Edappadi

Edappadi (also spelt Edappadi or Idappadi) is a municipality in the Salem district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Edappadi was once known for its thriving power loom industry. The economy is diversified by agriculture, heavy truck transport, granite, entertainment and foundries. The rocks around Edappadi are expected to contain rare minerals.

The name is derived from the family name 'Edayar', which means the people who survived with cows, buffalo and house animals.

Edappadi is located at
The Sarabanga River, originating from Shevaroy Hills passes through the town of Edappadi. After developments and urbanization, the river has dried and become more of a sewage canal. The Cauvery River flows 6 km away from Edappadi. Edappadi's water is supplied by the Cauvery River and 'Periya yeri' (Big lake) near the town. It is surrounded by many lakes, including Periyayeri, ChettiarYeri, Punka yeri, Reddipatti Yeri, Kavadikaranoor Yeri (Aachampalli Yeri).

Edappadi has an average elevation of It is situated at the basin of a hill called 'Soorieya malai' (Mountain of Sun). The mountain does not have any plants due to its rocky and unusual properties. Research done by Periyar University Geologist shows it consists of rare radioactive minerals. Edappadi has a variable terrain. The Sankagiri Edappadi route via Veerappam Palayam and Sunnambukkuttai is rocky.

Edappadi is located in the Salem district of the state. It is one of the most important textile areas. It is situated 34 km from Salem. The major geographical features of the region include the Sarabanga River and Soriyankaradu Mountain, which is 5 km away from the town. Edappadi is spread over an area of 28.22 km2.

The climate in Edappadi is very hot in the summer and mildly cooler in the winter. The monsoon rain starts around October to November. May and June are windy when the summer rainy season begins.

According to 2011 census, Edappadi had a population of 54,823 with a sex ratio of 946 females for every 1,000 males, much more than the national average of 929. A total of 5,411 people were under the age of six, constituting 2,759 males and 2,652 females. Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes accounted for 7.62% and .01% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 64.67%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. As per the religious census of 2011, 96.1% of Edappadi's population were Hindus, 3.03% were Muslims, 0.72% were Christians, 0.01% Sikhs, 0.0% Buddhists, 0.0% Jains, 0.13% following other religions and 0.0% were following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.

Edappadi has a festival celebration every year: "kavadi padhayathirai", held by the Sri Vanniyar Kula Shathriyar and ParuvathaRajakulam( Parvatha Rajan Vamsam) communities. The festival follows 370 years of tradition. People from Edappadi go to the dharishanam of Palani Murugan Temple at Palani.

The economy of the town revolves around the manufacture of towels and lungis. Most of the population depends on agriculture and power loom weaving. Thousands of power looms stand idle due to workforce migration in search of higher pay in other industries. A lack of irrigation projects has led to frequent droughts even though the large Cauvery river flows just 10 km away from the town. Former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami proposed a diversion of 0.5tmcft of Mettur surplus water to the Salem tanks for a total cost of 565 Crores. The above scheme could bring irrigation to land in the Edappadi and Sankari taluks that was previously without irrigation, which would help enable sustainability for the people in the area.