Kilakarai

Kilakarai

Kilakarai
கீழக்கரை
Kilakarai Kilakarai கீழக்கரை
Town
	Location of Kilakarai
Population
• Total	30,468

Kilakarai(aka Keelakarai, Tamil - கீழக்கரை) is a panchayat town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

History

Most of its present Muslim population hails from the Pandyan King Raja Varma Kulasekhara's lineage. The broad-minded people of Kilakarai were instrumental in sending Swami Vivekananda on his quest to the West. Kilakkarai residents include Sunni Muslims, Hindus of Devar, Nadar, etc and other communities such as Christians and Harijans living in harmony. Kilakarai is distinct in that the mother tongue of the Muslims here is Tamil. This distinguishes them from the pre-dominant Urdu speakers of the sub-continent.

Pearl fisheries dominated the early revenues of this town. It was closely followed by Chank/Conch trade.¹ Maritime trade took the inhabitants to all corners of the world.

The religious tone of this Islamic town is set in the Qadiriyya Order. Orthodox, matriarchal and educated, the typical Kilakkarai family observes the strict Islamic ruling on non mixing of the genders, and prohibition on drinking. Arranged marriages is still the norm for the well heeled youngsters.sadam hussan is very famous man in kilakarai.he is well known person.he lived in big amballam street.with the help of him.Most children played cricket.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census Template:GR, Kilakarai had a population of 30,472. Males constitute 46% of the population and females 54%. Kilakarai has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 75%. In Kilakarai, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Kilakarai Today

Today, many Kilakarai residents have made Chennai home. Industrious and honest, Kilakarai natives have contributed to the distinct landscape of Madras city, now known as Chennai. Dynamic Kilakkarai educational institutions were the forerunners of the innumerous colleges and universities found today. The Crescent group of institutions are managed by the Seethakathi (Siddakadi) Group in Southern India.

As recently as spring '06, Kilakkarai-ians launched the theme shopping mall called Citicenter in the heart of the city, close to the Marina beach. Imagine Singara Chennai without the 'Gemini Bridge', the Light House, Valluvar Kottam, the Crescent Institutions, etc, to name a few landmarks. Khader Nawaz Khan Rd and its environs, the 'golden-mile of Chennai' is home to the Kilakkarai community. Movenpick anyone?²

The Kilakaraians living in Dubai are financially well-off. The majority are currently enjoying success with the conglomerate, Emirates Trading Agency(ETA). This company was formed in 1965, as a partnership between the affluent Al-Ghurair family and a small group of Kilakaraians. Today the ETA group, boasts a handful of successful Kilakaraians. Among these are B.S. Abdur-Rahman, Syed M. Salahuddin and P.S.M. Habibullah. There is also a successful younger generation, which includes managers such as S.M Bukhari, Hameed Salahuddin, Amir fisal and Abid Junaid.

Apart from the ETA, other successful businesses run by Kilakaraians in Dubai, include car-dealers, Western-Auto, Saravana Bhavan, a highly profitable south-indian restaurant, and Coal and Oil (run by Ahmed Buhari).

The 'Mohamed Sathak Trust' (MST) is also another very important part of Kilakarai's business history. One of the most recent developments of the MST group of companies is the discovery of numerous underground steel mines in an MST-owned property in Bangalore. The mine is worth more than a whopping (Ind)Rs 12,000 crores. Some sources claim that this mining site is worth much more. The MST group of companies continue to be competitive rivals to ETA. Both companies have constructed numerous educational institutions in Chennai. In Kilakarai, both MST and ETA have contributed to the overall development of the city. In fact, the oldest post-office in Kilakarai was built by the MST group of companies, and has the record for being one of the oldest standing buildings in Kilakarai today.

Despite making their homes and businesses far and wide, Kilakkarai natives return during the summer and year-end for family celebrations. This idyllic town comes to life during marriage functions. The unique rendezvous ensures that centuries of customs and lineage is understood by the next generation. The Kilakkarai diaspora families compulsorily attend at least once a year.³