Nagapattinam ( (
nākappaṭṭinam) (previously spelt
Nagapatnam or
Negapatam) is a coastal city and a
municipality in
Nagapattinam District in the
Indian
state of
Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam District, it was carved out by bifurcating the composite Thanjavur district on October 18, 1991. Other names of the town are Naganadu, Cholakula Vallippatinam and Shiva Rajadhani. Nagapattinam is the major port for Cholas dynasty. Nearby towns include
Tiruvarur,
Karaikal and
Mayiladuthurai.
History
Dutch engraving showing Nagapatnam c. 1680
refers to Nagapattinam as Nikam and mentions it as one of the most important trade centres of the
ancient Tamil country. Nagapattinam was a
Buddhist centre from 8th century CE. In 11th century CE,
Chudamani Vihara, a Buddhist vihara (monastery) was built by Javanese king Sri Vijaya Soolamanivarman with the patronage of
Raja Raja Chola.
[http://www.nio.org/past_events/archaeology/sridhar.pdf] Buddhism flourished until 15th century CE and the buildings of the vihara survived until 18th century. In
Chola's Empire, Nagapattinam was the prominent port of Cholas and Cholas used this port not only for trade but also as conquering gateway to the east. This town still has traces of
Saiva temples that were built by Cholas.
Permanent Shelter for Tsunami Affected Families in Nagapattinam - meant to be tsunamiproof
Nagapattinam was referred to by early writers and the
Portuguese as "the city of
Coromandel".
[Imperial Gazetteer of India, XIX, 3] In early 16th century the Portuguese start commercial contacts with the town; in 1554 they establish a commercial centre. In 1657 the Dutch occupied the town, taking it from the Portuguese to become their chief possession in India. In 1676, when the
Maratha prince
Venkaji had established himself at
Tanjore, the grant of Negapatam to the Dutch was confirmed. During the 18th century, two naval battles between British and French fleets were fought off the coast of Negapatam, as it was then known; the
Battle of Negapatam (1758) as part of the
Seven Years War, and the
Battle of Negapatam (1782) as part of the
American Revolutionary War. The town was taken by the British from the Dutch (who were loosely allied with the American revolutionaries) in 1781, then by the French admiral
Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez. On January, 20th Nagapatnam was given to the English by
Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes. From 1799 to 1845 it was the headquarters of Tanjore district.
Nagapattinam was one of the regions severely affected by the
tsunami which followed the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
Demographics
India
census, Nagapattinam had a population of 92,525. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Nagapattinam has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 69%. In Nagapattinam, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age. The major language spoken in the Nagapattinam District is
Tamil spoken as a mother tongue by
Hindus,
Christians and
Muslims alike. The vast majority of the population are
Hindu by religion, with a
Muslim minority of about 30% and much smaller groups of
Christians, Buddhists,
Sikhs and
Jains.
Economy
The fishing boats at Nagapattinam.
The main occupation of Nagapattinam is fishing in the waters of
Bay of Bengal and selling the catch in the town's fish market. There are a large number of ice factories for preserving the fish caught. Its fishing Industry was severely damaged by the tsunamis that struck its coast on 26 December 2004.
Occupation
The town brings a daily income of 2crRs.
Away from the coast of Nagapattinam, agriculture, education, food packing, etc are practiced, with agriculture being the most important occupation in the villages surrounding the town. It has vast farmlands where rice is cultivated. These farmlands are irrigated through an extensive network of canals from the tributaries of the river
Cauvery. The produce is transported by rail to other parts of the country.
Cauvery Basin Refinery , a subsidiary of CPCL is located near Nagapattinam.
Notable Persons from Nagai
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
M. Karunanidhi's birth place, Thirukkuvalai, is situated in present day's Nagapattinam district.
Politics
Nagapattinam assembly constituency is part of
Nagapattinam (Lok Sabha constituency).
