Kallidaikurichi or Kalladaikurichi is a town on the right bank of the Thamiraparani river in Ambasamudram Taluk of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. any Indian rural town, this town too is steeped in tradition and is rich in heritage, but struggling to hold on to its past glories. Here the modern co-exist peacefully with the bullock-carts and rickshaws of yesteryears. Kallidaikurichi's Hindu shrines are of ancient temple architecture style, having high-rise gopurams with sculptures that herald the past glory of this region. Muthuswami Dikshitar, the carnatic composer, whose songs abound with geographic and iconographic references, sings of the curative properties of the river Thamiraparani. To him, the Goddess at Tirunelveli, is Hima-saila-sutaa. The local language is Tamil. Adivaraha Perumal temple represents the principal deity in the present day Kallidaikurichi. This town is located about 70 km north of Kanyakumari. The twin cities of Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai are about 35 km away. Indian Railways serves Kallidaikurichi and is easily reachable by road from Tirunelveli and Nagarcoil. Nearby airports are Tuticorin Domestic Airport in Tamil Nadu, about 90km away; and Trivandrum International Airport in Kerala, about 145 km away.
History
'Kal + idai + kurichi' meaning exactly, a village in the midst of hills..
Hunting village
Kallidaikurichi existed as a hunting village/place of wild animals for centuries prior to the construction of its irrigation canal, the Kannadiyan canal.
Nadaswaram music
Therku Kallidaikurichi/South Kallidaikurichi in the revenue village still remains mostly a forest of palm trees, within which are patches of rain fed dry lands, interspersed with a few, low and rocky hills. /*One testimony to the richness of its economy, culture and traditions, with the customary Nadaswaram Music. This garnered it a new appellation, given by the Sankaracharya of Sringeri Sri Narasimha Bharathi Mahaswamigal, who called it "Kalyanapuri"—Kalyanam, meaning "wedding" in the Tamil language.
Kallidaikurichi and Thiruvananthapuram
Kallidaikurichi is on the border between the Pandya and the Chera countries of the past. The road, either from south via Nagarcoil or from north via Shencottai takes about 164.4 km. A determined and sturdy person can easily climb the bridle paths and move between hills, without undue exertion. The boundary between the Pandya and Chera Kings was subject to frequent changes, this way or that way, depending on who felt the more powerful between the two of them, at any point of time. At times the Pandyas drove deep into Kerala and reaching up to Kanetti near Karunagapally. At other times the Cheras went up to Madurai and beyond. At one point the Cheras held in their hands the entire south India, for a tantalizing brief period of five years. Kallidaikurichi got accustomed to these changes to her fortune, and readily absorbed the characteristics of both streams of culture and language.
Agriculture
Rice is the main crop here. Other crops are groundnut, chilies and cotton, though these are seen less frequently nowadays.
Applam
Kallidaikurichi and appalam are almost synonymous. Appalam making is a major cottage industry here. It is nationally known for its quality and taste and is sent almost all over India.
Climate
Like most parts of Tamil Nadu, the climate here is rather hot, except during the rainy season of the November/December months. During summer strong gusty winds are frequent.
Temples
Manenthiappar Temple which was dedicated to Lord Shiva and Aadhivaraga moorthy temple which was dedicated to Lord Vishnu are ancient temples of this place. Muthuswami Dikshitar, the great carnatic composer sung song on the Aadhivaraga moorthy swamy.
Irrigation
Kallidaikurichi-Ambasamudram-Alwarkurichi areas form the upper level of Thamirabaraniirrigation system today. After the Pandya conquest, Raja Raja established Brahmin settlements at Manabharanallur Kshatriya Shikhamani Puram apart from Brahmadesam. It seems Brahmadesam which had tank irrigation at that time as it is now, was a better place for settlement of Brahmins. The irrigation canal at Kallidaikurichi, which made Kallidaikurichi very fertile, must have come into being only after Chola conquest was reversed by the second Pandyan Empire.
Subdivisions
Kallidaikurichi seems to have had the following subdivisions - Madakkurichi, Velankurichi, Cherakumaran and Kallidaikurichi.
Educational institutes
One of the educational institutions here was established over 160 years ago. Originally called the George IV English Middle School, it was later renamed the Tilak Vidyalaya after the independence of India. Lakshmipathi Middle School, Kallidaikurichi was launched in 1939 under the legacy of the late headmaster A Ramalingam. Its students are renowned for their high positions and have a global presence. This school's primary medium of instruction is Tamil and the student teacher ratio is 33:1. The school tries to provide best learning environment. The school provides education to students from class 1 to 8. This school's student strength is approximately 302. 525 books are there in the library of this school. The school has given exceptional results in the academic sphere and its students have excelled in extra co-curricular activities too. The perentage of students passing the exam is 100% with 78% scoring first grade..
Thamiraparni River
The Thamiraparni river flows through Kallidaikurichi. Originating from the Pothigai nearby, it flows down to Bay of Bengal after traveling for about 125 kilometers. In the hills are a number of waterfalls, such as Courtallam Falls, Banatheertham Falls, Agasthiar Falls, and Manimuthar Falls.
Manjolai Hills
The Manjolai Hills are about 40 km from this village. The natural environment of the hills includes tea plantations and greenery. With elevations ranging from 1000 to 1500 metres, the Manjolai area is set deep within the Western Ghats within the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the Tirunelveli District. Located on top of the Manimutharu Dam and the Manimutharu Water Falls, the Manjolai area comprises tea plantations and small settlements around the tea plantations, the Upper Kodaiyar Dam and a windy view point called Kuthiravetti.
Other hills
Kootam, a peak nearby, is known for its medicinal herbs. This southern end of the Western Ghats, is full of flora and fauna. Kalakkad Mundanthurai Range is a wild life park under Project Tiger, protecting all forms of wild life in its fullness.
Tea plantations
The tea plantations are operated by the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Ltd on forest lands leased by the government of Tamil Nadu. There are three tea estates within the Manjolai area - Manjolai Estate, Manimutharu Estate, and Oothu Estate.
