Oddanchatram



Oddanchatram is town in the Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. The town was carved out of Madurai District in 1985. Oddanchatram has the second largest Vegetable market in Tamil Nadu and a large Cattle market. As of 2011, the town had a population of 30,064. It is known as the vegetable city of Tamil Nadu. Almost 70% of the vegetables from this market is sent to Kerala and remaining is sent to other states. Agriculture is the major economy for the town. The town was once a small village under the Aanda Nadu (one of the 24 counties of Kongu Nadu). This constituency, along with Palani, is historically a part of the Kongu region and distinguishes itself from the rest of the district in terms of culture and food.

Geography
Oddanchatram is a town situated in the Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in the southern part of the country. The town lies at the foothills of the Western Ghats, which contributes to its semi-arid climate. Oddanchatram is positioned approximately 26 kilometers northwest of Dindigul and about 110 kilometers southwest of Coimbatore. The town is well known for its agricultural market, particularly for vegetables, and serves as a significant trading hub in the region. Its geographical coordinates are approximately 10.4794° N latitude and 77.7540° E longitude.

Climate
This town typically experiences a hot and semi-arid climate. Summers are usually hot and dry, with temperatures often exceeding 40 °C. Monsoon season, from June to September, brings some relief with moderate to heavy rainfall. Winters are relatively mild, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 25 C.

Food
As a part of the semi arid kongu region, its native food were made up of kolluparuppu, Pasipayiru, Thattapayiru, Kelvaragu, Kambu etc. This is a stark contrast to the people of Dindigul who were unheard of these foods. But, due to the cultural influences of delta region, rice became the staple food of this region.

Demographics
According to 2011 census, Oddanchatram had a population of 30,064 with a gender-ratio of 994 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 2,676 were under the age of six, constituting 1,378 males and 1,298 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 20.3% and 0.06% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 77.11%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had a total of 8,046 households. There were a total of 12,738 workers, comprising 1,127 cultivators, 1,983 main agricultural labourers, 164 in house hold industries, 9,048 other workers, 416 marginal workers, 9 marginal cultivators, 134 marginal agricultural labourers, 16 marginal workers in household industries and 257 other marginal workers. The population of this town increased by 24% from 24,000 in 2001 to 30000 in 2011.

Economics
Oddanchatram is popular for Gandhi Vegetable market, which is one of the largest vegetable market in Tamil Nadu. The market is situated near Oddanchatram bus stand. Agricultural industry provides major employment for the local people. Workers from various neighboring towns migrate to Oddanchatram Taluk, mainly from the month of June to December. This migration takes place during the peak seasons.

Politics
As per 2016, totally 2,23,628 (1,10,979 Males, 1,12,643 Females & 6 Others) voters are in Oddanchatram Constituency.

Oddanchatram (state assembly constituency) is part of Dindigul (Lok Sabha constituency). Oddanchatram elects one MLA to the legislative assembly of the State. R. Sakkarapani from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party was elected as the MLA from 1991 to 2021 for 6 terms.

Road
The following are the major highways connecting Oddanchatram :
 * SH-152 : Oddanchatram - Vadamadurai
 * SH-37 : Oddanchatram - Dharapuram - Avinashipalayam - Tiruppur
 * NH-83 : Coimbatore - Pollachi - Oddanchatram - Dindigul - Tiruchirapalli - Nagapattinam
 * SH-341 : Oddanchatram - Pachalur - Kodaikanal

TNSTC  buses connect the town to other parts of the state. Oddanchatram is the transit hub for all places connecting Palani, Trichy, Madurai, Dindigul, Theni, Coimbatore,Tiruppur,Pollachi. KSRTC buses like Kottayam, Kozhikode, Kasaragod, Guruvayur, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad buses are available at particular interval of time from Oddanchatram bus stand. KSRTC buses like Mysore are available at night.

It has bypass road to connect dgl and Palani road.

Railways
Station Code : ODC
 * ODDANCHATRAM is a part of the Coimbatore-Rameswaram MG line prior to the commencing of gauge conversion. On 20 November 2012, the Dindigul-Palani section of the line was completed, and the local railway station opened to railway traffic again. Currently passenger trains are running between Madurai, Thiruchendur, Coimbatore, Palakkad. And a daily express train is available between Oddanchatram to Chennai.

Airways
The nearest major airports are:
 * Coimbatore International Airport located 100 km from Oddanchatram.
 * Madurai International Airport located at 90 km from Oddanchatram.
 * Tiruchirappalli International Airport located at 134 km from Oddanchatram.

Education
The two government schoola are K.R.Matric Higher Secondary School and Govt girls Matric Higher Secondary Schools. There are several private schools in Oddanchatram, including Christian Matric Hr Secondary School, which is oldest English and private school in Oddanchatram, built by Late Dr. Jacob Cherian and Padma Bhushan Awardee in 1999. The health and educational institutions built by Dr. Jacob Cherian are now managed by Christian Charitable Trust. Other schools include Sri Krishna Matric Hr Sec School, Akshaya Academy Matric/CBSE Hr Sec School, Holy Cross Matric Hr Sec School, Buds Matriculation Hr Sec School and few small schools. There is one engineering College in Oddanchatram, which is Christian Engineering College (Affiliated to Anna University), built by Late Dr. Jacob Cherian and Managed by Christian Charitable trust.

Prospects of the Town
As the town is located in the midway between the major cities of Tamil Nadu Oddanchatram- Tiruppur 90 km, Oddanchatram-Coimbatore 110 km, Oddanchatram - Madurai 80 km, Oddanchatram - erode 110 km, Oddanchatram- Trichy 120 km,

It acts as a gate way of kongu Heartland to the people of South Tamil Nadu. With improving infrastructure and connectivity. This town has lot of potentials to explore.