Temple Town and the Railway 

 
A Case of Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli 

Ankush Chandran 
M.Arch. - UD 
Semester 1
Introduction
Large-scale infrastructural undertakings such as roadways, railways, irrigation
projects, etc. have historically had a tremendous effect on the cities they have come
up in. In case of the railways, it has had varied roles - from networking inaccessible
places (like Darjeeling) to facilitating large scale movement of people (Madras -
Kolkata Line). However, such an effect is not without consequence.

Invariably, infrastructural undertakings such as the railways, have ramifications on

the nature of economic activity and society that they occur in. It would be interesting
to study the nature of change that occurs. Such change would hypothetically be most
profound in cases where the town or city has a single dominant mode of economy.
The temple towns of India offer an appropriate archetype. The social structure and
economy of these towns is largely based around the temple, which is usually central
to the town, both geographically and metaphorically.

The case of the temple town of Srirangam in Tiruchirapalli (or Trichy) has been
selected for the purpose of this study. The town exists in the city of Trichy, as an
island formed by the bifurcation of the river Kaveri (Cauvery) into two branches -
Kollidam (Coleroon) and Kaveri (Cauvery). The Srirangam Municipality exists as part
of Tiruchirapalli city today, which is the main commercial centre in proximity to the
temple town, as it was in colonial times.

Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli

Much of the academic discourse around Srirangam has been based on the
functioning of the temple itself and the life of the people based on the temple. It
would be interesting to observe the growth of Srirangam, based upon other
parameters such as the coming of the railways to the town during the British period.
Methodology
The research was undertaken with the following underlying methodology -

● Historical study of the two facets, namely - the Temple Town of Srirangam
and the development of the Railways in Trichy.

● Study of the society and economics as existent in Srirangam prior to

intervention by the railways.

● Analysis of the factors that acted as the impetus to set up the railway line.

● Quantitative analysis of the economy of the town before and after the coming
of the railway line.

The paper first looks at the history of the Temple Town of Srirangam, its
development as an important place of pilgrimage, the various events in history
associated with it, etc.

The paper then looks at the nature of development of the railways through Indian
history. It analyses the various events in this process such as the development of the
various railway companies in colonial times, their amalgamation, formation of
divisions of the railway leading upto the modern Indian Railway system.

Subsequently, the paper explores the intersection of the two facets i.e. the Temple
Town and the Railways to analyse the factors that caused the overlap of the two and
the resultant economic and ensuing societal changes induced.
‘Bhoologa Vaikuntham’ - Heaven on Earth - The Temple Town

The temple town of Srirangam has a unique mythological as well as historical story,
one that is often a blend of myth and fact. It holds a unique place as the largest
functional Vishnu temple complex in the world (considering the main temple as well
as the Prakarams that surround the temple), second only to the now defunct Angkor
Vat.

According to the Vedas, the Vimana adornment on top of the main tower of
Srirangam temple is believed to have come out of the Ocean of Milk (Tamil:
paarkadal​) with the powers of Brahma deva, one of the three main Gods of
Hinduism.

One of the myths that revolve around the situation of the temple is that the deity of
the temple is in fact an idol of Lord Vishnu in a reclining position that Lord Ram is
believed to have performed poojas on. As a token of love, Lord Ram gifted the idol to
Vibhishana, the brother of Raavana, to take back to Sri Lanka. However, there was a
condition attached which stated that Vibhishana was not to set the idol on earth and
if he did so, the idol would set itself in the spot permanently. During his travels,
Vibhishana, with the idol, came upon the banks of the river Kaveri during the
Utsavam​., wherein he was required to perform poojas for the lord for which he
placed the idol on the banks of the river. When the ​Utsavam​ was over, Vibhishana
tried to lift the idol, but it refused to move. A heartbroken Vibhishana begged Lord
Vishnu to come along, but he refused. The Lord however promised Vibhishana that
he would bless him by always facing the direction of his home, Sri Lanka i.e. South.
The deity in Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is in fact the only idol in India to face the
south direction.The Ranganathaswamy Temple is the chief temple of the
Vaishnavites, a Hindu faction that worships Lord Vishnu.

Srirangam is also home to Jambukeshwarar Akilandeswari Temple, dedicated to

Lord Shiva. It is one of the 5 main abodes of Lord Shiva or ​Panchaboodha Sthalam​.
The temple is home to the Shaivites, the Hindu faction that worships Lord Shiva.

According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India Vol 23, the construction of the two
temples began at the same time. It points to a multi-polar pattern of origin of the
island with a strong connect with each other. This connect was however lost with the
coming of the quarrels between the Shaivites and Vaishnavites.1

1
Henry, F., 1908. The Imperial Gazetteer of India Vol XXIII - Singhbhum - Trashi-Chod-Zong, The
Clarendon Press.

“In the third is a coconut grove, in which is a small tank and temple, whither the image from the great
Vaishnav pagoda was formerly brought for one day in the year. This practice has been abandoned,
owing to quarrels between Saivites and Vaishnavites. Traces of a wall, which was built in
consequence to mark the boundary between Srirangam and Jambukeswaram, are still visible.”
From Tiruchirapalli to Trichinopoly to Trichy

Tiruchirapalli - Original name

Trichinopoly - Anglicised British name
Trichy - Modern use

The original Tamil name Tiruchirapalli is derived from derived from ​Trisira​ ( 'the three
- headed ') and ​palli​ ('a town'), the legend being that the place is named after Trisira,
the three-headed brother of Raavana, who once held sway there. He was a devout
worshipper of Shiva, goes the story,and one day when that Shiva did not appear to
him when invoked, he struck off, in his mortification, first one of his heads and then
another. However, before he could complete his decapitation,Shiva appeared to him
and subsequently granted his prayer that the village and the local deity should bear
his name. The place is called Trisirapalli in the local ​puranas​.2

The city of Tiruchirapalli or Trichy, as it shall be henceforth referred to in the paper,

has borne witness to many important events of the history of the Deccan. While a
detailed reading of these events is neither necessary nor within the scope of this
paper, a broad understanding of these events is certainly required. Over the course
of nearly 2000 years, Trichy has been ruled by numerous rulers and groups,
reflecting the political climate of the region and the country. The following timeline
has been built by the author, based on sources that include the District Gazetteers
under the Raj, research work by scholars, etc.The eras are indicative of the
beginning of respective rule of the dynasties or groups in the city of Trichy only :

Beginning of Rule Dynasty / Rulers

2​nd​ Century C.E. Cholas

Early to mid 13​th​ Century C.E. Hoysalas

Late 13​th​ Century C.E. Pandyas

Early 14​th​ Century C.E. Mohammedans under Malik Kafur, general of

Ala-ud-Din Khilji

14​th​ Century C.E. Vijayanagara rulers

16​th ​Century C.E. Naik rules of Madura

1741 Marathas

1744 Nawabs of Arcot

2
Hemingway, F.R., 1907. Madras District Gazetteers: Trichinopoly, Superintendent, Government
Press.
 1749 - 1761 Carnatic Wars

1763 Treaty of Paris - placed under the rule of

Nawab of Carnatic

1790 Failed attempt at siege by Tipu Sultan

1801 Ceded to British

Each subsequent dynasty/ruler left a significant mark on the architecture and

planning of Srirangam and Trichy.

Map of Srirangam and Trichy during the Carnatic Wars.

The Railways

This section attempts to present the history of the railways in India in broad terms, so
as to enable a more focussed analysis of the intersection between the railways and
Srirangam in the next section.

The origin of railways in India was not with the first train to Thane from Bombay in
1853, as is generally thought. Instead, the railways in India started with the Red Hill
Railroad near Madras in 1837.3 It was an experimental line laid near Chintadripet for
carrying granite stone. Subsequently, the East India Railway (EIR) and the Madras
Railway Company (MRC) were formed in 1845. However, the proliferation of the
railways in India occurred largely due to the inductance of the Guarantee System in
1849, which meant free land to the railway companies, 5% guaranteed interest per
annum, with the condition that after the expiry of lease in 25 or 50 years, the whole
line would become the property of the Government.4

The first commercial passenger train ran in South India in 1856. An important event
in the history of the railways in India was the creation of the Great Southern of India
Railways (GSIR) in 1858 as a guaranteed railway. Subsequently, the GSIR line
between Nagapattinam and Trichnopoly, became the first contract line of the GSIR in
1861. Interestingly, in the same year, the Bombay Baroda Central India railways
opened the Churchgate station in Bombay.

The railways in South India saw the merging of several railway companies into a
single entity.5 A chronological list of the mergers is as follows :

● 1874 - GSIR + Carnatic Railway Company = South Indian Railway Company

(SIRC)
● 1880 - Pondicherry Railways Company merged with SIRC
● 1951 - SIRC + Nilgiri Railway Company + Southern Mahratta Railway
Company + East Coast Railway Company = Southern Railway

Hence, Southern Railway, the first railway zone to be created in independent India is
an amalgamation of 5 large railway companies along with some other small
companies.

As of 2001, the Southern Railway was divided into 5 zones - Madurai, Palghat,
Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirapalli and Chennai (the Headquarters).

3
Bhandari, R.R., 2005. Indian railways : Glorious 150 years, New Delhi: Publications Division,
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India.
4
Khosla, G.S., 1988. A History of Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways (Railway Board), Government
of India; Allahabad: AH Wheeler & Company.
5
Kerr, I.J., 2007. Engines of change: the railroads that made India, Greenwood Publishing Group.
The Town and the Railways - Intersection

This section attempts to look at the state of society in Srirangam and Trichy through
the ages and the various events that point to the need of railways in the region. The
section also tries to analyse the change in direction of economic pursuit, from
agrarian or temple-based to non-agrarian activities.

Through most of the history of Srirangam, the economic activity of the town has been
based around agriculture for subsistence and temple-related activities. The biggest
undertakings in the town, setting aside the coming of the railways, were for the
betterment of irrigation and hence, subsistence based on agriculture. During the
reign of Cholas in 2​nd​ Century C.E., the Grand Anaicut was built across the Kaveri
river, in order to facilitate the irrigation of lands in the south of the island.6 This is the
oldest surviving dam in the world today, although it has now been upgraded.

Grand Anaicut dam, constructed in 2​nd​ Century C.E.

Due to the fact that the island itself was cut-off from the rest of the town and access
to the island was limited (through small boats or by the road built on the Grand
Anaicut), economic activity was restricted to agriculture for subsistence as well as
religious tourism based on the temple.

6
Pujari, R.M., Kolhe, P. & Kumar, N.R., 2006. Pride of India: A Glimpse Into India’s Scientific
Heritage, Samskrita Bharati.
Post colonisation, the British undertook various infrastructural projects across the
country. In Srirangam, this translated to the construction of the Upper Anaicut dam in
1838, to check the growing problem of silting in the lower branch of the Kaveri river.
This was accompanied by the construction of a 150 yard calingula in the south of the
island.7

Upper Anaicut dam, constructed in 1838.

Thus far, it is observed that the chief activity of the temple town is unaffected, and
large scale infrastructure projects such as the dams serve to strengthen the existing
nature of economic activity.

The Great Southern of India Railways (GSIR) built the first contract line from
Nagapattinam to Trichnopoly in 1861. This coincides with the European stationing of
troops in Trichy as a means of consolidation and defence against the French.8 The
railway network in much of the country was used to strengthen the colonial military
functions and it can be assumed that the same happened in case of Trichy. This
marks the first arrival of the railway line in the Trichy region.

In the late 1890s, a new problem had to be tackled. The Kaveri river was receiving
more water than it could carry, which led to many serious floods. The presence of
the Nagapattinam - Trichinopoly line meant that it was possible to transport large
quantities of material for large-scale construction work more efficiently. Between
1899 and 1904, the Upper Anaicut dam was reconstructed and the age-old Grand
Anaicut was remodelled to allow for more efficient passage of water.9

An interesting development took place in 1902, when the Tiruchirapalli -

Tirukkoyilur(in South Arcot) line was proposed before the District Board for
development from Imperial funds. This development can be linked to the
reconstruction of the dams as was the case in other infrastructure projects in the
country. The setting up of the Tiruchirapalli - Tirukkoyilur line also followed the logic

7
Hemingway, F.R., 1907. Madras District Gazetteers: Trichinopoly, Superintendent, Government
Press.
8
Henry, F., 1908. The Imperial Gazetteer Of India Vol XXIV - Travancore-Zira, The Clarendon Press.
9
Ibid.
of collection of handsome revenue upon creation of the connection.10 For the first
time, the impetus for the railways began to separate itself from the general economic
activity of Trichy and shift towards the goal of profit making for the imperial
institutions.

It is critical at this juncture, to note the state of economic activity of Srirangam and
Trichy and observe the proportion of agricultural subsistence activity with respect to
other economic undertakings. According to the Census of 1901, 73% of the
population of Srirangam was engaged in agricultural pursuits and 2% in pastoral
pursuits.11 This is however not due to the absence of alternate economic activities.
According to a report on ‘Occupation and Trade’ in the Madras District Gazetteer 12,
other production activities included ​Cheroot​ (local cigars, which are still prevalent as
offerings to the temple), tanneries, oil from oil-presses, tobacco, etc. These however
accounted only for 5-8% of the total population engaged in economic activity. As an
example of the statistics, a small part of the report is quoted as thus - ​“Cheroots are
said to be made by some 5,000 persons in as many as 200 factories in Trichinopoly
town, but only nineteen of
these factories are of any size, the rest being quite insignificant.” ​This translates to
4.7% of the population.

Hence, it can be observed that while there exist a number of alternative eonomic
activities, a significantly large majority of the population (73%) was still engaged in
agricultural activities.

During the first half of the 20th Century, the various railway companies in South India
were consolidated under a single entity. This allowed more efficient use of resources
and this period saw the development of infrastructure like railway workshops.
Significant to the region of Trichy was the setting up of the Golden Rock Railway
Workshop in 1928.13 The workshop functions included Periodic Overhaul (POH) of
locomotives, wagon manufacturing, manufacture of components and maintenance of
locomotives. The workshop was previously situated in Nagapattinam.It clearly
ushered in an era of greater relevance to the railways in the immediate region. It also
provided new employment opportunities to the town. Currently, the workshop
employs more than 2300 people.

The Southern Railway was formed in 1951 through the amalgamation of South
Indian Railway Company, Nilgiri Railway Company, Southern Mahratta Railway
Company and the East Coast Railway Company. Having established the
geographical importance of the region, Trichy division was formed in 1956.

10
Hemingway, F.R., 1907. Madras District Gazetteers: Trichinopoly, Superintendent, Government
Press.

“It has been suggested that if the Trichinopoly-Tirukkoyilur chord is constructed and the Cauvery
bridged, a line running along the north bank of the Cauvery and Coleroon would pay well.”

11
Francis, W., 1902. Census of India, 1901, Vol. XV: Madras, Part I: report.
12
Hemingway, F.R., 1907. Madras District Gazetteers: Trichinopoly, Superintendent, Government
Press.
13
Karuppia, M., 2010. Economic History of Tiruchirapalli Region.
An important point to be noted is that while there were no significant developments in
agrarian infrastructure, the development of railways in the region enhanced
connectivity, opened up new avenues for commercial activity.

The strengthening of the existing railway networks and the development of new
railway lines led to the establishment of several industrial hotspots.This could have
been further buttressed by the more lenient industrial policies of the newly
independent India. Trichy Steel Rolling Mills (1961), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
- BHEL (1965) and Trichy Distilleries & Chemicals Limited (1966) are a few
examples of the large-scale industries set up in the region following the development
and consolidation of the railways.

These industrial developments not only captured a larger share of the Gross
Domestic Product, but also engaged a larger proportion of the temple town
population. It would be extremely useful here, to once again examine the proportion
of population now engaged in various economic activities. According to the Census
of 201114, the proportion of the total population of Srirangam engaged in agriculture
related activities now stands at 50.39%, a marked departure from the earlier
proportion of 73% in 1901. This change in proportion illustrates the shift in the
primary economy of the town from an agrarian economy to an economy
characterised by increased industry and service sector.

While the importance of the Temple Town has certainly not been lost or reduced, the
prominence of it as an economic magnet has evidently come down. The railways
have been only one of the many factors that have led to this effect, the other being
industrial belts, growth of urban centres, the proliferation of alternate professions, the
shift in national policies from agrarian to capitalist favouring policies, etc. And while
the author makes no commentary on whether this shift in priorities of a temple town
is right or wrong, the shift unmistakable, and it would only be prudent to consider the
trend of change while planning and designing for the future.

14
Chandramouli, C. & General, R., 2011. Census of India 2011, Office of the Registrar General &
Census Commissioner, India.
Conclusion
The introduction of large-scale public infrastructure such as the railways, is always
accompanied by societal change in one form or the other. This change may be
economic, political, demographic or all of the above. In case of the Temple Town of
Srirangam, the railways were introduced in the context of a town where the
socio-economic activities revolved around the temple. In fact, Sri Ranganathaswamy
Temple can be said to be central to the very existence of the town.

Written evidence found in the course of the research suggests that prior to the
introduction of the railways, the temple town was chiefly agrarian, and for a
significant amount of time, the agriculture was for the purpose of subsistence and not
economic growth and accumulation. Many of the large-scale infrastructural
undertakings were also aligned in the direction of promotion of agriculture.

The coming of the railways however, marked a departure in this approach. The
development of the railway lines and subsequent coming of hotspots along them,
acted as magnets for various non-agricultural economic activities. Over the course of
time, it was observed that there was a definite shift in the nature of economic activity.
While the town of Srirangam may still function primarily as an agrarian temple town,
the share of agriculture in the economy is dwindling. This has been offset my a
marked increase in the economic activity of non-agricultural nature, much of which
can be directly or indirectly attributed to the energisation by introduction of railways.
References

● Henry, F., 1908. The Imperial Gazetteer of India Vol XXIII - Singhbhum -
Trashi-Chod-Zong, The Clarendon Press.
● Hemingway, F.R., 1907. Madras District Gazetteers: Trichinopoly,
Superintendent, Government Press.
● Bhandari, R.R., 2005. Indian railways : Glorious 150 years, New Delhi:
Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India.
● Khosla, G.S., 1988. A History of Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways
(Railway Board), Government of India; Allahabad: AH Wheeler & Company.
● Kerr, I.J., 2007. Engines of change: the railroads that made India, Greenwood
Publishing Group.
● Pujari, R.M., Kolhe, P. & Kumar, N.R., 2006. Pride of India: A Glimpse Into
India’s Scientific Heritage, Samskrita Bharati.
● Francis, W., 1902. Census of India, 1901, Vol. XV: Madras, Part I: report.
● Karuppia, M., 2010. Economic History of Tiruchirapalli Region.
● M.Poornima, 2014. Analysis of Financial Position and Performance of
Tiruchirappalli District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd. Bharathidasan
University.
● Chandramouli, C. & General, R., 2011. Census of India 2011, Office of the
Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India.
● Batch of (2010-15), B.Arch., 2015. Tathva - The Essence of Design, Temple
Town of Srirangam. College of Engineering Trivandrum.