Ariyalur district

Ariyalur district அரியலூர் மாவட்டம் Ariyalur Mavattam
District
10th Century Chola monuments at Gangaikondacholapuram
Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates: 11°08′13″N 79°04′33″E / 11.13704°N 79.075821°ECoordinates: 11°08′13″N 79°04′33″E / 11.13704°N 79.075821°E
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Ariyalur
Talukas	Ariyalur, Sendurai, Udayarpalayam
Headquarters	Ariyalur
Government
• Collector	E Saravanavelraj
• Superintendent Of Police	Ziaul Haque
Area
• Total	1,949.31 km^2 (752.63 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	752,481
• Density	390/km^2 (1,000/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Vehicle registration	TN 61
Website	www.ariyalur.tn.nic.in

Ariyalur district is an administrative district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The district headquarters is located at Ariyalur. The district encompasses an area of 1,949.31 km² and had a population of 752,481 As per the 2011 census.

Ariyalur is noted for its cement industries and has huge reserves of lignite. Gangaikonda Cholapuram built by the King Rajendra Cholan of Chola Empire, an UNESCO World Heritage site is situated in the district. This district is also known for its rich prehistoric fossils. Many fossils of gigantic Molluscs, Jawed fishes were discovered here. Notably, The Rajasaurus, an Indian dinosaur genus was identified here.^[2]

History

Ariyalur district was carved out of Perambalur district on January 1, 2001. But, it was merged with Perambalur district on March 31, 2002. Ariyalur district was re-carved on November 23, 2007. The district is bordered by the districts of Cuddalore to the north and north-east, Nagapattinam to the east, Thanjavur to the south and south-east, Tiruchirapalli to the south-west and Perambalur to the west.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Ariyalur district has a population of 752,481,^[3] roughly equal to the nation of Guyana^[4] or the US state of Alaska.^[5] This gives it a ranking of 491st in India (out of a total of 640).^[3] The district has a population density of 387 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,000/sq mi) .^[3] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 8.19%.^[3] Ariyalur has a sex ratio of 1016 females for every 1000 males,^[3] and a literacy rate of 71.99%.^[3] As of 2011 it is the third least populous district of Tamil Nadu (out of 32), after Perambalur and Nilgiris.^[3]

Brihadeeswarar Temple, gangai konda cholapuram

The district became famous in 2008, when theft of 8 idols were discovered from a 9th-century Chola Brahadeeswarar Temple at gangai konda cholapuram was discovered by Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) Government of India officials. One of these idols, the Sripuranthan Natarajan Idol found its way to the National Gallery of Australia. Two of the stolen statues were consequently returned and are now displayed in the Government Museum at Kumbakonam.^[6][7]

References

1. "2011 Census of India" (Excel). Indian government. 16 April 2011.
2. "From the lost world". The Hindu. 2016-02-24. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
3. "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
4. US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Retrieved 2011-10-01. Guyana 744,768
5. "2010 Resident Population Data". U. S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2011-09-30. Alaska 710,231
6. Boland, Michaela; Hodge, Amanda (8 March 2014). "Town prays for its stolen god Shiva to return". The Australian. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
7. Hodge, Amanda (10 November 2014). "Tamil Nadu village turns out to welcome home Dancing Shiva". The Australian. Retrieved 29 September 2015.

External links

• Ariyalur District Official WebSite
• Ariyalur District Police