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In the fifth part of the ‘Know Your Smart City’ web series on the 98 cities that have been shortlisted to be equipped with modern facilities and innovative solutions over time, we look at the 12 cities in Tamil Nadu.
The capital of Tamil Nadu and popularly referred to as the Detroit of India, Chennai is one of the country’s biggest industrial and commercial centres. Besides, it is a major cultural, economic and educational centre and a growing metropolitan. The first official use of the name Chennai is said to have been in a sale deed in 1639 to Francis Day of the East India Company. Later, the city was named Madras and remained that until recently, when it was decided that the city would revert to its old name.
Famously known as Trichy, this was the capital of the Cholas in the 3rd century BC. The city was later ruled by those like the Pallavas, Pandyas, the Delhi Sultanate, and the Vijayanagars. Tiruchirapalli also has a special place in modern politics; most political parties kick-start their campaigns and public rallies from this city, since its geography allows easy mobilisation of people from the neighbouring districts and other southern states.
Also called the Manchester of South India, Coimbatore was earlier known as Kongu Nadu and was ruled by the Cheras. It served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, which was the principal trade route between the west coast and Tamil Nadu. The textile boom that started in the early 19th century due to the decline of the cotton industry in Mumbai after independence saw Coimbatore grow rapidly in subsequent years.
This temple city is the third-largest corporation city by area and population in Tamil Nadu. Madurai is closely associated with the Tamil language – all three primary congregations of Tamil scholars, the Third Tamil Sangams were held in the city between 1780 BCE and the 3rd century CE.
Famous for the dessert Halwa, Tiruneveli is about 2,000 years old and situated on the banks of the river Thamiraparani. It is the fifth-largest municipal corporation in the state. The city is located on the west bank of the Thamirabarani River; its twin city, Palayamkottai, is on the east bank. Tirunelveli is believed to be an ancient settlement; it has been ruled at different times by the Early Pandyas, the Medieval and Later Cholas, the later Pandyas.
Famous for its biryani and locks, Dindigul was carved out of the composite Madurai district in 1985. Earlier, it was under the rule of the famous Muslim Monarch, Tipu Sultan.
The country’s cultural capital in 1790, Thanjavur gained prominence during the period of the Chola kings, who made it their capital and built Lord Brihadishwara temple. Later, the city was ruled by the Nayaks and the Maratha Kings.
The knitwear capital of the country, this tiny city is one of the richest in the state – Rolls Royces, Audis, BMWs and Mercedes are a common sight on the dusty streets of Tiruppur – thanks to billions of dollars of foreign exchange flowing into the city because of its knitwear industry. Locals attribute the Tiruppur’s success to its people’s entrepreneurial skills.
Famous for mango cultivation, silver ornaments, textiles, sago industries and steel production, Salem has a vibrant culture that dates back to the 3rd century BC.
Earlier the seat of the Pallavas, Cholas, Nayaks, Marathas, Arcot Nawabs and Bijapur Sultan Kindoms, Vellore was described as the best and the strongest fortress in the Carnatic War of the 17th Century. The city also became witness to the massacre of European soldier during the mutiny of 1806.
Located on the banks of the river Kaveri, Erode district is one of the industrialised districts of Tamil Nadu and the fifth-biggest in Tamil Nadu by concentration of micros small and medium enterprises. It had some 18,011 registered SSI/MSMEs as on March 31, 2011. Cotton Textile industries dominate the district at present, accounting for 41.9 per cent of all registered MSMEs here.
Along the Coromandel Coast, off the Bay of Bengal, The city is known as the ‘Pearl City’ for the pearl fishing that is carried out here. Thoothukdi Port, a major port, serves the inland cities of South India and is one of the sea gateways of Tamil Nadu. It has a history dating back to the 6th century AD. The majority of the people here are employed in salt pans, sea-borne trading, fishing, and tourism.
