Virudhunagar -

Virudhunagar is a major business town and it is the capital of Virudhunagar District located at a distance of 45 Kms South-West of Madurai. This place was once referred to as 'Virudhupatti'.

In the beginning of 20th century A.D., Virudhupatti was one among the six important places of Ramanathapuram District. Due to the rapid growth in the field of Trade and Education, it was renamed as 'Virudhunagar' on 29th October 1923. The term 'Virudhu' means 'Award' in Tamil. Efficient Chief Minister (1954-63) and King Maker - Karma Veerar Kamarajar belongs to this town.It has very high end construction industry with low cost.

Sivakasi, a town famous for fireworks and printing press, match boxes is about 27 kilometers from Virudhunagar.

The great saint Ramana Maharshi was born in Tiruchuli, a place near Virudhunagar.

Apart from business, Virudhunagar is famous for its hotels & food delicacy, especially "Parotta/Parota/Purota/Paratha" There are many Hotels which serve delicious food. "Burma Kadai" is one of the best hotels. Lunch and the evening Parotta are very famous in hotels of Virudhunagar. You must see the way how "Virudhunagar Parotta" is prepared. It is quite different and it tastes the best. Nowadays health conscious people are avoiding frequent visit to these shops to prevent heart related ailments attacking young people.

“Mariamman Kovil”, Veghilugandha amman kovil are famous temples in Virudhunagar.

Every year during the Tamil month of “Panguni”, the famous “Panguni Thiruvizha” festival is celebrated in a special "annual Agni Thiruvizha" with several hundred thousands devotees taking up Fire Pot Procession as way of respect to Goddess Mariamman. Relatives and friends gather together during the processions for Water Deluge of Goddess Mariamman, Black and White dot smeared body adorned with neem leaves camaflouge dressing, Kairu Kutthu, Agni Chatti carrying by devotees plain palm and Temple Car (Theerottam) functions and they go around the town.

A big festival is organised for Veghilugandha amman during Tamil month Vaikasi. In the month of October to welcome the onset of monsoon, festivals are organised for Mother Goddess Kaliamman at various localities on every Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Karagam, Kolattam, Oyilattam and other lively programmes are organised on large scale at different streets during these weekly events in during September-October

“Virudhunagar Exhibition” conducted in the Kshathiriya Vidhya Sala School premises for the benefit of schools' educational fund during summer holidays attracts many people from the nearby towns and village. The exhibition also serves as a unique family convention centre for matrimonial match making arrangement facility for the aspiring grooms and brides.

During Dusserah celebration, a large procession with Tiger Dance and Tamil Martial art fencing is organised by several locality groups of Virudhunagar town. To participate and witness in this festival, nearly one lakh people assemble in one evening.

The other unique tradition about Virudhunagar is that, for the marriage function, the grooms offer prizes (parisam) to bride as per Tamil culture (saying no to varadhachanai), the bride and the groom will have a separate function/marriage hall so that the groom's family members do not pass to bride's family members any burden financial or otherwise any burden, Which you can't see anywhere in Tamilnadu. Several marriage functions are organised with the system emenating from Self-Respect Movement to adopt "Kural Vazhi Vaalvu" by the new couples and still this novel solemnising approach is widely accepted by youngsters of the Virudhunagar town.

Virudhunagar has one "theppam" (artificial pond to replenish ground water) in the center of the town. Now facilities have been done to maintain water in "theppam" through out the year. Around the theppam lots of parota hotels available.

People here are sports loving. There are indoor stadiums for badminton, many basketball and tennis courts. Children here are very talented but participation in tournaments outside is still less. Y's Men's Club of Virudhunagar is conducting Basketball Tournament for the past 20 years.

There are many yoga ,music, art classes .people liked to swim in wells in summer before now swimming pools are the most preferred.

There is a beautiful park on the college road with beautiful illuminations at night. There are several garden temples for kaval deivangal (guardian angels) in Aruppukottai Road, Sattur Road, Madurai Road and in chinnamoopanpatti village on the northern suburb of Virudhunagar. Festivals are celebrated during January, February in these garden temples in grand manner.

Education

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS in Virudhunagar

1. VHNSN College: http://www.vhnsnc.in/
2. VVV College: http://www.vanniaperumalcollegeforwomen.com/
3. VSVN Polytechnic: http://www.vsvnpolytechnic.in
4. Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology: http://www.kcet.in/
5. CREED Industrial School-Govt. approved Catering & Hotel Management, Fashion Technology Courses

Engineering Colleges in Virudhunagar district

1. Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology: http://www.kcet.in/
2. MEPCO Schlenk Engineering College (MSEC): http://www.mepcoeng.ac.in/
3. Arulmigu Kalasalingam College of Engineering: http://www.akce.ac.in/
4. P.S.R Engineering College
5. Sethu Institute of Technology: http://www.sethu.ac.in/
6. Sree Sowdambika College of Engineering
7. V.P. Muthaiah Pillai Meenakshi Engineering College for Women

SCHOOLS

1. S.S. Subbiah Nadar Government Hr Sec School
2. R.C. HR. SEC. SCHOOL mail to rchssvnr@yahoo.co.in: http://www.rchssvnr.edu/
3. K. Kamaraj Vidhya Sala Middle School
4. KVS (Kshatriya Vidhya Sala) Hr Sec School - Madurai Road
5. KVS Mat Hr Sec School - Soolakarai(k.v.s):http://www.kvsmat.in/
6. P.S.Chidambara Nadar Senior English School (PSC): http://www.pscschool.com/
7. Kshatriya Girls Hr Sec School
8. SDA Mat hr Sec School
9. Subiramaniya Vidhyasalai
10. Saraswathi Vidhyasalai
11. Thiruvalluvar Vidhyasalai
12. Dhamu Memorial Matriculation Secondary School
13. KKVS
14. H.P.S.M. Hr. Sec. School
15. Sri Sowdambigai higher Sec School
16. Noble Matriculation school

Websites

1. Website for Virudhunagar - http://www.virudhunagar.in/ , http://www.virudhunagar.info/
2. Government Website - http://virudhunagar.nic.in/
3. Website for Virudhunagar Hindu Nadar Devasthanam - http://www.vhnd.in/
4. Website of VHNSN College - http://www.vhnsnc.in/
5. Website of KVS Matriculation School - http://www.kvsmat.in/
6. Website of PSC School - http://www.pscschool.com/
7. Website of KVS 98 batch - http://kvs98.virudhunagar.in/

Culture

Unique `Mahamai' practice

The desire to progress and the unity of purpose in action without jealousy get best exemplified in the conduct of traders of Virudhunagar, the majority of whom belong to the Nadar community.

As traders during the British regime they felt the need to learn English for their business purpose and started a primary school in the town in 1889 and the expenditure was met through the collection of a handful of rice from every house.

The growth of the school and the increased expenditure were met through the financial contributions from the community. This gave rise to the evolution of a practice called `Mahamai' since 1900, by which, the community traders were required to set apart daily a stipulated amount as per the trade practised. This was collected daily and utilized for the public good of the community. The practice is still in vogue effectively and successfully.

The traders take pride in informing that most of the schools, temples, marriage halls etc. built in the town belong to the community as a whole and to no single individual. They claim that trade and mahamai are the two eyes of Virudhunagar.

There is an anecdote: When C.Rajagopalachari, as Chief Minister visited the town during the British regime to inaugurate the municipality's water supply scheme, he learnt about the `scheme of handful rice for public cause' giving an impetus to education in the town. He is said to have wondered as to how good it would be for all the traders in the state to contribute for the public good.

This resulted in the introduction of `sales tax' in 1937 to make good the revenue loss in lieu of the introduction of prohibition in the state then, the traders say.

Virudhunagar has been exemplary in community self-help, in that, it paved the way for rainwater harvesting long before, it is claimed.

The tank in the town has been so modelled to collect the rainwater during the season and it has never dried up over the years, they point out.

Theatres

1. Amirtharaj
2. Apsara
3. Rajalakshmi
4. Sriram

Temples

1. Sri Siva Temple
2. Sri AdiParasakthi Maariyaman Temple
3. Sri Veiluganda Amman Temple
4. Valasubramaniya Murugan Temple
5. Sri Renganathar Temple
6. Sri Rama Temple

Hangouts

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Holy Places:

Thiruppugal Swami - Muthia Nadar of Kattunayakkanpatti, Kovilpatti Taluq who settled in Virudhunagar 2 centuries having worship centres at Virudhunagar and Kattunayakkanpatti is believed to have blessed the town for all around welfare town. It is believed that the famous tamil chants Aaho Aiyaho during Amman temples are introduced by Thiruppughal swami.