Kulittalai

Kulithalai is a town in Karur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The recorded history of Kulithalai is known from medieval Chola period of the 9th century and has been ruled, at different times, by the Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire and the British.Kulithalai comes under the Kulithalai assembly constituency which elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years and it is a part of the Perambalur (Lok Sabha constituency) which elects its Member of Parliament (MP) once in five years. The town is administered by the Kulithalai municipality, which covers an area of 11.16sqkm. As of 2011, the town had a population of 27,910. The town is a part of the fertile Cauvery delta region and agriculture is the major occupation. Roadways are the major mode of transportation to Kulithalai and the town also has rail connectivity. The nearest Airport is Tiruchirapalli Airport, located 40km away from the town.Etymology and historyThe town derives its name from the presiding deity of the Kadamba Vaneswarar temple. The 7th century Nayanmars (Saiva saints) Thirunavukkarasar, revered the place as Kadambandurai and Kuzhithandalai in his works in Tevaram. The word Kuzhithandalai, in modern times, is denoted as Kulithalai. As per Hindu legend, Saptha Matha, the seven divine virgins were praying to god Shiva in the Kadamba forest located here to save them from a demon named Doomralochana. Shiva is believed to have killed the demon to save the forest and the virgins, thereby getting the name Kadambavana Vaneswarar, meaning the Lord of Kadamba Forest.