Sivakasi (also pronounced Shivakaashi) is a city in Virudhunagar District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city is known for firecrackers and match factories that produce 70% of the country's output. The printing industries in Sivakasi produce 30% of the total diaries produced in India. The industries in Sivakasi employ over 25,000 people and the estimated turnover of the firecracker, match making and printing industries in the city is around . It is the largest city in Virudhunagar district.
Sivakasi was established in the 15th century during the reign of the Pandya king Harikesari Parakkirama Pandian. The city was a part of Madurai and has been ruled at various times by Later Pandyas, the Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Chanda Sahib, the Carnatic kingdom and the British. A major riot against the British Raj took place in Sivakasi in 1899.
Sivakasi has a dry climate, making it suitable for dry crops like cotton, chilies and millets. Badhrkali Amman Temple is the most prominent landmark of Sivakasi, and the temple festivals constitute the major festivals of the city. AJ and Hatsun Indoor Stadium has a coaching centre for badminton and is the major sporting venue of the city. Sivakasi is a part of Sivakasi constituency and elects its member of legislative assembly every five years, and a part of the Virudhunagar constituency that elects its member of parliament. Sivakasi is locally administered by a municipal corporation which covers an area of . Roadways are the major mode of transport, in addition to a railway which runs through the city. As of 2021, Sivakasi has an estimated population of 160,047.
History Sivakasi was established during the early 15th century CE. Between 1428 and 1460, it was ruled by the Pandya king Harikesari Parakkirama Pandian as part of the southern Madurai region (constituting modern Sivakasi and its surroundings). Hindu legend relates that he wanted to construct a temple for the Hindu god Shiva at Tenkasi and went to Kasi to bring a lingam (an iconic representation of Shiva). While returning to his palace with the prized lingam, he rested under the grove of a vilva tree, the favourite tree of Shiva. When a cow carrying the lingam refused to move from the spot, the king realised that the wishes of Shiva were different from his own, and he placed the lingam in the place where the cow halted. The place where the "Shiva lingam brought from Kasi" was installed came to be known as Sivakasi.
Madurai became independent from the Vijayanagar Empire in 1559 under the Nayaks. Nayak rule ended in 1736 and Madurai was repeatedly captured several times by Chanda Sahib (1740–1754), Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan (1725–1764) during the mid-18th century. In 1801, Madurai came under the direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to the Madras Presidency.
The mutual confrontation between the Maravars and Nadars reached its peak in 1899, leading to a series of riots which became known as the Sivakasi riots. A total of 22 people were killed, as many as 800 houses and the Big Chariot in the centre of the city (used by the temple during festivals) were burnt during the riots. Eventually, the riots ended after the intervention of the British Indian Army in mid-July 1899.
The Sivakasi municipality was established in 1920. After India gained independence from the British in 1947, Sivakasi continued to be a municipality under the Madras state and later a part of Tamil Nadu, when the state was split on linguistic lines during 1953, 1956 and 1960 and renamed in 1968. It was promoted to a second-grade municipality in 1978, first-grade in 1978, selection-grade in 1998, special-grade in 2013 and proposed to be upgraded as municipal corporation in 2017. On 31 December 2020, both Sivakasi and Thiruthangal are merged with a view to promote Sivakasi as municipal corporation. It is declared as Municipal Corporation on 24 August 2021 in Tamil Nadu legislative assembly.
In the decades following independence, Sivakasi grew as an industrial city specialising in the firecracker, match and printing industries. Several incidents of fire and explosions have occurred in the fireworks factories.
Geography Sivakasi is located at and has an average elevation of 101 metres (331 feet). The municipality covers an area of . The city is located in Virudhunagar district of the South Indian state, Tamil Nadu, at a distance of from Madurai. Sivakasi is located to the east of the Western Ghats and to the west of Sattur. The topography is mostly flat, with no major geological formation. There are no notable mineral resources available around the city. Cotton, chilies, and millets are major crops in the area due to the prevalence of black and red soil types and poor groundwater supply.
Sivakasi experiences a hot and dry climate year-round. The temperature ranges from a maximum of to a minimum of . Like the rest of Tamil Nadu, April to June are the hottest months and December to January are the coldest. Rainfall is low, with an average of annually, which is lower than the state average of . The Southwest monsoon, with an onset in June and lasting up to August, brings scanty rainfall. The bulk of the rainfall is received during the North East monsoon in the months of October, November and December.Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 7 The average humidity of the city is 76.2% and varies between 65.6% to 79.2%.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, Sivakasi had a population of 71,040 with a sex ratio of 1,009 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 6,963 were under the age of six, constituting 3,474 males and 3,489 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 8.35% and 0.25% of the population, respectively. The average literacy of the city was 79.62%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The city had a total of 18,952 households. There were a total of 29,342 workers, comprising 22 cultivators, 135 main agricultural labourers, 955 in household industries, 27,662 other workers, 568 marginal workers, 6 marginal cultivators, 3 marginal agricultural labourers, 79 marginal workers in household industries and 480 other marginal workers.
In 2011, Sivakasi had 85.42% Hindus, 9.21% Muslims, 5% Christians, 0.01% Sikhs, 0.06% Jains, 0.08% following other religions and 0.01% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.
In 2001, 16 slums were identified in the city, with a total population of 34,029 people. The slum population increased from 42% to 47% of the city population during the period of 1991–2001.Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 62 The high decadal growth of population during the 1961–71 period is attributed to the high level of industrialisation during the period. The density of population increased from 9,646 persons per km2 in 1991 to 10,613 persons per km2 in 2001. The wards along the Virudhunagar, Sattur, Srivilliputhur and Vembakottai corridors have registered increased commercial and residential activity.Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 8
The majority of Sivakasi residents are engaged in the secondary sector involving match works, fireworks, and the printing industry. During the 2001 census, the occupational pattern indicated the increasing presence of the tertiary sector. The agricultural output of the city is limited, due to the lack of favourable geographical and climatic conditions.Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 12
Municipal administration and politics Municipality officials MayorI Sangeetha Deputy MayorVignesh PriyaCommissionerS. MuruganElected membersMember of Legislative AssemblyA. M. S. G. AshokanMember of ParliamentManicka Tagore The Sivakasi municipality has 33 wards and there is an elected councillor for each of those wards. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, city planning and Information Technology (IT). All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 33 members, one each from the 33 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson. On 24 August 2021, the government announced the upgrading of Sivakasi city to Sivakasi City Municipal Corporation.
Sivakasi comes under the Sivakasi assembly constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years. From the 1977 elections, All India Anna Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) won the assembly seat five times (in 1980, 1984,1991,2011 and 2016 elections); Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) twice (1996, 2001). The seat was won once by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK, 1989), Janata Party (1977), and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK, 2006). The current MLA of the constituency is AMSG. ASHOKAN from Indian National Congress.
During the 1957 elections, Sivakasi was a part of Srivilliputhur constituency and was held by the Indian National Congress and an independent after the by-elections. During the 1962 elections, the city was a part of Aruppukkottai constituency and was held by the Forward Block party. Since 1967, the city has been a part of Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency; the constituency was won by AIADMK five times (1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, and 2014), MDMK three times (1998, 1999, and 2004), and once each by Swathanthara Party (1967), DMK (1971), INC (1977), and Communist Party of India (CPI, 1996). The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is Manicka Tagore from the Indian National Congress.
Law and order in the city are maintained by the Sivakasi subdivision of the Tamil Nadu Police headed by a Deputy Superintendent. There are three police stations in the city, one of them being an all-women police station. There are special units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at the district level police division headed by a Superintendent of Police.
Education and utility services
There are five government schools in Sivakasi: two primary schools, one middle school, one high school and one higher secondary school. There are ten private schools in the city. There are four engineering colleges in the city, with the Mepco Schlenk Engineering College being prominent among them. There are four arts and science colleges and three polytechnic colleges in the city. Sri Kaliswari College is located within the city.
In 2011, there was one government hospital, three municipal health centres, one municipal maternity home and 25 private hospitals and clinics that take care of the healthcare needs of the citizens. The municipality operates two markets, namely the Anna Daily Market and Viswanatham Municipal Meat Market that cater to the needs of the city and the rural areas around it.
Electricity supply to Sivakasi is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The city along with its suburbs forms the Sivakasi Electricity Distribution Circle. A Chief Distribution engineer is stationed at the regional headquarters. The municipality covers an area of . In 2011, the municipality maintained a total of 2,584 street lamps: 322 sodium lamps, 125 mercury vapour lamps, 2,136 tube lights and one high mast beam lamp.