Dharapuram (taːɾaːbɯɾam) is a town situated along the banks of Amaravati River in Tiruppur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Dharapuram is one of the oldest towns in South India and was the capital of Kongu Nadu under the Cheras, Western Ganga Dynasty and later Kongu Cholas, at which time it was known as Viradapuram. Amaravathi River flows through the town. As of 2011, the town had a population of 67,007. The city houses famous temples including Agatheeswarar Temple, Kaadu Hanumanthasamy temple and many others.
Dharapuram Town is a small agricultural marketing centre for a large rural hinterland in the Tirupur District. The town is 50 km towards of the District Headquarters Tirupur, 75 km towards the Erode, 35 km towards the Palani and 72 km towards the industrial town Coimbatore. The nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport located 70 km from Dharapuram.
The historical name of the town is Viradapuram and its mention is found in Mahabharata verses. It is mentioned that Pandavas worshipped and stayed briefly in Dharai Thillapuri Amman, an Amman temple located in banks of Amaravati. The city is home to various artifacts relating to Mahabharata period. The city was also known as Virata Nagaram in ancient Tamil texts during the time of Pancha Pandavas when they were in the forest incognito. The city is said to be one of the ruled areas of Panja Pandavas.
Dharapuram was part of the Chera kingdom until 850 CE. From 1000 to 1275 CE, the area was ruled by the Kongu Cholas under the name Vanchipuri. The Cholan capital was under attack by a hitherto unknown group in South India, called Kalabhars. As a result, the Kongu Cholas made Dharapuram their military and political headquarters. The Later Cholas named the city as Rajarajapuram. After 1276 CE, the Pandyas took control of the region. The Dehli Sultanate, Nayaks of Madurai and Vijayanagara empire later ruled this region, followed by Hyder Ali and the Kingdom of Mysore. In 1799, when Mysore fell to the British, the East India Company took over administration of this region.