Bodinayakanur, a town in Tamil Nadu, India, was fondly dubbed the 'Kashmir of the South,' by India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru. Nestled amidst the Western Ghats, the town boasts stunning waterfalls, verdant coconut groves, and exquisite cardamom plantations. Despite its modest size, Bodinayakanur has played a significant role in Tamil Nadu's political arena, having been the constituency for 2 of 12 reigning Chief Ministers of the state.

Etymology

In early days, it was called by the name Thenkasiyampathi (Tamil: தென்காசியம்பதி) the town was named as Bodayanayakkanur, after the person Bodayanayakkar, who ruled the place. Later it was renamed to Bodinayakanur.

Demographics

Population

According to a 2011 census, Bodi had a population of 75,676 with a sex-ratio of 1,018 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 6,544 were under the age of six, constituting 3,334 males and 3,210 females. The average literacy of the town was 76.18%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had a total of 20,333 households. There were a total of 30,234 workers, comprising 1,117 cultivators, 6,602 main agricultural laborers, 621 in household industries, 18,623 other workers, 3,271 marginal workers, 89 marginal cultivators, 1,574 marginal agricultural laborers, 134 marginal workers in household industries and 1,474 other marginal workers.

Government and politics

Bodinayakkanur Assembly constituency is part of Theni (Lok Sabha constituency).

In 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam was elected from Bodi Constituency. As of 2021 he is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.