Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the
Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of
Kanyakumari District in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
state, India. Situated close to the tip of the
Indian peninsula, it lies on an undulating terrain between the
Western Ghats and the
Arabian Sea. Nagercoil Corporation is the
12th biggest city of Tamil Nadu.
The present city of Nagercoil grew around
Kottar
Kottar is a locality and a bazaar area of Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu state, in the southernmost part of Peninsular India ; though a part of Nagercoil today, it is the original town around which the city of Nagercoil grew. It was an ancient trade cen ...
, a mercantile town that dates back to the
Sangam period
The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...
.
Kottar
Kottar is a locality and a bazaar area of Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu state, in the southernmost part of Peninsular India ; though a part of Nagercoil today, it is the original town around which the city of Nagercoil grew. It was an ancient trade cen ...
is now a locality within the city limits. For 735 years it was a central part of the erstwhile
Travancore kingdom and later
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
State – till almost a decade after India's independence from Britain in 1947. In 1956, Kanyakumari District, along with the town, was merged with Tamil Nadu.
Nagercoil is a centre for a range of economic activities in the small but densely-populated
Kanyakumari District. Economic activities in around the city include tourism, wind energy, IT services, marine fish production and exports, rubber and cloves plantations, agro-crops, floral production, manufacture of fishnets, rubber products among other activities.
'Nagercoil Cloves' is a distinct quality of dried cloves in the spices market, noted for its aroma and medicinal value.
Cloves, pepper and other spices are grown in estates in the
Western Ghats, outside the town.
Nagercoil is also the nearest city to the
ISRO Propulsion Complex
The ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), located at Mahendragiri of Tamil Nadu, is an Indian Space Research Organisation centre involved in testing, assembling, and integrating propulsion systems and stages that are developed at ISRO's Liquid Propul ...
,
Mahendragiri and the
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (or Kudankulam NPP or KKNPP) is the largest nuclear power station in India, situated in Kudankulam in the Tirunelveli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Construction on the plant began on 31 Ma ...
.
The city, along with the district of Kanyakumari, stands at the top in many
HDI parameters in Tamil Nadu state, including education, per capita income, health indices, etc.
The municipality of Nagercoil was upgraded as a Municipal corporation on the eve of its 100th year as a city on February 14, 2019.
History
Nagercoil derives from the Tamil expression ''Nagaraja koyil'', meaning "temple of Nagas".
Robert Caldwell describes the extent of Malayalam in the mid 19th century as extending from the vicinity of
Mangalore
Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka– ...
in the north where it supersedes with
Tulu
Tulu may refer to:
People
*Derartu Tulu (born 1972), Ethiopian long-distance runner
*Walid Yacoubou (born 1997), Togolese footballer nicknamed "Tulu"
India
*Tulu calendar, traditional solar calendar generally used in the regions of southwest Kar ...
and
Kannada to
Kottar
Kottar is a locality and a bazaar area of Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu state, in the southernmost part of Peninsular India ; though a part of Nagercoil today, it is the original town around which the city of Nagercoil grew. It was an ancient trade cen ...
beyond
Pahrali River near
Kanyakumari in the south where it begins to supersede with the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, na ...
and from
Malabar Coast in the west to
Western Ghats in the east besides the inhabited islands of
Lakshadweep in the
Arabian Sea. It was from the ancient trade centre of
Kottar
Kottar is a locality and a bazaar area of Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu state, in the southernmost part of Peninsular India ; though a part of Nagercoil today, it is the original town around which the city of Nagercoil grew. It was an ancient trade cen ...
from where the city of Nagercoil began to expand.
Known as the Granary of
Travancore, Nagercoil not only served as the food basket of Kerala, but was also one among the important spice-trading centers in the kingdom of
Travancore from the 14th century onward, and maintained a trade network with Arab merchants from the pre-Islamic era. Various Tamil and Kerala kings fought over this rich agricultural land, which boasted six rivers. Various historians cite that the land's climate and diverse, luxuriant vegetation had no comparison anywhere else in Tamil Nadu.
The naturalist
Jivanayakam Cyril Daniel (1927–2011) was born in Nagercoil.
Demographics
According to the
2011 census, Nagercoil had a population of 2,24,849 with a female-male sex ratio of 1.05, well above the national average of 0.929 females/male.
A total of 20,241 were under the age of six, constituting 10,119 males and 10,122 females.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 4.19% and 0.17% of the population respectively. The literacy rate of the city was 96.99%.
The city had a total of 59,997 households. There were a total of 76,345 workers, comprising 244 cultivators, 1,155 main agricultural laborers, 2,271 in household industries, 67,050 other workers, 5,625 marginal workers, 110 marginal cultivators, 361 marginal agricultural laborers, 447 marginal workers in household industries and 4,707 other marginal workers.
Economy
The city is one among the 50 Indian cities to be ranked in the World Startup Index of 1,000 cities.
The major software companies present in Nagercoil are CapeStart Inc.,
Hinduja Global Solutions
Hinduja Group is an Indian transnational conglomerate. The group is present in eleven sectors including automotive, oil and specialty chemicals, banking and finance, IT and ITeS, cyber security, healthcare, trading, infrastructure project deve ...
,
Navigant Consulting
Navigant Consulting, Inc. was an American management consultancy firm. It had offices in Asia, Europe and North America; the head office was in Chicago, Illinois. The stock was a component of the S&P 600 index. Navigant was acquired by Guidehous ...
and American stock exchange
NASDAQ. The city also has small aerospace manufacturing plants and satellite fabricating firms serving the
Indian Space Research Organisations facility in
ISRO Propulsion Complex
The ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), located at Mahendragiri of Tamil Nadu, is an Indian Space Research Organisation centre involved in testing, assembling, and integrating propulsion systems and stages that are developed at ISRO's Liquid Propul ...
, Mahendragiri. The Regional Academic Centre for Space by Indian Space Research Organisation, one among the only six incubation centers for Space Startups in India, is under construction in Nagercoil. The
Integral Coach Factory has a small scale windmill unit. The export of 95 tons of fruits and vegetables to the Gulf Countries through the Thiruvananthapuram airports is a major source of revenue for the city, with food processing companies generating a daily revenue of ₹16.7
lakh and an annual revenue of ₹6.1 billion. The flower market of Thovalai exports 350 tons of Flowers to Kerala, Europe and Middle Eastern countries generating an annual revenue of ₹250
crore.
The major cottage industries like Fish-net manufacturing, Rubber industries, Jewellery manufacturing are industries serving the domestic and export markets. The minor
cottage industries
The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the project via remote ...
include Surgical Gloves,
Coir-making, floral trade, handloom-weaving, cashew nut, spices, food-processing units, and lace-making (export-oriented). Nagercoil has the highest per capita income of ₹2,76,454 (US$3,800), making it among the richest small cities in India.
Energy
The city has an installed windmill capacity of 1500 MW catering to 20% of the state's renewable electricity needs. Muppandhal has emerged as the wind power hub, with plant owners eager to cash in on the ₹2.90 per unit purchase price being offered by the
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (abbreviated as TNEB) is a power generation and distribution company owned by Government of Tamil Nadu, India. It was created as a regulated monopoly under section 131 of the Electricity Act (2003) as a successor o ...
.
Architecture
The architecture of Nagercoil consists of an eclectic combination of architectural styles, ranging from those that predate the creation of the town, from the early
Dravidian architecture and
Kerala Architecture
Kerala architecture is a style of architecture found mostly in the Indian state of Kerala and in parts of Tulu Nadu region of Karnataka. Kerala's style of architecture is a unique Hindu temple architecture that emerged in the southwest pa ...
, to English
Gothic Revival, to the 21st century contemporary. Although there are prehistoric and classical structures in the city, the architectural history of Nagercoil effectively begins with the first small settlements from 3 A.D. The Roman naturalist and writer
Pliny the Elder mentions Nagercoil as a commercial metropolis, having trade links with his contemporaneous Roman merchants, who traded and stayed in unique rock-walled, clay-roofed structures. This legacy can be found in some of the town's old heritage structures like the
Nagaraja Temple, Nagercoil
Nagaraja Temple is an early large temple found in the city of Nagercoil (''Nagarkōyil'') near the southern tip of Tamil Nadu, India. Its dating is uncertain but likely pre-12th-century. The main sanctum is dedicated to the Nagaraja – the kin ...
. The temple has two main deities, Krishna (revered as Ananda Krishna) and Nagaraja. The upadevathas are Shiva, Subrahmanya Swami, Ganesha, Devi, and Dwarapalaka. As an ancient tradition, the priests are Namboothiri Brahmins who are referred by the Pambumekkat mana in Thrissur, Kerala. The 14th century
St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar serves as a testimony to the mix of Roman and native architecture. While Saint Xavier was doing missionary work at Kottar and its neighborhood, he averted an invasion of Padagas with the help of his cross alone and thus protected the people of the Venad kingdom from that attack which was appreciated by the king, Unni Kerala Varma, who became closer to the priest and befriended him from then on. In recognition of Xavier's services, the king allotted him a piece of land to construct a Catholic church, as a gesture of goodwill, as per the church records. There was already a small church, in the same place where St. Xavier's church stands at present, dedicated to Mary the Mother of God, since AD 1544. Later on, Dravidian and Kerala architectural styles began to appear in the area. This can be attributed to the construction of the
Thanumalayan Temple
The Thanumalayan Temple, also called Sthanumalayan Temple is an important Hindu temple located in Suchindram in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the 108 shiva temple revered by the Kerala Hindu culture, though this t ...
in the 16th Century.
The brilliant artistic influence of Kerala and British architecture marvels are seen in the Nagercoil Palace,
Nagercoil Clock Tower
The Nagercoil Clock Tower, also known as also known as Nagercoil Tower Junction, is situated in the heart of the city of Nagercoil, India. The clock in the tower was presented to the Maharajah of Travancore by the European missionary, Rev. Dut ...
,
Home Church,
Scott Christian College,
Scott School,
Carmel Higher Secondary School
The century old Carmel Higher Secondary School is a Private school, private Catholic school, Catholic secondary school for boys, located at Carmel Nagar, Ramanputhoor, in Nagercoil, in the Kanyakumari District, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
...
,
St. Joseph Convent, Sethu Lakshmi Bai School, Nagercoil Court, The Concordia Seminary, Filter House,
The Salvation Army Catherine Booth Hospital and many more heritage structures in and around the town. Among these, the Nagercoil Clock Tower is the most visible to the outside world, situated in the heart of the town, which was built to commemorate the visit of Sri Moolam Thirunal, the ruler of
Travancore, in 1893, and was designed by Hogeorf and S. Horesly of England. The Maharajah himself inaugurated it on 15 February of that year. The pendulum of the clock was made in Derbyshire by Smith of Derby Group,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. The clock is attached to a 60-foot-long chain with a weight, operated with pulleys through gravitational force.
The clock in the Nagercoil Clock Tower was presented to the Maharajah by Rev. James Duthie. of the London Missionary Society.
The total cost for constructing the Nagercoil Clock Tower was ₹ 3,258, 9 Chakrams and 12 Kasu. The Maharajah of Travancore donated ₹ 1017, and the balance was donated by the public.
However, the declining interest by the government to uphold and preserve the heritage monuments is a cause of concern to heritage enthusiasts and the citizens of the town. The fear, that with time, the extinction of this heritage will be imminent is growing with the demolition of a few structures.
Politics
Marshal Nesamony, one of the leading lawyers of the Nagercoil Bar, was elected as the Chairman of the Nagercoil Municipal Council in 1943. He enlarged the town boundary, improved the town's water supply system, established a home for destitutes and increased the income of the Nagercoil Municipality. In the same year, he was elected to the Travancore State Assembly and was also nominated to the Senate of the
Kerala University, then known as the Travancore University. Later on
K. Kamaraj
Kumaraswami Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975, hinduonnet.com. 15–28 September 2001), popularly known as Kamarajar was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madras State (Tamil Nadu) ...
, the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, won from the Kanyakumari constituency without even canvassing.
The
Nagercoil (Lok Sabha constituency) is perhaps the only constituency in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
to not have elected any
Dravidian parties in the state's history.
A.K. Chellaiya, was a politician and an MLA of
Colachel constituency in 1952. He resigned his post for merging Kanyakumari with Tamil Nadu.
A. Samraj, was an MLA of
Thovalai
Thovalai is a small village located in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India. The area is well known in India for its production of flowers, especially jasmine. The taluk was among several in Thiruvananthapuram district that with the passage of the ...
constituency in 1952. He resigned from his post for merging Kanyakumari with Tamil Nadu.
Education
Tamil is the official language in Nagercoil and is spoken by the majority of the population here. In addition to Tamil, English and Malayalam are widely spoken. There are many schools and colleges in Nagercoil that are known for their national reputation and were established more than 150 years ago; colleges such as
Scott Christian College (est. 1809),
South Travancore Hindu College (est. 1952),
Holy Cross College (est. 1965),
Women Christian College and schools such as
Scott Christian Higher Secondary School (est. 1819), Duthie Girls School (est. 1819),
St. Joseph's Convent Higher Secondary School (est. 1910),
Carmel Higher Secondary School
The century old Carmel Higher Secondary School is a Private school, private Catholic school, Catholic secondary school for boys, located at Carmel Nagar, Ramanputhoor, in Nagercoil, in the Kanyakumari District, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
...
(est. 1922), S.L.B. Government Higher Secondary School (est. 1924), S.M.R.V. Higher Secondary School (est. 1919).
The literacy rate is at 96.99%
higher than the national average of 74.04% and state average of 80.09%.
Culture
At
Vadasery
Vadasery is an area/village of Nagercoil city in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. It is also famous for its Christopher (mofussil) bus stand, one of the two bus termini in Nagercoil is located here. Long route (mofussil) buses to other distric ...
, a locality in Nagercoil, a unique Temple jewellery is made. The Vadasery Temple jewellery has
Geographical Indication
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
s (GI) registry of the Government of India.
These jewels are used by classical dancers in India.
Onam is a festival which is widely celebrated among the
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...
-speaking population by drawing the
'athapoo' on the floor.
Navaratri is uniquely celebrated here with an inter-state tradition in which the idols of Goddess Munuthithanankai Amman from
Suchindrum, Goddess Saraswati from
Padmanabhapuram Palace and Lord Kumaraswamy from
Kumarakovil travel to
Thiruvananthapuram. A ceremonial welcome is given to the idols of the Gods by the officials and representatives of the Government of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
. After the ten days of
Navratri festival, they return to the respective temples with great celebrations.
Sports
Nagercoil has the distinction of housing one of the two
Sports Authority of India
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is the apex national sports body of India, established in 1982 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of Government of India for the development of sports in India. SAI has 2 Sports Academic instituti ...
Centers in the state, the other being in
Chennai. There are plans to make the city hub for sports in
South India by merging it with the
Thiruvananthapuram and
Kochi Centers with headquarters in
Thiruvananthapuram.
Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) is maintaining Aringar Anna Outdoor Stadium in Vadasery and SDAT indoor Stadium in Konam, Nagercoil. It also has an excellent Swimming pool for sports players.
Nagercoil also has various sports clubs that promote various sports activities. Nagercoil Fencing Club promotes fencing sports in nagercoil.
Also there are various Non govt sports clubs like The District Club, The Nagercoil Club, Ramavarmapuram club, etc.
[web, url=http://www.districtclubnagercoil.com/]
References
Notes
External links
Official website of Kanyakumari district
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Kanyakumari district