Tiruchirappalli

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}}Template:Main other TiruchirappalliTemplate:Efn ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}, also known as Trichy), is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with being the best livable<ref name="Karthik">Template:Cite news</ref> and the cleanest city of Tamil Nadu, as well as the fifth safest city for women in India.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is the fourth largest city as well as the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state.Template:Cn Located Template:Convert south of Chennai and Template:Convert north of Kanyakumari, Tiruchirappalli sits almost at the geographic centre of Tamil Nadu state. The Cauvery Delta begins Template:Convert west of the city where the Kaveri river splits into two, forming the island of Srirangam which is now incorporated into the Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation. The city occupies an area of Template:Convert and had a population of 916,857 in 2011.Template:Efn

Tiruchirappalli's recorded history begins in the 3rd century BC, when it was under the rule of the Cholas. The city has also been ruled by the Pallavas, Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Nayak Dynasty, the Carnatic state and the British. The most prominent historical monuments in Tiruchirappalli include the Rockfort at Teppakulam, the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam dedicated to the reclining form of Hindu God Vishnu, and is also the largest functioning temple in the world, and the Jambukeswarar temple at Thiruvanaikaval, which is also the largest temple for the Hindu God Shiva in the world. The archaeologically important town of Uraiyur, capital of the Early Cholas, is now a neighbourhood in Tiruchirappalli. The city played a critical role in the Carnatic Wars (1746–1763) between the British and the French East India companies.

The city is an important educational centre in the state of Tamil Nadu, and houses nationally recognized institutions such as National Institute of Technology - Tiruchirapalli (NIT-T), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Tamil Nadu National Law University (NLU), Government Medical College. Industrial units such as Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Golden Rock Railway Workshop, Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT) and High Energy Projectile Factory (HEPF) have their factories in the city. The presence of a large number of energy equipment manufacturing units in and around the city has earned it the title of "Energy Equipment and Fabrication Capital of India". It is one of the few towns and cities in List of AMRUT Smart cities in Tamil Nadu selected for AMRUT Schemes <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> from central government and the developmental activities are taken care by government of Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tiruchirappalli is internationally known for a brand of cheroot known as the Trichinopoly cigar, which was exported in large quantities to the United Kingdom during the 19th century.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

A major road and railway hub in the state, the city is served by the Tiruchirappalli International Airport (TRZ) which operates direct flights to the Middle East (Dubai, Saudi Arabia) and Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia).

EtymologyEdit

Historically, Tiruchirappalli was commonly referred to in English as "Trichinopoly".Template:Sfn The shortened forms "Trichy" or "Tiruchi" are used in everyday speech and the full name Tiruchirapalli appears in official use by government and quasi-government offices but seldom used by the general public.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

According to the late scholar C. P. Brown, Tiruchirappalli might be a derivative of the word Chiruta-palli (Template:Lit).Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Orientalists Henry Yule and Arthur Coke Burnell have speculated that the name may derive from a rock inscription carved in the 16th century in which Tiruchirappalli is written as Tiru-ssila-palli, meaning "holy-rock-town" in Tamil.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Other scholars have suggested that the name Tiruchirappalli is a rewording of Tiru-chinna-palli, meaning "holy little town".Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The Madras Glossary gives the root as Tiruććināppalli or the "holy (tiru) village (palli) of the shina (Cissampelos pareira) plant".Template:Sfn

According to Hindu mythology, Tiruchirappalli derives its name from the three-headed demon Trishira, who meditated on the Hindu god Shiva near the present-day city to obtain favours from the god.Template:Sfn An alternative derivation, albeit not universally accepted,Template:Sfn is that the source of the city's name is the Sanskrit word "Trishirapuram"—Trishira, meaning "three-headed", and palli or puram meaning "city".Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

HistoryEdit

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Early and medieval historyEdit

Tiruchirappalli is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Tamil Nadu; its earliest settlements date back to the Sangam period.Template:Sfn Uraiyur, the capital of the Early Cholas for 600 years from the 3rd century BC onwards,Template:Sfn is a neighbourhood in the present-day Tiruchirappalli.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The city is referred to as Orthoura by the historian Ptolemy in his 2nd-century work Geography.Template:Sfn The world's oldest surviving dam, the Kallanai (Lower Anaicut) about Template:Convert from Uraiyur,<ref>Template:Google maps</ref> was built across the Kaveri River by Karikala Chola in the 2nd century AD.Template:Sfn

Tiruchirappalli Rock Fort, the rock is said to be one of the oldest formations in the world. It is 3.8 billion years old, as it is older than Greenland and Himalayas.Template:Citation needed

The medieval history of Tiruchirappalli begins with the reign of the Pallava king Mahendravarman I, who ruled over South India in the 6th century AD and constructed the rock-cut cave-temples within the Rockfort.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Following the downfall of the Pallavas in the 8th century, the city was conquered by the Medieval Cholas, who ruled until the 13th century.Template:Sfn

After the decline of the Cholas, Tiruchirappalli was conquered by the Pandyas,Template:Sfn who ruled from 1216 until their defeat in 1311 by Malik Kafur, the commander of Allauddin Khilji.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The victorious armies of the Delhi Sultanate are believed to have plundered and ravaged the region.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The statue of the Hindu god Ranganatha in the temple of Srirangam vanished at about this time and was not recovered and reinstated for more than fifty years.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Tiruchirappalli was ruled by the Delhi and Madurai sultanates from 1311 to 1378,Template:Sfn but by the middle of the 14th century the Madurai Sultanate had begun to fall apart.Template:Sfn Gradually, the Vijayanagar Empire established supremacy over the northern parts of the kingdom, and Tiruchirappalli was taken by the Vijayanagar prince Kumara Kampanna Udaiyar in 1371.Template:Sfn The Vijayanagar Empire ruled the region from 1378 until the 1530s, and played a prominent role in reviving Hinduism by reconstructing temples and monuments destroyed by the previous Muslim rulers.Template:Sfn Following the collapse of the Vijayanagar Empire in the early part of the 16th century, the Madurai Nayak kingdom began to assert its independence.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The city flourished during the reign of Vishwanatha Nayak (Template:Circa–1564), who is said to have protected the area by constructing the Teppakulam and building walls around the Srirangam temple.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn His successor Kumara Krishnappa Nayaka made Tiruchirappalli his capital,Template:Sfn and it served as the capital of the Madurai Nayak kingdom from 1616 to 1634 and from 1665 to 1736.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

In 1736 the last Madurai Nayak ruler, Meenakshi, committed suicide, and Tiruchirappalli was conquered by Chanda Sahib.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn He ruled the kingdom from 1736 to 1741, when he was captured and imprisoned by the Marathas in the siege of Trichinopoly (1741) led by general Raghuji Bhonsle under the orders of Chhattrapati Shahu.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Chanda Sahib remained prisoner for about eight years before making his escape from the Maratha Empire. Tiruchirappalli was administered by the Maratha general Murari Rao from 1741 to 1743, when it was regain by the Nizam of Hyderabad after the six months long siege of Trichinopoly (1743).Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Nizam appointed Khwaja Abdullah as the Governor and returned to Golkonda.Template:Sfn When the Nawab of the Carnatic Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah was dethroned by Chanda Sahib after the Battle of Ambur (1749), the former fled to Tiruchirappalli, where he set up his base.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The subsequent siege of Trichinopoly (1751-1752) by Chanda Sahib took place during the Second Carnatic War between the British East India Company and Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah on one side and Chanda Sahib and the French East India Company on the other.Template:Sfn The British were victorious and Wallajah was restored to the throne. During his reign he proposed renaming the city Natharnagar after the Sufi saint Nathar Vali, who is thought to have lived there in the 12th century AD.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Tiruchirappalli was invaded by Nanjaraja Wodeyar in 1753 and Hyder Ali of the Mysore kingdom in 1780, both attacks repulsed by the troops of the British East India Company.Template:Sfn A third invasion attempt, by Tipu Sultan—son of Hyder Ali—in 1793, was also unsuccessful;Template:Sfn he was pursued by British forces led by William Medows, who thwarted the attack.Template:Sfn

British ruleEdit

The Carnatic kingdom was annexed by the British in July 1801 as a consequence of the discovery of collusion between Tipu Sultan—an enemy of the British—and Umdat Ul-Umra, son of Wallajah and the Nawab at the time, during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Trichinopoly was incorporated into the Madras Presidency the same year, and the district of Trichinopoly was formed, with the city of Trichinopoly (or Tiruchirappalli) as its capital.Template:Sfn

During the Company Raj and later the British Raj, Tiruchirappalli emerged as one of the most important cities in India. According to the 1871 Indian census—the first in British India—Tiruchirappalli had a population of 76,530, making it the second largest city in the presidency after the capital of Madras (now Chennai).Template:Sfn It was known throughout the British Empire for its unique variety of cheroot, known as the Trichinopoly cigar.Template:Sfn Tiruchirappalli was the first headquarters for the newly formed South Indian Railway Company in 1874 until its relocation to Madras in the early 20th century.Template:Efn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Trichinopoly during the British Raj
Town and Fort of Trichinopoly p.302.jpg

The town and fort of Trichinopoly c. 1840
The tank and Rockfort Trichinopoly.jpg

Rockfort and Teppakulam, c. 1860

Contemporary and modern historyEdit

File:Tiruchirapalli1955.jpg

Map of Tiruchirappalli town in 1955

Tiruchirappalli played an active role during the pre-independence era; there were a number of strikes and non-violent protests during the Quit India Movement,Template:Sfn notably the South Indian Railway Strike that took place in 1928.Template:Sfn The city was the base for the Vedaranyam salt march initiated by C. Rajagopalachari in parallel with the Dandi March in 1930.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Tiruchirappalli was an epicentre of the anti-Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu when a team of Tamil language supporters gathered and organised a rally from the city to Madras in 1938.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later in 1965, Tiruchirappalli was made the base of the "Madras state Anti-Hindi Conference" convened by C. Rajagopalachari.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The population of Tiruchirappalli continued to grow rapidly, achieving a growth rate of 36.9% during the period 1941–51.Template:Sfn After independence in 1947, Tiruchirappalli fell behind other cities such as Salem and Coimbatore in terms of growth.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn<ref name="thehindu_20110409">Template:Cite news</ref> Tiruchirappalli remained a part of Madras State, which was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969.Template:Sfn The city underwent extensive economic development in the 1960s with the commissioning of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.Template:Sfn<ref name=business_line>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the early 1980s, M. G. Ramachandran, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu drafted a plan to move the state's administrative headquarters to Tiruchirappalli.<ref name=Mayilvaganan>Template:Cite news</ref> A satellite town was developed near Navalpattu on the outskirts of the city,<ref name=Mayilvaganan /> but the proposed move was shelved by successive governments.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Like much of Tamil Nadu, Tiruchirappalli remains prone to communal tensions based on religion and ethnicity. There have been occasional outbreaks of violence against Sri Lankans. In 2009, the offices of a Sri Lankan airline were attacked in the city.<ref> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2012, two groups of Sri Lankan pilgrims who had visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni and the Poondi Madha Basilica had their buses attacked in Tiruchirappalli by a group of Tamil activists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref> Owing to a series of terrorist attacks in Indian cities since 2000, security has been increased at sites such as Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple.<ref> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref>

Geography and climateEdit

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File:Aerial photograph of Srirangam Island between Kaveri and Kollidam rivers.JPG

Aerial photograph of Srirangam island, sandwiched between the rivers Kaveri and Kollidam

Tiruchirappalli is situated in central south-eastern India, almost at the geographic centre of the state of Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery Delta begins to form Template:Convert west of the city where the river divides into two streams—the Kaveri and the Kollidam—to form the island of Srirangam.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn By road it is Template:Convert south of Hyderabad, Template:Convert south-west of Chennai and Template:Convert south-east of Bangalore.<ref>Template:Google maps</ref> The topology of Tiruchirappalli is almost flat with an average elevation of Template:Convert. A few isolated hillocks rise above the surface,<ref name="weatherbase">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the highest of which is the Rockfort;Template:Sfn Template:Sfn its estimated age of 3,800 million years makes it one of the oldest rocks in the world.<ref name=Nuvena>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn Other prominent hillocks include the Golden Rock, Khajamalai,<ref name=Syed>Template:Cite news</ref> and one each at Uyyakondan Thirumalai and Thiruverumbur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Apart from Kaveri and its tributary Kollidam,Template:Sfn the city is also drained by the Uyyakondan Channel, Koraiyar and Kudamurutti river channels.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The land immediately surrounding the Kaveri River—which crosses Tiruchirappalli from west to east—consists of deposits of fertile alluvial soilTemplate:Sfn on which crops such as finger millet and maize are cultivated.Template:Sfn Further south, the surface is covered by poor-quality black soil.Template:Sfn A belt of Cretaceous rock known as the Trichinopoly Group runs to the north-east of the city,Template:Sfn and to the south-east there are layers of archaean rocks, granite and gneiss covered by a thin bed of conglomeratic laterite.Template:Sfn The region falls under Seismic Zone III, which is moderately vulnerable to earthquakes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Urban structureEdit

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File:Trichy Skyline South Blossoms Rooftop Aug22 R16 06237.jpg

Skyline of the cantonment area, south of the Central Bus Station (ca. August 2022)

The city of Tiruchirappalli lies on the plains between the Shevaroy Hills to the north and the Palani Hills to the south and south-west.Template:Sfn Tiruchirappalli is completely surrounded by agricultural fields.Template:Sfn Densely populated industrial and residential areas have recently been built in the northern part of the city, and the southern edge also has residential areas.Template:Sfn The older part of Tiruchirappalli, within the Rockfort, is unplanned and congested while the adjoining newer sections are better executed.Template:Sfn Many of the old houses in Srirangam were constructed according to the shilpa sastras, the canonical texts of Hindu temple architecture.Template:Sfn

ClimateEdit

Tiruchirappalli experiences a dry-summer tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification: As), with no major change in temperature between summer and winter.<ref name=City_Weather>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The climate is generally characterised by high temperature and low humidity.Template:Sfn With an annual mean temperature of Template:Convert and monthly average temperatures ranging between Template:Convert and Template:Convert,<ref name=City_Weather /> the city is the hottest in the state.<ref name=Gokul>Template:Cite news</ref> The warmest months are from April to June,Template:Sfn when the city experiences frequent dust storms.Template:Sfn Template:As of the highest temperature ever recorded in Tiruchirappalli was Template:Convert, which occurred on 2 May 1896;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the lowest was observed on 6 February 1884 at Template:Convert.Template:Sfn<ref name=IMDextremes /> The high temperatures in the city have been attributed to the presence of two rivers—Kaveri and Kollidam—Template:Efnand the absence of greenery around the city.<ref name=Gokul /> As Tiruchirappalli is on the Deccan Plateau the days are extremely warm and dry; evenings are cooler because of cold winds that blow from the south-east.<ref name=City_Weather /> From June to September, the city experiences a moderate climate tempered by heavy rain and thundershowers. Rainfall is heaviest between October and December because of the north-east monsoon winds, and from December to February the climate is cool and moist.<ref name=City_Weather /> The average annual rainfall is Template:Convert,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> slightly lower than the state's average of Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Fog and dew are rare and occur only during the winter season.Template:Sfn

Template:Weather boxTrichy has been ranked 11th best “National Clean Air City” (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results' <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

DemographicsEdit

File:Aerial view of Tiruchirapalli 1.jpg

Aerial view of Tiruchirapalli

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:Historical populations According to the 2011 Indian census, Tiruchirappalli had a population of 847,387,Template:Efn 9.4% of whom were under the age of six, living in 214,529 families within the municipal corporation limits. The recorded population density was Template:Convert while the sex ratio was 975 males for every 1,000 females.<ref name=PCA /> The Tiruchirappalli urban agglomeration had a population of 1,022,518, and was ranked the fourth largest in Tamil Nadu and the 53rd in India Template:As of<ref name="UA_2011" /> The city had an average literacy rate of 91.37%,<ref name=PCA /> significantly higher than the national average of 73.00%.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 10.48% and 0.27% of the population respectively.<ref name=PCA /> There were 228,518 people, roughly constituting about 26.96% of the total population, who lived in slums in the city.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Click the link "Primary Census Abstract Data for Slum (India & States/UTs – Town Level) (Excel Format)" to download the file in excel format</ref> The daily floating population of the city was estimated at around 250,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The city's population is predominantly Hindu.Template:Sfn Muslims constitute about twenty percent,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and there is also a considerable Christian population. Sikhs and Jains are present in smaller numbers.<ref name="thehindu_20101229">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="thehindu_20110407">Template:Cite news</ref> Roman Catholics in Tiruchirappalli are affiliated to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tiruchirapalli while Protestants are affiliated to the Trichy–Tanjore Diocese of the Church of South India.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="anglicancommunion">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The most widely spoken language is Tamil,Template:Sfn but there are significant numbers of Telugu,Template:Sfn Gujarati,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kannada,Template:Sfn Malayalam<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Hindi speakers.Template:Sfn Saurashtra is also spoken by some significant minorities.Template:Sfn The standard dialect of Tamil spoken is the Central Tamil dialect.Template:Sfn<ref name="langvariations">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There is also a substantial population of Anglo-Indians,Template:Efn and Sri Lankan Tamil migrants, most of whom are housed in refugee camps on the outskirts of the city.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="thehindu_20091103">Template:Cite news</ref>

Administration and politicsEdit

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Administrative officials
Collector	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Municipality officials
Mayor	Anbalagan <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Commissioner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Deputy Mayor	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Commissioner of Police	A. Amalraj<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Members of Legislative Assembly
Tiruchirappalli East	Inigo Irudayaraj
Tiruchirappalli West	K. N. Nehru
Srirangam	M. Palaniyandi
Thiruverumbur	Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi<ref name="MLA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Member of Parliament
Tiruchirappalli	Su. Thirunavukkarasar<ref name="Rit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Covering Template:Convert, the municipality of Tiruchirappalli was inaugurated under the Town Improvements Act 1865 on 1 November 1866;Template:Sfn it originally consisted of two ex-officers and nine nominated members.Template:Sfn Council elections were introduced in 1877 and the first chairman was elected in 1889.Template:Sfn The municipality was upgraded to a municipal corporation as per the Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation Act 1994Template:Sfn by inclusion of the erstwhile Srirangam and Golden Rock municipalities.Template:Sfn Covering Template:Convert,Template:Efn<ref name=dennis>Template:Cite news</ref> the municipal corporation comprises 65 wards and four administrative zones; these are Srirangam, Ariyamangalam, Golden Rock and Abhishekapuram.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Trichycorporation.jpg

Headquarters of Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation

Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation Council, the legislative body, comprises 65 councillors elected from each of the 65 wards and is headed by a mayor assisted by a Deputy Mayor.<ref name="citymunc">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The executive wing has seven departments—general administration, revenue, town planning, engineering, public health, information technology and personnel—and is headed by a City Commissioner. The Commissioner is assisted by two executive engineers for the east and west sections, and Assistant Commissioners for personnel, accounts and revenue departments, a public relations officer, a city engineer, a city health officer and an Assistant Commissioner for each of the four zones.<ref name="orgchart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A Local Planning Authority for Tiruchirappalli was created on 5 April 1974 as per the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act of 1971 with the District Collector of Tiruchirappalli as chairman and the assistant director of Town and Country Planning as its member secretary.<ref name="tiruchi_lpa">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The city of Tiruchirappalli is represented in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by four elected members, one each for the Tiruchirappalli East, Tiruchirappalli West, Srirangam and Thiruverumbur constituencies.<ref name="assemblyconstituencymap">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="const_map">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> J.Jayalalithaa, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, represented the Srirangam constituency between 2011 and 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Tiruchirappalli is also part of the Tiruchirappalli Lok Sabha constituency and once every five years, elects a member to the Lok Sabha Template:Mdashthe lower house of the Parliament of India.<ref name="const_map" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Lok Sabha seat has been held by the Indian National Congress for four terms (1957–62,<ref name="1957electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 1984–89,<ref name="1984electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 1989–91<ref name="1989electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and 1991–96<ref name="1991electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>), the Communist Party of India (1962–67,<ref name="1962electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 1971–77<ref name="1971electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and 1977–80<ref name="1977electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (2001–04, 2009–14 and 2014–present) for three terms each<ref name="2009elections">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) and Bharatiya Janata Party (1998–99<ref name="1998electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and 1999–2001<ref name="1999electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) for two terms each. Candidates from the Communist Party of India,<ref name="1967electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tamil Maanila Congress and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam<ref name="2004electionresults">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> have won once each. Indian politician Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, who served as the Minister of Power in the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee,<ref name="cabinetberth_rediff">Template:Cite news</ref> was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tiruchirappalli in the 1998 and 1999 elections.<ref name="1998electionresults" /><ref name="1999electionresults" />

Law and order are enforced by the Tamil Nadu police, which for administrative purposes, has constituted Tiruchirappalli city as a separate district, divided into 18 zonal offices and units, with a total of 38 police stations.<ref name="trichypolice">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Click on the "Commissioner Office" tab to get the name and contact details of police commissioner of Tiruchirappalli city district.</ref> The Tiruchirappalli city police force is headed by a Commissioner of police assisted by Deputy Commissioners.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Law and order in suburban areas is enforced by the Tiruchirappalli district police.<ref name="trichydistpolice">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It has the lowest proportion of rape and murder cases in the state.<ref name="tnpolice_crimes">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Utility servicesEdit

Electricity supply to the city is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB).<ref name="windpro">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tiruchirappalli is the headquarters of the Trichy region of TNEB. The city and its suburbs form the Trichy Metro Electricity Distribution Circle, which is subdivided into six divisions.<ref name="windpro" /> A chief distribution engineer is stationed at the regional headquarters at Tennur.<ref name="windpro" /> Water supply is provided by the Tiruchirappalli City Corporation.<ref name="waterservices">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The city gets its drinking water supply from the Kaveri River and 1,470 bore wells linked to 60 service reservoirs in and around the city.<ref name="wateraid">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Four of the six head works from which the city gets its water supply are maintained by the municipal corporation and the rest by other agencies.Template:Sfn

Pollution has been a major concern in Tiruchirappalli. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has set up five stations in the city to check the quality of air.<ref name="pollution" /> Template:As of about Template:Convert of solid waste are produced in the city every day.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Solid waste management in the city is handled by the corporation; places such as the Gandhi Market, Central Bus terminus and the Chathram bus terminus are being monitored by other agencies.Template:Sfn The principal landfill is at Ariyamangalam.<ref name="thehindu_20100312">Template:Cite news</ref> Waste water management in the Trichy-Srirangam underground drainage (UGD) areas is handled by the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) and in other areas by the Tiruchirappalli Municipal Corporation.Template:Sfn Template:As of there were a total of 40,580 UGD connections maintained by the municipal corporation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, it is estimated that 31% of the city is covered under a networked sewage system; however, Template:As of the corporation has fast-tracked its project to cover the entire city, funded jointly by urban local body, Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (Tufidco) and Asian Development Bank.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The high toxicity of the waste water released by the Trichy Distilleries and Chemicals Limited (TDCL) is a major cause of concern for the corporation.Template:Sfn The corporation's annual expenditure for the year 2010–11 was estimated to be Template:INRConvert.<ref name="thehindu_20110129">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2013, researchers from Bharathidasan University assessed water quality in the Tiruchirappalli area and concluded that although the quality of the groundwater was suitable for human consumption, the quality of the pond water in the city was "not fit for human usage, agricultural or industrial purposes".<ref> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref>

Under the National Urban Sanitation Policy, Tiruchirappalli was ranked sixth in India and first in Tamil Nadu on the basis of sanitation for the year 2009–10.<ref name="sanitationpolicy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In January 2010, Tiruchirappalli became the first city in India where open defecation was prevented in all its slums.<ref name="gramalaya">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In a 2016 survey conducted by the Ministry of Urban Development, as a part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign, Tiruchirappalli was ranked third in the list of cleanest cities in India.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Under the ease of living index 2018 published by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Tiruchirappalli was ranked twelfth in India and first in Tamil Nadu among the 111 cities considered.<ref name="Karthik"/> The ranking framework was categorised into four pillars, namely Institutional, Social, Economic and Physical, which comprised 78 indicators such as urban transport, waste water management, solid waste management and governance.

Tiruchirappalli comes under the Tiruchi Telecom District of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider.<ref name="thehindu_20100412">Template:Cite news</ref> There are about 20,000 business telephone subscribers in the city.<ref name="thehindu_20110518">Template:Cite news</ref> Both Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile services are available.<ref name="thehindu_20080903">Template:Cite news</ref> BSNL also provides broadband internet services.<ref name="bsnlbroadbandlist">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> BSNL began offering wireless internet services with the commencement of Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) transmission in 2008.<ref name="thehindu_20080903" /> Tiruchirappalli is one of the few cities in India where BSNL's Caller Line Identification (CLI)-based internet service Netone is available.<ref name="bsnl_netone">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Softnet (STPI), Tata VSNL, Bharti and Reliance are other major broadband internet service providers in the city.<ref name="elcot_cityprofile">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Tiruchirappalli has a regional passport office, the second in Tamil Nadu, which commenced its operations on 23 March 1983 bifurcated from Chennai region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After Coimbatore and Madurai regional office were established in late 2000s by bifurcating from Trichy region, currently the office caters to the needs of Trichy and seven adjacent districts namely, Karur, Nagappattinam, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Ariyalur and Tiruvarur.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

EconomyEdit

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File:WDS6 36524R SSB NR.jpg

A WDS6 locomotive manufactured at the Golden Rock Railway Workshop

During British rule, Tiruchirappalli was known for its tanneries, cigar-manufacturing units and oil presses.Template:Sfn At its peak, more than 12 million cigars were manufactured and exported annually.Template:Sfn Tanned hides and skins from Tiruchirappalli were exported to the United Kingdom.Template:Sfn The city has a number of retail and wholesale markets, the most prominent among them being the Gandhi Market, which also serves people from other parts of the district.<ref name="thehindu_20101228">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="thehindu_20100601">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="trichytourism">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Other notable markets in the city are the flower bazaar in Srirangam<ref name="trichytourism" /> and the mango market at Mambazha Salai.<ref name="thehindu_20050504">Template:Cite news</ref> The suburb of Manachanallur is known for its rice mills, where polished Ponni rice is produced.<ref name="thehindu_20081017">Template:Cite news</ref>

Tiruchirappalli is a major engineering equipment manufacturing and fabrication hub in India.<ref name=business_line /> The Golden Rock Railway Workshop, which moved to Tiruchirappalli from Nagapattinam in 1928, is one of the three railway workshop–cum–production units in Tamil Nadu.Template:Sfn The workshops produced 650 conventional and low-container flat wagons during 2007–2008.<ref name="goldenrock_thehindu20080411">Template:Cite news</ref>

A high-pressure boiler manufacturing plant was set up by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), India's largest public sector engineering company, in May 1965.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn This was followed by a seamless steel plant and a boiler auxiliaries plant.Template:Sfn In 2010, the Tiruchirappalli unit of the company contributed to nearly 30 per cent of its total sales, making it the largest of all units.<ref name=Bhel>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:As of the Tiruchirappalli division employed about 10,000 people,<ref name=Bhel /> and is supported by a number of ancillary industries producing almost Template:Convert of fabricated materials.<ref name=business_line /> These ancillary units together with BHEL contribute nearly 60 per cent of India's steel fabrication,<ref name=business_line /> earning the city the title, "Energy equipment and fabrication capital of India".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Other important industries in Tiruchirappalli include Trichy Distilleries and Chemicals Limited (TDCL), which was established at Senthaneerpuram in the former Golden Rock municipality in 1966.Template:Sfn and the Trichy Steel Rolling Mills, which was started as a private limited company on 27 June 1961.Template:Sfn The Trichy Distilleries and Chemicals Limited manufactures rectified spirit,Template:Sfn acetaldehyde,Template:Sfn acetic acid,Template:Sfn acetic anhydride Template:Sfn and ethyl acetate. It is one of the biggest private sector distilleries in Tamil Nadu and produced Template:Convert of spirit alcohol between December 2005 and November 2006.<ref name="gov_prohibition">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Ordnance Factories Board runs a weapons manufacturing unit and a Heavy Alloy Penetrator Project (HAPP) facility;<ref name="oft">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the latter was set up in the late 1980s and consists of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS)—the first of its kind in India.Template:Sfn<ref name="happ">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Sfn

From the late 1980s, a synthetic gem industry was developed in the city; the gemstones are cut and polished in Tiruchirappalli district and in Pudukottai district.Template:Sfn In 1990, the Indian government launched a scheme to increase employment by boosting the production of American diamonds and training local artisans in semi-automated machinery and technology. The local gem industry was reportedly generating annual revenues of Template:INRConvert by the mid-1990s.Template:Sfn Concerns have been raised over the employment of children aged 9–14 in the gem cutting and polishing industry.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn As a result, in 1996, Tiruchirappalli district was selected to be involved in the National Child Labour Project and in the running of special schools to educate working children.Template:Sfn

Template:As of the Tiruchirappalli region annually exports around Template:INRConvert of software.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="economictimes_it">Template:Cite news</ref> The ELCOT IT Park Trichy—the city's first IT park—commissioned at a cost of Template:INRConvert was inaugurated in December 2010.<ref name="thehindu_tiruchiitcomm">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="thehindu_itpark">Template:Cite news</ref> Set up by the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu, the park occupies an area of Template:Convert and constitutes a Special Economic Zone.<ref name="thehindu_itpark" /><ref name="thehindu_20080719">Template:Cite news</ref>

Employing a workforce of over 1,500, more than six companies including Vuram, iLink Systems Pvt. Ltd., Scientific Publishing Company, Vdart Technologies, GI Tech Gaming Co. India Pvt. Ltd., VR Della IT Services Pvt. Ltd., and the Tamil Nadu Disaster Recovery Centre function out of the existing building, occupying the entire built-up space.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The ELCOT IT Park Trichy is in close proximity to the Tiruchi International Airport. The facility was highlighted through the two editions of Global Investors Meet and became a key factor for the demand for the built-up space.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

CultureEdit

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File:Madurai-alanganallur-jallikattu.jpg

A Jallikattu match

A resident of Tiruchirappalli is generally referred to as a Tiruchiite.<ref name="thehindu_201100320">Template:Cite news</ref> Situated at the edge of the Kaveri Delta, the culture of Tiruchirappalli is predominantly Brahminical, prevalent elsewhere in the delta.Template:Sfn With a substantial population of students and migrant industrial workers from different parts of India, Tiruchirappalli has a more cosmopolitan outlook than the surrounding countryside.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The main festival celebrated in Tiruchirappalli is Pongal, a regional harvest festival celebrated during January. As part of the Pongal celebrations, Jallikattu, a bull-taming village sport played on the last day of the festival,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> is occasionally held on the outskirts of the city.<ref name="thehindu_20110508">Template:Cite news</ref> Aadi Perukku,<ref name="thehindu_20090804">Template:Cite news</ref> Samayapuram flower festival,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Vaikunta Ekadasi,<ref name="sify_vaikuntaekadasi">Template:Cite news</ref> Srirangam car festival,<ref name="thehindu_20100401">Template:Cite news</ref> and the Teppakulam float festival are some of the prominent festivals that are held locally.Template:Sfn Bakrid and Eid al-Fitr are also widely celebrated, owing to the substantial number of Muslims in the city.<ref name="thehindu_20081210">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nationwide festivals such as the Gregorian New Year,<ref name="thehindu_20110102">Template:Cite news</ref> Christmas, Deepavali<ref name="thehindu_20110611">Template:Cite news</ref> and Holi<ref name="thehindu_20110321">Template:Cite news</ref> are also celebrated in Tiruchirappalli.

The 12th century Tamil epic Kambaramayanam was first recited at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. In 1771, Rama Natakam, a musical drama written Arunachala Kavi and based on the Ramayana, was also performed there.Template:Sfn Tiruchirappalli was home to some of the prominent Carnatic musicians—including Lalgudi Jayaraman, Srirangam Kannan and A. K. C. Natarajan—and scholars such as T. S. Murugesan Pillai, Kundalam Rangachariar and K. A. P. Viswanatham.Template:Sfn Composers, poets and vocalists such as G. Ramanathan, T. K. Ramamoorthy,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Vaali and P. Madhuri, who have made significant contributions to Tamil film music hail from the city.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Textile weaving, leather-work and gem cutting are some of the important crafts practised in Tiruchirappalli.Template:Sfn Wooden idols of Hindu gods and goddesses are sold at Poompuhar, the crafts emporium run by the Government of Tamil Nadu.Template:Sfn The Trichy Travel Federation (TTF) was formed on 5 May 2009 to promote Tiruchirappalli as a favourable tourist destination.<ref name="thehindu_20100813">Template:Cite news</ref> The federation organises an annual food festival called Suvai.<ref name="thehindu_20110804">Template:Cite news</ref> Lack of infrastructure has been a major deterrent to the city's tourism industry.<ref name="thehindu_20110515">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="thehindu_20110814">Template:Cite news</ref>

LandmarksEdit

File:Srirangam Temple Gopuram.jpg

The "Vellai Gopuram" (white tower) on the eastern entrance of the Srirangam temple named after a Devadasi<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Once a part of the Chola kingdom, Tiruchirappalli has a number of exquisitely sculpted temples and fortresses.<ref name="thehindu_20010422">Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Malaikovil Full View.JPG

The Erumbeeswarar Temple has been designated a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Most of the temples, including the Rockfort temples, the Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam, the Jambukeswarar Temple at Thiruvanaikkaval, the Samayapuram Mariamman Temple, the Erumbeeswarar Temple, Gneeliwaneswarar Temple at Thiruppaingneeli<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the temples in Urayur, are built in the Dravidian style of architecture;Template:Sfn the Ranganathaswamy Temple and Jambukeswarar Temple are often counted among the best examples of this style.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The rock-cut cave temples of the Rockfort, along with the gateway and the Erumbeeswarar Temple, are listed as monuments of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:Night View of Trichy.jpg

Night View of Trichy from the top of Rockfort, photographed from the temple window.

Considered one of the symbols of Tiruchirappalli, the Rockfort is a fortress which stands atop a 273-foot-high rock.Template:Sfn It consists of a set of monolithic rocks accommodating many rock-cut cave temples. Originally built by the Pallavas, it was later reconstructed by the Madurai Nayaks and Vijayanagara rulers. The temple complex has three shrines, two of which are dedicated to Lord Ganesha, one at the foot and the Ucchi Pillayar Temple at the top, and the Thayumanavar Temple between them. The Thayumanavar temple, the largest of the three, houses a shrine for Pārvatī as well as the main deity. As per a legend, Vayu Bhaghvan and Adiseshan had a dispute to find out who is superior, to prove the superiority adiseshan encircled the Kailasam, Vayu tried to remove this encircle by creating santamarutham (Twister). Because of the santamarutham, eight kodumudigal (parts) fell from kailasam into eight different places which are Thirugonamalai (Trincomalee, Sri Lanka), Thirukalahasti, Thiruchiramalai (Rock fort), Thiruenkoimalai, Rajathagiri, Neerthagiri, Ratnagiri, and Swethagiri Thirupangeeli.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Rockfort is visible from almost every part of the city's north.<ref name=Nuvena /> The Teppakulam at the foot of the Rockfort is surrounded by bazaars.Template:Sfn It has a mandapa at its centre.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Ranganathaswamy Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, is located on the island of Srirangam.<ref name=Nuvena /> Often cited as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world,<ref name=Nuvena /> it has a perimeter of Template:Convert and occupies Template:Convert.Template:Sfn Considered to be among the 108 Divya Desams (Holy shrines of Lord Vishnu),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the temple is believed to house the mortal remains of the Vaishnavite saint and philosopher Ramanujacharya.Template:Sfn Originally built by the Cholas,Template:Sfn the temple was later renovated by the Pandyas, the Hoysalas, the Madurai Nayaks and the Vijayanagar empire between the 9th and 16th centuries AD.Template:Sfn There are 21 gopurams (towers),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> of which the Rajagopuram is Template:Convert.Template:Sfn According to the Limca Book of Records, it was the tallest temple tower in the world until 1999.Template:Sfn

File:St Mary's Church - Trichy.jpg

St. Mary's Cathedral

The Jambukeswarar Temple at Thiruvanaikkaval and the Erumbeeswarar Temple at Thiruverumbur were built in the rule of the Medieval Cholas.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The Jambukeswarar Temple is one of the Pancha Bhoota Stalams dedicated to Lord Shiva; it is the fifth largest temple complex in Tamil Nadu.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city's best known mosque is the Nadir Shah Mosque.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Christ Church constructed by the German Protestant missionary Christian Friedrich Schwarz in 1766 and the Our Lady of Lourdes Church are noted examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the city.Template:Sfn

File:Butterfly park trichy9.jpg

Tropical butterfly conservatory

The Chokkanatha Nayak Palace, which houses the Rani Mangammal Mahal, was built by the Madurai Nayaks in the 17th century; it has now been converted into a museum.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Nawab's palace,Template:Sfn the Railway Heritage Centre,<ref name="open">Template:Cite news</ref> the Upper Anaicut constructed by Sir Arthur Cotton, and the world's oldest functional dam, the Grand Anaicut, are some of the other important structures in Tiruchirappalli.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

EducationEdit

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Tiruchirappalli has been recognised in India as an important educational centre since the time of British rule.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> St. Joseph's College, which opened in Nagapattinam in 1846 and transferred to Tiruchirappalli in 1883, is one of the oldest educational institutions in South India.Template:Sfn The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG) college, established in 1883, is a premium missionary institution in the city.Template:Sfn

File:Sir CV Raman.JPG

India's second Nobel laureate, C. V. Raman, was born in Tiruchirappalli.

Template:As of Tiruchirappalli has 45 arts and science colleges, 40 polytechnic colleges and 13 colleges that offer management education. National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli is located in a area of 800 acres. National Institutional Ranking Framework ranked this NIT the first among other others in India.<ref name=hemalatha>Template:Cite news</ref> The St. Joseph's College, National College,<ref name="thehindu_20100927">Template:Cite news</ref> Bishop Heber College,Template:Sfn Jamal Mohamed College,Template:Sfn MIET Engineering College, and the Government Law College are prominent colleges providing higher education in the arts and sciences.Template:Sfn There are approximately 35 engineering colleges in and around the city.<ref name="economictimes_it" /> The National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli established by the government in 1964 as the Regional Engineering College,Template:Sfn has a campus at Thuvakudi on the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli.<ref name="outlook-2009">Template:Cite journal</ref> National Institute of Technology-Trichy (NIT-T) released the enhanced version of e-commerce mobile application, the institute Sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology

The Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute was established as a constituent college of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in 1989, and the National Research Centre for Banana offer higher education and research in agriculture.Template:Sfn The Tiruchirappalli branch of Anna University was established after the bifurcation of Anna University in 2007.<ref name="annaunivcbe">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 64 self-financing colleges which offer courses in engineering, architecture, management and computer applications in the districts of Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur and Tiruvarur are affiliated to Anna University.<ref name="annaunivbifurcation">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The SRM Group of Colleges established the SRM Institute of Science and Technology at Irungalur near Tiruchirappalli; this was followed by Chennai Medical College and Hospital in 2007. A proposal by the group to include the institutions in SRM University is under review by the Ministry of Human Resources Development of the Government of India.<ref name="toi_20110328">Template:Cite news</ref>

The Bharathidasan University was established in Tiruchirappalli in 1982 and controls 104 colleges in Tiruchirappalli district and seven neighbouring districts.<ref name="R. Krishnamoorthy" />Template:Sfn The university also runs a management school, the Bharathidasan Institute of Management in the city in collaboration with BHEL.<ref name="thehindu_20090205">Template:Cite news</ref> The Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli was set up during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, along with five other IIMs opened during the 2011–12 academic season.<ref name="indianexpress_20100430">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="toi_20110211">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2013, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) approved Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the Tamil Nadu National Law School, modelled on the National Law School of India University, both started their operations in the city.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city is also the regional headquarters of the Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha for the state of Tamil Nadu.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

There are 200 higher secondary schools in Tiruchirappalli;<ref name=hemalatha /> notable ones are the St. Johns Vestry Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School,<ref name="thehindu_20050802">Template:Cite news</ref> Campion Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School,Template:Sfn St Joseph's Anglo Indian Girls Higher Secondary School,<ref name="The Hindu">Template:Cite news</ref> Railway Mixed Higher Secondary School, Higher Secondary School for Boys, Srirangam<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and RSK Higher Secondary School.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

Notable people who were either born or educated at Tiruchirappalli include C. V. Raman,Template:Sfn A. P. J. Abdul Kalam,Template:Sfn Sujatha, Vaali, G. N. Ramachandran, and former President of India R. Venkataraman.<ref name="R. Krishnamoorthy">Template:Cite news</ref>

SportsEdit

File:Hockey Turf Anna Stadium.jpg

Synthetic turf hockey ground in the Anna Stadium

Hockey and cricket are the most popular sports in Tiruchirappalli.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="thehindu_20050926">Template:Cite news</ref> Former Indian hockey goalkeepers Charles Cornelius and Leslie Fernandez;<ref name="thehindu_20110125">Template:Cite news</ref> Rajagopal Sathish who represents the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Dharmaraj Ravanan who represents Chennai City F.C. in the I League;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> all hail from the city. The Anna Stadium complex is the main venue for sports in the city; it hosts an indoor stadium and an astro turf hockey ground.<ref name="thehindu_20110125" /> The stadium complex also includes a football ground, an athletic track, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, a badminton court and a hostel for the athletes.<ref name="thehindu_20080616">Template:Cite news</ref> The Tiruchirappalli District Cricket Association (TDCA) is one of the constituents of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and regulates school, college and club cricket in the district.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> First class cricket matches were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Template:Mdashformerly the Khajamalai Stadium.<ref name="cricinfo_grounds">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At the association's golden jubilee celebrations in 2008–09, plans for the establishment of another cricket stadium and an academy in the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli city were mooted.<ref name="thehindu_20080721">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="thehindu_20090126">Template:Cite news</ref> The Mannarpuram Cricket Academy is one of the noted cricket coaching academies in Tiruchirappalli.<ref name="trichycoaching_cricinfo">Template:Cite news</ref> Domestic association football, tennis and volleyball tournaments are held in and around the city.<ref name="thehindu_20050113">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="thehindu_20110207">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="thehindu_20110107">Template:Cite news</ref> Tiruchirappalli hosted the Federation Cup, a knockout-style club football tournament in 1984 and an open chess tournament organised by FIDE in 2006.Template:Sfn<ref name="indchessfed">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

MediaEdit

According to the Registrar of Newspapers in India, more than 100 newspapers have been registered in Tiruchirappalli Template:As of<ref name="newspapers-list">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} On this page, enter "Trichy", "Tiruchirapalli", "Tiruchirappalli" and "Tiruchi" in the tab to get the name and other details of the newspapers.</ref> The weekly newspaper Wednesday Review, founded in 1905, is the first prominent journal to be published in Tiruchirappalli.Template:Sfn Among the major English-language newspapers being published in Tiruchirappalli are The Hindu which launched a Tiruchirappalli edition in 2004,<ref name="thehindu_aboutus">Template:Cite news</ref> and The New Indian Express, which was publishing in Tiruchirappalli before The Hindu.Template:Sfn Some of the important Tamil-language newspapers that publish a Tiruchirappalli edition are Dina Thanthi<ref name="dinathanthi">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dina Mani,<ref name="dinamani">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dina Malar, Malai Malar, Dinakaran,Template:Sfn Tamil Murasu and Tamil Sudar.<ref name="newspapers-list" /> The popular Tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan launched a local supplement for Tiruchirappalli in 2011.<ref name="thehindu_20110303">Template:Cite news</ref>

The first radio transmission station in Tiruchirappalli was opened by All India Radio (AIR) on 16 May 1939.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn AIR started providing direct-to-home enabled radio broadcasting service from 2006.<ref name="thehindu_20060112">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2007, the AIR launched Ragam, a separate Carnatic music station, from the city.<ref name="businessline_20070525">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Apart from the government-owned AIR, private FM radio stations such as Hello and Suryan FM and Mirchi 95.0 from Tiruchirappalli.<ref name="asiawaves">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Indira Gandhi National Open University's Gyan Vani started broadcasting from the city in 2008.<ref name="thehindu_20080907">Template:Cite news</ref> Tiruchirappalli's first campus community radio station was started by Holy Cross College on 22 December 2006.<ref name="thehindu_20061222">Template:Cite news</ref>

Television broadcasting from Chennai was started on 15 August 1975.<ref name="thehindu_20091009">Template:Cite news</ref> Satellite television channels have been available since 1991.Template:Sfn Direct-to-home cable television services are provided by DD Direct Plus<ref name="thehindu_20041219">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="dth_dealerlist">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Television relay in Trichy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and various other operators.<ref name="thehindu_20070924">Template:Cite news</ref>

TransportEdit

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Check-in counters at the integrated terminal of Tiruchirappalli International Airport.

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Madurai-Chennai Tejas Express at Trichy Junction

The most commonly used modes of local transport in Tiruchirappalli are the state government-owned Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses, and auto rickshaws.<ref name=master>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Tiruchirappalli forms a part of the Kumbakonam division of the TNSTC.<ref name="rtimanual_tnstckumbakonam">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The city has two major bus termini; Chatram Bus Stand and Central Bus Stand, both of which operate intercity services and local transport to suburban areas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The municipal administration and water supply department has accorded administrative sanction to construct new bus stands in three central districts at a total cost of 31.8 crore. The state infrastructure amenities promotion committee has approved providing 50% of the estimated cost in 10 towns and cities across the state.

Tiruchirappalli sits at the junction of two major National HighwaysTemplate:Mdash NH 45 and NH 67.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> NH 45 <ref name=NHAI>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Sfn Template:Sfn is one of the most congested highways in south India and carries almost 10,000 lorries on the Tiruchirappalli–Chennai stretch every night.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Other National Highways originating in the city is NH336 <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> connecting Trichy-Pudukkottai-Devakottai, this two lane route is going to be converted to four lane route till Karaikudi as there is a massive increments in road PCU usages.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> State highways that start from the city include SH 25 and SH 62.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tiruchirappalli has Template:Convert of road maintained by the municipal corporation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A semi-ring road connecting all the National Highways is being constructed to ease traffic congestion in the city.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:As of approximately 328,000 two-wheelers, 93,500 cars and 10,000 public transport vehicles operate within the city limits,<ref name=pollution>Template:Cite news</ref> apart from the 1,500 inter-city buses that pass through Tiruchirappalli daily.<ref name=dennis/> Tiruchirappalli suffers from traffic congestion mainly because of its narrow roads and absence of an integrated bus station.<ref name=dennis /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Passenger trains also carry a significant number of passengers from nearby towns.<ref name=master /> The Great Southern of India Railway Company was established in 1853 with its headquarters at England.Template:Sfn In 1859, the company constructed its first railway line connecting Tiruchirappalli and Nagapattinam.Template:Sfn The company merged with the Carnatic Railway Company in 1874 to form the South Indian Railway Company with Tiruchirappalli as its headquarters.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Sfn The city retained the position until 1908 when the company's headquarters was transferred to Madras.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Rws is one of the busiest in India.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It constitutes a separate division of the Southern Railway.<ref name="trichydivision">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tiruchirappalli has rail connectivity with most important cities and towns in India.Template:Sfn Other railway stations in the city include Template:Rws, Template:Rws, Template:Rws, Template:Rws and Template:Rws.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn Non-stop flight time from Chennai to Trichy is between 1 hr to 1 hr 30 mins depending on the aircraft's cruising speed, technical condition and weather/wind.

Tiruchirappalli is served by Tiruchirappalli International Airport Template:Airport codes,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Convert from the city centre.<ref name="aai">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The airport handles fivefold more international air traffic than domestic services, making it the only airport in India with this huge variation. It serves as a gateway to immigrants from South-east Asian countries<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There are regular flights to Chennai,<ref name="thehindu_20110328">Template:Cite news</ref> Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Colombo,<ref name="lbo_20111207">Template:Cite news</ref> Dubai, Kuala Lumpur,<ref name="thehindu_20081202">Template:Cite news</ref> and Singapore.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The airport handled more than 1 million passengers and 2012 tonnes of cargo during the fiscal year 2013–14.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>