Virapandianpattanam or Virapandianpatnam is a village on the southeastern coast of the
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n peninsula, near
Thiruchendur
Tiruchendur (Tamil: ''Tiruccentūr'' t̪iɾɯtːʃen̪d̪uːr also ''jayantipuram'') is a municipality in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is home to the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, one of the Six Abodes of Murugan.
Geogr ...
,
Thoothukudi District
The Thoothukkudi District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India. On 20 October 1986, an M. G. Ramachandran-led government bifurcated the Tirunelveli district to form the district. It is shared by its boundaries w ...
,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
.
Many people were converted to
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
there by
St. Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; ; ; ; ; ; 7 April 15063 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Navarrese cleric and missionary. He co-founded the Society of Jesus and, as a representative o ...
by 1544.
Village Center
The village's focal point is a Roman Catholic church built in 1886. Surrounding it is the village cemetery, a grotto for Mother Mary, the Priest's quarters, a high school and a nursery. Chapels for various saints are located around the village. The church has daily masses at 5:15 am and 6:30 am. Most masses are broadcast over the church's speakers, and most village residents can hear it from their homes. The church was recently renovated with new paint and pews. The literacy rate is 98%. It is one of the oldest churches in South India.
Economy
Although many of the villagers are involved in various other businesses and occupations,
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
and fish-related businesses are the village's main sources of income.
Infrastructure
The nearest airport is
Thoothukudi
Thoothukudi (formerly called Tuticorin) is a port city, port industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is capital and headquarters of the di ...
Vagaikulam Airport, about a one-hour drive from Virapandianpattanam. Most major cities in Tamil Nadu can be accessed via bus. The easiest way to access Patnam is to take the train from Chennai to Thoothukudi, then take either a taxi or bus. Another other easy way is to take a bus from
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
. Many luxurious private buses from Chennai can take one to Patnam in relative comfort in about 9 hours.
Educational institutions
Colleges
1. Aditanar College of Arts & Science
Schools
1. St. Thomas Higher Secondary School.
2. St. Thomas Anglo Indian Metriculation School.
3. St. Joseph's Convent School.
4. St. Mary's Primary School
Technical Institutes
1. ITI - Industrial Training Institute.
External links
* http://www.pattanam.com
References
{{Reflist
Villages in Thoothukudi district