Thenkalam
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Thenkalam தென்கலம் Tenkulam, Thengalam |
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|---|---|
| Village | |
 Thenkalam
|
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| Coordinates: 8°49′05″N 77°41′57″E / 8.81806°N 77.69917°ECoordinates: 8°49′05″N 77°41′57″E / 8.81806°N 77.69917°E | |
| Country |
 India
|
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Tirunelveli |
| Government | |
| • Type | Gram Panchayat |
| • Body | Thalaiyuthu Panchayat, Thenkalam Panchayat |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 5,000 approx |
| Demonym(s) | Thenkalamite, Thenkalathaar, Thenkalathukaarar, Thenkalathukaaramma |
| Languages | |
| • Native | Tamil |
| • Official | Tamil |
| • Additional Official | English |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Pincode(s) | 627357 |
| Vehicle registration | TN-72 |
Thenkalam, officially called Tenkulam, is a village in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, India. It lies about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from the city of Tirunelveli and about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Sankarnagar, a suburb of Tirunelveli which lies on the way to Madurai on National Highway 44.
Eventhough the village is now widely known as Thenkalam, official records show that it was once called Tenkulam. Tenkulam must be the anglicized form of Thenkulam. Assuming this, Thenkulam can be broken into two words: Then & Kulam. 'Then' in Tamil refers to 'South' while 'Kulam' may refer to two things: Pond(குளம்) or a group of related people(குலம்). So, Thenkulam can be translated into English as 'Pond in the south' or 'People of the south'. It is to be noted that there is a large pond to the southeast of the village, Thalaiyuthu Kulam.
Thenkalam is located in a hillocky region being surrounded by two large hillocks: one to the east and the other one to the south. The eastern hillock is called Keezhamalai which is a mere translation (Keezha-East; Malai-Hillock). The southern hillock is similarly called Therkkumalai. The neighborhood of Therkkumalai Colony is located here. The village pond, Thalaiyuthu Kulam, is built by connecting the two hillocks with an embankment. It is a rain fed farm pond which acts as a direct source of irrigation for lands in the Keelapathu and also indirectly helps agriculture by increasing the water table which rises water levels in surrounding wells.
Keezha Thenkalam, Periyar Nagar and Therkumalai Colony are predominantly occupied by people belonging to Hindu Pallar community, a Scheduled Caste. Mela thenkalam and Kamaraj Nagar are mixed with people belonging to various castes including Christians and Muslims.
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