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99-843: Mepco Schlenk Engineering College is an autonomous engineering college located in Virudhunagar near Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu , India. It was founded on 17 October 1984. It is an ISO9001:2015 certified institution. It is sponsored by the Mepco Schlenk Charities, a social welfare organization of the Metal Powder Company Limited, Thirumangalam and its German collaborator, Schlenk . The college was affiliated with Madurai Kamaraj University , Madurai until 2002 and later with Anna University , Chennai , but since 2012 it has been affiliated with Anna University of Technology, Chennai . The medium of instruction

198-697: A conditionally sufficient mark or sign. This Vaisheshika theory is adopted in the early Sanskrit medical literature. Like the Upanishads, where linga means "mark, sign, characteristic", the texts of the Nyaya school of Hindu philosophy use linga in the same sense. In the Samkhya sutras , and in Gaudapada 's commentary on Samkhyakarika , the term linga has many contextual meanings such as in verses 1.124.136, 3.9.16 and 5.21.61, as it develops its theory of

297-420: A figure of Lakulisha , the ascetic manifestation of Shiva , carved on the front, holding an antelope and axe in his hands. He stands on top of a Apasmara (demon) dwarf , who symbolizes spiritual ignorance, greed, sensual desires or Kama and nonsensical speech on the spiritual path, hence must be subdued in spiritual pursuits. In this earliest representation, the phallic representation illustrates

396-482: A key role in the diagnosis of a sickness, the disease. The author of classical Sanskrit grammar treatise, Panini, states that the verbal root ling which means "paint, variegate", has the sense "that which paints, variegates, characterizes". Panini as well as Patanjali additionally mention lingam with the contextual meaning of the "gender". In the Vaisheshika Sutras , it means "proof or evidence", as

495-515: A linga. Another Indus stamp seal often called the Pashupati seal , states Doniger, has an image with a general resemblance with Shiva and "the Indus people may well have created the symbolism of the divine phallus", but given the available evidence we cannot be certain, nor do we know that it had the same meaning as some currently project them to might have meant. The word lingam is not found in

594-575: A lingam, is still in worship in the Parashurameshwara temple, Gudimallam , in a hilly forest about 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh . It has been dated to the 3rd-century BCE, or to the 2nd   century BCE, and is mostly accepted to be from the 3rd- to 1st-century BCE, though some later dates have been proposed. The stone lingam is clearly a representation of an anatomically accurate phallus , with

693-470: A male sexual organ. Since the 19th century, states Dasgupta, the popular literature has represented the lingam as the male sex organ. This view contrasts with the traditional abstract values they represent in Shaivism wherein the lingam-yoni connote the masculine and feminine principles in the entirety of creation and all existence. The colonial era Orientalists and Christian missionaries , raised in

792-533: A member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years. From the 1977 elections, All India Anna Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) won the assembly seat five times (in 1980, 1984,1991,2011 and 2016 elections); Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) twice (1996, 2001). The seat was won once by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK, 1989), Janata Party (1977), and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK, 2006). The current MLA of

891-488: A milk bath. Priests chant hymns, while the devotees go to the sanctum for a darshana followed by a clockwise circumambulation of the sanctum. On the sanctum walls, typically are reliefs of Dakshinamurti, Brahma and Vishnu. Often, near the sanctum are other shrines, particularly for Shakti (Durga), Ganesha and Murugan (Kartikeya). In the Hindu tradition, special pilgrimage sites include those where natural lingams are found in

990-489: A modern Shivlinga [a tubular stone]." According to Srinivasan, in the Harappan sites , objects that resemble "lingam" have been found. That includes "a seated trident-headed ithyphallic figure", which was found on Indus seals, "has been compared to Shiva as meditating ascetic ", states Srinivasan. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, while Harappan discoveries include "short cylindrical pillars with rounded tops", there

1089-415: A part of the literature corpus regards lingam to be the phallus of Shiva, while another group of texts does not. Sexuality in the former is inherently sacred and spiritual, while the latter emphasizes the ascetic nature of Shiva and renunciation to be spiritual symbolism of lingam . This tension between the pursuit of spirituality through householder lifestyle and the pursuit of renunciate sannyasi lifestyle

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1188-477: A private unit in September 2012 killed 40 people and injured 38 others. The common reasons cited for the accidents are inadequate training of workers and supervisors involved in different stages of production and marketing of firecracker items. Other reasons are found to be overstocking of explosives, raw material and finished goods, and employment of workers in excess of the permitted strength. Child labour in

1287-482: A second, I am formless". It is only the outward symbol of formless being, Shiva, who is eternal , ever-pure, immortal essence of this vast universe, who is your innermost Self or Atman , and who is identical with the Supreme Brahman , states Sivananda Saraswati. To some Shaivites the lingam symbolizes the axis of the universe . According to Shaiva Siddhanta , the linga is the ideal substrate in which

1386-627: A view to promote Sivakasi as municipal corporation. It is declared as Municipal Corporation on 24-August-2021 in Tamil Nadu legislative assembly. Over the decades after independence, Sivakasi grew as an industrial city specialising in firecracker, match and printing industries. Several incidents of fire and explosions have occurred in the fireworks factories. Sivakasi is located at 9°27′00″N 77°49′00″E  /  9.45°N 77.8167°E  / 9.45; 77.8167 and has an average elevation of 101 metres (331 feet). The city

1485-543: Is Kerala and Andaman . The paper for the printing industry is procured from various states. The city is a major producer of diaries, contributing to 30% of the total diaries produced in India. Printing industry in the city was initially utilized for printing labels for the firecrackers and later evolved with modern machinery to grow as a printing hub. In 2012, all the industries suffered 15–20% production loss due to power shortage and escalating labor cost. The major issues in

1584-623: Is English for all courses, examinations, seminar presentations and project reports. A mineral water plant located within the campus has a capacity of 10,000 litres per day. Also on the campus are located the Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank (TMB) with ATM facility, photo copying centre, canteen, parking lot, stand-by power generators, a separate telephone exchange, television facilities in the hostel, water treatment plant, and students' amenities. The campus has Wi-Fi connectivity. Mobile phones are not allowed in this college. Most of

1683-595: Is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism . The word lingam is found in the Upanishads and epic literature , where it means a "mark, sign, emblem, characteristic," the "evidence, proof, symptom" of God and God's power. The lingam of the Shaivism tradition is a short cylindrical pillar-like symbol of Shiva, made of stone, metal, gem, wood, clay or precious stones. It

1782-499: Is another railway station at Thiruthangal, which caters to the locality of Thiruthangal, where passenger trains, Podhigai Express and Silambu Express stops. Nearby international airport is Madurai international Airport situated in 70km away. Arulmigu Viswanatha Swamy Temple is the important ancient temple in Sivakasi built by Pandya King Arikesari Parakkirama Pandian between 1428 and 1460 during his reigns. Badhrakali Amman temple

1881-594: Is found in Sanskrit texts , such as Shvetashvatara Upanishad , Samkhya , Vaisheshika and others texts with the meaning of "evidence" of God and God's existence, or existence of formless Brahman . The original meaning of lingam as "sign" is used in Shvetashvatara Upanishad , which says "Shiva, the Supreme Lord, has no liūga", liuga ( Sanskrit : लि‌ऊग IAST : liūga ) meaning he

1980-536: Is historic, reflects the different interpretations of the lingam and what lingam worship means to its devotees. It remains a continuing debate within Hinduism to this day, states Doniger. To one group, it is a part of Shiva's body and symbolically saguna Shiva (he in a physical form with attributes). To the other group, it is an abstract symbol of nirguna Shiva (he in the universal Absolute Reality, formless, without attributes). In Tamil Shaiva tradition, for example,

2079-628: Is located in Virudhunagar district of the South Indian state, Tamil Nadu, at a distance of 74 km (46 mi) from Madurai . Sivakasi is located to the east of Western Ghats and to the west of Sattur. The topography is almost plain, with no major geological formation. There are no notable mineral resources available in and around the city. The soil types are black and red that are conducive to cotton, chillies, and millets. These crops are predominant because of poor groundwater supply and soil type. Sivakasi experiences hot and dry weather throughout

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2178-706: Is located in the heart of the city. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates daily services connecting various cities to Sivakasi. The State Express Transport Corporation operates long-distance buses connecting the city to important cities like Chennai , Bangalore , Tiruppur and Thoothukudi . The major intercity bus routes from the city are to cities like Madurai , Chennai , Erode , Karur , Coimbatore , Karaikudi , Dindigul , Trichy , Ramanathapuram , Thanjavur , Sankarankovil , Sengottai , Rajapalayam , Tenkasi , Kovilpatti , Tiruppur , Dharapuram , Oddanchatram , Thoothukudi , Tiruchendur , Nagercoil and Tirunelveli . Being an industrial city, there

2277-584: Is no evidence that the people of Indus Valley Civilization worshipped these artifacts as lingams. Scholars such as Arthur Llewellyn Basham dispute whether such artifacts discovered at the archaeological sites of Indus Valley sites are yoni. According to the Indologist Asko Parpola , "it is true that Marshall's and Mackay's hypotheses of linga and yoni worship by the Harappans has rested on rather slender grounds, and that for instance,

2376-416: Is often represented within a disc-shaped platform, the yoni – its feminine counterpart, consisting of a flat element, horizontal compared to the vertical lingam, and designed to allow liquid offerings to drain away for collection. The lingam is an emblem of generative and destructive power. While rooted in representations of the male sexual organ, the lingam is regarded as the "outward symbol" of

2475-521: Is one of the prominent temple of Sivakasi. The tower or Rajagopuram of this temple has a breadth of 66 ft (20 m), a width of 44 ft (13 m) and a height of 110 ft (34 m). "Panguni Pongal" and "Chithirai Pongal" are the annual festivals celebrated for the deities Mariamman and Badrakali Amman in April and May, respectively, both of which are celebrated for ten days. Periya Palli Vasal mosque and Chinna Palli Vasal mosque are two of

2574-414: Is regarded to be the absolute reality, the timeless, formless, and spaceless. In the representation of Parashakti, Shiva is regarded to be all-pervasive, pure consciousness , the power and primal substance of all that exists. Parashakti is regarded to possess form, unlike Parashiva, which is formless. According to Sivananda Saraswati , the lingam speaks unmistakable language of silence: "I am one without

2673-477: Is served by city bus service, which provides connectivity within the city and the suburbs. Minibus service operated by private companies cater to the local transport needs. The city bus routes to surrounding villages are to Puliparaipatti , Thayilpatti , Madathupatti Vilampatti , Alangulam , Vilampatti , Alangulam , M.Pudupatti , Alamarathupatti , Sengamalapatti, Muthalipatti, and Meenampatti. The main bus stand covers an area of 1.39 acres (5,600 m ) and

2772-690: Is shown that the said Skambha is put in place of the eternal Brahman . Just as the Yajna (sacrificial) fire, its smoke, ashes, and flames, the Soma plant, and the ox that used to carry on its back the wood for the Vedic sacrifice gave place to the conceptions of the brightness of Shiva's body, his tawny matted hair, his blue throat, and the riding on the bull of the Shiva, the Yupa-Skambha gave place in time to

2871-608: Is significant truck transport with around 400–450 trucks entering the city for loading and unloading activities daily. Three wheelers, called autos are also a common public transport system. Sivakasi railway station is located in the rail head from Madurai to Sengottai . It connects Tamil Nadu with Kerala through Rajapalayam and Sengottai . The Podhigai Express connects Sivakasi to Sengottai and Chennai Egmore in either directions. All other express trains ply from Virudunagar station. There are also passenger trains running either direction from Madurai to Shencottah. There

2970-589: Is that the Siva Lingam represents the phallus or the virile organ, the emblem of the generative power or principle in nature. This is not only a serious mistake but a grave blunder. In the post-Vedic period, the Linga has become symbolic of the generative power of Lord Siva. Linga is the differentiating mark. It is certainly not the sex mark. The traditional lingam rituals in major Shiva temples includes offerings of flowers, grass, dried rice, fruits, leaves, water and

3069-476: Is the gross body (sthūla śarīra), or concrete reality as it appears to the sense organs. In between the Ultimate and concrete reality is Prakṛti , also called Pradhana which is the imperceptible substratum of the manifest world or pre-matter. Out of this imperceptible cosmic substance, all things have come out, and to which they will return ultimately. The Gudimallam Lingam , one of the oldest examples of

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3168-554: Is the liūga of the thing. The insight of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad conveyed through the word liūga is formulated explicitly in Samkhya and schools of Yoga or ways of looking at things , that is, looking at their appearance and at Ultimate Reality. Liriga here denotes the subtle body , (liṇga śarīra) underlying and ontologically preceding anything perceptible. The perceptible state, in this context,

3267-440: Is the nodal center for firecracker manufacturing at the national level. In 2020 there are around 1070 registered firecracker manufacturing companies in sivakasi and 8 lakh (800,000) people were directly and indirectly employed by the industry. Some of the private enterprises had an annual turnover of ₹ 5 billion (US$ 60 million). In 2011, the combined estimated turnover of the firecracker, matchbox making and printing industry in

3366-493: Is transcendental, beyond any characteristic and, specifically, the sign of gender. The term also appears in early Indian texts on logic, where an inference is based on a sign (linga), such as "if there is smoke, there is fire" where the linga is the smoke. It is a religious symbol in Hinduism representing Shiva as the generative power, all of existence, all creativity and fertility at every cosmic level. In early Sanskrit medical texts, linga means "symptom, signs" and plays

3465-439: Is typically the primary murti or devotional image in Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva, also found in smaller shrines, or as self-manifested natural objects. Lingam, states Monier Monier-Williams , appears in the Upanishads and epic literature , where it means a "mark, sign, emblem, characteristic". Other contextual meanings of the term include "evidence, proof, symptom" of God and God's power. The word lingam

3564-659: The Rigveda , or the other Vedas. However, Rudra (proto-Shiva) is found in the Vedic literature. Worship of the lingam was not a part of the Vedic religion . The worship of the lingam originated from the famous hymn in the Atharva Veda Samhita sung in praise of the Yupa-Stambha , the sacrificial post. In that hymn, a description is found of the beginningless and endless Stambha or Skambha , and it

3663-520: The British . A major riot during the British Raj took place in 1899. Sivakasi has a dry weather, making it suitable for dry crops like cotton, chillies and millets. Badhrkali Amman temple is the most prominent landmark of Sivakasi, and the temple festivals constitute the major festivals of the city. AJ and Hatsun Indoor Stadium has a coaching center for badminton and is the major sporting venue of

3762-601: The Shiva-Linga . In the text Linga Purana , the same hymn is expanded in the shape of stories, meant to establish the glory of the great Stambha and the superiority of Shiva as Mahadeva. There is a hymn in the Atharvaveda that praises a pillar ( stambha ), and this is one possible origin of linga worship. According to Swami Vivekananda, the Shiva-linga had origins in the idea of Yupa-Stambha or Skambha of

3861-573: The Victorian mindset by avoiding the use of words such as penis, vulva, vagina and other direct or indirect sexual terms in the Sanskrit text to discuss sex, sexual relationships and human sexual positions. Burton used the terms lingam and yoni instead throughout the translation. This conscious and incorrect word substitution, states Doniger, thus served as an Orientalist means to "anthropologize sex, distance it, make it safe for English readers by assuring them, or pretending to assure them, that

3960-423: The Victorian mold where sex and sexual imagery were a taboo subject, were shocked by and were hostile to the lingam-yoni iconography and reverence they witnessed. The 19th and early 20th-century colonial and missionary literature described lingam-yoni , and related theology as obscene, corrupt, licentious, hyper-sexualized, puerile, impure, demonic and a culture that had become too feminine and dissolute. To

4059-409: The "formless Reality", the symbolization of merging of the 'primordial matter' ( Prakṛti ) with the 'pure consciousness' ( Purusha ) in transcendental context . The lingam-yoni iconography symbolizes the merging of microcosmos and macrocosmos , the divine eternal process of creation and regeneration, and the union of the feminine and the masculine that recreates all of existence. The lingam

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4158-477: The "indicative sign is in a Vedic passage". The term linga also appears in Buddhist and Jaina literature, where it means "sign, evidence" in one context, or "subtle body" with sexual connotations in another. The lingam of the Shaivism tradition is a short cylindrical pillar-like symbol of Shiva, made of stone, metal, gem, wood, clay or precious stones. Various styles of lingam iconography are found on

4257-542: The 101-150 band among engineering colleges in 2023. Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu Sivakasi is a city in Virudhunagar District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . The city is known for firecrackers and match factories that produce 70% of the country's produce. The printing industries in Sivakasi produce 30% of the total diaries produced in India. The industries in Sivakasi employ over 25,000 people and

4356-471: The 1961–71 period is attributed to the high level of industrialisation during the period. The density of population increased from 9,646 persons per km in 1991 to 10,613 persons per km in 2001. The wards along the Virudhunagar, Sattur, Srivilliputhur and Vembakottai corridors have registered increased commercial and residential activity. Majority of the residents are engaged in the secondary sector involving match works, fireworks, and printing industry. During

4455-537: The 2001 census, the occupational pattern indicated the increasing presence of the tertiary sector. The agricultural output of the city is limited, due to the lack of favourable geographical and climatic conditions. The Sivakasi municipality has 33 wards and there is an elected councillor for each of those wards. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, city planning and Information Technology (IT). All these departments are under

4554-585: The Hindus, particularly the Shaivites , these icons and ideas were the abstract, a symbol of the entirety of creation and spirituality. The colonial disparagement in part triggered the opposite reaction from Bengali nationalists, who more explicitly valorised the feminine. Swami Vivekananda called for the revival of the Mother Goddess as a feminine force, inviting his countrymen to "proclaim her to all

4653-519: The Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia. The historic lingam iconography has included: A lingam may be made of clay ( mrinmaya ), metal ( lohaja ), precious stone ( ratnaja ), wood ( daruja ), stone ( sailaja , most common), or a disposable material ( kshanika ). The construction method, proportions and design is described in Shaiva Agama texts. The lingam is typically set in

4752-738: The Mackay's hypothesis cannot be ruled out because erotic and sexual scenes such as ithyphallic males, naked females, a human couple having intercourse and trefoil imprints have now been identified at the Harappan sites. The "finely polished circular stand" found by Mackay may be yoni although it was found without the linga. The absence of linga, states Parpola, maybe because it was made from wood which did not survive. Indologist Wendy Doniger rejects Srinivasan's interpretation, and states that this relatively rare artifact can be interpreted in many ways and has unduly been used for wild speculations such as being

4851-668: The Madurai region during the 16th century. Madurai became independent from the Vijayanagar Empire in 1559 under the Nayaks . Nayak rule ended in 1736 and Madurai was repeatedly captured several times by Chanda Sahib (1740–1754), Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan (1725–1764) in the middle of the 18th century. In 1801, Madurai came under the direct control of the British East India Company and

4950-538: The Shiva tradition is "only a symbol of the productive and creative principle of nature as embodied in Shiva", and it has no historical trace in any obscene phallic cult. According to Alex Wayman, various works on Shaivism by some Indian authors, following the Shaiva philosophical texts and spiritual interpretations, "deny that the linga is a phallus." To the Shaivites, a linga is neither a phallus nor do they practice

5049-628: The Sivakasi Electricity Distribution Circle. A Chief Distribution engineer is stationed at the regional headquarters. Water supply is provided by the Sivakasi Municipality from the Vaippar river through eight reservoirs and six feeders located in various parts of the city. In the period 2000–2001, a total of 6.5 million litres of water was supplied every day for households in the city. As per

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5148-656: The Sivakasi subdivision of the Tamil Nadu Police headed by a Deputy Superintendent. There are three police stations in the city, one of them being an all-women police station. There are special units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at the district level police division headed by a Superintendent of Police. In 2011, there were five government schools: two primary schools, one middle school, one high school and one higher secondary school. There were ten other private schools in

5247-421: The Vedic rituals, where the term meant the sacrificial post which was then idealized as the eternal Brahman . The Yupa-Skambha gave place in time to the Shiva-Linga , quite possibly with influence from Buddhism's stupa shaped like the top of a stone linga, according to Vivekananda. Shvetashvatara Upanishad states that, of the three significations of Lingam , the primary one is " the imperishable Purusha ",

5346-549: The absolute reality , whereby the linga is "sign", a mark that provides the existence of Brahman , which is itself formless. Furthermore, it mentioned that Shiva is transcendent, beyond any characteristic or liūga , specifically the sign of gender. Linga, "sign", not only signifies the existence of perceptible "things" but also denotes the imperceptible essence of "a thing" or pieces of Brahman called Atma even before that thing has come to exist in any concrete form. The imperceptible essence of "a thing", in its potentiality,

5445-467: The adult members of the family and contribution to the corpus fund by the state government. From the establishment of child labour Act in 1986 till 2011, 150,000 inspections on child labour have been conducted in the factories, 1,500 cases have been registered and few prosecutions have been made. The results indicated a small amount of child labour in the cottage and household industries. The Sivakasi municipality maintains 65.151 km (40.483 mi) of

5544-611: The age of six, constituting 3,474 males and 3,489 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 8.35% and 0.25% of the population, respectively. The average literacy of the city was 79.62%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The city had a total of 18,952 households. There were a total of 29,342 workers, comprising 22 cultivators, 135 main agricultural labourers, 955 in household industries, 27,662 other workers, 568 marginal workers, 6 marginal cultivators, 3 marginal agricultural labourers, 79 marginal workers in household industries and 480 other marginal workers. As per

5643-582: The archaeological sites at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro , part of the Indus Valley civilisation . According to Chakravarti, "some of the stones found in Mohenjodaro are unmistakably phallic stones". These are dated to some time before 2300 BCE. Similarly, states Chakravarti, the Kalibangan site of Harappa has a small terracotta representation that "would undoubtedly be considered the replica of

5742-463: The bust of a male with his left hand holding a vase and the right hand in the abhaya (no-fear) mudra. The pillar itself is, once again, a realistic depiction of phallus but neither symbolizes fertility nor sexuality, but the refined energetic principles of Urdhva Retas during Sannyasa or Asceticism . The Mathura archaeological site has revealed similar lingams, with a standing Shiva in front (2nd century CE) and with one or four faces around

5841-403: The center of a pindika (also called yoni or pithas, symbolizing Shakti). A pindika may be circular, square, octagonal, hexagonal, duodecagonal, sixteen sided, elliptical, triangular or another shape. Some lingams are miniaturized and they are carried on one's person, such as by Lingayats in a necklace. These are called chala-lingams . The Hindu temple design manuals recommend geometric ratios for

5940-587: The centrality of the energetic principle of Urdhva Retas ( Sanskrit : ऊर्ध्वरेतस् IAST : Ūrdhvaretas , lit. "ascent of vital energies or fluid") the upward flow of energy in spiritual pursuits and practice of celibacy ( Brahmacarya ), contrary to fertility or release of vital energies. Lakulisa as an ascetic manifestation of Shiva is seen in later peninsular Indian scriptures whose ithyphallic aspects connotes asceticism and conserved procreative potentialities ( Brahmacarya or celibacy ), rather than mere eroticism . According to Stella Kramrisch,

6039-704: The citizens. In 2011, the municipality maintained a total of 2,584 street lamps: 322 sodium lamps, 125 mercury vapour lamps, 2,136 tube lights and one high mast beam lamp. The municipality operates two markets, namely the Anna Daily Market and Viswanatham Municipal Meat Market that cater to the needs of the city and the rural areas around it. The economy of Sivakasi is dependent on three major industries: firecrackers, matchbox manufacturing, and printing. The city has 520 registered printing industries, 53 match factories, 32 chemical factories, seven soda factories, four flour mills and two rice and oil mills. The city

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6138-404: The city and the sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks, open drains and public conveniences. The municipality maintained a total of 85.87 km (53.36 mi) of storm water drains in 2011. In 2011, there was one government hospital, three municipal health centres, one municipal maternity home and 25 private hospitals and clinics that take care of the healthcare needs of

6237-412: The city was around ₹ 20 billion (US$ 240 million). Approximately 70% of the firecrackers and matches produced in India are from Sivakasi. The hot and dry climate of the city is conducive to the firecracker and matchbox making industries. The raw materials for these industries were procured from Sattur earlier but were discontinued due to the high power and production cost. The source of raw materials

6336-550: The city. Sivakasi is a part of Sivakasi constituency and elects its member of legislative assembly every five years, and a part of the Virudhunagar constituency that elects its member of parliament. Sivakasi is locally administered by a municipal corporation which covers an area of 6.8 km (2.6 sq mi). Roadways is the major mode of transport to the city, while it has also got rail connectivity. As of 2021, Sivakasi has an estimated population of 160,047. Sivakasi

6435-586: The city. There were two engineering colleges in the city, with the Mepco Schlenk Engineering College being prominent among them. There were three arts and science colleges and three polytechnic colleges in the city. Sri Kaliswari College is located within the city. Electricity supply to Sivakasi is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The city along with its suburbs forms

6534-530: The common term for lingam is kuRi or "sign, mark" which is asexual. Similarly, in Lingayatism tradition, the lingam is a spiritual symbol and "was never said to have any sexual connotations", according to Doniger. According to Dasgupta, the lingam symbolizes Shiva in Hinduism, and it is also a phallic symbol. Some extant ancient ligams, such as the Gudimallam Lingam , unambiguously depict

6633-572: The constituency is AMSG. ASHOKAN from Indian National Congress. During the 1957 elections, Sivakasi was a part of Srivilliputhur constituency and was held by the Indian National Congress and an independent after the by-elections. During the 1962 elections, the city was a part of Aruppukkottai constituency and was held by the Forward Block party. Since 1967, the city has been a part of Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency ;

6732-481: The constituency was won by AIADMK five times (1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, and 2014), MDMK three times (1998, 1999, and 2004 ), and once each by Swathanthara Party (1967), DMK (1971), INC (1977), and Communist Party of India (CPI, 1996). The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is Manicka Tagore from the Indian National Congress . Law and order in the city are maintained by

6831-492: The control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 33 members, one each from the 33 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson. On 24 August 2021, the government announced the upgrading of Sivakasi city to Sivakasi City Municipal Corporation. Sivakasi comes under the Sivakasi assembly constituency and it elects

6930-419: The esoteric Kaula and Tantra practices, as well as the Shaivism and Shaktism traditions of Hinduism. The lingam and yoni together symbolize the merging of microcosmos and macrocosmos , the divine eternal process of creation and regeneration, and the union of the feminine and the masculine that recreates all of existence. The lingam is regarded as the "outward symbol" of the "formless Reality",

7029-595: The estimated turnover of the firecracker, match making and printing industries in the city is around ₹ 20 billion (US$ 240 million). The major issues in the city are the frequent accidents in the firecracker factories and the high level of child labour. Sivakasi was established in the 15th century during the reign of the Pandya king Harikesari Parakkirama Pandian. The city was a part of Madurai and has been ruled at various times by Later Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire , Madurai Nayaks , Chanda Sahib , Carnatic kingdom and

7128-517: The fireworks industry in Sivakasi is child labour and frequent accidents. In a blast in 1991 in a factory, 39 people were killed and 65 others were injured. In July 2009, more than 40 people were killed in a fire accident in a firecracker unit. The police traced out unregistered units and irregularities that led to the accident. In a fire accident in August 2011, seven people were killed and five were seriously injured. A similar fire accident and blast in

7227-641: The form of cylindrical rocks or ice or rocky hill. These are called Svayambhuva lingam, and about 70 of these are known on the Indian subcontinent, the most significant being one in Kashi ( Varanasi ) followed by Prayaga, Naimisha and Gaya. The colonial-era archaeologists John Marshall and Ernest Mackay proposed that certain artifacts found at Harappan sites may be evidence of yoni-linga worship in Indus Valley Civilization. Jones and Ryan state that lingam/yoni shapes have been recovered from

7326-598: The industries, especially in matchbox making factories, was at its peak during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1981, the child workforce in the age group 4–16 was 30% of the total workforce, 90% of whom were girls. In 1986, the National Child Labour project estimated child labour in Sivakasi matchbox making industries to be 14,121 children. The estimates indicated 80% of the child labour belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), who were marginalised for centuries for cheap labour. Poverty and lack of farm produce were stated as

7425-473: The interpretation of the so-called ring-stones as yonis seems untenable". He quotes Dales 1984 paper, which states "with the single exception of the unidentified photography of a realistic phallic object in Marshall's report, there is no archaeological evidence to support claims of special sexually-oriented aspects of Harappan religion". However, adds Parpola, a re-examination at Indus Valley sites suggest that

7524-714: The intervention of the military in mid-July 1899. The Sivakasi municipality was established in 1920. After India's independence from the British in 1947, Sivakasi continued to be a municipality under the Madras state and later a part of Tamil Nadu , when the state was split on linguistic lines during 1953, 1956 and 1960 and renamed in 1968. It was promoted to a second-grade municipality in 1978, first-grade in 1978, selection-grade in 1998, special-grade in 2013 and proposed to be upgraded as municipal corporation in 2017. On 31-December-2020, both Sivakasi and Thiruthangal are merged with

7623-442: The linga, the sanctum and the various architectural features of the temple according to certain mathematical rules it considers perfect and sacred. Anthropologist Christopher John Fuller states that although most sculpted images ( murtis ) are anthropomorphic or theriomorphic, the aniconic Shiva Linga is an important exception. The lingam is conceptualized both as an emblem of generative and destructive power, particularly in

7722-509: The lingam icon with the male sexual organ; the 11th-century Kashmir text Narmamala by Kshemendra on satire and fiction writing explains his ideas on parallelism with divine lingam and human lingam in a sexual context. Various Shaiva texts, such as the Skanda Purana in section 1.8 states that all creatures have the signs of Shiva or Shakti through their lingam (male sexual organ) or pindi (female sexual organ). According to Doniger,

7821-399: The main reason for child labour. The employers also preferred children because of ease of management, discipline, and lack of labour unions. The children in these industries suffered from a backache, neckache, tuberculosis, malnutrition, gastrointestinal disorders, dermatitis, respiratory disorders, over-exhaustion, burn injuries and water-borne diseases due to exposure to harmful chemicals in

7920-405: The more sensual aspects of their own religious literature". Some contemporary Hindus, states Doniger, in their passion to spiritualize Hinduism and for their Hindutva campaign have sought to sanitize the historic earthly sexual meanings, and insist on the abstract spiritual meaning only. The sexualization is criticized by Stella Kramrisch and Moriz Winternitz who opines that the lingam in

8019-586: The most prominent mosques in the city. The CSI Regland Memorial Church is the prominent church. AJ Indoor Stadium on Velayutham Road, a coaching center for badminton, table tennis, and basketball. This is a major sporting venue in Sivakasi. Many district, state and national level badminton championship matches are held in this stadium. Lingam This is an accepted version of this page Saiddhantika Non - Saiddhantika A lingam ( Sanskrit : लिङ्ग IAST : liṅga , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga ,

8118-407: The municipal data for 2011, about 45 metric tonnes of solid waste were collected from Sivakasi every day by door-to-door collection and subsequently the source segregation and dumping was carried out by the sanitary department of the Sivakasi municipality. The coverage of solid waste management in the city by the municipality had an efficiency of 100% in 2001. There is no underground drainage system in

8217-532: The nature of Atman (Self) and Sarira (body, prakriti ) and its proposed mechanism of rebirth. In the Purva Mimamsa Sutra and the Vedanta sutra , as well as the commentaries on them, the term linga appears quite often, particularly in the form of "lingadarsanacca" as a form of citing or referencing prior Hindu literature. This phrase connotes "[we have found an] indicative sign", such as

8316-576: The pictorial symbol of the Gudimallam lingam should not be mistaken for fertility or eroticism, due to incomplete or impure understanding of the underlying refined principles. The Bhita linga – now at the Lucknow museum – is also dated to about the 2nd century BCE, and has four directional faces on the pillar and a Brahmi script inscription at the bottom. Above the four faces, the Bhita linga has

8415-408: The prized lingam, he rested under the grove of a vilva tree, the favourite tree of Shiva. When a cow carrying the lingam refused to move from the spot, the king realised that the wishes of Shiva were different from his own, and he placed the lingam in the place where the cow halted. The place where the "Shiva lingam brought from Kasi" was installed came to be known as Sivakasi. Sivakasi was a part of

8514-503: The rainfall is received during the North East monsoon in the months of October, November and December. The average humidity of the city is 76.2% and varies between 65.6% to 79.2%. The municipality covers an area of 6.8 km (6,800,000 m ). According to 2011 census , Sivakasi had a population of 71,040 with a sex-ratio of 1,009 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 6,963 were under

8613-456: The rehabilitation of children withdrawn from these factories. In 1988, the union labour ministry initiated a programme for providing informal education, free healthcare and free lunch for children working in the factories. The Supreme Court of India , in a judgement, ruled in December 1996 indicating provisions for preventing child labour like compensation for the child employed, employment to

8712-457: The religious census of 2011, Sivakasi had 85.42% Hindus , 9.21% Muslims , 5% Christians , 0.01% Sikhs , 0.06% Jains , 0.08% following other religions and 0.01% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference. In 2001, 16 slums were identified in the city and a total of 34,029 people resided in the slums. The slum population increased from 42% to 47% during the period of 1991–2001. The high decadal growth of population during

8811-548: The road. The city has 13.035 km (8.100 mi) concrete road and 52.116 km (32.383 mi) bituminous road. A total of 2.5 km (1.6 mi) of state highways is maintained by the State Highways Department. Four major roads connect the city with Sattur , Virudhunagar , Srivilliputhur and Vembakottai ; there are no bypass roads around the city. There are eight major intersections located across different parts in these major roads. Sivakasi

8910-503: The student population stays on campus in hostels. The single gender hostels, five for men and five for women, are named after important rivers in India: Boys' hostels Girls' hostels Clubs and professional organisations at Mepco serve as an important nodal point in students' lives. Students perform managerial, organisational and participatory roles in these groups. The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranked it in

9009-414: The symbolization of merging of the 'primordial matter' ( Prakṛti ) with the 'pure consciousness' ( Purusha ) in transcendental context . Sivaya Subramuniyaswami elaborates that the lingam signifies three perfections of Shiva . The upper oval part of the lingam represents Parashiva and the lower part of the lingam, called the pitha, represents Parashakti . In the representation of Parashiva, Shiva

9108-497: The text was not about real sexual organs, their sexual organs, but merely about the appendages of weird, dark people far away." Similar Orientalist literature of the Christian missionaries and the British era, states Doniger, stripped all spiritual meanings and insisted on the Victorian vulgar interpretation only, which had "a negative effect on the self-perception that Hindus had of their own bodies" and they became "ashamed of

9207-407: The work environment. The situation of the child labour came to light during an accident of a bus transporting the children in 1976. The central government appointed a one-man committee under Harbans Singh in 1978, who reported abolishing child labour would seriously impact the economy of the region. The National Policy on child labour was formulated by the central government in August 1987, aiming at

9306-487: The world with the voice of peace and benediction". According to Doniger, the terms lingam and yoni became explicitly associated with human sexual organs in the western imagination after the widely popular first Kamasutra translation by Sir Richard Burton in 1883. In his translation, even though the original Sanskrit text does not use the words lingam or yoni for sexual organs, and almost always uses other terms, Burton adroitly avoided being viewed as obscene to

9405-438: The worship of erotic penis-vulva, rather the linga-yoni is a symbol of cosmic mysteries, the creative powers and the metaphor for the spiritual truths of their faith. According to Swami Sivananda , the correlation of the linga and phallus is wrong; the lingam is only the external symbol of Shiva's formless being. He further states that it is the light or power of consciousness, manifesting from Sadashiva . The popular belief

9504-404: The worshipper should install and worship the five-faced and ten-armed Sadāśiva, the form of Shiva who is the focal divinity of that school of Shaivism. Scholars, such as Wendy Doniger and Rohit Dasgupta , view linga as extrapolations of what was originally a phallic symbol. According to Doniger, there is persuasive evidence in later Sanskrit literature that the early Indians associated

9603-542: The year. The temperature ranges from a maximum of 39 °C (102 °F) to a minimum of 23 °C (73 °F). Like the rest of the state, April to June are the hottest months and December to January are the coldest. Sivakasi receives scanty rainfall with an average of 812 mm (32.0 in) annually, which is lesser than the state average of 1,008 mm (39.7 in). The Southwest monsoon, with an onset in June and lasting up to August, brings scanty rainfall. The bulk of

9702-593: Was annexed to the Madras Presidency . The mutual confrontation between the Maravars and Nadars reached its peak in 1899, leading to a series of riots which became known as the Sivakasi riots . A total of 22 people were killed, as many as 800 houses and the Big Chariot in the center of the city (used by the temple during festivals) were burnt during the riots. Eventually, the riots came to an end after

9801-424: Was established during the early 15th century CE. Between 1428 and 1460, a Pandya king Harikesari Parakkirama Pandian ruled the southern part of Madurai region (comprising modern-day Sivakasi and its surroundings). Hindu legend relates that he wanted to construct a temple for the Hindu god Shiva at Tenkasi and went to Kasi to bring a lingam (an iconic representation of Shiva). While returning to his palace with

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