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Erode District is one of the 38 districts in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was the largest district by area in the state before the formation of Tirupur district in 2009 and is the third largest by area, as of 2024. The headquarters of the district is Erode. The district is divided into two revenue divisions, Erode division and Gobichettipalayam, and is further subdivided into 10 Tehsil.
The district is landlocked and lies towards the middle of the Indian peninsula and is bordered by the state of Karnataka to the north. Western Ghats pass through the region and is watered by Kaveri River which meets its major tributary Bhavani River in the district. It covers an area of , and had a population of 2,251,744 as per the 2011 census. The major spoken language is Kongu Tamil, a dialect of Tamil language. Hinduism is the major religion with nearly 94% adherents.
Archeological evidence from Kodumanal indicate that the region was ruled by the Cheras during the Sangam period (2nd century BCE to third century CE) and it formed part of an ancient Roman Empire trade route. The region was ruled by the Pandyas before the medieval Cholas conquered it in the tenth century. The region was ruled by Vijayanagara Empire in the fifteenth century followed by the Madurai Nayaks who introduced the Palayakkarar system. In the later part of the eighteenth century, the region came under the Kingdom of Mysore and after the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the British East India Company annexed the region to the Madras Presidency in 1799. The region played a prominent role in the Polygar Wars (1801) when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai. The district was part of the erstwhile Coimbatore district and came into existence on 17 September 1979.
The economy of the district is based predominantly on agriculture and textiles. The district is the top turmeric producer in Tamil Nadu, making up 43% of statewide production and is also a major producer of cooking banana, coconuts and silk. The district is known for handloom and ready-made textile products. Erode Turmeric and Bhavani Jamakkalam are recognized Geographical Indications.
The medieval Cholas conquered the Kongu Nadu in the 10th century CE. While the region was directly under the control of the Imperial Cholas till 1064 CE, the Kongu Cholas who were probably vassals or viceroys of the Cholas, ruled the region autonomously later starting. These rulers bore the title Konattar and adopted Chola titles and surnames. In the 13th century CE, after the death of Vikrama Chola II, the Pandyas under Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I annexed the region. The rule of the Pandyas came to an end with the death of Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I in 1318 CE. The Hoysala Empire ruled the region for sometime later with Vira Someshwara having a matrimonial alliance with both Pandyas and Cholas. After the defeat of Veera Ballala III of the Hoysalas, the region came under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire.
After the Vijayanagara empire fell in 1646, the region was ruled by various Nayak dynasty governors of the erstwhile Vijayanagara empire who declared independence. They introduced the Polygar under which the region was divided into 24 Palayams(towns). In the later part of the 18th century, the region came under the Kingdom of Mysore and after the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the British East India Company annexed the region to the Madras Presidency in 1799. The region played a prominent role in the Polygar Wars (1801) when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai. Later, the British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857. After Indian Independence in 1947, the region was part of the Madras State, which later became Tamil Nadu. The district was part of the erstwhile Coimbatore district and came into existence on 17 September 1979.
Western Ghats runs through the district and it is straddled by Eastern Ghats which is separated by Moyar River. The region comprises the high altitude regions of the north sloping gently towards a long undulating plain in the south. Bhavani River cuts the district roughly in the middle, flowing from west to east. It enters the district at Sathyamangalam, crossing Gobichettipalayam taluk before joining the Kaveri River flowing from the north, near the eastern edge at Bhavani. The river feeds the Bhavanisagar dam and Kodiveri Dam are major dams, which along with a canal system provide irrigation and drainage for the district. The other major tributaries of the Kaveri including the Noyyal and Amaravati River, emerge from the mountains in the west.
The region has a tropical climate and the climate is characterized by dry weather throughout the year, except during the . The region depends on monsoons for rainfall. In March, the temperature begins to rise, which persists until the end of May, with the highest temperatures recorded during the period. The average maximum temperature is and the average minimum temperature is . The south-west monsoon winds passing through the Palghat gap loses most of its moisture when reaching the district and the region receives about of rainfall in the months from June to August from the south-west monsoon. After a warm and foggy September, the north-east monsoon starts from October, lasting until early November. The district gets most of its rainfall from the north-east monsoon, averaging about annually. The district gets a total average annual rainfall of .
The major soil types found here are loamy soil and clay soil. The northern part of the district incorporating parts of Sathyamangalam and Gobichettipalayam taluks form the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is the largest protected area in Tamil Nadu. The region has one of the largest Indian Elephant and Bengal Tiger populations in the country.
As per the 2011 census, 81.76% of the population spoke Tamil language, 10.32% Telugu language, 5.40% Kannada and 1.14% Urdu as their first language. Kongu Tamil (also called Kangee or Kongalam), a dialect, is predominantly spoken in the district. As per the census, Hinduism was the predominant religion with nearly 94% adherents.
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The district has one municipal corporation (Erode), one selection grade municipality (Gobichettipalayam), one first grade municipality (Sathyamangalam) and two second grade municipalities (Bhavani and Punjai Puliampatti). There are 42 town panchayats in the district.
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The district is one of the most industrialized districts in the state with more than 23,000 small scale industries and 1,200 factories. Textiles is the other major industry in the district. The district is known for its handloom textile products and ready-made garments. In 2005, Bhavani Jamakkalam was registered as a Geographical Indication. There are nearly 49,000 handloom and 39,000 powerlooms operating in the district with the sector employing more than 45,000 people. There are about 13 co-operative societies involved in the production and marketing of textiles.
Other major industries include , , food processing, leather, paper, vehicle parts, electrical equipment and metallic products. There are more than 450 oil mills involved in edible oil production. The district is also a leading producer of milk and other dairy products.
The Highways Department of the state was established in April 1946 and is responsible for construction and maintenance of national highways, state highways, major district roads and other roads in the state. It operates through two divisions at Erode and Gobichettipalayam. The major arterial roads include NH-544, NH-948, NH-544H and NH 381A. State Highways include SH-15, SH-15A, SH-81, SH-79, SH-82, SH-84 and SH-96.
The district has four Regional Transport Office sub-divisions, namely Erode East (TN 33), Gobichettipalayam (TN 36), Perundurai (TN 56) and Erode West (TN 86). Gobichettipalayam RTO has two sub-offices, namely Bhavani (TN 36W) and Sathyamangalam (TN 36Z). The Coimbatore division of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) operates inter and intra-city routes. The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) operates express bus services from Erode and Gobichettipalayam to major cities across the state and neighbouring states. Erode Central Bus Terminus, which serves as a major hub, is one of the largest in the state. Due to its proximity to the states of Karnataka and Kerala, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses also operate in the district.
The nearest major airport is the Coimbatore International Airport located in the nearby Coimbatore district, which has regular flights from/to major domestic destinations and international destinations like Sharjah, Colombo and Singapore.
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