Thoothukudi – History
Thoothukudi
is known as "Pearl City" due to the pearl fishing carried out in the
town. It is a commercial seaport which serves the inland cities of Southern
India and is one of the
sea gateways of Tamilnadu. It is also one of the major seaports in India with a
history dating back to the 6th century AD. The city is believed to be of
significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Early Pandyas, Medieval
Cholas, Later
Cholas, Later Pandyas, Malabar
Sultanate, Tirunelveli Sultanate, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Chanda
Sahib, Carnatic kingdom, Portuguese, Dutch and the British.
Thoothukudi
was settled by the Portuguese, Dutch and later by the British East India Company. The city is administered by a Thoothukudi Municipal
Corporation covering an area of
90.663 km2 (35.005 sq. mi) and had a population of 237,830
in 2011. The urban agglomeration had a population of 410,760 as of 2011. The
majority of the people of the city are employed in salt pans, sea-borne
trading, fishing, and tourism.
A major
attraction in the city is Our Lady of Snows Basilica, a 16th-century site. The 21 islands between
Thoothukudi and Rameswaram shores in the Gulf
of Mannar are noted as the
first Marine Biosphere Reserve of India, and have around 36,000 species of
flora and fauna. This protected area is called Gulf of Mannar Marine National
Park. Our Lady of Snows Basilica Festival is
celebrated annually during August. Adi Amavasai, Sasti, and Chittirai chariot
festivals are the major festivals of the area. Roadways are the major mode of
transport to Thoothukudi, while the city also has rail, air, and sea transport.
Thoothukudi
is also known by the name 'Muthu Kuzhithurai'. It is also called as "Sea
Gateway of Tamilnadu". Thoothukudi is part of the Pearl Fishery Coast, and is known for its pearl fishing and shipbuilding industries. The ancient town of Korkai (the modern Tuticorin) has been a centre for
maritime trade and pearl fishery for more than 2000 years. Ptolemy's geography refers to Korkai as a centre of pearl
fishery while describing commercial relations between western India and Alexandria, the chief eastern emporium of the Roman
Empire. The Periplus says that the Pandyan kingdom extended from Komari
towards the north, including Korkai, where the pearl fisheries were.
Thoothukudi
was the seat of Portuguese during the 16th century, and the Dutch occupied in
the 17th century as evidenced by Pagoda
coins. During the 18th century
the British overpowered and occupied the town. Being a port town, the town
received attention from the rulers for improving their trade, and so it was
brought to Municipal status in 1866. On the 20th of October 1986, a new
district, carved out of the erstwhile Tirunelveli district was born in Tamilnadu
and named after V. O. Chidambaranar, a prominent national leader hailing from
Ottapidaram who led the Swadeshi Movement in the south. Since 1997, as is the
case in other districts of Tamil Nadu, this district has been named after its
headquarters town, Thoothukudi.
Thoothukudi
became the citadel of freedom struggles in the early of the 20th century. It
was in Thoothukudi that the illustrious patriot, V. O. Chidambaram established
the first Swadeshi Stream Navigation Company, sailing the first steamer S. S.
Gaelia to Thoothukudi on 1 June 1907.
History of the Ports:
The
major harbour of Thoothukudi is well known as a pearl diving and fishing
center. It is one of the oldest seaports in the world and was the seaport of
the Pandyan kingdom after Korkai, near Palayakayal. It was later taken over by the Portuguese in 1548, captured by the Dutch in 1658, and ceded
to the British in 1825. The lighthouse built in 1842 marked the beginning of
the history of harbour development in the city. Thoothukudi was established as
a Municipality in 1866 with Roche
Victoria as its first
chairman.
It
attained the status of Corporation on 5 August 2008 after 142 years of being a
municipality. Thoothukudi Corporation is divided into 60 wards after its
expansion in the year 2011 and these wards are comprised in four zones—i.e.,
East, West, North, and South. East zone has 14–16 and 19–33 wards, West zone
has 34–47 wards, North zone has 1–13 and 17, 18 wards and South zone has 48–60
wards.
The
minor port of the Thoothukudi anchorage port with lighter age facilities has
had flourishing traffic for over a century. The first wooden jetty of this port
was commissioned in 1864. This port was used for export of salt, cotton yarn,
senna leaves, palmyrah stalks, palmyrah fibres, dry fish, country drugs, and
other goods to neighboring countries and for import of coal, cotton, copra,
pulses and grains. The minor port of the Thoothukudi has the distinction of
being the intermediate port handling the highest traffic tonnage of over 1
million per annum.