Dharapuram is located in Tiruppur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a town and a municipality also known as Rajarajapuram by the Tanjore Cholas. According to history Dharapuram served as the capital of Kongu Nadu. These were under the Kongu Cholas and were known as Vanchipuri.

Geography of Dharapuram
Dharapuram is surrounded by the Kodaikanal mountain range. It is located on the banks of the holy Amaravathi River. The river is a tributary of the Kaveri River. The town as earlier known as viratapuram as it was ruled by the king named virataraja. It is believed that Dharapuram was resided by the Pandavas i.e. Yudhisthir, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva of the great epic Mahabharata. The Amaravathi River runs through the town. The town is situated at 10.73°N 77.52°E. It is positioned on the line of Palakkad pass and is situated at an average elevation of 245 metres (803 feet). The town has many windmills that are operated by the wind blowing from the line of Palakkad pass.

History of Dharapuram
According to history until 850 A.D. Dharapuram remained the rule of the Chera Dynasty. Later from 1000 A.D. to 1275 A.D the Kongu Cholas ruled here. They named the town as Dharapuram Vanchipuri. The Cholan capital was attacked by a group known as Kalabhars. The town later served as the political and military headquarters of the Kongu Cholas. It was then named as Rajarajapuram by the Tanjore Cholas. The town in 1276 A.D. went under the Pandya Dynasty. The Kongu chieftain Kalingarayar was made the Prime minister of the empire by the Pandyan ruler Veerapandian. The Kalingarayan Channel located here was dug by him. Presently it helps in irrigation process of the region.

A fort was constructed by the Viradapuram Raja in Vanchipuri. Dharapuram next came under the rule of the Muslims and then by the Nayak Dynasty. The town went into the hands of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. In 1799, the East India Company took over administration of the town. The military camp of the British was stationed at Therupatti located on the Palani road. Kongu Nadu (Kollan Pattari), an old foundry of the Chera can be seen here.

On May 6, 1983 Dharapuram Municipality was upgraded to first grade municipality. When the town remained under the British it served as the capital of South Noyyal District. Bhavani served as the capital of North Noyyal District. Presently it is under the Tiruppur district.

Demography of Dharapuram
According to Indian census report of 2001, Dharapuram had a population of 82,713. The males constituted 49.6 percent and females constituted 50.4 percent of the population. As per a survey report Dharapuram is regarded as one of the largest Taluks in Tirupur.

Pilgrimage Places in Dharapuram
Dharapuram has many temples visited by devotees from different places. A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is located on a small hill in the vicinity of Nallathangal Dam. It is known as Eswaran Malai and is situated at Ponnivadi village. Other than this there are other temples like Thillapuraiamman Temple, Neelambur Kaaliamman Temple, Mariamman Temple and the Kadu Hanumantharaya Swami Temple.

Educational Institutions in Dharapuram
Dharapuram has established many schools and colleges to fulfil the educational needs of the children residing in the town. There are many government sponsored schools built for boys and girls. These operate at the elementary and secondary levels. Apart from these there are few colleges and technical institutions here.