Rajapalayam

Rajapalayam is a town in India, located 85 km southwest of Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. Its main attractions are the Ayyanar Falls and the town of Srivilliputur. more...

The economy is based on the manufacture of textiles, and there are mills for spinning and weaving cotton, as well as a large cotton market. It's also known for the Rajapalayam breed of dog.

History & demography

Rajapalayam gets its name from the name of the community that is dominant here - Rajas or Rajus, a telugu speaking community that had migrated from Andhra Pradesh centuries ago. The word 'palayam' is frequently used in many Tamil cities as a suffix and it translates roughly as a ' place of dwelling'. The origin of Rajapalayam dates back to ca.1700 AD. The exact timing of the settling of Raju people in this specific area is not established, but believed to have happened as a consequence of collapse of Vijayanagara empire and the arrival of Rajus as administrators or commanders to this region. Initially, Rajapalyam developed as an agricultural community and most people had farming as their source of livelihood. In the mid 1900s, the small town of Rajapalayam gradually evolved into a thriving business community. Due to the enterprising and hard working nature of its people, commerce developed quickly in the region and several industries, particularly cotton based flourished. Today Rajapalayam is one of the most industrialized cities in southern Tamil Nadu and people of all communities and religions live and contribute for its growth.

Climate

The climate of the region is semi-arid tropical monsoon type. Temperature range is 20° C to 37° C.It has a high mean temperature and a low degree of humidity. April, May and June are the hottest months of the year. The South West monsoon which sets in June and lasts till August brings scanty rain. The bulk of the rainfall is received during the North East monsoon in the months of October, November and December.

Education

Rajapalayam has many higher secondary and high schools, which provide quality education. Most of the schools are established due to the vision and philanthropy of wealthy Rajus. Notable schools in town are S.S.Govt. Hr. Sec. School, P. A. Chinnaiah Raja Memorial School, Chinmaya School, A.K.D. Dharmaraja School, N.A. Annama Raja school and Nadar Hr. Secordary School. These schools frequently compete with each other in providing better and quality education and people from the nearby town also come to these institutions to get education.

Like many conservative communities, the womenfolk among the Raju's caste do not continue their schooling due to the restrictive nature of this community. Girls are mostly confined to their homes after they attain puberty. In recent years, there has been some progress in this and women continue their education beyond high school and many have become accomplished doctors, engineers and professionals. Higher education which was once the preserve of wealthy people of this town has become possible to its ordinary peolple with the beginning of a a separate women's college in the town.

Read more at Wikipedia.org