Nagercoil
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| ?Nagercoil Tamil Nadu • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
19.37 km² (7 sq mi) • 13 m (43 ft) |
| District(s) | Kanyakumari |
| Population • Density |
208,149 (2001) • 9,813 /km² (25,416 /sq mi) |
| Municipal Chairman | Asokan Solomon |
| Codes • Pincode • Telephone • Vehicle |
• 629 xxx • +91-4652 • TN-74 |
Nagercoil (Tamil: நாகர்கோவில்) is a city and a municipality in Kanyakumari district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the southernmost city in the Indian mainland, situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula. The town is also the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District. It was a part of the erstwhile Travancore state, or later Travancore-Cochin state, till almost a decade after India's Independence from Britain in 1947. In 1956, the city and the District were merged with Tamil Nadu. In its earlier days, the town and its surroundings were known as Nanjilnadu.
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[edit] History
Nagercoil derives its name from a famous old temple called the Naga Raja Temple (temple of the serpent king) which still exists in the central part of the town. It has been an important temple for Hindus, for centuries, and is also a tourist attraction. According to certain accounts, it may once have been a Jain temple as icons of the Jain Tirthankaras, Mahavira and Parsvanatha are found on the pillars of the temple.[citation needed]
Nagercoil came under the rule of various kingdoms, notably the Chera, Chola and Pandya kingdoms at various points of time; historical records reveal that these kingdoms fought over the control of the fertile area of Nanjilnadu and Kottar, a town mentioned in old Tamil writings and maps of ancient India. Archaeological records also show Jain influences in ancient times.
The modern history of the town is interwoven with the history of Travancore state. The modern town of Nagercoil grew around Kottar, now a locality within the municipal limits. The town came into prominence during and after the reign of Maharaja Marthanda Varma, the king of erstwhile Travancore, the capital of which was Padmanabhapuram, about 20 km to the north of Nagercoil. The capital was later shifted to Trivandrum, now Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state, about 65 km to the north of Nagercoil. In the erstwhile Travancore state, Nagercoil was the second most important town in the state, after the capital Trivandrum
Foreign colonial powers, most notably the Dutch, tried colonizing the areas around Nagercoil and Colachel during the 18th century, but were subdued. The Dutch East India Company(also known as Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC), with a keen eye on the spice-trade of Travancore, tried to establish a trading post at the then important port town of Colachel, near Nagercoil. In the Battle of Colachel in 1741, a Dutch naval fleet under the command of Eustachius De Lannoy gained control of the lands from Colachel to Nagercoil, but was subsequently defeated by the Travancore forces under King Marthanda Varma.
Maharaja Marthanda Varma initiated the process of reforms in various sections of government, especially in the land, revenue, literacy, social and trade departments in the erstwhile Travancore State. His successors continued the reforms he instituted. Though Travancore was considered by many to be a 'Hindu' administration, the rulers generally had religious tolerance, were not hostile to European educators, missionaries and traders.
Until the 19th century, the coffers of Travancore were greatly helped by revenues from the trade of pepper and other spices with the European powers.
Irrigation systems (an excellent system is still found around Nagercoil), dams, roads, schools etc. developed under the able administration of the Travancore regents and their Dewans. The British in India considered Travancore a 'model native state'. At the time, Travancore was the most socially developed and one of the most economically developed states under the British Raj. During the British Raj in India, Travancore was essentially a vassal-state to the British, but the British never interfered in the general administration of the state.
At the time of India's independence from Britain, the then Dewan of Travancore, Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyer, preferred Travancore to be a sovereign country, but eventually gave up after a tough stand by Sardar Vallabhai Patel, India’s federal minister in charge of home affairs, as also the Indian National Congress. The late Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyer is still held in high esteem in Nagercoil, for the many developmental projects he undertook in the then South Travancore, of which the town was a part.
When the states in India were re-organized in the 1950's, under the States Reorganisation Act, the then Government of Travancore-Cochin gave part of the then South Travancore (present day Kanyakumari District to Tamilnadu (because a majority of the population spoke Tamil in the district).
Nagercoil has generally been a communally peaceful place, though there was some tension and violence between the Christian and Hindu communities in the 1980s. Since then, inter-religious meetings organised by various religious faiths and by District Collectors (local administrators) have helped develop good understanding between the various sections of the population.
Disaster struck on the 26th of December, 2004, when the Indian Ocean Tsunami brought shock, surprise and havoc for people living in the coastal areas of Kanyakumari District. Over a thousand people were either dead or missing in the tragedy, with many thousands displaced. Worst-hit were the coastal areas like Manakudy, near the town, and Colachel.
[edit] Geographical location
Nagercoil is located at .[1] It has an average elevation of 13 metres (42 feet).
[edit] The Town and its surroundings
Nagercoil is located at at the southern tip of peninsular India. Because of its close proximity to the Western Ghats, the town and its surroundings are generally undulating. The Western Ghats is the lifeline of the town, with water sources for drinking, its temperate climate, irrigation around the city and eco-system being influenced by this mountain range.
Sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, the town has some breathtaking sceneries with the surrounding hills (the Western Ghats), lush green paddy fields, and sandy, palm-fringed beaches on the western side. Farther east of Nagercoil, on the Western Ghats are plantations of rubber, cloves and cardamom. Many of these plantations were developed by British planters - planters names like Simpson and Balamore are still household names in the town. The rubber plant was introduced by the English missionaries in the 18th century. Some of these plantations are still owned by the descendants of these British planters ; however, a majority of the estates are now owned by the rich and influential moplah (Syrian Christians) community of Kerala.
Being the southernmost municipal area of the country and also close to Kanyakumari, or Cape Comorin, the southernmost point of peninsular India, the town is essentially an intersecting point of culture, tradition and trade of the western and eastern coasts in the deep south of India. The town connects two major eastern and western lines of the Indian Railways, with one line leading through Kerala called the Konkan route and the other through the eastern part of India (through Tirunelveli of Tamilnadu. Nagercoil is 65 km from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state, connected by National Highway 47, and 80 km from Tirunelveli.
[edit] Climate
Nagercoil has a pleasant, though humid, climate for a major part of the year. The maximum temperature during the summer hovers around 86°F or 30°C with extremely high humidity at times. Nagercoil receives both the north-east monsoon and the south-west monsoon. It rains more often in Kanyakumari district than in any other part of Tamil Nadu, with the exception of the Niligiris. Due to geographical conditions, the southern tip of Kanyakumari is generally 2°C to 3°C warmer than Nagercoil during the daytime, though Kanyakumari is only 20 km away.
Though the official population count (for the municipal area) is close to 2.25 lakhs, a significant population lives outside the municipal limits, in the suburbs. The small district of Kanyakumari, with a population of about 1.7 million (17 lakhs) is one of the most densely populated districts in Tamilnadu as well as in South India.
The concentration of the population of the town and the District is along the coastal belt along the western side, while the largely forested areas on the eastern side of the district (along the Western Ghats) are sparsely populated.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001 India census,[2] Nagercoil had a population of 208,149. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Nagercoil has an average literacy rate of 99%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 87%, and female literacy is 83%. In Nagercoil, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] Culture and religion
Tamil and Malayalam are widely spoken by the people. These two languages along with English are used as a medium of teaching in all major schools.
The culture is a mixture of Tamil and keralite culture and traditions. Hinduism, Christianity and Islam are the major religions in the town and district.
Some of the prominent festivals that are celebrated here are Onam, Deepavali, Vishu, St. Francis Xavier's feast, Bhagavathy Amman Temple festival, Ramzan (Eid ul fitr), Bakrid (Eid ul alha) and Christmas.
[edit] Influence of European missionaries
The foundation of several educational institutions by English, German and other Western Christian missionaries in the 19th century and the development of social infrastructure by the Travancore regents raised the social status, literacy and educational levels of the people. Today, one finds a number of streets, schools and colleges in the town named after these European missionaries, many of them also being noted educationists and scholars.
The European missionaries converted a section of the people to Protestant Christianity. Roman Catholicism had been introduced earlier by St. Francis Xavier in the 16th century and later by other Jesuits.
St. Francis Xavier, the Roman Catholic missionary, made Kottar locality in the town his principal residence for a period of two years in the 16th century, while preaching around the town and in neighbouring Tirunelveli district.
Of the Protestant missionaries, the services of two European missionaries are particularly laudable. One is Rev C. Mead, who after arriving in 1817 in Nagercoil, as a missionary of the London Missionary Society (LMS), made immense contributions to the cause of education in the town and in Travancore. In 1818, he founded the Nagercoil Seminary, which became one of the first regular institutes to impart English education in Travancore state and also in Southern India. In 1855, in recognition of his contributions to the cause of education, the Travancore Government appointed him Superintendent of Schools, and while in this office he also encouraged women's education in Nagercoil and in the state of Travancore. He also started the Nagercoil Mission Press, the first printing press in the state of Travancore. Rev. Mead also fought to abolish forms of indentured labour rampant at that time.
The other great missionary was Rev. William Tobias Ringeltaube, a native of the then Prussia (present Germany), who established a number of schools and worked among the poor and downtrodden around the town. He started one of the first regular schools in Travancore at Mylaudy, near Nagercoil which is still active.
Like the London Missionary Society (LMS), another organisation that rendered valuable services to the cause of education and upliftment of the socially downtrodden has been the Church Missionary Society (CMS). Both these societies still have a presence in Nagercoil (nearly two centuries after inception).
The Salvation Army is known in the town for their pioneering medical services in and around the town. Their Catherine Booth Hospital in the Vadasery locality of the town was established in the 19th century and is still active.
[edit] The Town and the Local Economy
Nagercoil is the headquarters of the state owned Arasu Rubber Corporation and the regional office of the Central Rubber Board.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has a major testing facility for Cryogenic and Liquid Propulsion rocket engines on the Mahendragiri hills (on the Western Ghats) off Nagercoil. Rocket scientists and engineers from all over India work at this facility, called the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Mahendragiri.
The town also serves as a centre for the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant reactors, being built with Russian assistance, which is situated in Tirunelveli district of Tamilnadu, but is the closest major town to the facility.
The public sector Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IRE), also has a major facility at Manavaalakurichy, near the town.
Aralvaimozhi, a once-impoverished village, benefited from the building of the nearby Muppandal wind farm, a renewable energy source, supplying the villagers with electricity for work.[3][4] The surrounding area is a major centre for wind-mill renewable-energy production, and one of the biggest centres in South Asia, both in terms of electricity generated and size of wind-mills, with thousands of wind-mill electricity generators on tall towers dotting the entire area. The total power generated from these wind mills are 540 MW with each wind mill generating a power output of nearly 1.65 MW. The wind mills are erected and technically-supported by multinational majors in the field of renewable energy like Vestas, Suzlon, Micon, etc. The steady flow of wind for these wind-mills is made possible because the Muppandal Wind Farm is situated on a mountain gap (pass) in the Western Ghats, through which the wind gushes through, for a major part o the year.
Small Scale industries (cottage industries) include coir-making, floral trade, handloom-weaving, rubber products, fish-net manufacturing (exported on a large scale), food-processing units, lace-making (export-oriented), etc.
Being the major Tamilnadu town closest to the Kerala capital, Thiruvananthapuram (65 km away and the closest International airport to Nagercoil), trading and sending supplies to Kerala and Thiruvananthapuram is a major activity for the bustling markets at Vadasery and Kottar - availability and many items being cheaper in Tamilnadu than in Kerala adds to the thriving business.
Supply of marine and agricultural produce to the overseas export-markets are also important economic activities, though primarily done through exporters or agents in Kerala.
Remittances to Nagercoil from overseas, from Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) hailing from the town, is also a major contributor to the local economy.
[edit] Education
Some schools and colleges in Nagercoil are more than 150 years old , like the Scott Christian College [1], built by foreign missionaries. As explained above, European missionaries, in the 19th century and early 20th century played a major role in imparting education to the people of the town and district.
One of the oldest regular schools in South India, Sethu Lakshmi Bai Higher Secondary School, is situated in the heart of town. It was established under the supervision of the Travancore administrators and named after a Travancore queen of the time.
Educational institutions include many privately funded Engineering colleges, the state-run Kanyakumari Medical College (at Asaripallam near Nagercoil), and many Polytechnic colleges and Arts and Science Colleges. As in neighbouring Kerala, women's education and career-development are given importance, almost on par with men by all communities.
The leading educational institutions include the ST Hindu College and the Ayappa College for Women. Several leading Colleges and Schools are run by Christian denominations and include the St. Xavier's Catholic College of Engineering, St. Xavier's Catholic College of Nursing (Tamil Nadu's first Catholic diocesan nursing college), CSI Institute of Technology, Scott Christian College (Arts and Sciences College, with some specialised departments), Holy Cross College for Women, Women's Christian College Nagercoil, Carmel higher secondary School, Scott Christian Higher Secondary School and Duthie Girls Higher secondary School.
The Noorul Islam College of Engineering at Kumaracoil, near the town, is noted for its facilities and management education programs.
In the Christian theological side, the Concordia Theological Seminary established in 1924 caters to the training of Pastors of the India Evangelical Lutheran Church.
[edit] Media
The town is served by an All India Radio (AIR) FM station (Frequency : 101 MHz) and a Doordarshan relay station. Maalai Malar is a locally published evening newspaper.
[edit] Cuisine
Nagercoil enjoys a unique blend of Tamil and Keralite cuisine. Rice is the staple food. Fish is very popular and forms a part of everyday meal for many.
[edit] Places of interest
- Cape Comorin, or Kanyakumari, the southernmost point of peninsular India, and the confluence of the three water bodies, (the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Manner) is 20 km south of Nagercoil, with tourist attractions of its own which include the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, 133 ft high statue of Tamil poet-saint Tiruvalluvar - both on rocky islets; the place is also popular for its spectacular sunrise and sunset. Distance from Nagercoil is 22 km.
- Vattakottai, or the Circular Fort, lies near Kanyakumari, on the sea-shore, built on the orders of De Lannoy during the reign of Marthanda Varma (1729-58 AD). The view from the fort's ramparts, of both the palm-fringed beach on the one-side and the hills of the Western Ghats on the other, is spectacular.
- The Nagaraja Temple (which gives Nagercoil its name) and the Thanumalayan Temple, at Suchindrum, about 6 km from the heart of the town, are famous Hindu shrines resorted to by pilgrims from all over South India. The former has Nagaraja, the King of Snakes, for its principal deity, to whom milk is offered by the devout. Suchindrum is unique amongst Hindu temples in that it unites the worship of the Trinity of Hinduism - Shiva (Sthanu), Vishnu (Perumal or Mal) and Brahma (Aiyan) - in the presiding deity, Thanumalayan. The tradition of the temple is that the King of the Devas, Indra, worships at the temple each night.
- St. Francis Xavier’s Church, in the Kottar locality of the town, which was built in the year 1600 AD, is historically important due to the visit and stay of St.Francis Xavier. The church was built in the land allotted to St. Xavier by the Venad king.
- Swamithoppe Ayya Vaikundar Pathi, about 11 km from Kanyakumari, is the religious headquarters of Ayyavazhi, and is known for non-idolatrous form of Hindu worship.
- Padmanabhapuram Palace, (22 km from Nagercoil), once the seat of the Travancore kings, is India's only palace built mostly by wood (16th century).
- Mathur Aqueduct, (also called Mathur Hanging Trough Bridge), near Thiruvattar, is one of the biggest aqueducts in Asia, and is about a kilometre long. Standing on huge tower-like structures, it carries irrigation water between two hills. The canal itself goes over a small river. The view from the middle of the aqueduct of the surrounding hills and greenery below is superb.
- Chitharal Jain Monuments (about 35 km near Martandam), are impressive rock shelters and idols dated to the 9-11th Century.
- Thirunandikkara temple (about 20 km), a rock-cut cave temple of Pallava art can be traced back to the seventh and eighth century AD.
- Thengapattinam Beach. This beach is located on the west coast near Painkulam village in Vilancode Taluk. It is a fine palm-fringed beach and has an idyllic estuary (where the river meets the sea). A ferry-trip on a Vallam (canoe-like boat) across the estuary can be a pleasant experience which can be arranged through a local fisherman. It is 35 km from Nagercoil, 12 km from Kuzhithurai and 54 km from Kanyakumari.
- Udayagiri Fort, built by the Travancore kings, was previously used for training the Travancore forces and also served as Barracks. Capt. Eustachius De Lannoy's (see History section) tomb is within the fort. The fort (about 90 acres in expanse and overgrown with vegetation now) has been declared a bio-diversity park and maintained by the Kanyakumari forest department.
- Pechiparai Reservoir, about 30 km from the town, in the hills, and also Perunchaani and Chittar dams are a must-see for the nature-lover, with clouds touching the summits of the hills around the dams on a misty day.
- Thiruparrapu Waterfalls near the old Thiruparappu temple is a very popular waterfall with tourists, especially keralites.
- Keeriparai - for picnickers, nature-lovers and adventurers - is a pristine and beautiful hill-area on the foothills of the Western Ghats. There are also a few small waterfalls in this area - the popular one being Vattaparai Falls. Further up the hills is Maramalai, a habitat for wild elephants. Keeriparai is (30 km from Nagercoil)
- Kalikesam is another picnic spot close to Keeriparai - one can enjoy water rushing through mountain streams, with ferns and pebbles all around. .
- Olakaruvi waterfalls, about 20 km from Nagercoil is on the middle of a hill and requires an hour's trek by foot from the base of the hill (better to go in a group, as it is a forested area)
- Kodhayar (also called Kodhayar Lower Camp) – is about 60 km from Nagercoil and takes travellers through some exciting motorable hill roads with some thrilling 'hair-pin bends' and U-turns. Kodhayar Forests is a habitat for wild bisons. Access to some areas need prior permission from the Forest Department.
- Muttom, a coastal village, is another popular place with tourists. The terrain in this village and its surroundings is undulating and from a height one can see an idyllic view of the place, with an old Portuguese style church standing in the middle of the village. The beach-area is somewhat rocky. There is also a 100-year old lighthouse. The lighthouse, though near the sea, is situated on a cliff some 105 feet above sea level. The lighthouse originally came up here in olden days, because of a huge rock just off the coast, called 'Crocodile Rock'. The floors of the lighthouse have lot of holes for architectural aestheticity. Another attractive feature of this area, is a gully with reddish earth and casuarina trees near the sea-side. This place is very popular with Tamil and Malayalam film-makers, esp. Bharathiraja.
- Sanguthurai Beach, about 8 km from Nagercoil is a palm-fringed and sandy beach. The superb and serene atmosphere attracts even the foreign tourists. Sothavilai Beach is another good beach, about 7 km from the heart of town. Both beaches were hit by the Indian Ocean Tsunami, but authorities have taken steps to improve facilities again. There is a very good lagoon at Manakudy - 10 km from the town.
- Panchappathis, the five holy places of Ayyavazhi, all situated within 20 km circle from Kanyakumari
- Fresh water supply to the town is from the Mukkadal Reservoir, about 8 km from the town - itself a very scenic place, with a small bushy island in the middle of the reservoir. The reservoir is surrounded by hills of the Western Ghats.
- Madhavalayam is a very old, small Muslim village with a long history. It has a mosque built on a high rock - about 10 km from Nagercoil.
- Outside the city is Parvathipuram, a scenic location, where one can have a magnificent view of the Western Ghats range around the town, with lush green paddy fields and banana plantations all around. The Anandhanaaru kalvoy (canal) flows through Parvathipuram. This canal brings water for irrigation to the fields nearby. It drains into the Thengapattinam estuary in the Arabian sea. National Highway 47 and the Konkan Railway track pass through Parvathipuram.
- Another area with some picture-postcard-perfect sceneries in Kanyakumari District is Boothapandi, about 10 km from Nagercoil (landscape photographers would love this place !!!) - this place shows an extended range of the Western Ghats with lush green fields all around. A peculiar feature about this place is that are some small, dilapidating, ancient Hindu Temples and structures dotting the green fields. (perhaps needs more archaeological research to find out...)
[edit] References
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Nagercoil
- ^ Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ Tapping the Wind - India (February 2005). Retrieved on 2006-10-28.
- ^ Watts, Himangshu (November 11 2003). Clean Energy Brings Windfall to Indian Village. Reuters News Service. Retrieved on 2006-10-28.
[edit] External links
- Kanyakumari District on wikipedia
- Official Website of Kanyakumari district
- Kanyakumari district portal
- Census Information
- LPSC
- Nagercoil City Portal (நாகர்கோவில்)
- Current weather report in Nagercoil
- Vattakottai
- Chitharal
- Thengapattinam beach
- Udayagiri Fort
- Kanyakumari District Portal and Yellow pages
- Wind energy
- Tsunami
- Ayyavazhi
- Climate and vegetation
- Local news
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