Vilpatti

Vilpatti is a Panchayat in Kodaikanal Taluk of Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu state, South India. It is composed of the main village of Vilpatti and 11 hamlets.Vilpatti village coord|10|16|N|77|30.5|E is 9 km NW of Kodaikanal town, 2 km past Perumal Malai village on the Palani Road. It is an agricultural area with the primary crops of potatoes, coffee and bananas. [K. Nagaraj, Rukmani (2004) "Bibliography of Village and Town Studies of Tamil Nadu" Kerala Research Programme on Local Level Development, retrieved 4/13/2007 [http://krpcds.org/publication/downloads/76.pdf Village and Town Studies of Tamil Nadu] ]

The Ministry of Rural Development, rural roads connectivity project Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), has identified 12 habitations in Vilpatti: Vilpatty Gurusedimethu, Pethuparaipirivu, Attuvampatty, Periyaodai, Araikal, Uppuparaimethu, Bharathi annanagar, Kovilpatty, Pallangi, Perumpallam, Ganesapuram, Kurinji nagar. [PMGSY, 2001 Census Data Updation Status, State: Tamilnadu, District: Dindigul, Block: Kodaikanal, retrieved 4/14/2007 [http://omms.nic.in/aspnet/Citizens/DG/05DVC/CensusStatus.aspx?state=TN&district=5&block=14&reportLevel=3 PMGSY, Census Data] ]

Demographics

Population in 1991 was 5,140 males; 4,854 females; 9,994 total [DindigulDisrtict, 1991 - PRIMARY CENSUS ABSTRACT [http://www.dindigul.tn.nic.in/pca91.htm 1991 1991 - PRIMARY CENSUS ABSTRACT] ] The main Jāti communities are Reddiars, Pillais, Mannadiars, and Mudaliars. In 2001 the population of untouchables in 8 villages was:The Paliyan people are a major portion of the tribal community in Vilpatti.

chools

There are 10 primary schools in Vilpatti Panchayat including 6 Panchayat Union Schools, Gandhiji Aided Primary School, St Marys Aided Primary School, Un Aid Primary School and Un Aid Nursery Primary School. [Government of Tamil Nadu, Department of School Education, Tamil Nadu Schools, Vilpatti, retrieved 4/13/2007 [http://www.schools.tn.nic.in/VillageSchools.asp?DCODE=13&BCODE=0012&VTCODE=00860200 Tamil Nadu Schools, Vilpatti] ] There is a Government High School at Vilpatti and many children from Vilpatti area go to St. Xavier's High School in Kodaikanal. [Kodaikanal.com, Kodaikanal - Schools, retrieved 4/13/2007 [http://www.kodaikanal.com/schoolscolleges/schools.htm Kodaikanal-Schools] ]

The Vilpatti Village Project (VVP) of the International Childcare Trust operates medical, educational, vocational and childcare programmes to meet the practical needs of impoverished women and children. [International Childcare Trust, retrieved 4/13/2007 [http://www.ict-uk.org/india04.html Vilpatti Village Project] ]

The Satya Surabhi School in Attuvampatti valley provides value-based education and nutritious noon meals to children of the farm labourers and petty vendors of Attuvampatti. [ Jigyasa Giri & Pratibha Jain (2005) PRITYA, Satya Surabhi School [http://www.pritya.com/contactus.html Satya Surabhi School] ]

The Mother Theresa University expanded their facilities to an additional 55 ha (22 acre) campus at Attuvampatti valley in 2004. [SUBRAMANIAN T.S. (2004) "Stress on women's studies", The Hindu, retrieved 4/16/2007 [http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2113/stories/20040702004811000.htm Mother Theresa University] ] MTU is distinctive as India's only university exclusively devoted to women's issues. [kodaikanal.com, Mother Theresa Women's University, retrieved Feb 25, 2007 [http://www.kodaikanal.com/annaitherasauniversity.htm Mother Theresa Womens University] ] The Kodaikanal Institute of Technology at Machur Village is a 180 seat self financed engineering college at Vilpatti granting B.E. degrees in Computer Science & Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Information Technology. [The Kodaikanal Institute of Technology, Courses offered, retrieved 4/13/2007 [http://www.kodaitech.com/courses.htm The Kodaikanal Institute of Technology] ]

Tourism

Elephant Valley Estate at Ganesh Puram coord|10|18.602|N|77|31.218|E near Vilpatti, is a convert|100|acre|km2|sing=on private nature reserve and organic farm welcoming eco-tourists. They offer private cottages, tent houses, an Indo-continental fusion organic foods restaurant, trekking, nature walks and horse riding. They promote the conservation of traditional varieties of fruits, vegetables and cereals. They have orchards of lime, orange, avocados, guavas and amla inter-cropped with coffee, pepper, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, mangoes, jack fruit, pomegranate, guavas and bananas. The estate provides local jobs and makes a contribution to sustainable development of the area. [Elephant Valley Organic Farm, retrieved 4/13/2007 [http://www.elephantvalleyhotel.com/organic.htm Organic Farm] ]

Hill Country Holiday Resorts in Attuvampatti offers a wide choice of reasonably priced rooms, suites and cottages, three specialty restaurants and conference facilities. Other club facilities include a games room, a fully equipped health club, billiards and snooker, putt-putt golf, outdoor play areas, an amphitheatre, bar, CCTV, children playroom, sight seeing tours, doctor on-call, Shuttlecock court, library, evening entertainment, trekking and an in-hhouse provision store. [ [http://www.hotelstamilnadu.com/kodaikanalhotels/hillcountry/index.htm Hill Country Holiday Resorts] ]

Sterling Valley View Resort offers modern rooms, apartments, cottages and time shares on a panoramic hill top, off Pallangi Road in Attuvampatti. Their facilities include multi cuisine restaurant, 24 hour room service, 450 seat conference/banquet hall with OHP, Screen, VCR, LCD and computer, travel desk, Free Newspaper, Jacuzzi, Sauna, Secretarial Service, Satellite TV, medical facility with doctor on-call, cocktail Lounge and Live Entertainment discotheque, library, safe Deposit vaults, STD/ISD telephones, grocery shop, playground, auto and bicycles rental, laundry, coffee shop and a souvenir shop. [NRI Services (2006) Sterling Valley View Resort, retrieved 4/16/2007 [http://www.teluguone.com/nriservice/nrisTrips.jsp?trips=Kodaikanal Sterling Valley View Resort] ]

A popular 16 km hiking route between Kodaikanal and Palni passes through Vilpatti. [DINDIGUL DISTRICT "DESCRIPTION OF TREKKING ROUTES IN Kodaikanal", retrieved 4/12/2007 [http://www.dindigul.tn.nic.in/KodaiTrek.htm "DESCRIPTION OF TREKKING ROUTES IN Kodaikanal"] ]

References