Pallapatti, Karur


The history of Pallapatti dates back to 600 years. It is accessible from the NH 44 connecting Dindigul and Karur. It is located at 46 kilometres from Dindigul and 35 kilometres from Karur. It can also be reached from the northern side through the nearby town Aravakurichi. It is a 99% Muslim residents town and the 1% non Muslim inhabitants live in the outskirts. As you enter Pallapatti you are astounded by the sight of men sporting a beard and wearing a cap, and every woman walking about donned in burqa. Even boys wear caps, and the town has 20+ mosques from which the call for prayer over the speakers beckon you on all sides. The town stands as an outstanding model for communal harmony as can be seen from the fact that all milk and food are procured from the Hindu people living in the nearby villages. The Amaravati River flows through this town.

Culture, custom and history

As per the 2011 Census, the population of Pallapatti stood at 31000. As on 2018 the population has been estimated at around 50000. Pallapatti has a literacy rate of 93%, it is higher than the national average of 74.04%. 97% of male and 88% of female population are literate here. The obvious reason for this high level of literacy is because this place abounds with educational institutions. There are 2 Government aided schools exclusively for boys and girls. The boys school spread over 10 acres of land was started in the year 1958 due to the untiring efforts of T.M.V. Hajee Abdul Majeed and the girls school was started in the year 1975 by a team of dedicated social workers under the banner of Uswathul Hasana Educational Society. The same society also started a women's college in the year 2014. Matriculation schools are also aplenty in this place. Islamic madrasas for boys and girls also function in every mosque in this town to teach them Arabic for reciting the Quran. There are also separate religious institutions for boys and girls to impart religious knowledge and to facilitate the memorization of the Quran to make them become religious scholars. Even though the people of Pallapatti are engaged in their business activity outside this town, they diligently send their children to schools and colleges from wherever they are settled, and offer them the best of education.
The menfolk of Pallapatti are all hard working, industrious and enterprising people who stand on their own feet to learn a trade and earn for their livelihood. They get trained under their own kinsfolk and start their own business and shrewdly come up in life. These people are basically traders and not manufacturers, and only a few of the present youngsters have opted for employment in companies. Most of the business houses are today run by the third generation family members on a much bigger scale with multiple branches. The thrust of their business interests are in textiles, pharmacy, foot wear, ready made garments, departmental stores, etc. Today there is no town in Tamil Nadu with out a shop run by a Pallapatti business man. Many of the employees from outside Pallapatti who have worked in their shops and stores have also learnt their modes and manners and have risen to higher positions in life. The hall mark of their success in their business ventures is their consistent and committed desire to satisfy their customers through gentleness, politeness, honesty and fairness in dealings. These business people go together to purchase their goods and commodities, and are profoundly knowledgeable about where to buy and when to buy their merchandise from all the nooks and corners of India. No doubt Pallapatti has got hundreds of millionaires.
The uniqueness of the people of Pallapatti is that they are deeply attached to their native place as is evident from the fact that marriages in their family are held in Pallapatti only, and even in the event of death the corpse is brought all the way to Pallapatti for burial. All family events and functions are held in Pallapatti only. They marry off their brides and grooms amongst themselves and thereby strengthen their relationship, and they never take brides or grooms from outside Pallapatti. And more importantly because of their inter related bonding through marriages, the people of Pallapatti harbour no hatred or malice towards each other, and instead are supportive, cooperative and helpful to each other. Each family has a distinctive clan name and their status is decided by the name of the clan they belong to, and not by their wealth. Every individual is easily identified by the clan name. Matrimonial alliances are decided by the lineage of the clan and not by any other consideration. Dowry and other offerings are never demanded or discussed before the wedding. The betrothal is held as a simple affair and not as a ceremonial function.
The most remarkable happening in Pallapatti is the conduct of group marriages as against the superstitious belief prevalent all over the Muslims of Tamil Nadu that a tragedy may strike if two grooms face each other. In Pallapatti marriages are conducted in a big auditorium by name Haji Habib Memorial Shadi Mahal where a maximum of 25 grooms can get married at the same time under a single solemnising prayer. The invitees from outside Pallapatti are seated in the front rows specially reserved for them in the auditorium. Marriages are held in mosques also. It must be noted that only the wedding is a common ceremony but the wedding feasts are held separately by the families of the brides and grooms in their respective wedding halls. There are around 10 to 15 wedding halls in Pallapatti. Another striking feature in their marriage functions is that all the marriages either held at the mosque or at the auditorium are punctually completed before 12.00 noon. Between 12.00 noon and 1.00 pm the wedding feast is first served to the guests from outside Pallapatti, and the local people after the midday prayer arrive at 1.30 pm and wholeheartedly take their food. All kudos to the people of Pallapatti for regarding the outsiders attending the marriages as respected guests of honour and treating them with dignity, as against the prevalent mad rush to secure a seat at the wedding feast in other places all over Tamil Nadu.
The town has 5000 houses and new extension areas are getting developed. These new areas are well laid out and have been groomed into posh localities wherein spacious houses are built on elegant designs. It is their sense of belonging that drives them to build these houses in Pallapatti despite being well settled and committed to their businesses in different parts of India. It is a matter of pride and dignity and a symbol of status to owe a house in Pallapatti. Pallapatti is even referred to by the newcomers as Mini Singapore. There are plenty of commercial establishments to cater to the building requirements, and there are also scores of shops and stores to supply all kinds of commodities to the local residents. Hotels offering delicious dishes are available in selected places. The Town Panchayat has laid concrete roads and drinking water facility has been made available for each house. A Government hospital by the name of Hajee Vaapu Hospital has been functioning here for the past 60 years. The people of Pallapatti gratefully remember the inestimable services of T.M.V. Hajee Abdul Majeed, son of Hajee Vaapu Rowther, who has devoted his entire life to the development of this small village into a big town by bringing in education, electricity, telephone, drinking water, sanitation, health care, bus service and a host of other facilities. The best honour and the everlasting tribute to this great man has been the recognition awarded by the Govt. of Tamil Nadu to designate the local bus station as T.M.V. Hajee Abdul Majeed Memorial Bus Stand. There are also several private hospitals. There are many autos and taxis for transportation.
The religiousness of the people of this town can be judged by the fact, that there are 19 mosques spread all over Pallapatti, and by the fervour shown by the people to observe their five times daily prayers in these mosques. The Pallapatti business men spread all over Tamil Nadu and India have earned the trust of their customers by their uprightness based on the principles of Islam. Most of them have completed their Haj, and every year around 500 pilgrims leave Pallapatti for their Haj pilgrimage. Wherever these people do business they have always been instrumental in the establishment of mosques and madrasas in those areas and donate substantial amounts towards their construction and maintenance. They have always won the appreciation of their brethren for their active participation and involvement in all kinds of community welfare programmes and projects. They are generous in offering donations to any good cause and have earned a distinctive goodwill from the people of Tamil Nadu.
The oldest mosque in Pallapatti is the Big Mosque lying on the western side of the town. It is around 500 years old and carries its name as Baba Fakrudheen Dargah Masjid. This mosque after its recent renovation in 2013 stands majestically as a marvel of architecture with its sprawling grave yard as the resting place for the entire population of Pallapatti. The king of Madurai Thirumalai Naikar Pandian has granted to this mosque vast stretches of agricultural lands measuring about 350 acres during his reign in 1650. Since these lands have become wakf properties they are remaining vacant, unused and unutilised. However a piece of 20 acres of land has been utilised in the cause of educational uplift by the establishment of a Girls High School and a women's college by Uswathul Hasana Educational Society. An Edgah open ground of 10 acres with compound wall on all sides has been developed on the southern side to enable around 7000 people to pray on the festival days. All the 19 mosques are managed by the local committees of those areas and their management has always been a cordial, congenial and smooth affair with out giving any room for argument or altercation or intervention by the Wakf Board. All the mosques in Pallapatti compete with each other in their expansion, enlargement and beautification projects and are funded enormously by the residents of that area.

Climate

The highest temperature is obtained in early May to early June, usually about 34 °C, though it rarely exceeds 38 °C for a few days. The average daily temperature during January is around 23 °C, though the temperature rarely falls below 17 °C. The average annual rainfall is about 855 mm. The town gets most of its seasonal rainfall from the north-east monsoon winds, from late September to mid-November.

Food specialities

Pallapatti has many chefs to cook wedding feasts on a large scale to cater to about 1500 - 2000 guests. Marriages are conducted mostly on Sundays and Wednesday. The wedding feast commences from the previous day itself for the relatives. The wedding invitation itself specifies the invitees to join for breakfast as well and the morning cuisine is spread with multifarious items and has been widely acclaimed by the outsiders as speciality to the Pallapatti hospitality. The deliciousness of the Pallapatti Biriyani is due to the softness of the mutton procured from the sheep, and the ghee procured from the cow herd, both of which are grazed in the nearby mountainous areas fed with the best of grass. Chefs are also brought from Karnataka and Hyderabad to prepare different items of cuisine and savories. There are several sweet shops which sell many delicious products unique to this place,etc.

Accessibility

Pallapatti is located between Karur and Dindigul. Karur is 37 km from Pallpatti, and 47 km from Dindigul.
There are five trains from Chennai to Karur. Karur can be reached by Mangalore Mail from Chennai Egmore station, and by Palani Express from Chennai Central station.
All major trains going towards south Tamil Nadu from Chennai stop in Dindigul railway station.