DHARMAPURI

town, northwestern Tamil Nadu state, southeastern India. It was known in early Tamil cankam literature as the home of the poet Avvaiyar (2nd century AD). It is now an agricultural trade centre and contains some light industry. About 30 miles (48 km) west are the Hogenakal Falls of the Cauvery River, a famous pilgrimage site. Considerable deposits of saltpetre and salts of soda are mined in the region in which Dharmapuri lies. The area's main crops are millets, but rice is extensively grown under irrigation. Cotton, sesame seed, and peanuts (groundnuts) are the chief cash crops. There are also high-quality cattle. Pop. (1981) town, 51,223.