Theni

Theni District was formed by the splitting from the former Madurai District as per G.O. Ms. No. 679 Revenue Department, dated 7 July 1996. Because of the bifurcation, a new Revenue Division (Uthamapalayam) and two new taluks—Theni and Bodinayakanur—were created on 1 January 1997. Theni Municipal town was not a district headquarters until this date. The region covered by present-day Theni District was sparsely populated before the 1900s. In 1886 Mullaperiyar dam project bought part of the water from Periyar River downhill to the Cumbum Valley and merged it into the Mullayar River. This project lead more people to settle down in Cumbum Valley. Theni was a small, lesser-known town through the 1900s. After the Mullai-Periyar merger project, many people from nearby arid regions (Sivakasi, Kovilpatti, Virudhunagar, Sattur, and others) settled in Cumbum Valley, the present day Theni District, leading to an influx of people from the 1890s to 1920s. Later, the area developed rapidly due to commerce.