Kovilpatti

Kovilpatti
Special grade municipality
Clockwise from the top Kovilpatti Kadalamittai, City,Kovilpatti railway, Main City,Government College arts,Kovilpatti hockey stadium, Kathiresan malai temple, and Kovilpatti Lakshmi Mill
Kovilpatti Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu
Coordinates: 9°10′22″N77°52′17″E / 9.172700°N 77.871500°E / 9.172700; 77.871500
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Thoothukudi
Government
• Type	Special grade Municipality
• Body	Kovilpatti Special grade Municipality
Area
• Total	76.71 km2 (29.62 sq mi)
• Rank	13
Elevation	130 m (430 ft)
Population
• Total	343,565 -Kovilpatti taluka 95,057-Kovilpatti city
• Density	4,479/km2 (11,600/sq mi)
Languages
• Official Tamil	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	TN 69, TN 96 (Kovilpatti RTO)
Website	1) municipality.tn.gov.in/kovilpatti 2) www.tnurbantree.tn.gov.in/kovilpatti/

OVERVIEW:

• Kovilpatti is an industrial city and special grade municipality in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India. ^[1]
• This city is also fondly known as "Hockeypatti" ^[2]
• It is located 65 km (40 mi) from Thoothukudi, 102 km (63 mi) from Madurai and 565 km (351 mi) from Chennai.
• It is the headquarters of the Kovilpatti taluk of Thoothukudi district. It is the second largest city in the district after Thoothukudi. ^[3]
• The nearest airport to Kovilpatti is Tuticorin Airport (TCR) at Vaagaikulam in Thoothukkudi district about 73 km (45.3 mi) away, which offers daily flights to Chennai and Bangalore. The nearest international airports are Madurai International Airport about 99 km (61.5 mi) away and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TRV) about 210 km (130.5 mi) away. The nearest seaport is Thoothukudi Port which is 70 km (43.4 mi) away. ^[4]

Geography

• Kovilpatti is located at 9°10′N77°52′E / 9.17°N 77.87°E / 9.17; 77.87 . It has an average elevation of 101 metres (334 feet). ^[5]

Climate

• The climate of Kovilpatti town is hot and dry. Temperatures range between a maximum of 37 °C and a minimum of 22 °C. ^[6]
• April to June are the hottest months, and December and January are coldest, with temperatures rising towards the end of February. ^[6]
• Rainfall occurs mostly during the northeast monsoon in October to December. However, the town receives little rainfall, averaging 840 mm compared to the district average. Annual rainfall has ranged from 964 mm to 228 mm during past decades. ^[7]

Demographics

Population

• In the 2011 census, Kovilpatti had a population of 95,057. The sex ratio of 1,065 females to 1,000 males exceeded the national average of 929. ^[8] A total of 8,325 residents were under the age of six, constituting 4,158 males and 4,167 females.
• Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 10.32% and 0.84% of the population, respectively.
• The city's literacy rate was 81.27%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. ^[8] The city had 25099 households in 2011.
• There were a total of 41,006 workers, comprising 85 cultivators, 165 main agricultural labourers, 932 in household industries, 36,989 other workers, 2,835 marginal workers, 26 marginal cultivators, 26 marginal agricultural labourers, 262 marginal workers in household industries, and 2,521 other marginal workers. ^[9]

Religion

Religious census
Religion			Percent(%)
Hindu			92.29%
Christian			5.12%
Muslim			2.48%
Sikh			0.01%
Buddhist			0.01%
Other			0.08%

• In the religious census of 2011, Kovilpatti was reported to comprise 92.29% Hindus, 2.48% Muslims, 5.12% Christians, 0.01% Sikhs, 0.01% Buddhists and 0.08% followers of other religions. ^[10]

Government and politics

• The Kovilpatti Assembly constituency is part of the Thoothukkudi Lok Sabha constituency. ^{[11] [12]}
• Currently Kadambur C. Raju is the member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for the Kovilpatti constituency from AIADMK (as of 2021 state election). ^[13]
• Thiru.K.Karunanithi is the current chairman of Kovilpatti Municipality from DMK. ^[14]

Economy

• Being industrially well developed, Kovilpatti boasts of diversified Micro, Small, and Medium Industries.
• Apart from Handmade Match Boxes, which the city is known for, Kovilpatti is home to two giant textile mills, The Loyal Mills and The Lakshmi Mills of Lakshmi Mills group, Coimbatore. Other than these, two more medium size textile mills, Ginning Factories, Ready-made Garment manufacturing units, Edible Oil producing companies, Cattle,Poultry feed manufacturing units, Chemical Industries, and many more ancillary units are doing business here.
• Kovilpatti is known for its unique candy "Kadalai Mittai"(Peanut Candy). ^[15]
• Manthithoppu Transgenders' Milk Producers' Cooperative Society (MTMPCS) – the first cooperative society in the country to be run by trans people – was set up at Manthithoppu by the former Thoothukudi district collector Sandeep Nanduri IAS. ^[16]

Culture/Cityscape

Veerapandiya Kattabomman Memorial

Landmarks

• Kalugumalai is a dome of rock 300 ft (91 m) high on the road connecting Kovilpatti and Sankarankoil . It is famous for a rock cut temple called "Vettuvankoil". Another rock cut temple is dedicated to Subramaniya Swamy at Kalugumalai's base. ^[17]
• Sankarankoil is situated west of Kovilpatti. ^[17]
• The Shenbagavalli Amman Temple, nestled in Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu, stands as a revered sanctuary dedicated to Goddess Shenbagavalli. Renowned for its rich historical legacy, distinctive architecture, and profound spiritual significance, this temple is believed to have been constructed by King Shenbagan. At its core, devotees worship Lord Poovananathar, alongside Goddess Shenbagavalli, honoring the divine connection between the deities.

Hockey and Kovilpatti

• Hockey was introducedin Kovilpatti pre-Independence by Dr. Durairaj, who founded the Kovilpatti Sports Club in 1944. The first state-level tournament was held in 1946. [18]
• A dedicated hockey stadium was built in 1960, thanks to Lakshmi Mills and the Kuppusamy Naidu Memorial Trust. ^[18]
• Legendary players like Dhyan Chand even coached local teams here. ^[18]
• Kovilpatti has consistently produced state and national-level players, including Senthil Jagan (World Cup rep), Ramasamy, Radhakrishnan, and Ashwin. ^[18]
• In 2024, 7 out of 18 players in Tamil Nadu’s sub-junior hockey team hailed from Kovilpatti. That’s nearly half the squad! ^[18]
• The town boasts an Astroturf Hockey Stadium and a Sports Hostel of Excellence, rare even in Tamil Nadu ^[18]

->Kovilpatti is fondly known as Hockeypatti ^[19]

SDAT hockey stadium in Kovilpatti

->Annual events like the Lakshmi Ammal Memorial All India Hockey Tournament attract top teams from across the country ^[19]

References

1. "About Kovilpatti". Tamilnadu online.
2. Dass, S. Godson Wisely (19 September 2024). "Kovilpatti in the spotlight as seven players make it to Tamil Nadu hockey team". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
3. "Kovilpatti Municipality City Population Census 2011-2025 | Tamil Nadu". www.census2011.co.in. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
4. "Airports Near Me - Kovilpatti, India | Travelmath". www.travelmath.com. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
5. "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Kovilpatti, India". www.fallingrain.com. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
6. "Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu, IN Climate Zone, Monthly Averages, Historical Weather Data". weatherandclimate.com. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
7. "About City". Kovilpatti Municipality. 2011. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
8. "Census Info 2011 Final population totals". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
9. "Census Info 2011 Final population totals - Kovilpatti". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
10. "Population By Religious Community - Tamil Nadu" (XLS). Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
11. "Press Note, Delimitation Commission" (PDF). Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu. Delimitation Commission. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
12. "Press Note - Schedule for General Elections, 2009" (PDF). Press Information Burueau, Government of India. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
13. "Kovilpatti Election Result 2021 LIVE: Kovilpatti MLA Election Result & Vote Share - Oneindia". www.oneindia.com. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
14. "Kovilpatti municipality chairman".
15. Gerald, Olympia Shilpa (19 January 2013). "In search of Kovilpatti Kadalai mittai". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 13 August 2021.
16. "Towards transfarmation". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
17. "Places of visit". Kovilpatti Municipality. 2011. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
18. migrator (13 May 2017). "Kovilpatti, a pioneer in hockey in Tamil Nadu". www.dtnext.in. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
19. எல்.பிரபாகரன் (24 May 2024). "கோவில்பட்டியில் துவங்கியது அகில இந்திய ஹாக்கி திருவிழா: இந்திய அளவில் 16 அணிகள் பங்கேற்பு". ABP Nadu (in Tamil). Retrieved 13 September 2025.

External links

• Homepage of Kovilpatti Municipality
• Thoothukudi District Official Webpage