Thovalai Flower market - 1

Place : Thovalai Flower Market, Kanyakumari District

Location : Thovalai is 15 km north of nagercoil and situated
in the National Highway 7 connecting Tirunelveli and Nagercoil.

Route : Nagercoil ----> Thovalai

Thovalai is known for its Flower market.A range of flowers
being cultivated in the adjoining areas and also in Radhapuram
taluk of the neighbouring Tirunrlveli district were finding their
way to the Middle East through a small flower market at Thovalai
in Kanyakumari district.

The total area under flower cultivation was 201hectares.The
agro-climatic conditions prevailing in the hill range and plains
of the district were suitable to cultivate flowers.

Conventional flowers like jasmine, kanagambaram and others were
cultivated in various parts of Thovalai. Besides local demand,
these flowers have a high demand in Kerala also.

Moreover these flowers were despatched to Mumbai and
exported to Gulf countries. However the conventional flower
market was not a regulated one and private parties were doing
business by their own contacts with terms and conditions.

Since the flowers being produced here were known for their
size and quality, the government had decided to establish a
flower market with cold storage facility at Kaavalkinaru Junction
in Tirunelveli District which is 15 Km from Thovalai.

Though Radhapuram and Nanguneri taluks in the
neighbouring Tirunelveli District receive only
scanty rainfall every year even during active monsoon,
farmers of this region cultivate a variety of flowers such as
jasmine, rose, oleander, Cassandra, southern wood,
bachelor’s buttons, sampangi and kozhikondai on
over 5,000 acres and irrigate the plants with wells

The government had decided to establish
a flower market with cold storage facility at
Kaavalkinaru Junction .

Tamil Nadu State Minister for Local Administration M.K. Stalin
laid the foundation stone for an ultra-modern flower
market at Kaavalkinaru Junction in Tirunelveli District
on May 10, 2008




Business in Progress









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Avvaiyaramman Temple , Muppanthal

Place : Avvaiyaramman Temple , Muppanthal , Kanyakumari District

Location : Muppanthal is 37 km north of Kanyakumari and 25 km
north of Nagercoil.

Avvaiyaaramman Temple is situated on the Tirunelveli High way,
adjacent to the famous Esakkiamman Temple

Route : Nagercoil ----> Aralvaimozhy ----> Muppanthal
----> Tirunelveli

In Tamil literature there are many poetesses with the name Avvaiyaar.

One of them lived during the Sangam period and was a close friend
of theKings, Pari and Athiyaman . She wrote 59 poems in Pura nanuru.

The other Avvaiyaar was a contemporary of Kampan and ottak
Kutthar .She was the elderly figure most familiar to Tamil people .

There is a traditional story that Avvaiyaar had arranged for
a marriagefor the daughters of Sangavai and Anagavai,
daughters of King Pari nearAaralvaaimozhi to which she
invited the sovereigns of the Chera, Chola
and Pandya kingdoms.

The kings erected pandals in the respective places allotted
to them andthis event led to the place being called Muppandal.

There are remnants of three separate mandapams and a
shrine of Avvaiyaar in their midst.

One can see two images of Avvaiyaar in sitting posture inside
the temples of Esakkiamman nearby.

There is also a separate shrine of Avvaiyaar near the
Esakkiamman templeswhere she is in sitting pose, with a stick.

A new statue of Esakkiamman erected in 2007


Two Esakkiamman temples





Avvaiyaramman Temple


Avvaiyar

Front side of the temple



With inputs from
1.Family and Friends
Gandhinathan Download As PDF

Avvaiyaramman Temple, Kurathiyarai

Place : Kurathiyarai , Near Alagiapandipuram , Kanyakumari District

Location : Alagiapandipuram is 16 km north of Nagercoil.

Route : Nagercoil ----> Puthery ----> Thittuvillai ---->
Alagiapandipuram


Kurathiyarai has a rock-cut shrine facing south.

Although the presiding deity is Mahavishnu, the temple is locally
called Avvaiyaarammankoil and the image on the
left side of Lord Vishnu is believed to be that of Avvai.




Western ghats


Avvaiyaramman Temple, Kurathiyarai




Mahavishnu


Avvaiyar


Lord Ganesh









With inputs from
1.Family and Friends
Gandhinathan Download As PDF