Ariyalur District

The district headquarters is located at Ariyalur. The district encompasses an area of 1,949.31 km².

Ariyalur District
District
Brihadiswara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, bus stand road in Jayankondam, Cholagangam Lake, Kodandaramaswamy Temple, Ariyalur, Thirumazhapadi Siva Temple
Nickname:  Cement city
Location in Tamil Nadu
Ariyalur district
Coordinates: 11°08′13″N 79°04′33″E / 11.13704°N 79.075821°E / 11.13704; 79.075821
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
Headquarters	Ariyalur
Taluks	Ariyalur, Sendurai, Udayarpalayam, Andimadam
Government
• District Collector	P. Ramana Saraswathi, IAS
• Superintendent of Police	K. Feroze Khan Abdullah
Area
• Total	1,949.31 km2 (752.63 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	754,894
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	TN 61
Website	ariyalur.nic.in

Gangaikonda Cholapuram, built by King Rajendra Cholan of Chola Empire, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in this district. The district is also known for its rich prehistoric fossils. Many fossils of gigantic molluscs and jawed fishes, at least one fossilized dinosaur egg, and several fragmentary fossils of sauropod and theropod dinosaurs have been discovered here. An on-site museum is being set up at Keelapazhur to preserve and conserve fossils. Ariyalur is noted for its cement industries and Jayankondam has huge reserves of lignite.

In 1995, Tiruchirappalli was trifurcated and the Perambalur and Karur districts were formed. Ariyalur district was carved out of Perambalur district on 1 January 2001. But, it was merged with Perambalur district on 31 March 2002. Ariyalur district was re-carved on 23 November 2007. The district is bordered by the districts of Cuddalore to the north and north-east, Mayiladuthurai to the east, Thanjavur to the south and south-east, Tiruchirapalli to the south-west and Perambalur to the west.^{[citation needed]}

Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikondacholapuram

Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Jayankondam, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Completed in 1035 CE by Rajendra Chola I as a part of his new capital, this Chola dynasty era temple is similar in design, and has a similar name, as the older 11th century, Brihadeeswarar Temple about 70 km (43 mi) to the southwest in Thanjavur. The Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple is smaller yet more refined than the Thanjavur Temple. Both are among the largest Shiva temples in South India and examples of Dravidian style temples.

According to the 2011 census, Ariyalur district has a population of 754,894, roughly equal to the nation of Guyana or the US state of Alaska. This gives it a ranking of 491 in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 387 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,000/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 8.19%. Ariyalur has a sex ratio of 1016 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 71.99%. 11.01% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 23.34% and 1.42% of the population, respectively. As of 2011 it is the third least populous district of Tamil Nadu (out of 32), after Perambalur and Nilgiris. Jayankondam is the most populated town in Ariyalur district. Tamil is the predominant language, spoken by 99.27% of the population.

• Gangaikonda Cholapuram
• Jayankondam
• Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary
• Thirumazhapadi
• Kamarasavalli
• Govindaputtur
• Fossil Museum, Ariyalur.
• Ariyalur Perumal Temple
• Udayarpala Palace
• Ariyalur – Kodandarmaswamy Kovil
• Elakurichi Church
• Kallankurichi Kaliya Perumal Kovil

are the district's important places to visit.

Ariyalur is well connected to the neighborhood districts i.e., Thanjavur, Thiruchirappalli, Perambalur and Cuddalore districts via Road.

TNSTC having its Depot in Ariyalur and its operates its mofussil busses regularly to neighborhood cities, Thanjavur, Thiruchirappalli, Perambalur, Jayankondam, Kumbakonam, Vridachalam, Chidambaram, Pattukkottai, Thittagudi, Thiruvaiyaru, Thuraiyur, Namakkal, Velankanni etc. and long haul services i.e., Chennai, Salem, Madurai, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Kumuli. We have frequent busses to Thanjavur, Perambalur, Trichy, Sendurai, Jayankondam and Kumbakonam in Ariyalur Bus stand.

RAILWAY STATION The Ariyalur Railway station is one of the prominent station which is located in the Chennai - Trichy Chord line. The Station recorded almost 12 Lakhs passenger in the year 2018. From the station, you can board into whereas parts of India.

Ariyalur is well connected to Chennai Egmore

• List of districts of Tamil Nadu
• List of villages in Ariyalur district