Devakottai is a first-grade municipality in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Located in the Sivaganga district, the town is situated close to the city ofKaraikudi, near Rameswaram National Highway Road. It is one of the major cities comes under the Chettinad area with rich heritage of houses built with limestone called "Karai Veedu". This Region is one of the towns in Chettinad belt. The town is famous for its ancient temple Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple also known as Nagara Sivan Kovil. As of 2011, the town had a population of 76,037.
History
The name "Devakottai" is derived from the Tamil word "Devi Kottai", meaning the fort of a Goddess. The terms 'Devi' and 'Kottai' are derived from the Indo-European origin words and are related to the English words 'Divine' and 'Fort'. Devakottai was an active town in the Indian Independence Movement. The municipal court of Devakottai was burned to the ground during the Quit India Movement. This leads to the town becoming one of the historical landmarks of Tamil Nadu with typical building structures and monuments. Devakottai is now under the Karaikudi constituency following the reformation of constituencies. However, for parliamentary elections, it comes under the Sivaganga constituency.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, Devakottai had a population of 51,865 with a sex-ratio of 982 females for every 1,000 males, far greater than the national average of 929. A total of 5,209 people were under the age of six, constituting 2,676 males and 2,533 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 8.5% and 0.16% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 80.95%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. In total, the town had 13192 households. In particular, there were a total of 18,696 workers, comprising 865 cultivators, 415 main agricultural laborers, 219 in house hold industries, 14,056 other workers, 3,141 marginal workers, 53 marginal cultivators, 1,011 marginal agricultural laborers, 58 marginal workers in household industries and 2,019 other marginal workers. As per the religious census of 2011, Devakottai had 82.85% Hindus, 9.92% Muslims, 7.% Christians, 0.02% Sikhs, 0.01% Jains and 0.2% following other religions.
Transport
Devakottai is situated on Tiruchirappalli-Rameswaram National Highway Road. The nearest airport is in Madurai, about 92 km away. The nearest major railway station is Devakottai Road Railway Station. There are frequent bus services available in Devakottai. Regular bus services are available to all important cities of Tamil Nadu.
Culture
The town is famous for its ancient temple, Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple also known as Nagara Sivan Kovil. This temple is associated with Sekkizhar, one of the famous Nayanars, who wrote Periapuranam, an epic eulogizing Lord shiva, hence the temple is also known as Sekkizhar temple. The temple is a big complex housed next to a vast sacred pond. Lord Sundareswarar and his consort Meenakshi are housed in separate shrines with separate rajagopurams. The town also has an Agraharam which locals identify to as the Silambani Agraharam. The town is known for its rich culture where the community of Nagarathars play a big role. The Kandar Sasti Vizha, a festival for the rich culture of Devakottai, has been conducted by Kandar Sasti Vizha Kazhagam for the past 68 years at the Nagara Sivan Kovil, at Devakottai.
