Karur () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Karur is the administrative headquarters of Karur district. It is located on the banks of River Amaravathi, Kaveri and Noyyal. Karur is well known for the export of Home Textile products to USA, UK, Australia, Europe and many more countries. It is situated at about 395 kilometers southwest of the state capital Chennai, 75 km from Tiruchirappalli, 120 km away from Coimbatore, 295 km away from Bengaluru and 300 km away from Kochi.
Etymology
Karur is mentioned in inscriptions and literature by two names, Karuvoor (the home of Karuvoor Devar) and Vanji. Additionally, it has been referred to as: Adipuram, Tiruaanilai, Paupatheechuram, Karuvaippatinam, Vanjularanyam, Garbhapuram, Thiru vithuvakkottam, Bhaskarapuram, Mudivazhangu Viracholapuram, Karapuram, Aadaga maadam, Cherama nagar and Shanmangala Kshetram. Among them, the name Adipuram, meaning the first city seems to indicate that it was held as the foremost city by the medieval writers. It was also called Vanchi moothur, the ancient city of Vanji. In the foreign notices of Ptolemy, it was called Karoura – an inland capital of the Cheras.
History
Karur has been ruled at different times by the Murkala Cheras (before the sangam period) before the kodungalur Cheras, Later Cholas, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Mysore Kingdom and the British.
Karur is one of the oldest towns in Tamil Nadu and has played a very significant role in the history and culture of the Tamils. The history dates back to the Sangam period when it was a flourishing trade centre. Karur was built on the banks of river Amaravathi which was called Aanporunai during the Sangam days. According to Hinduism, Brahma began the work of creation here, which is referred to as the "place of the sacred cow.". Karuvur, identified with Karur, was also the capital of the ancient king Musuguntha Solan.
Epigraphical, archaeological and literary evidence indicate that Karur was the capital of early Chera kings of Sangam age. The names of early Chera kings who ruled from Karur have been found in the rock inscriptions in Aaru Nattar Malai close to Karur. The Tamil epic Silapathikaram mentions that the famous Chera King Senguttuvan ruled from Karur. The archaeological excavations undertaken in Karur resulted in the excavation of mat-designed pottery, bricks, mud-toys, Roman coins, Chera coins, Pallava coins, Roman Amphorae, Rasset coated ware and rare rings. Karur might have been the center for old jewellery-making and gem setting (with the gold imported mainly from Rome), as seen from various excavations. In 150 CE, Greek scholar Ptolemy mentioned "Korevora" (Karur) as a very famous inland trading center in South India. It was ruled by the Cheras, Western Gangas, Cholas, the Vijayanagara Nayaks, Tipu Sultan and the British successively.
Karur municipality was constituted in 1874. It was upgraded to a I grade municipality on 24.10.69, upgraded to selection grade municipality on 24.05.1988, and upgraded to a special grade municipality on 07.04.1988. The town is very expanded now, with 48 wards, much like a city corporation.
Geography
Karur is located at and has an average elevation of . The town is located in Karur district of the South Indian state, Tamil Nadu, at a distance of from Chennai.
Topography
Karur is located on the banks of the Amaravathi River and noyyal river. The topography is almost plain, with no major geological formation.
Geology
There are no notable mineral resources available in and around the town. The soil types are black and red that are conducive for common crops in the Cauvery delta.
Climate
The prevailing climate in Karur is known as a hot semi-arid climate, labelled BSh under the Köppen and Geiger classification system. Karur receives an average of annually, which is substantially below the state average of . The South West monsoon, with an onset in June and lasting up to August, brings scant rainfall since Karur is in a rainshadow region. The bulk of the rainfall comes during summer months (late April, May) and the North East monsoon in the months of October, November and December. The driest month is March, with only of rain. Most rain falls in October, with an average of . The precipitation varies between the driest month and the wettest month.
The average temperature in Karur is . The temperature ranges from a maximum of to a minimum of . Like the rest of the state, April to June are the hottest months and December to January are the coolest. The average temperatures vary during the year by . With an average of , May is the hottest month, whilst in the mildest months of December the average temperature is .