Major Historical Events of Tirupur

Tirupur one of the important cities of Tamil Nadu has a rich past as old as the epic days of Ramayana and Mahabharata.According to ancient scriptures the city was managed by Pandavas of Mahabarat. It is said that shepherds of the Pandavas were stolen by thieves and recaptured by the five warriors.


The people named the place as Thiruppuoor, which means "Turn Place". Similarly, Tirupur's Dharapuram got its name from Mahabharata. It was once known as "Viradapuram". Even today you would find many artifacts of the ancient city, in and around Tirupur. During excavation for new building many "Good" Old valuables like coins and pottery items were collected.

Tirupur and the Cholas

In the "Kanchi Maanadhi" (the Noyyal River) some of the Chola stone carvings talk about Tirupur's fertility and purity. It is quite evident that Tirupur has always being a fertile land with natural resources. Moreover, it is certain that the district had a very good agricultural background. Consequently, today Tirupur is a centre for the cotton, vegetables, Tirupur banian industry, Cotton market and the famous Uthukklui butter . People also believe that the Lingam in “The Visveswaraswamy temple”, which is located in the heart of Tirupur was left by a Chola King when he was moving the idol from Kasi.

Independence in Tirupur

Tirupur has carved its name in the Indian history even before the independence of India. It is home to two unforgettable freedom fighters. The legendary Kongu chieftain and Palayakkarar, Dheeran Chinnamalai who fought fearlessly against the British forces was hanged in the Sankagiri Fort by the British. Similarly, Tirupur Kumaran, a fervent freedom fighter from the city was killed during the lathi charge. During his last march against the British, Kumaran walked without letting down The Indian National Flag. Tirupur's main road is named after Kumaran.

Tirupur's Industrial Makeover!

Tirupur popularly known as the “Banian City” of South India has come a long way from being a small cotton-marketing centre with few spinning mills to a prominent cluster of small and medium sized manufacturing enterprises. Tirupur's township started in 1930. During its early days, the city produced low valued cotton hosiery items and under garments. In 1937 Mr. Gulam Kadar brought Knitting into the city. He established the "Baby Knitting Industries" in Kaderpet, Tirupur. Moving on, a lady named Mrs. Chellammal established Tirupur's second knitting unit.  History states that the growth of textile in Tirupur, attributes to its failure in agricultural crops over a prominent period of time. While textile experts flocked into the city for its dry climatic conditions. Before the inception of knitting in Tirupur, the agricultural labourers worked with hand woven textiles. They were triggered by the Khadi Movement, which was begun by Mahatma Gandhi. By 1960, the number of knitting units in Tirupur reached 450. The first export of knitted garments was made to US and Ghana by Mohan Knits through a Bombay Merchant Exporter in 1972. With this, the city acquired strong entrepreneurial spirits and looked beyond national boundaries. In 1980, Tirupur's Textile market was firmly established. In 1987, the export revenue of Tirupur hit 75 crores, while in 2004 the market reached a profit margin of 5000 crores.

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Textile in Tirupur