106-526: Nagapattinam ( nākappaṭṭi n am , previously spelt Nagapatnam or Negapatam ) is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam district . The town came to prominence during the period of Medieval Cholas (9th–12th century CE) and served as their important port for commerce and east-bound naval expeditions. The Chudamani Vihara in Nagapattinam constructed by
212-662: A Jain monastery, where he was renamed Dharmasena (Tarumacenar). He studied Jainism and years later became the head of the Jain monastery in Tiruppatirippuliyur. After a while, afflicted by a painful stomach illness, Dharmasena returned home. His sister gave him Tiruniru (sacred ash) and taught him the five syllable mantra "namaccivaya" ( Namah Shivaya ). Then they went together to a Shiva temple in Atikai, where he spontaneously composed his first hymn of Tevaram. As he sang
318-420: A Municipal Commissioner, who is the executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of elected members from each ward of the municipality. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson. Nagapattinam District was formerly a part of Thanjavur District . The district boundary is shared by Tiruvarur, Karaikal, Tanjore and Cuddalore districts. Its population at
424-399: 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. Appar Appar ( Tamil : அப்பர் ) also referred to as Tirunavukkaracar ( Tamil : திருநாவுக்கரசர் , romanized: Tirunāvukkaracar ) or Navukkarasar , was
530-682: 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. The town has four prominent churches; the Lourdhu Madha (Sindhathurai Madha) Church, the Madharasi Madha Church, T.E.L.C. Church and the Protestant Church. St. Joseph's College , opened in Nagapattinam in 1846 and transferred to Tiruchirappalli in 1883,
636-543: A busy port. The inscriptions from the Kayarohanswami temple indicate the construction was initiated during the reign of the Pallava king, Narasimha Pallava II (691 – 729 CE). A Buddhist pagoda was built under Chinese influence by the Pallava king and town was frequented by Buddhist travellers. In the 11th century CE, Chudamani Vihara , a Buddhist monastery was built by Javanese king Sri Vijaya Soolamanivarman with
742-649: A chamber inside the second precinct in Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram . Rajaraja thus became known as Tirumurai Kanda Cholan meaning one who saved the Tirumurai . The king added the images of the Nayanar poet-saints inside the Shiva temple. Nambi arranged the hymns of three saint poets Sambanthar, Appar and Sundarar as the first seven books. In 1918, 11 more songs were found engraved in
848-611: A deputy chairperson. The town became the district headquarters when the Nagapattinam district was created as a separate district. Nagapattinam comes under the Nagapattinam assembly constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly every five years. From the 1977 elections, the assembly seat was won by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) once during the 1996 elections, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) twice during
954-400: 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
1060-403: A plain terrain of alluvial soil consisting of sand, silt and clay. The Vettar River and the tributaries of river Cauvery are the major water bodies. Paddy is the major crop in the region, followed by groundnut, pulses , sugarcane , cotton and sesame. The town is one of the cyclone-prone zones and was devastated during the 2004 tsunami . A very fine layer of high saline soil was deposited in
1166-434: 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. Tamil is the predominant language, spoken by 99.56% of the population. There are a total of 891 elementary schools, 185 middle schools, 83 high schools and 79 higher secondary schools in
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#17327762440941272-419: A seventh-century Tamil Shaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Shaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is generally placed sometime between 570 and 650 CE. Appar composed 4,900 devotional hymns to the god Shiva , out of which 313 have survived and are now canonized as the 4th to 6th volumes of Tirumurai . One of the most prominent of the sixty-three revered Nayanars , he
1378-526: A stone temple in Tiruvidavayil in a village close to Nannillam, and it was the first instance found where Tevaram verses were found in inscriptions. Francis Kingsbury and Godfrey Phillips selected and translated 39 out of 313 of Appar's hymns into English in 1921. These were published with small collection of Sambandar and Sundarar hymns in a book titled Hymns of the Tamil Śaivite Saints , released by
1484-683: 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. All major nationalised banks such as State Bank of India , Indian Bank , Central Bank of India , Punjab National Bank , Indian Overseas Bank and private banks like ICICI Bank , City Union Bank have branches in Nagapattinam. All these banks have their automated teller machines located in various parts of
1590-459: A territory of a one thousand miles (1,600 km). He was the only one of the four kuravars to visit the shrine at Tirukokarnam on the western coast of India . He sang 312 decads comprising 3,056 stanzas of devotion. All the songs in the Tevaram (called pathikam , Tamil:பதிகம்) are believed to be in sets of ten. The hymns were set to music denoted by Panns and are part of the canon of
1696-420: Is a 14-day event celebrated for the annual urs (anniversary) of the saint Hajrath 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
1802-563: Is a base for heritage and historic points like Nagore, Velankanni, Sikkal, Kodiyakkarai, Vedaranyam, Mannargudi and Tharangambadi. Soundararajaperumal Temple is a Hindu temple in the town dedicated to Vishnu . It is one of the Divya Desams , the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Thirumangai Alvar, one of the 12 poet saints called Alvars belonging to the 6th–9th century. Nagapattinam
1908-560: Is a daily express train to Chennai Egmore via Mayiladuthurai Junction and Ernakulam Junction via Coimbatore Junction ( Tea Garden Express ). Vasco da Gama to Velankanni Express that pass via Nagapattinam Junction . The port of Nagapattinam is in the Bay of Bengal in the mouth of river Kuduvayyar. Nagapattinam was the most important port of the Chola empire . All the eastern naval expeditions of Rajendra Chola I (1012–44 CE) were through
2014-531: Is also the centre of retail provisions trading for the towns and villages surrounding Nagapattinam. 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 (Nagapattnam Refinery) ,
2120-462: Is base to some of the prominent Hindu temples like Sikkal Singaravelan Temple at Sikkal , Vedaranyeswarar Temple at Vedaranyam, Ettukudi Murugan Temple and Koothanur Maha Saraswathi Temple . Kayarohanaswami Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva . 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 , Campantar and Sundarar . The temple
2226-483: Is believed that 60 percent of the shrines were built by Hindus and historically the minaret garners 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 ,
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#17327762440942332-625: Is bounded by Bay of Bengal in the east, Uppanar river in the south, Thiruvarur district in the west, Thanjavur district in the north west and Karaikkal & Puducherry in the north. The town lies in the sea level. The municipality covers an area of 14.92 km (5.76 sq mi) Nagapattinam is situated at a distance of 300 km (190 mi) from Chennai , 14 km (8.7 mi) from Karaikal , 40 km (25 mi) from Mayiladuthurai , 40 km (25 mi) from Kumbakonam , 80 km (50 mi) from Thanjavur and 25 km (16 mi) from Thiruvarur . Nagapattinam lies on
2438-547: Is considered one of the important temples visited by Thirumangai Alvar. 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. Nagapattinam district was an important region of the Chola kingdom . There are urn burials in and around
2544-491: Is one of the oldest higher educational institutions in India. In 2012 Tamil Nadu Government started a separate fisheries university Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University , Nagapattinam. Nagapattinam has 12 elementary schools, 8 high schools and 7 higher secondary schools. There are 1 Medical College, 3 arts and science colleges, 2 engineering college, 3 polytechnic colleges and one industrial training institute (ITI) in
2650-537: Is one of the seven temples of the Thyagaraja cult, classified as Saptha Vidangam , where the presiding deity Thyagaraja is believed to portray different dance styles. The temple is also known for the shrine of Neelayadakshi, the consort of Kayarohanaswami. Nagore Durgha , a 16th-century minaret located in Nagore, is one of the important pilgrimage centres of the town. Kanduri festival is a 14-day event celebrated for
2756-674: Is revered in almost all Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu. A Chola bronze of Appar with 57 cm (22 in) in standing posture dated to about 12th century was found in Vembavur in Perambalur district . He is sported with beads of Rudraksha on both his arms and neck. The bronze image is stored in the Bronze gallery in Government Museum, Chennai . Appar's hymns provide a window into the history and culture of Tamil Hindus between
2862-606: Is said to have traveled to about a hundred and twenty-five temples in different cities or villages in Tamil Nadu. He died in Sadhaya Nakshtra in the Tamil month of Chithirai at Tirupukalur Shiva temple at the age of 81. The Tamil Shaiva tradition believes that Appar extolled Siva in 4,900 hymns (49,000 stanzas). Of these 313 hymns (3,130 stanzas) have survived, later compiled in the fourth, fifth and sixth volumes of
2968-461: Is traditionally credited with converting the Pallava king, Mahendravarman to Shaivism. His efforts helped expand the sacred geography of Shaivism and bring fame to smaller Shiva temples. Appar sanctified all these temples by his verses and was also involved in cleaning of the dilapidated temples with his ulavarapadai (farmer's gardening hoe) – now a part of his iconography. Appar celebrated
3074-474: The Tirumurai , the Tamil poetic canon of Shaiva Siddhanta . The compilation of these books is generally ascribed to Nambiyandar Nambi (10th century CE). Some of Appar's hymns set to various Panns , the melodic modes of Ancient Tamil music – the rest are set to Tirunerisai and Viruttam metres. In the last four decades of his life, he visited on foot no less than 125 shrines of Shiva , scattered over
3180-549: The Bay of Bengal and on the south by the Palk Strait . On the coast between Tharamgambadi and Nagapattinam lies the small district of Karaikal , an enclave belonging administratively to the Puducherry Union Territory . This is the only district in Tamil Nadu to be formed out of two disjoint regions. The district headquarters, Nagapattinam, is located in the southern part which is less populated than
3286-534: 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" and the word Pattinam was attached during the Chola era when it emerged as an important port. There are urn burials in and around the city from the Sangam period indicating some level of human habitation. Except
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3392-724: The Srivijayan king Sri Mara Vijayattungavarman of the Sailendra dynasty with the help of Rajaraja Chola I was an important Buddhist structure in those times. Nagapattinam was settled by the Portuguese and, later, the Dutch under whom it served as the capital of Dutch Coromandel from 1660 to 1781. In November 1781, the town was conquered by the British East India Company . It served as the capital of Tanjore district from 1799 to 1845 under Madras Presidency of
3498-426: The Tamil music . They continue to be part of temple liturgy today. Several of these poems refer to historic references pointing to the saint-poets' own life, voice of devotee persona, using interior language of the mystic. Multi-vocal rhetoric is commonly used taking on personal emotions and genres and some voices of classical Sangam literature . Appar's poems dealt with inner, emotional and psychological state of
3604-542: The Tirumangai Alvar , 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
3710-498: The United Kingdom and Spain . The port also served passenger traffic to Singapore , but this was suspended due to a fire accident. The modern day port has a commercial port complex and a dockyard that are protected by a river mouth sand bar facing the port. The port handles only a limited amount of edible oil imports. The Nagapttinam lighthouse is the first conventional 20-metre-high (66 ft) lighthouse tower, built inside
3816-624: The second in 1782 as part of the American Revolutionary War . The town was taken by the British from the Dutch in 1781 (who had been formally brought into the war in 1780). When the Dutch and British reached a peace agreement in 1784 , Nagapattinam was formally ceded to the British. 277 villages, with Nagore as the headquarters, were handed over to the East India Company . From 1799 to 1845 CE Nagapttinam
3922-491: The second in 1782 as part of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War . The town was taken by the British from the Dutch in 1781 (who had been formally brought into the war in 1780). When the Dutch and British reached a peace agreement in 1784 , Nagapattinam was formally ceded to the British. 277 villages, with Nagore as the headquarters, were handed over to the East India Company . From 1799 to 1845 CE, Nagapttinam
4028-425: The 13th century, the time of ancient nation states viz. cholas etc. was finished, and the temples became only denominated, voluntary, charitable places. This is briefed by a 15th-century, chidambaram temple inscription. During the time of cholas etc. the temple hymn service workers were known as uvacchar and marars . These terms are of very ancient origin and traceable to even early sangam times. Appar's stone image
4134-575: The 1991 and 2001 elections, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) five times during the 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989 and 2006 elections. The current MLA of the constituency is K. A. Jayapal, the minister for fisheries in the Government of Tamil Nadu . Nagapattinam is a part of the Nagapattinam (Lok Sabha constituency) — it has the following six assembly constituencies — Thiruvar , Nagapattinam , Thiruthuraipoondi , Vedaranyam , Kilvelur (SC) and Nannilam . The current Member of Parliament from
4240-408: The 2001 Census was nearly 1.5 million. The district has seven taluks , eleven administrative blocks, eight town panchayats, and four municipalities. Five of the talukas are coastal, and all are named after their main towns, which are their administrative centres. From north to south, they are Nagapattinam , Kilvelur , Thirukkuvalai (non-coastal), and Vedaranyam . It is bordered on the east by
4346-424: The 7th and 9th-century, states Paramasivanandan. They mention names of rulers, towns, villages, festivals, agriculture, trade, temples, role of temple in providing social support during famines and economic hardship, role of temples in dance, music, arts, life rituals, social conditions, literature, and the education system. Given Appar's study of Digambara Jainism prior to returning to Shaiva Hinduism, it also includes
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4452-540: The Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). According to the 2011 census , Nagapattinam district had a population of 698,094 with a sex-ratio of 1,025 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. 26.94% of the population lived in urban areas. 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 30.51% and 0.23% of
4558-584: The British. It continued to be a part of Thanjavur district in Independent India. In 1991, it was made the headquarters of the newly created Nagapattinam District . Nagapattinam is administered by a Special grade municipality covering an area of 17.92 km (6.92 sq mi) and had a population of 102,905 as of 2011. A majority of the people of Nagapattinam are employed in sea-borne trading, fishing, agriculture and tourism. Kayarohanaswami Temple and Soundararajaperumal Temple, Nagapattinam are
4664-479: The Dutch, Naagapattinam and surrounding villages were handed over to the Dutch on 30 December 1676. In 1690, the capital of Dutch Coromandel changed from Pulicat to Nagapattinam. This town fell into the hands of the British in 1781 after the two naval battles between British and French fleets were fought off the coast of Negapatam, as it was then known: the first in 1758 as part of the Seven Years' War and
4770-420: The Dutch, Naagappattinam and surrounding villages were handed over to the Dutch on 30 December 1676. In 1690, the capital of Dutch Coromandel moved from Pulicat to Nagapattinam. This town fell into the hands of the British in 1781 after the two naval battles between British and French fleets were fought off the coast of Negapatam, as it was then known: the first in 1758 as part of the Seven Years' War and
4876-586: The Jain monastic practice of not brushing teeth, the lack of body hygiene, their barbaric ascetic practices, the doctrine of pallurai (anekantavada) as self-contradictory relativism, the hypocrisy of running away from the world and work yet begging for food in that same world, and others. Appar largely stayed at Atikai with his sister before visiting other Shiva temples to sing in praise of Shiva. He heard of Sambandar and went to Sirkali to meet him. Sambandar respectfully addressed Navukkarasar as Appar (father) and he and Appar travelled together singing hymns. Appar
4982-645: The Oxford University Press. They stated that these were some of the hymns from Devaram (Tevaram) that they could hear being chanted in South Indian Shiva temples of their times. In 1959, Dorai Rangaswamy published a prose translation with commentary on about 100 Appar's hymns in Volume 3 of his collected works on Tevaram. More recent English translations of many more select hymns by Appar have been published by Indira Peterson. Appar
5088-469: The Portuguese to the Dutch – Nagapattinam Port, Puthur, Muttam, Poruvalancheri, Anthanappettai, Karureppankadu, AzhingiMangalam, Sangamangalam, Thiruthinamangalam, Manjakollai, Nariyankudi. Ten Christian churches and a hospital were built by the Dutch. They released Pagoda coins with the name Nagapattinam engraved in Tamil. As per agreement between the first Maratha King, Ekoji Raje of Thanjavur , and
5194-407: The Portuguese to the Dutch – Nagappattinam Port, Puthur, Muttam, Poruvalancheri, Anthanappettai, Karureppankadu, AzhingiMangalam, Sangamangalam, Thiruthinamangalam, Manjakollai, Nariyankudi. Ten Christian churches and a hospital were built by the Dutch. They also released coins with the name Nagappattinam engraved in Tamil letters. Under an agreement between the first Maratta King Egoji of Thanjavur and
5300-410: 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
5406-492: The Tiruvallam Bilavaneswara temple records. Rajaraja deputed 48 pidarars and made liberal provisions for their maintenance and successors. Historic inscriptions give details about the gifts rendered to the singers of Tevaram from Parantaka I of the 8th century. A record belonging to Rajendra I mentions Tevaranayakan , the supervisor of Tevaram and shows the institutionalisation of Tevaram with
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#17327762440945512-478: The Utharkanda Gyana Yoga section. The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham , the 5th to 9th century CE Vaishnava canon, by Alvars . It is considered one of the important temples visited by Thirumangai Alvar. The Alvar has sung praise, imagining himself as a lady and Soundaraja as his lover. The temple is classified as a Divya Desam , one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in
5618-667: The Vedas, and connected the Vedic ritual to the temple Agamic puja that is ever since followed in Shiva temples. According to John Cort – a scholar of Jainism and Hinduism studies, the Agamic temple rituals perpetuate the Vedic practices. Appar and other Nayanars helped transform this "as the central element of the Saiva Siddhanta philosophical and theological system, and thus of Tamil Saiva soteriology", states Cort, by emphasizing
5724-408: The annual urs (anniversary) of the saint Hajrath Shahul Hamid (1490–1579 CE), in honor of 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
5830-498: The boats were damaged by the inundation. The immediate aftermath created a lull in tourism. The district shares borders with Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal district of the union territory Puducherry . 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 1,397 square kilometres (539 sq mi). The District capital, Nagapattinam lies on
5936-411: The book. The early works of Tevaram by the 7th-century poets Appar and Tirugnanasambandar mention the town had fortified walls, busy road building and a busy port. The inscriptions from the Kayarohanswami temple indicate the construction was initiated during the reign of the Pallava king, Narasimha Pallava II (691–729 CE). A Buddhist pagoda was built under Chinese influence by the Pallava king and
6042-467: The city from the Sangam period indicating some level of human habitation. The neighbouring port, Kaveripoompattinam (modern day Poompuhar), was the capital of the Chola kingdom of the Sangam Age, referred to widely in Tamil scriptures like Paṭṭiṉappālai . The early works of Tevaram by the 7th-century poets Appar and Sambandar mention that the town had fortified walls, busy roads, buildings and
6148-533: The constituency is Dr. K. Gopal from the AIADMK party. From 1957, the Nagapattinam parliament seat was held by the Indian National Congress for five times during 1957–1961, 1962–67, 1967–71, 1991–96, and 1996–98 elections. CPI won the seat for five times during 1971–77, 1977–80, 1989–91, 1996–98 and 1998 elections. DMK won four times during 1980–84, 1999–2004, 2004–09 and 2009 elections. AIADMK won
6254-406: The daily and weekly fish markets in the town. There is 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. There is limited agricultural activity, but much agricultural commerce is conducted in the town. A majority of the people are employed in service industry, belonging to the tertiary sector. The town
6360-404: The daily rituals. These are usually carried out as chorus programme soon after the divine offering. The singing of Tevaram was followed by musicals from the music pillars in such temples like Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple , Nellaiappar Temple and Suchindram . The singers of these hymns were referred as Tirupadiyam Vinnapam seyvar or Pidarar , from the inscriptions of Nandivarman III in
6466-548: The district is carried out by Panchayat Unions (or Town Panchayats) in rural areas. These panchayat unions have a set of panchayat villages under them. In urban areas, the governance is done by municipal corporations, municipalities or town panchayats based on the size of the town; each of these has a set of wards. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town Planning, and Information Technology (IT). The municipalities are administered by
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#17327762440946572-412: The district level police division headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP). Nagapattinam district Nagapattinam district is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India . Nagapattinam district was carved out by bifurcating the erstwhile composite Thanjavur district on 19 October 1991. The town of Nagapattinam is the district headquarters. Until Mayiladuthurai district
6678-539: The district. 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
6784-568: 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). In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati 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 Tamil Nadu currently receiving funds from
6890-640: The establishment of a department. There are records from Kulothunga Chola III from Nallanyanar temple in South Arcot indicating singing of Tiruvempavai and Tiruvalam of Manickavasagar during special occasion in the temple. From the 13th century, the texts were passed on to the Odhuvars by the Adheenams or charitable establishments. The charitable establishments that ran on philanthropy of individuals and merchant caravans had come to be because after
6996-615: The feat of Shiva in the particular location – the usage of locale continuously occurring in the verses is a testament. According to Prentiss, the poems do not represent social space as a contested space, the hymns represent the hymnists were free to wander and to offer their praise of Shiva. The emotional intensity of the hymns represent spontaneous expression of thought as an emotional responses to God. The hymnists made classificatory lists of places like katu (for forest), turai (port or refuge), kulam (water tank) and kalam (field) being used – thus both structured and unstructured places in
7102-455: The fishing industry, as most of the boats were damaged by the inundation. The immediate aftermath created a lull in tourism. According to 2011 census , Nagapattinam had a population of 102,905 with a sex-ratio of 1,026 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 11,884 were under the age of six, constituting 6,089 males and 5,795 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 8.67% and 0.62% of
7208-483: The head of a Jain monastery. After he returned to Shaivism and began composing devotional hymns to Shiva, he has been historically referred to as Appar ( lit. "father"), after the child poet-saint Sambandar lovingly called him Appar . An outline about Appar's life, without specifics, are found in his own hymns that were preserved by an oral tradition . A written collection of his hymns as well as more details are found in texts about four centuries after he died. One of
7314-594: The instrumentality and efficacy of the temple and its rituals. According to Appar and others, the Vedic and the Agamic overlap, are alternate roads to the same spiritual end, both evoke a transformation in the devotee, with the difference that temple-based Saiva puja alone is emphasized in the tradition that Appar and other Nayanars helped create. Appar's tradition has thrived in Tamil Shiva temples. Odhuvars , Sthanikars , or Kattalaiyars offer musical programmes in Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu by singing Tevaram after
7420-488: The local transport needs of Nagapattinam and the neighbouring villages. The State Express Transport Corporation operates long-distance buses connecting Nagapattinam to a number of other cities. Great Southern of India Railway Company (GSIR) had its headquarters at Nagapattinam between 1861 and 1875. A broad gauge railway [BG] line was operated between Nagapattinam and Tiruchirappalli Junction via Thiruvarur Junction , Thanjavur Junction between 1861 and 1875. During 1875 it
7526-444: The major Hindu pilgrimage sites. Nagapattinam is the base for tourism for Sikkal , Velankanni , Poompuhar , Kodiakkarai , Vedaranyam , and Tharangambadi . Roadways is the major mode of transport to Nagapattinam, while the city also has rail and sea transport. Nagapattinam is derived from Nagar referring to people from Sri Lanka who settled here and pattinam referring to town. It was also called CholakulaVallipattinam during
7632-532: The mention in Ptolemy as 'Νίγαμα Μετρόπολις,' there are no direct references to Nagapattinam during the 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE). The neighbouring port, Kaveripoompattinam (modern day Poompuhar), was the capital of the Chola kingdom of the Sangam Age, referred to widely in Tamil scriptures such as Paṭṭiṉappālai . The Soundarajaperumal temple finds a mention in the Brahmanda Purana in
7738-441: 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 ". The place is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham as Nagai in the 5th to 9th century CE Vaishnava canon, by Alvars . It
7844-607: The most studied version is the Sekkizhar's Periya Puranam , the last book of the Tirumurai . There, under Thiruninrasargam and in 428 verses, Sekkizhar presents the legendary life of Appar. Appar was born in late 6th-century, likely between 570 and 596 CE. Some scholars place him a bit later, in early 7th-century. Appar was born in the Guruaruludaiyan kothiraam of the Vellalar caste by birth. His childhood name
7950-423: The municipality are devolved into six departments: General administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town planning and IT. All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the supreme executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 36 members, one from each of the 36 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected chairperson R.Marimuthu, assisted by
8056-492: The northern one. The district has two Lok Sabha constituencies, namely Nagapattinam Lok Sabha constituency . The current Member of Parliament from the Nagapattinam constituency is M. Selvarasu from the CPI. There are a total of three legislative assembly constituencies in the district, namely, Kilvelur , Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam . Out of these Kilvelu constituencies is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC). Tourism plays
8162-461: The paddy fields. Nagapattinam has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen As ) with a wet season from August to December due to the northeast monsoon . The city receives an annual rainfall of 1,350 millimetres or 53 inches. Proximity to the sea results in a high humidity throughout the year, which reaches 70% from August to May. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off
8268-462: The patronage of Raja Raja Chola . Nagapattinam was the prominent port of Cholas for trade and conquering gateway to the east. In the early 16th century the Portuguese made commercial contacts with the town and established a commercial centre in 1554 CE. The Portuguese also conducted missionary enterprise in the town. In 1658, the Dutch established an agreement with King Vijaya Nayakkar of Thanjavur on 5 January 1662. Ten villages were transferred from
8374-420: The period due to migration of people to other urban centres. There are 40 slums in the town as of 2001, with an estimated 44% residing in these slums. Out of 40 slums, 14 were affected by the 2004 tsunami. With the help of grant schemes and tsunami assistance programmes, these were rebuilt to tsunami-proof houses. The main occupation of Nagapattinam is fishing in the waters of Bay of Bengal . The fish are sold in
8480-416: The period of Kulottunga I , named after one of his queens, 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 are no contemporary evidences to prove the existence of a metropolis in the name of "Nikama" or "Nikam". Nagapattinam was referred by early writers and
8586-443: The poet saint. The metaphors used in the poems have deep agrarian influence that is considered one of the striking chords for common people to get accustomed to the verse. The quote below is a popular song of Appar glorifying Shiva in simple diction. translating to The tendency to incorporate place names known to the folks in the idiom of the poems is another characteristic feature of Tevaram . The poems also involved glorifying
8692-529: 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
8798-459: The population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 78.74%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had 24688 households. There were 33,532 workers, comprising 209 cultivators, 320 main agricultural labourers, 605 in house hold industries, 29,875 other workers, 2,523 marginal workers, 35 marginal cultivators, 130 marginal agricultural labourers, 64 marginal workers in household industries and 2,294 other marginal workers. As per
8904-552: The port premises by the British in 1869. The port and the lighthouse are maintained by the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board under the Government of India. Thirukkuvalai Port is a deep-water multi-modal port. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli Airport , located 145 km (90 mi) away from the town. Tourism plays a key economic role for the town, even though fishing is the major occupation. Nagapttinam
9010-521: The port. The port was widely used by the Dutch , Portuguese and British as one of the major ports of the Coramandel Coast for trading purposes. Most of the principal exports to Sri Lanka from the port during the British period were rice, piece goods, livestock, cigars, tobacco and hides. The trade of Nagapattinam was mostly with Sri Lanka , Straits Settlements, Burma and to a small extent to
9116-441: 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 ,
9222-416: The religious census of 2011, Nagapattinam had 71.4% Hindus , 24.79% Muslims , 3.68% Christians , 0.01% Sikhs , 0.02% Buddhists , 0.01% Jains and 0.08% following other religions. The decadal growth rate was higher during the decade ending in 1981, due to an increase in the town limits from 8.7 km (3.4 sq mi) to 14.95 km (5.77 sq mi). The overall growth rate has declined over
9328-411: The religious context find a mention in Tevaram . Raja Raja Chola I (ruled 985–1013 CE) embarked on a mission to recover the hymns after hearing short excerpts of Tevaram in his court. He sought the help of Nambi Andar Nambi, who was a priest in a temple. It is believed by Tamil Shaiva that Nambi found the scripts by divine intervention, in the form of cadijam leaves half eaten by white ants in
9434-526: The seat twice during the 1984–89 elections and 2014 elections. Law and order in the town in maintained by the Nagapattinam sub division of the Tamil Nadu Police headed by a Deputy Superintendent (DSP). There are three police stations in the town, one of them being an all-women police station. There are special units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at
9540-411: The second verse, he was miraculously cured of his stomach illness. Thereafter, he came to be known as Navukkaracar (from Skt: Vagisa, "king of speech") or more popularly just Appar. He thus left Jainism and become a devout Shaiva. Appar's hymns are intimately devotional to Shiva, but occasionally include verses where he repents the Jain period of his life. In Tevaram hymn IV.39 and others, he criticizes
9646-446: 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. There are 32 districts in Tamil Nadu, each divided for revenue administration purposes into revenue divisions , which are further divided into Talukas . Each of these Talukas has a list of revenue villages and is headed by a Tahsildar. Developmental administration of
9752-650: The town every day. Nagapattinam municipality does not have an underground drainage system and the current sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks and public conveniences. The storm water drainage system is made up of the natural river drainage and man-made storm water drains. Nagapattinam comes under the Nagapattinam telecom circle of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Apart from telecom, BSNL provides broadband internet service. There are six government hospitals in
9858-428: The town was frequented by Buddhist travelers. In the 11th century CE, Chudamani Vihara , a Buddhist monastery, was built by the Sailendra king of Srivijaya Sri Mara Vijayattungavarman with the patronage of Raja Raja Chola . It was named Chudamani or Chulamani Vihara after king Sri Mara's father As per the small Leyden grant this Vihara was called Rajaraja-perumpalli during the time of Kulottunga I . Nagapattinam
9964-541: The town, with the largest being the District Government Hospital. There are 28 other private hospitals, clinics, and medical shops. Nagapattinam was declared a municipality in 1866 during British times. It was promoted to a second grade municipality in 1986, selection grade in 1998. From 1991, the municipal limits were expanded to include Nagore. The municipality has 36 wards and there is an elected councillor for each of those wards. The functions of
10070-658: The town. Nagapattinam municipality accommodates 104.539 km (64.958 mi) of roads; 27.328 km (16.981 mi) of cement roads, 72.993 km (45.356 mi) of bituminous roads, 1.2 km (0.75 mi) of WBM roads and 3.018 km (1.875 mi) of earthen roads. Nagapattinam is connected by two national highways, NH 45A to Villupuram and NH 67 to Coimbatore and Gundlupete in Karnataka state . The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates close to 175 daily bus services connecting various cities to Nagapattinam. It also operates 25 town buses satisfying
10176-485: The town. The electricity supplied to the town is regulated and distributed by the Nagapattinam circle of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The water supply is provided by the Nagapattinam Municipality, through borewells from Vettar river – the distribution is done through pumping stations located at Kurukathi, Andipalayam and Solomon Park. About 55 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from
10282-469: The west coast of Sumatra , Indonesia, triggering a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean. Nagapattinam was one of the regions severely affected in Tamil Nadu, accounting for 6,064 of 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
10388-434: The west coast of Sumatra , Indonesia, which triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean. Nagapattinam district was the most affected part in Tamil Nadu, accounting for 6,064 of the 8,009 casualties in the state. A large number of the casualties were from the fishing community, who resided close to the seashore especially Akkaraipattai . The property losses impacted
10494-464: Was Marunikkiyar (Marulneekiar). Orphaned, he was raised by his older sister Thilagavathiar. Thilagavathiar was betrothed to a military commander who died in war. She never married thereafter, devoted herself to Shaivism and to taking care of her little brother. He spent his childhood in Tiruvamur village near Atikai by most accounts. Unlike his sister, Appar turned to Jainism. He left home, joined
10600-467: Was an older contemporary of Sambandar . His images are found and revered in Tamil Shiva temples. His characteristic iconography in temples show him carrying a farmer's small hoe – a gardening tool and weed puller. Appar is also known as Tirunavukkaracar ( lit. "King of the Tongue, Lord of Language"). His birth-name was Marulneekkiyar, and was renamed to Dharmasenar while he studied and later served as
10706-554: Was converted into a meter gauge (MG) line. The GSIR headquarters was shifted to Tiruchirapalli during 1875. The railway workshop was at Negapatnam till 1929 and contributed to the growth of the town. It was also moved to Golden rock [Ponmalai] during 1929. Nagapattinam Junction connects Thiruvarur Junction in the west, Nagore in the north and Velankanni in the south. There are passenger trains to Tiruchirappalli Junction , Thanjavur Junction , Mayiladuthurai Junction , Karaikal , Mannargudi and Thiruthuraipoondi Junction . There
10812-443: Was created out of it on 24 March 2020, Nagapattinam was the only discontiguous district in Tamil Nadu. Nagapattinam is derived from Nagar , referring to people, and pattinam referring to town. In Tamil Pattinam and paakkam depicts coastal towns. 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
10918-432: Was severely affected by the tsunami which followed the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake . It is well developed in the year 2016 where there are many Big textiles showroom (Krishna, Murasons etc.), Confectionery Houses (Mehala traders, Uma etc.), Schools, Colleges and Variety of fishes available in here. Nagapattinam lies at 10°46′N 79°50′E / 10.77°N 79.83°E / 10.77; 79.83 . The town
11024-475: Was the headquarters of Tanjore district. Nagapattinam and Nagore were incorporated as a single municipality in 1866 CE. The town remained one of the chief ports to the Madras Presidency . The port suffered decline after the inclusion of Tranquebar and Tuticorin . The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off
11130-449: Was the headquarters of Tanjore district. Nagapattinam and Nagore were incorporated as a single municipality in 1866 CE. The town remained one of the chief ports to the Madras Presidency . The port suffered decline after the inclusion of Tranquebar and Tuticorin ports. After India's independence, Sirkazhi continued to be a part of Thanjavur district until 1991, and later became part of the newly created Nagapattinam district. Nagapattinam
11236-407: Was the prominent port of Cholas for trade and a conquering gateway to the east. In the early 16th century the Portuguese made commercial contacts with the town and established a commercial centre in 1554 CE. The Portuguese also conducted missionary enterprise here. In 1658, the Dutch made an agreement with King Vijaya Nayakkar of Thanjavur on 5 January 1662, by which ten villages were transferred from
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