Arani, Tiruvannamalai

Mahatma Gandhi visited Arni twice, once in 1932 and the second time in 1934. During his second visit he was accompanied by Dr Rajendra Prasad. Gandhi's visits aimed at boosting Harijan upliftment and the movement for the boycott of Simon Commission. He visited Dr V Hariharan, an eminent physician and freedom fighter of Arni, at his residence and held extensive consultations with him, as the latter was already actively involved in the upliftment of the impoverished weaver community of Arni.

There is a fort area in the heart of the town. It houses the forest department, sub jail, registration office, police station, women's police station, and agricultural office.

A monument situated in the parade ground of the fort commemorates Col. Robert Kelly, who was surveying the Arani area. Kelly was killed in a duel on 29 September 1790 by his junior officer Capt. Urban Vigors, who in his chagrin erected the monument.[7]

The Battle of Arnee (or Battle of Arani) took place at Arani on 3 December 1751 during the Second Carnatic War. A British-led force under the command of Robert Clive defeated and routed a much larger Franco-Indian force under the command of Raza Sahib. The French troops were guarding a convoy of treasure. Clive took up a position in swampy ground, crossed by a causeway in which the convoy was forced to pass. The French were thrown into disorder and forced to retreat, but night saved them from total destruction. The treasure, however, was captured.

Arani was constituted as a third-grade municipality in the year 1951. As per G.O. No. 564, on the 2nd of February 1951, it was classified as Second Grade Municipality. The population of the town was then 24,567 people. The entire area of Arani Revenue village was included within the jurisdiction of the municipality. As of 2007 from the 9th of May 1983 onwards, as per G.O. No. 851 Arani is classified as first grade municipality. The population of the town was then 63,741 people. From 2008 onwards as per G.O No- 1067, Classified as Selection Grade Municipality, the population of the town was then 92,375 people.[8]

The Arani municipality was established in 1931 when India was a colony of the United Kingdom. It was promoted to a second-grade municipal municipality in 1954, first-grade in 1989, and selection grade in 2008. The municipality has 33 wards and there is an elected councillor for each of those wards. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: General Administration/Personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, City Planning and Information Technology (IT). All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 33 members, one each from the 33 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected chairperson assisted by a deputy chairperson.

Arani is the newly created regional transport office in Thiruvannamalai district. Until 2018, the Thiruvannamalai code was operated by TN 25 as the Sub Transport Office. Subsequently, with the efforts of the Minister of Hindu Religious Affairs, Sevoor Ramachandran, created a new Regional Transport Office code, TN 97.[21] The headquarters of the Regional Transport Office is Arani. It consists of the taluks of Arani, Polur, Chetpet, Jamunamarattur, Cheyyar, Vembakkam, Vandavasi and Kalasapakkam.

Arani revenue code is a newly developed district in Thiruvannamalai district.[22] The Revenue Division was funded by the efforts of the Hindu Religious Affairs Minister, Mr Sevur Ramachandran. It was opened in April 2016 by Palanisamy. The Arani Revenue Division consists of the taluks of Arani, Polur, Chettupattu, Kalasapakkam and Jamunamathur. In addition to this, the Arani Revenue Division is one of the highest earners in the Thiruvannamalai district.

Arani block is one of the 234 assembly seats in Tamilnadu. Arani municipality is subject to the Arni (state assembly constituency) and Arni (Lok Sabha constituency). In the legislative elections held in 2016, it belongs to the AIDMK. Arani was the winner of Sevoor Ramachandran.

Arani Loksabha constituency

• In 2008, according to the composition of the constituency, the vandavasi lok sabha was constituted into the Arani (Lok Sabha constituency). Previously. Arani (state assembly constituency), vellore was a part of the lok sabha.
• It is the 12th lok sabha constituency in the 39 lok sabha constituencies in the state of Tamil nadu. These lok sabha constituencies include the following assembly constituencies. Arani, Polur, vandavasi, cheyyar, Gingee and mailam are the assembly constituencies.
• In the 2019 lok sabha election, the Mr.MK.Vishnuprasad, belonging to the Indian national congress league (congress), won the seat. Arani is a (lok sabha constituency) and, covering a wider area, since 2007, a constituency of the Parliament of India.

Arani is well connected to major cities by road: in 2018 NHAI and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari proposed an Eight Lane Green Corridor Express Highway from Chennai to Salem which would connect through Arani. The distance is 277.3 km from Chennai to Salem but this project has been facing opposition from locals including farmers over fears of losing their farmland. Many environmentalists were also against this project because it has been proposed to go through the reserve forest and water bodies.

• State Highways 4 - Arcot - Arani - Villupuram Road
• State Highway 132 - Bangalore - Vellore - Arani Road
• State Highway 116 - Kanchipuram -Cheyyar - Arani Road
• District Road 40- Arani - Devikapuram - Avalurpet Road
• District Road 751- Arani - Sandavasal - Padavedu Road
• District Road - Arani - ValaipandalRoad
• State Highway 43 - Arani - Vandavasi - Tindivanam - Puducherry Road
• State Highway - 38 - Arani - Thiruvannamalai - Salem and Trichy Road
• State Highway - SH133 Arani - Etiwadi - Polur - Chengam Road

A bypass of Chennai (Arcot) Road, Chennai Road and Cuddalore Road is being completed.

Arani is 126 km (78 mi) from Chennai, 38 kilometres (24 mi) from Vellore and 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Tiruvannamalai. There are two bus stops in the town and the TNSTC operates a daily service to major cities in southern Tamil Nadu. Arani to Chennai has a bus every 10 minutes from 02:15 am to 10:45 pm. The major inter-city bus routes to towns has predominant bus services to Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram and Villupuram, Bangalore, Salem, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Trichy, Thanjavur, Tiruvallur, Tirutani, Tirupathi, Puduchery, Thoothukudi, Chidambaram, Tindivanam, Nagapattinam, Madurai, Cuddalore and other cities. The SETC and TNSTC operates long-distance buses routes to the important cities.

The Tindivanam–Nagari route from the city is planned by the central government to connect trains via Arani. Also Katpadi–Villupuram was planned by the central government to connect trains via Arani in 1886. However, this railway station has been shifted to Kalambur on the Arani–Thiruvannamalai road. The railway station is the Arani railway station. It is located on the Arani–Thiruvannamalai road about 10 km (6.2 mi) away. However, it is the nearest railway station to Arani, 10 km (6.2 mi) away. The station is the third largest railway station in the district, apart from the Thiruvannamalai town and the Arani Railway Junction station. It opened for public use in 1889. The railway station is well connected to cities like Bangalore, Svandpur, Vellore, Katpadi, Kolkata Howrah, Tirupati, Cuddalore, Pondicherry, Mannargudi, Mayavaram, Kumbakonam, Trichy, Dindigul, Madurai, Chennai Central, Arakkonam and Tiruvallur.