Polur Explained

Polur
Native Name Lang:ta
Nickname:gateway of Eastern ghats
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:India Tamil Nadu
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates:12.5119°N 79.1258°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: India
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Tamil Nadu
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Tiruvannamalai
Unit Pref:Metric
Elevation M:171
Population Total:55000
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:2500
Demographics Type1:Languages
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics1 Info1:Tamil
Timezone1:IST
Utc Offset1:+5:30
Postal Code Type:PIN
Postal Code:606803
Area Code Type:Telephone code
Area Code:04181
Registration Plate:TN 97
Blank1 Name Sec1:Body
Blank1 Info Sec1:Special grade Town Panchayat

Polur is a scenic town and a Religious site for Lord Narasimha called Sampathgiri, divisional headquarters and a market center in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu in India. Located at the foothills of Javvadhi hills, a popular section of Eastern Ghats, Polur is often regarded as Gateway of Eastern ghats. Polur was once an eminent center of Tamil Jainism. The town is home to Dharani sugars, chemicals and fertiliser Pvt., Ltd, and number of agro based industries including coir industries. The famous Chittor - Cuddalore road (C.C. Road) passes through the town. The town is located 29 Kilometres north of city of Tiruvannamalai and 45 kilometres south of Vellore Metropolis.

Geography

Polur is located at .[1] It has an average elevation of 171 metres (561 ft).

Along with many places of worship, Polur has a huge mountain temple dedicated to Lord Narasimha. This mountain temple was historically referred to as Sampathgiri, which in Sanskrit means "mountain of wealth". From the top of the hill, one can have a clear view of the Tiruvannamalai Arunachala Hill. A small hill named Kunnathur Hill is also seen on the outskirts of Polur. The same term was referred to in Tamil as "Porulur", literally translating to Porul oor (place of wealth), now referred to as Polur. It is situated in the Tiruvannamalai District, it takes around 30 minutes to reach the Tiruvannamalai and Silk City of Arani. It takes about 1 hour to reach Vellore.

Demographics

Population

As of 2001 India census,[2] Polur had a population of 43,492. Males constituted 49% of the population and females 51%. Polur had an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 79%, and female literacy was 65%. In Polur, 11% of the population were under 6 years of age.

Transport

The nearest Village is Kelur which is situated on the Vellore-Thirvannamalai Highway.

The town is about 193 km from Chennai and there are frequent buses (TNSTC - Villupuram) from the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus CMBT, plying on Route # 148 (Chennai - Polur) via Tambaram, Chengalepat, Utthiramerur, Vandavasi, Chetpet. The nearest airport is at Chennai.The remote village Sothukanni is 8 km east of Polur. It is famous for Kanum Pongal.

Kalambur town is 17 km away and is famous for rice production.

Polur Railway Station is on the Vellore-Thiruvannamalai rail route. The station is served by the Southern Railway. The station is located about 35 km from Thiruvannamalai. Going north, Vellore Cantonment Railway Station is the main station next to Polur. Traveling south, Thiruvannamalai Railway Station is the nearest major station.

The original name (with diacritics) of the town is Polūr.

Airports nearest to Polur are sorted by the distance to the airport from the city centre.

Arahanthgiri Jain Math

See main article: Arahanthgiri Jain Math. Arahanthgiri Jain Math is a Jain Math that was established at the ancient Jain site of Tiruvannaamalai in August, 1998.[3] The complex includes three Jain caves, four Jain temples and a 16 meter high sculpture of Neminatha thought to date from the 12th century that is the tallest Jain image in Tamil Nadu.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/25/Polur.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Polur
  2. Web site: Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional). https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. 2004-06-16. 2008-11-01. Census Commission of India.
  3. Web site: Arihantagiri - Tirumalai. 10 April 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121107091818/http://www.jainheritagecentres.com/index.php/donations/to-jain-tirths/111-arihantagiri-tirumalai. 7 November 2012.