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Nagercoil is an important town located in the district of
Kanyakumari (also spelt as Kanniyakumari).
It is situated at the southern part of Tamil Nadu. Until 1956, it was a
part of Kerala state, but now it is in Tamil Nadu.
The City Of Nagercoil
Nagercoil controls the major routes between
Chennai (formerly
Madras) and
Thiruvananthapuram
(formerly Trivandrum) and is a commercial centre with a rich agricultural
area. Among the city's expanding industries are cotton and rice milling,
motor repairing, and the manufacture of rubber goods.
Nagercoil is famous for the Nagaraja Temple and the town derived its name
from this temple. Its name, meaning "Snake Temple", indicates
the early significance of the town's Shiva temple. Although, historically
Nagercoil was a part of the Hindu kingdom of Travancore, over the years it
has developed as an important Christian centre.
The Nagaraja Temple
The Nagaraja temple situated here is unique in many respects. Though
Nagaraja (Serpent God) is the presiding deity, the images of Lord Shiva
and Anathakrishna (Lord Vishnu) are also enshrined. The Nagaraja is
installed on the ground where it was originally found.
The sanctum is a simple thatched shed, with mud walls. It enshrines the
King of Serpents. Tradition states that a King of Kalakkad was cured of
leprosy when he performed penance in the temple. He then rebuilt it in the
Kerala style. He might have been Bhuthalavira Sri Vira Udaya
Marthandavarma, who ruled Venad, with Kalakkad as his capital, from 1516
to 1535. It is believed that snakebite is not fatal within a kilometre of
the temple.
The Prasadam (also spelt as Prasada) distributed to the devotees is wet
sand scooped out from the ground where the image of the Nagaraja deity is
enshrined. The images of the Jain Theerthakaras, Mahavira and Parswanathar
are found in the pillars of the temple. The entrance to the temple is
reminiscent of the Chinese architecture of Buddha Vihara. The Nagalinga
flower found here is also symbolic of Nagaraja.
Tirunelveli
Located
6-km from Nagercoil is Tirunelveli, a
district with many famous temples. The headquarters of the district is
Tirunelveli, a city surrounded on all sides by paddy fields. The famous
Kanthimathi - Nellaiyapper Temple, situated in the city of Tirunelveli, is
a Shivastalam with sprawling Mandapams decked with life-sized images. It
is one of the most beautiful temples in India and is hailed as one of the
5 Pancha Sabhas of Nataraja housing Tamra Sabha (the copper hall).
Padmanabhampuram
Palace
About 14-km west Nagercoil, is the tourist centre of Padmanabhapuram.
Though now officially in Tamil Nadu, it was the capital of erstwhile
Travancore between 1550 and 1750. By virtue of this it has a far more
intimate connection with the history of Kerala than with the state of
Tamil Nadu.
The ancient and majestic Padmanabhampuram Palace, an epitome of
Kerala
architecture , which dates back to the 17th century is located in
the town of Padmanabhampuram and is its main claim to fame. The
Archaeological Survey Of India now maintains the palace. The rulers of
Travancore, a princely state for over 400 years, which included a good
part of present-day Kerala and part of western Tamil Nadu, ruled from this
palace, replete with outstanding wood carvings, stone sculptures and
fantastic murals.
Kanyakumari
Nagercoil is situated at a distance of 19-km from Kanyakumari. At the
southern most land tip of India, where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean
and the Bay of Bengal meet, lies Kanniyakumari, an important pilgrim
centre. Kanniyakumari is famous for its beach and the spectacular sunrises
and sunsets, especially on full moon days. Vivekananda Rock Memorial,
Gandhi Mandapam and the temples of Goddess Bhagavathi and Kumari Amman are
the main tourist attractions of Kanyakumari.
Air:
The nearest airport is at
Trivandrum
located at a distance of about 100-km from Nagercoil. It is directly
connected with Bangalore, Mumbai, Cochin,
Delhi,
Goa, and
Chennai by regular
flights.
Rail: Kanyakumari is the nearest
railway station, which is well connected by train services with all the
places in India. Superfast trains connect the southern most railhead of
India with northern cities like
Jammu and
Delhi. Intercity
trains are running from almost all the southern cities.
Road: Nagercoil is well connected by road with the neighbouring
towns and cities. For local transportation, taxis and auto rickshaws are
available.
Accommodation is available at the medium class and small budgeted hotels, lodges and choultries in Nagercoil.
Latha Nursing Home
Mission Hospital
Sahayam Hospital
M.L. Hospital
Subramoniyam Natesan Polyclinic
Area: 24-sq-kms
Population: 19,0084 (1991 Census)
Latitude: N 8° 03' and 8°35'
Longitude: E 77° 05' and 77° 36'
Clothing: Light Cottons
Languages Spoken: Tamil and English
STD Code: 04652
Climate: Tropical
Temperature Range (deg C):
Summer- Max 33.60ºC, Min 20.60ºC
Winter- Max 32.9ºC, Min 21.4ºC
Rainfall: 1,400 mm
Tenkasi - 34-km
Tiruchchendur - 121-km
Tirumangalam - 164-km
Tirunelveli - 6-km
Tuticorin - 122-km
Kanyakumari - 19-km