Gobichettipalayam

A major part of present day Gobichettipalayam was previously known as "Veerapandi Gramam", and documents and records still use that name. The town was part of the country ruled by king Vēl Pāri, who is regarded as one of the Kadai ēzhu vallal (the last seven great patrons). Pariyur, a temple town near Gobichettipalayam was named after him. The region was later ruled by the Cheras and Vijayanagara Empire with the town deriving its name after Gobi Chetti, a Vijayanagara Polygar. It was captured by Tipu Sultan and after Tipu's defeat, British annexed it to their territory. After Indian Independence, the town became part of Madras State, which was later renamed as Tamil Nadu. == Geography and climate ==

Gobichettipalayam is located in Kongu Nadu, the northwestern part of Tamil Nadu about south west of Chennai. The temperature is moderately warm except during the summer months when it is very hot. In general, the soil in and around the city is fertile and good for agriculture and the surrounding water logged rice fields contribute to the high humidity levels. == Demographics ==

According to 2011 census, Gobichettipalayam had a population of 59,523 of which 28,866 are males while 30,657 are females. About 4,669 people were under the age of six including 2,364 males and 2,305 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 10.74% and 0.08% of the population respectively. The town had a total of 17,064 households and 25,225 engaged workers. Kongu Vellalar form a major proportion of the population. There are also a significant number of Sengunthar, Vanniyar, Dalit, Nadar and Vettuva Gounder. As per the religious census of 2011, the town had 90.3% Hindus, 7.1% Muslims, 2.5% Christians and 0.1% others. == Administration and politics ==

The town is administered by the Gobichettipalayam Municipality. The municipal body was constituted on 1 October 1949 and was elevated to Grade II on 10 February 1970. It was later upgraded to first Grade on 1 October 1977 and Selection Grade on 2 December 2008. The town is part of the Gobichettipalayam assembly constituency that elects a member to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly. The town was part of the Gobichettipalayam parliamentary constituency until 2009. After a delimination exercise by the Election Commission of India, the Gobichettipalayam assembly constituency became part of the newly formed Tirupur Lok Sabha constituency. == Transport ==

The municipality has of roads of which is owned by the State Highways Department. The town is well connected by roads with the major arterial roads including State Highway 81, State Highway 15, State Highway 15A. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates a depot as a part of the Coimbatore division of TNSTC. Buses ply to all major towns and cities within Tamil Nadu and neighboring state of Karnataka. KSRTC buses also connect to the town due to its proximity to Karnataka. The nearest major railway station is Erode Junction located from the town. A proposal to construct a railway line connecting Mysore with Erode via Gobichettipalayam was mooted during the British rule in 1915. Four official surveys were made in 1922, 1936, 1942 and as recently as 2008, but the plan failed to take off due to the concerns of railway line passing through the Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary. The nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport, located from the town. The airport has regular flights from/to major domestic destinations and international destinations like Sharjah, Colombo and Singapore. == Education ==

Gobichettipalayam has a good educational infrastructure. Notable schools include Diamond Jubilee Higher Secondary School, which was established over 100 years ago and was visited by Mahatma Gandhi, and Shree Vidyalaya, which has a full-time dyslexic center. The town is home to Gobi Arts and Science College, one of the oldest arts colleges in the state. The city itself has only a few colleges, but its proximity to Coimbatore and Erode makes it an ideal educational hub. ==Economy==

which irrigates most of the lands around the town. The town has been described by the government as "bi-functional", with 31% of the work force engaged in agriculture, 56% in trading and other activities and 13% in industry. The economy of Gobichettipalayam centers on agriculture, with paddy, sugarcane, plantain, tobacco and turmeric being the principal crops. India's second automated silk reeling unit was established here in 2008. A large number of spinning mills have come up in to support to the weaving and knitwear to supplement Tirupur. IT and BPO sectors are also developing with a few start up companies based out of the town. Other industries include cotton textiles, motors, pumps, automobile spares, textile machinery manufacturing, castings and machined parts. ==Culture==

Kongu Tamil, a dialect of Tamil is the language spoken by majority of the people. English is used as an official language along with Tamil. Other languages spoken include Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The cuisine is predominantly South Indian with rice as its base. Most locals still retain their rural tradition, with many restaurants still serving food on a banana leaf. Idly, dosa, vada-sambar and biryani are popular among the locals. ==Places of interest==

• Gunderipallam Dam • Kodiveri Dam • Pachaimalai Subramanya Swamy Temple • Pavalamalai Muthukumara Swamy Temple • Pariyur Kondathu Kaliamman Temple • Perumpallam Dam ==Notable people==

• A. V. Ilango, writer and artist • G. S. Lakshman Iyer, freedom fighter and philanthropist • G. V. Loganathan, former professor at Virginia Tech, killed in Virginia Tech shooting • K. Bhagyaraj, film actor and director • K. A. Sengottaiyan, former Minister of School Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu • K. S. Ramaswamy Gounder, freedom fighter and former union minister • S. M. Palaniappan, former Member of Legislative Assembly ==See also==