Kovilpatti


Kovilpatti, also known locally as Hockeypatti, is an industrial city and a special grade municipality in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India.
Kovilpatti is located 65 km from Thoothukudi, 102 km from Madurai, and 565 km from Chennai. It serves as the headquarters of Kovilpatti taluk and is the second largest city in Thoothukudi district after Thoothukudi itself.
The nearest airport is Tuticorin Airport at Vaagaikulam, approximately 73 km away, with daily flights to Chennai and Bangalore. The closest international airports are Madurai International Airport, about 99 km away, and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, approximately 210 km away. The nearest seaport is Thoothukudi Port, located 70 km from the city.

Geography

Kovilpatti is located in South India. It has an average elevation of 101 meters.

Climate

The climate of Kovilpatti is hot and dry. Temperatures range from 22 °Cto37 °C. April to June are the hottest months, while December and January are the coldest; temperatures begin to rise again towards the end of February.
Rainfall occurs mostly during the northeast monsoon, from October to December. The town receives relatively little rainfall, averaging about 840 mm, compared to the district average. Annual rainfall has ranged from 228to964 mm over the past decades.

Demographics

Population

In the 2011 census, Kovilpatti had a population of 95,057. The sex ratio of 1,065 females per 1,000 males exceeded the national average of 929. A total of 8,325 residents were under the age of six, comprising 4,158 males and 4,167 females.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 10.32% and 0.84% of the population, respectively. The city's literacy rate was 81.27%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The city had 25,099 households in 2011.
There were a total of 41,006 workers, comprising 85 cultivators, 165 main agricultural labourers, 932 workers in household industries, 36,989 other workers, and 2,835 marginal workers. Marginal workers included 26 cultivators, 26 agricultural labourers, 262 workers in household industries, and 2,521 other marginal workers.

Religion

In the 2011 religious census, Kovilpatti was reported to comprise 92.29% Hindus, 2.48% Muslims, 5.12% Christians, 0.01% Sikhs, 0.01% Buddhists, and 0.08% followers of other religions.

Government and politics

The Kovilpatti Assembly constituency is part of the Thoothukkudi Lok Sabha constituency. As of the 2021 state election, Kadambur C. Raju is the member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for the Kovilpatti constituency, representing AIADMK. Thiru K. Karunanithi is the current chairman of Kovilpatti Municipality, representing the DMK.

Economy

Being industrially well-developed, Kovilpatti boasts a diversified base of Micro, Small, and Medium Industries. Apart from Handmade matchboxes, for which the city is well known, Kovilpatti is home to two large textile mills, The Loyal Mills and The Lakshmi Mills of Lakshmi Mills Group, Coimbatore. In addition, several medium-sized textile mills, ginning factories, ready-made garment manufacturing units, edible oil producing companies, cattle, poultry feed manufacturing units, chemical industries, and numerous ancillary units operates in the town. Kovilpatti is also known for its unique candy 'Kadalai Mittai'.
The Manthithoppu Transgenders' Milk Producers' Cooperative Society, the first cooperative society in the country run by trans people, was established at Manthithoppu by the former Thoothukudi District Collector, Sandeep Nanduri, IAS.

Education

Kovilpatti serves as an educational center for the Thoothukudi district. The city is home to National Engineering College, an autonomous institution established in 1984 by Kalvithanthai Thiru. K. Ramasamy. The college is located off National Highway 44 and is affiliated with Anna University. It offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Engineering and Technology.

Culture/Cityscape

Landmarks

Kalugumalai is a high dome-shaped rock located on the road connecting Kovilpatti and Sankarankoil. It is famous for a rock-cut temple known as Vettuvankoil. Another rock-cut temple, dedicated to Subramaniya Swamy, is located at the base of Kalugumalai.