Thoothukudi

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Thoothukudi (தூத்துக்குடி in Tamil) also known as Tuticorin, is a city in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The city is also known as "Pearl City". It is a sea port city which serves southern Tamil Nadu, including the inland cities of Coimbatore, Madurai and Tirunelveli. It is one of the oldest cities in India with the history dating back to the 6th century BCE. Thoothukudi is the headquarters of Thoothukudi District.

Origin of Name

There are a couple of theories as to the origin of the name

• Thoorthu (Dig) and Kudi (Drink)- The town had no rivers and the only source of drinking water was from wells).
• "Thoortha" means land "reclaimed" from sea while "Kudi" also stands for "settlement" or "colony" - Hence "Thoortha Kudi" or Thoothukudi could mean a settlment built on land reclaimed from sea.

Finally the Tuticorin name was used by Dutch people, who were here and now its called "Tuticorin" in English and "Thoothukudi" in Tamil.

History of Thoothukudi

Thoothukudi is traditionally known for its pearl fishery and shipbuilding. It was the sea port of the Pandyan kingdom. Thoothukudi was the stronghold of the Paravas, a community from the lineage of Pandyan kingdom and still continues to be a strong base of this community.This community also claims the status of uncrowned kings of the land holding a sway over power.But recently there is a slide in the community's stonghold since most of it's youth are employed abroad.The Paravas community have a unique way of living, their cultural demarcations are very strong from that of the other communities in that region.The traditional old houses of the Paravas in the city are unique, built in both Victorian style and Chettinad style from Burmese teak wood.Another community in this region is the Nadars -the southern trading community.Thoothukudi became the center of the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, with such leaders as the poet Subramanya Bharathy, Kattabomman, and V.O. Chidambaram Pillai.

The major harbour of Thoothukudi is well known as a pearl diving and fishing centre. Thoothukudi was founded by the Portuguese in 1548, captured by the Dutch in 1658, and ceded to the British in 1825.(Courtesy - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001) The lighthouse built in 1842 marked the beginning of the history of Thoothukudi harbour development.

Geography

Location

Thoothukudi is in South India about 540 km south west of Madras(Chennai) and is geographically located in the Gulf of Mannar.

The district of Mannar]] (Bay of Bengal), south and south-west by the district of Tirunelveli, West and North west by the district of Virudhunagar and North by the district of Ramanathapuram The total area of this district is 4621 km². and the administrative headquarters is an urban agglomeration and also one of the taluk headquarters within the district.

Climate

Tropical climate. Hot and humid.

Irrigation

There are no big reservoirs in this district so the Papanasam and Manimuthar dams which are located in the Tirunelveli district under Tamirabarani system are the main sources of irrigation. Besides Tamirabarani river, the river Vaipar in Vilathikulam taluk and the river Karumeni which traverses through Sathankulam and Tiruchendur taluks also acts as sources. In Ottapidaram taluk there is one small reservoir at Eppodumvendran village.

Economy

The economy of Thoothukudi is based on industries, port, salt pans and agriculture.

Industry in Tuticorin

Thoothukudi has a host of industries including power, chemicals, fisheries etc. Some of the industries are the Tuticorin Thermal Power Station (TTPS), SPIC fertilizer plant,TAC fertilizer plant, Darangadara Chemicals, Kilburn Chemicals, Madura Coats, Transworld Garnet Industries, AVM JumboBags (SIPCOT,Sterlite Copper Industries and St. John Freight Sytems Limited. The heavy water plant at Thoothukudi employs the ammonia hydrogen exchange process (monothermal) [link].

Port

On 11th July 1974,the newly constructed Thoothukudi port was declared as the 10th Indian major port and is second largest port in Tamil Nadu. Thoothukudi is a natural port. The Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, a project to create a shipping channel through the shallow Palk Strait to allow larger ships through, is headquartered at the Port of Thoothukudi [link]. The Tata Group has proposed to extract chromium from the sands of coastal Tamil Nadu and the headquarters of this project is planned to be stationed in Thoothukudi.

Salt Production

The district constitutes 70% of the total salt production of Tamil Nadu and 30% of India.

Agriculture

Paddy is cultivated in Srivaikundam, Sattankulam and Tiruchendur taluks. Cumbu, Cholam, Kuthiraivali and other pulses are raised in the dry tracts of Kovilpatti, Vilathikulam, Ottapidaram and Thoothukudi taluks. Cotton is cultivated in Kovilpatti, Ottapidaram and Thoothukudi taluks. Groundnut cultivation is undertaken in Kovilpatti, Tiruchendur and Sattankulam taluks. Groundnut cake is being used as manure and cattle feed. Palmyrah trees are grown mostly in Tiruchendur, Srivaikundam, Sattankulam and Vilathikulam taluks. Jaggery is produced from palmyrah juice and the production of jaggery is the main occupation of the people of Tiruchendur and Sattankulam taluks. Banana and other vegetables are raised in Srivaikundam and Tiruchendur taluks. The road going towards kulayankarisal from thiruchendur road has a special of having banana farms on one side and salt farm on another side which cannot be seen anywhere as each farm needs a different type of water. Thoothukudi is the largest exporter of Banana in Tamilnadu

Government and Politics

Transport

1. Airport - is at Vagaikulam [ From 1st Apr 2006, Airdeccan started daily flights to and from Chennai]
2. Port - Will be more active after Sethusamudram
3. Rail - Connected by Broad Gauge Rail [ Chennai, Mysore and Tirunelveli ]
4. Road - Connected by 4 laned roads with Madurai and Tirunelveli

Demographics

As of 2001 India census^{[Geographic references#IndiaGRIndia]}, Thoothukkudi had a population of 216,058. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Thoothukkudi has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 79%. In Thoothukkudi, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Culture

Paravas, Nadars,Pillamars(Nangudi Vellalars), dominate the region. The people here are used to take rest after lunch and have a small nap before going back to office. This is one of the few districts in India with Ayyavazhi followers. The day of incarnation of Vaikundar, Ayya Vaikunda Avataram is a holiday for the district.

Education

Tuticorin has many primary and secondary schools, apart from that 4 UG and PG degree colleges and one medical college and a polytechnic and a ITI. The biggest among the schools are St. Francis Xavier Higher Secondary school,St.Thomas Higher secondary school, Spic Nagar Higher Secondary school, Holy Cross Anglo Indian School etc.

Media

Sports

Notable people from Thoothukudi

• Subramanya Bharathi, Poet - The great Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathy is from Ettayapuram in the erstwhile Tirunelveli district before the Thoothukudi district was carved out. He composed poems foreseeing India's freedom. He wrote many articles on many subjects. He also wrote about the unity of India in spite of its variety in languages, religion and cultures.
• Kattabomman Veerapandiya was a chieftain who refused to bow down to the demands of the British for agricultural tax on native land who laid down his life to the cause of independence. The fight he launched in Panchalankurichi has been hailed as the inspiration behind the first battle of independence of 1857, which the British called the Sepoy Mutiny.
• V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, one of the freedom fighters of India, who in 1906 launched the first swadeshi ship S.S. Gaelia in British India. [link]
• JLP Roche Victoria, Former state minister and who pioneered the vallanad water project which is the lifeline of Tuticorin.
• Shiv Nadar, Chairman HCL technologies and Third richest Indian in the world.

References

• [All about Thoothukudi & Thoothukudi District]
• [Official government website of Thoothukudi district]

Further reading

• [Tuticorin Statistics]

See also

• [Muthunagar]

External links

• [Port of Tuticorin]
• [Our Lady of Snows Shrine Basilica, Tuticorin]
• [St.Anthony's Shrine (Church of St.Antony's of Padua) at Puliyampatti, Tuticorin District]

	State of Tamil Nadu | History | Politics | Tamil people
Capital	Chennai
Districts	Chennai • Coimbatore • Cuddalore • Dharmapuri • Dindigul • Erode • Kanchipuram • Kanyakumari • Karur • Krishnagiri • Madurai • Nagapattinam • Namakkal • Perambalur • Pudukkottai • Ramanathapuram • Salem • Sivaganga • Thanjavur • The Nilgiris • Theni • Thoothukudi • Tiruchirapalli • Tirunelveli • Tiruvallur • Tiruvannamalai • Tiruvarur • Vellore • Viluppuram • Virudhunagar
Major cities	Alandur • Avadi • Ambattur • Chennai • Coimbatore • Cuddalore • Dindigul • Erode • Kancheepuram • Kumbakonam • Madurai • Nagercoil • Neyveli • Pallavaram • Pudukkottai • Rajapalayam • Salem • Tiruchirapalli • Tirunelveli • Nagercoil • Tambaram • Thoothukudi • Tiruppur • Tiruvannamalai • Thanjavur • Tiruvottiyur • Vellore

 

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