alias Siragilinather. The Amman is called as PeriyaNayaki
Amman. This is 350 years old Temple. The Temple
is maintained by Sivaganga Devasthanam, which
is one amoung 84 Temples. The Temple is owned
by the Sivagangai Raja legal heirs. Here Hanuman
told to Rama as kanden deviyai. Hence this place
is called as Kandadevi. The Aanni Urchavam is
very famous festival for this temple, which is
celebrated in every year, during the month of
June by the people of 75 Villages.
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THIRUKOSTIYUR
TEMPLE
This is important of 108 Vaishnava temples.
The Alwar Ramanujar has visited
and prayed GOD Sri Vishnu. The God name is "Swamiya
Narayana Perumal". TheGOD is in five floors. This
is famous South Thiruppathi. During every year,
MASI MAGAM TEPPAM is celebrated here.
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