Nagapattinam – General Information
Nagapattinam
district is a coastal district of Tamilnadu state in southern India. Nagapattinam district was carved out by bifurcating
the erstwhile composite Thanjavur district on October 19, 1991. The town of Nagapattinam is the district headquarters. As of 2011, the
district had a population of 1,616,450 with a sex-ratio of 1,025 females for
every 1,000 males. It is the only discontiguous district in Tamilnadu. A
majority of the people of Nagapattinam are employed in sea-borne trading,
fishing, agriculture and tourism.
Nagapattinam
District was severely damaged by the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. Nagapattinam is
320 Kms from the State Capital Chennai and 145 Kms from Tiruchirapalli. It is
the District Head Quarters of Nagapattinam District. Nagapattinam was a part of
the Cholamandalam and called as Cholakula Vallippatinam during the Chola
period. Nagapattinam was a part of Thanjavur District till it was created as
separate District in the year 1991. It has twin importance as a historically
and culturally significant area.
Etymology
Nagapattinam is
derived from Nagar, referring to people from Sri Lanka who settled here,
and pattinam referring to town. The town was also called Cholakula
Vallipattinam during the Chola period, when it was one of the important
ports. Ptolemy refers to Nagapattinam as Nikam and mentions it as one
of the most important trade centres of the ancient Tamil country. This view is doubtful as there is no contemporary
evidence to prove the existence of the town as a metropolis in the name of
"Nikama" or "Nikam".
Nagapattinam
was referred to by early writers and the Portuguese as "the city
of Coromandel". Appar and Tirugnanasambandar, the 7th-century saint poets refer to the city
as Nagai in their verses in Tevaram. The town was originally
called "Nagai"; the word Pattinam was attached during the
Chola era when the town emerged as an important port.
History
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Geography
The
district of Nagapattinam lies on the shores of the Bay of Bengal between
latitude 10.7906°N and Longitude 79.8428°E an area of 2,715 square kilometres
(1,048 sq. mi). The District capital, Nagapattinam lies on the
eastern coast, 350 kilometers down south of the State capital Chennai and of Tiruchirappalli. It has an average elevation of 9 metres (30 ft)
above the mean sea level. The district has a coastline of 187 kilometres
(116 mi).
2004 Tsunami:
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea mega thrust earthquake that occurred on 26 December 2004, with an epicenter off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts
of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean. Nagapattinam district was the
most affected part in Tamilnadu, accounting for 6,064 off the 8,009 casualties
in the state, predominantly from the fishing community who resided close
to the seashore. The damage impacted the fishing industry, as most of the boats
were damaged by the inundation. The immediate aftermath created a lull in
tourism.
Economy
In 2006
the Ministry of Panchayat Raj named Nagapattinam one of the country's 250 most
backward districts (out of a total
of 640). It is
one of the six districts in Tamilnadu currently receiving funds from the
Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). The main occupation of
Nagapattinam is fishing in the waters of Bay
of Bengal. There are a large number
of ice factories for preserving the fish. The industry suffered a setback after
the tsunami that struck the coast on 26 December 2004. Tourism is a major
economic driver with the presence of heritage and historic points like Nagore, Velankanni, Sikkal, Kodikkarai, Vedaranyam, Mannargudi and Tharangambadi.
There is
limited industrial activity — the major industries are household, tailoring,
embroidery, plastic wire and metal manufacturing. Cauvery Basin Refinery, a
subsidiary of Chennai Petroleum Corporation
Limited (CPCL) is near
Nagapattinam. Established in 1993, it is a major contributor to the economy of
the town. The development of industries is constrained by the town being linear
and by the applicability of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regulations that
prevent large-scale construction and industrial buildings.
Demographics
According
to 2011 census, Nagapattinam district had a population of 1,616,450
with a sex-ratio of 1,025 females for every 1,000 males, much above the
national average of 929. A total of 165,245 were under the age of six,
constituting 84,335 males and 80,910 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes accounted for 31.54%
and .23% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the district
was 75.04%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The district had a
total of 413,837 households. There were a total of 671,994 workers, comprising
54,329 cultivators, 216,353 main agricultural labourers, 7,925 in household
industries, 207,721 other workers, 185,666 marginal workers, 13,153 marginal
cultivators, 128,704 marginal agricultural labourers, 3,630 marginal workers in
household industries and 40,179 other marginal workers. The birth rate on a
scale of one thousand in rural areas of the district is 19.9, urban is 17.8 and
the combined birth rate is 18.85. The death rate on a scale of one thousand in
rural areas of the district is 8.2, urban is 6.7 and the combined rate is 7.45.
Education
There
are a total of 891 elementary schools, 185 middle schools, 83 high schools and
79 higher secondary schools in the district. St. Joseph's College, opened in Nagapattinam in 1846 and transferred to Tiruchirappalli
in 1883, is one of the oldest higher educational institutions in
India. Nagapattinam has 12 elementary schools, 8 high schools and 7 higher
secondary schools. There are 2 arts and science colleges, one engineering
college, 2 polytechnic colleges and one industrial training institute (ITI) in
the town.
Administration
The
Collector is the administrative head of each district and is the principle
representative of the government for the district. The Collector's main
responsibilities include revenue administration, Executive Magistracy,
maintaining law and order, licensing and regulatory functions, disaster
management, civil supplies, public distribution, social welfare, excise,
transport, mining, labour laws, elections, legal affairs, census, general
administration, treasury management and co-ordination with various departments
of the state and central governments. The Collector is also the head of various
committees formed at the district level for the various central and state
government schemes.
The
district has seven taluks, eleven administrative blocks, eight town panchayats,
and four municipalities. Five of the taluks are located in coastal, and all are
named after their main towns, which are their administrative centres. From
north to south, they are Sirkazhi, Tharangambadi, Mayiladuthurai (non-coastal), Nagapattinam, Kilvelur, Thirukkuvalai (non -Coastal), and Vedaranyam. It is bordered on the east by the Bay
of Bengal and on the south by
the Palk Strait. On the coast between Tharangambadi and Nagapattinam
lies the small district of Karaikal, an enclave belonging administratively to the Puducherry Union
Territory. This is the only
district in Tamilnadu to be formed out of two disjoint regions. The district
headquarters, Nagapattinam, is located in the southern part which is less
populated than the northern one.
Culture
and Tourism
Tourism
plays a key economic role for the town even though fishing is the major
occupation. Kayarohanaswami Temple, a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, is located in Nagapattinam. The temple has been in
existence from the 6th century CE and has been revered by the verses
of Tevaram, the 7th –8th century Saiva canonical
work by Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar. The temple is one of the seven temples of the
Thyagaraja cult, classified as Saptha Vidangam, where the deity Thyagaraja
is believed to portray different dance styles. The temple is also known
for the shrine of Neelayadakshi, the consort of Kayarohanaswami.
Soundararajaperumal
Temple is a Hindu temple in Nagapattinam dedicated to Vishnu. It is one of the Divya
Desams, the 108 temples of
Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the Tirumangai
Azhwar, one of the 12 poet
saints called Alwars of the 6th – 9th century. The
other prominent Hindu temples in the district are Sikkal Singaravelan Temple at Sikkal, Vedaranyeswarar Temple at Vedaranyam, Ettukudi Murugan Temple and Koothanur Maha Saraswathi
Temple.
Nagore
Durgha, a 16th century
minaret located in Nagore, is an important pilgrimage centre of the town. The
Kanduri festival is a 14-day event celebrated for the annual urs (anniversary)
of the saint Hazrath Shahul Hamid (1490–1579 CE), for whom the minaret was
built. The festival is celebrated in commemoration of the anniversary of
the saint's death, and pilgrims from various religions participate in the
rituals and rites. The festival is also seen as a sacred exchange between
Hindus and Muslims expressing solidarity of mixed faith in the
region. It is believed that 60 percent of the shrines were built by Hindus
and historically the minaret has many domestic and international visitors. There
are three other prominent mosques; one near Nagai Pudhur Road, one near the new
bus stand and another at Moolakadai Street.
Velankanni is
a pilgrimage centre located 10 km (6.2 mi) from Nagapattinam. The
town is known for the Basilica of Our Lady of Good
Health, a Roman Catholic Church
built during the 17th century. Pilgrimage to the basilica is common during
September when people of many faiths, especially Hindus, Muslims and Christians
of all denominations visit the basilica.
Places of Interest:
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Hotels
List
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Connectivity
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