Pollachi

Pollachi is a town and a taluk headquarters in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu state, India. Located about 40 km to the south of Coimbatore, it is the second largest town in the district after Coimbatore. Pollachi is a popular Marketplace for jaggery, vegetables and cattle.[2] As of 2011, the town had a population of 90,180.

For other uses, see Pollachi (disambiguation).
Pollachi
Town
Azhiyar dam and Western Ghats near Pollachi
Pollachi
Location in India
Coordinates: 10.659°N 77.008°E / 10.659; 77.008
CountryIndia
StateTamil Nadu
RegionKongu Nadu
DistrictCoimbatore
Government
 • TypeSpecial Grade Municipality
 • BodyPollachi Municipality
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total90,180
Languages
 • Official/SpokenTamil
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
Telephone code+91-4259
Vehicle registrationTN 41

History

Pollachi was known as Pozhil Vaitchi in Tamil which means "gifted with beauty" and later became Pollachi. It was also known as Mudi Konda Chola Nallur during the period of the Cholas.[3]

Geography

Pollachi is located at 10.662°N 77.0065°E / 10.662; 77.0065.[4] It has an average elevation of 293 metres (961 ft). Aliyar river passes about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away from the town and the town receives rainfall from Southwest monsoon due to the presence of Palghat gap.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Pollachi had a population of 90,180 with a sex-ratio of 1,012 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.[5] A total of 7,732 were under the age of six, constituting 3,952 males and 3,780 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 10.57% and 0.29% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 82.15%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.[5] The city had a total of 24,755 households. There were a total of 36,972 workers, comprising 219 cultivators, 488 main agricultural laborers, 1,018 in household industries, 32,720 other workers, 2,527 marginal workers, 25 marginal cultivators, 45 marginal agricultural laborers, 124 marginal workers in household industries and 2,333 other marginal workers.[1]

Economy
Paddy fields in Pollachi

The economy of the town is predominantly dependent on agriculture. Coconut, jaggery, vegetables and cattle contribute to the agricultural output. There are also coir producing units with raw materials sourced from local farms.[6][7] Vanilla is also cultivated in certain locations.[8] Pollachi is also a popular movie shooting location for the Tamil film industry owing to its scenic landscape.[9][10]

Education

Pollachi has schools which follow different curricula such as CBSE, ICSE and state board. Proximity to the educational hub of Coimbatore aids in higher education.

Transport
Pollachi junction connects Tamil Nadu and Kerala

Road

Pollachi is linked by National Highway 209, State Highway 19, SH 78 and SH 78A.[11] The central bus stand caters for bus transport which is used by Government-run TNSTC and private operators. State Express Transport Corporation (Tamil Nadu) operates long-distance buses.

Main Routes From Pollachi

Rail

Pollachi Railway Junction connects with Palakkad to the west, Coimbatore to the north and Dindigul to the east. Metre to broad gauge conversion on Dindigul line was completed in January 2015.[12][13] In 2017, the track between Pollachi and Podanur was converted from metre to broad gauge at a cost of ₹340 crore (US$48 million).[14]

Air

Coimbatore International Airport is the nearest airport, located about 48 km from Pollachi.

Places of interest
Road to Valparai in the Western Ghats

Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary is situated at an average altitude of 1,400 feet (430 m) in the Western Ghats near Pollachi. Valparai is a hill station about 65 kilometres (40 mi) from Pollachi and is situated at an altitude of 3,500 feet (1,100 m). Topslip is a popular picnic spot located at an altitude of about 800 feet (240 m) in the Anamalai mountain range which is about 37 kilometres (23 mi) from Pollachi. Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the valley between the Anaimalai Hills of Tamil Nadu and the Nelliampathi range of Kerala. The area is hilly and rocky, drained by several rivers and iss thickly forested with some marsh lands and scattered patches of grass.[15] Parambikulam-Aliyar multipurpose project involves a series of dams interconnected by tunnels and canals at various elevations to harness the various rivers flowing through the area. Azhiyar Dam is located on the foothills of Anamalai in the Western Ghats and Solaiyar Dam is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Valparai and is one of the largest rock dams in India.[16]

Temples

Thirumurthyswami temple is a temple dedicated to Shiva, situated in the foothills of the Thirumurthy Hills. Other major temples include Masani Amman, Eachanari Vinayagar Temple and Vethathiri Maharishi.

References
  1. "Census Info 2011 Final population totals - Pollachi". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  2. "A town called Pollachi". The Hindu. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  3. "Pollachi". CPRE, Ministry of Environment and Forests& Climate Change, Govt of India. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  4. "Rain Genomics, Inc – Pollachi". fallingrain.com. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  5. "Census Info 2011 Final population totals". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  6. "Future of coir industry hangs by a thread". New Indian Express. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  7. "Cor plywood to become wood of tomorrow". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  8. "Under a Vanilla sky". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  9. "Pollachi Tourism". railtourismindia.com. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  10. "Bangalore to Pollachi". Live Mint. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  11. "Pollachi road work to be completed ahead of schedule". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  12. "Pollachi Palani train services begin". The Hindu. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  13. "BroadGauge Conversion". The Hindu. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  14. Palaniappan, V. s (16 July 2017). "Coimbatore-Pollachi passenger train begins maiden journey on BG line". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  15. "Kannimara tree". The Hindu. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  16. "About Parambikulam Park". Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
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