Ariyankuppam
Encyclopedia
Ariyankuppam is a Town as well as an Ariyankuppam Commune in the Union Territory of Pondicherry, India
. The streets in Ariyankuppam are straight and in grid form, similar to Pondicherry boulevard
.
traders. Now Ariyankuppam is administrated as a town under Pondicherry Union Territory of India
, Ariyankuppam had a population of 47,021. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Ariyankuppam has an average literacy rate of 81.49%, male literacy is 88.89%, and female literacy is 74.13%. In Ariyankuppam, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
is an archaeological site
located at a distance of 1 km from Ariyankuppam, where Mortimer Wheeler
conducted his best-known excavation in the 1940s. According to Wheeler, Arikamedu was a Tamil fishing village which was formerly a major port dedicated to bead making and trading with Roman
traders. It flourished for centuries until the Romans left. Various Roman artifacts, such as a large number of amphora
e bearing the mark of Roman potter
schools VIBII, CAMURI and ITTA, have been found at the site, supporting the view on an ancient trade between Rome
and the ancient Tamil country
. An Archaeological Museum is also present.
is the abode of Sakti and is the oldest temple in Ariyankuppam. It is located at a distance of 2.5 km from Ariyankuppam. The goddess at the sanctum sanctorum faces the sea while the seven deities face the north. The temple also houses Lord Shiva, Ganapathy and Murugan.
A grand festival is celebrated every year for six continuous Fridays starting from the Tamil month of Aadi. Special importance is given to the fifth Friday of the six Fridays and this day is declared as public holiday by the Government of Pondicherry. On this day, thousands of prigrims throng this holy place to celebrate the festival.
Right from the days of the French , it was a custom to invite the Lt. Governor of Pondicherry
to start the Temple car
procession by pulling its long rope.
. The interior has rounded arches carrying a vault over the central aisle. A freestanding Crucifix is displayed upon the altar and brightly painted wooden images are set on shelves in the side walls.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The streets in Ariyankuppam are straight and in grid form, similar to Pondicherry boulevard
Boulevard
A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...
.
Origin of name
The name Ariyankuppam comes from Aricamedu, an archaeological site in Ariyankuppam. Ariyankuppam is also known as Ariyanagar or Ariankuppam.History
Ariyankuppam (Arikamedu) was an ancient Indian fishing village which was formerly a major port dedicated to bead making and trading with RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
traders. Now Ariyankuppam is administrated as a town under Pondicherry Union Territory of India
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Ariyankuppam had a population of 47,021. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Ariyankuppam has an average literacy rate of 81.49%, male literacy is 88.89%, and female literacy is 74.13%. In Ariyankuppam, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Geography
Ariyankuppam is located at 11.54° N 79.48°E. Ariyankuppam is 5 km. from Pondicherry city. It is in between Pondicherry and Cuddalore on NH-45A. One can reach Ariyankuppam by any local bus from Pondicherry to Veerapattinam. Also you can catch any bus to Cuddalore, Bahoor or Madukarai from Pondicherry running via Ariyankuppam.Place of interest
Arikamedu Archaeological Excavation
ArikameduArikamedu
Arikamedu is an archaeological site near Pondicherry, southern India, where Mortimer Wheeler conducted his best-known excavation in the 1940s. According to Wheeler, Arikamedu was a Tamil fishing village which was formerly a major Chola port dedicated to bead making and trading with Roman traders...
is an archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
located at a distance of 1 km from Ariyankuppam, where Mortimer Wheeler
Mortimer Wheeler
Brigadier Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler CH, CIE, MC, FBA, FSA , was one of the best-known British archaeologists of the twentieth century.-Education and career:...
conducted his best-known excavation in the 1940s. According to Wheeler, Arikamedu was a Tamil fishing village which was formerly a major port dedicated to bead making and trading with Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
traders. It flourished for centuries until the Romans left. Various Roman artifacts, such as a large number of amphora
Amphora
An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...
e bearing the mark of Roman potter
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
schools VIBII, CAMURI and ITTA, have been found at the site, supporting the view on an ancient trade between Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and the ancient Tamil country
Ancient Tamil country
The Sangam period is the classical period in the history of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other parts of South India, spanning about the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE...
. An Archaeological Museum is also present.
Veerampattinam Temple Car Festival
Sengazhuneer Amman Temple (செங்கழுநீர் அம்மன் கோவில்) at VeerampattinamVeerampattinam
Veerampattinam is the biggest coastal village in the union territory of Pondicherry situated between Pondicherry and Cuddalore. The village is 7 km away from the Pondicherry city centre and frequent bus services are available from Pondicherry for almost once in every 10–15 minutes...
is the abode of Sakti and is the oldest temple in Ariyankuppam. It is located at a distance of 2.5 km from Ariyankuppam. The goddess at the sanctum sanctorum faces the sea while the seven deities face the north. The temple also houses Lord Shiva, Ganapathy and Murugan.
A grand festival is celebrated every year for six continuous Fridays starting from the Tamil month of Aadi. Special importance is given to the fifth Friday of the six Fridays and this day is declared as public holiday by the Government of Pondicherry. On this day, thousands of prigrims throng this holy place to celebrate the festival.
Right from the days of the French , it was a custom to invite the Lt. Governor of Pondicherry
Lieutenant Governors of Pondicherry
Pondicherry is a Union Territory of India, not a separate State, which implies that the governance and administration of the territory falls directly under the federal authority in New Delhi...
to start the Temple car
Temple car
Temple cars are chariots used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart....
procession by pulling its long rope.
Chunnambar Boat House
Chunnambar Boat House (சுன்னாம்பாறு படகு துறை) is one of the major tourist spot in Pondicherry and it can be reached from Ariyankuppam. It is at a distance of 7 km from Pondicherry and 1.5 km from Ariyankuppam.PachaiVazhiAmman Kovil
Arulmigu PachaiVazhiAmman sametha Mannathaswamy Kovil11.884633°N 79.801388°W is an ancient Temple of Ariyankuppam. History of this temple goes back to 17th century. It is located between Ariyankuppam and Chunnambar Boat House at a distance of 1.2 km from Ariyankuppam. The presiding deity is Goddess Pachaivazhiamman (பச்சைவாழி அம்மன்)Church of Our Lady of Good Health
The church founded in 1690 was subsequently rebuilt several times. This is the oldest church still standing in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and CuddaloreRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore is an archdiocese located in the cities of Pondicherry and Cuddalore in India. The Archdiocese now celebrates its 125 years of being elevatd to the status of Archdiocese.-History:...
. The interior has rounded arches carrying a vault over the central aisle. A freestanding Crucifix is displayed upon the altar and brightly painted wooden images are set on shelves in the side walls.