| Kanyakumari District | |
| "The Lands End" | |
| — district — | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District(s) | Kanniyakumari |
| Subdistrict(s) | Agastheeswaram , Kallkkulam , Thovalai , Vilavancode |
| ' | 1956,1 November |
| Capital | Nagercoil |
| Headquarters | Nagercoil |
| Collector & District Magistrate | Ms S. Madumathi IAS |
| Legislature (seats) | Elected (6) |
| Parliamentary constituency | Kanyakumari |
| Assembly constituency | 6 |
| Population • Density |
1,863,174[1] (2011[update]) • 995.7 /km2 (2,579 /sq mi) |
| Sex ratio | M-1000/F-1014 ♂/♀ |
| Literacy | 95.6% |
| Official languages | Tamil, |
|---|---|
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area • Coastline |
1,684 square kilometres (650 sq mi) • 72 kilometres (45 mi) |
| Climate • Precipitation |
• 1,465 mm (57.7 in) |
| Central location: | |
| Website | official website |
Kanyakumari District (Tamil: கன்னியாகுமரி மாவட்டம், (also spelled Kanniyakumari or Kanniakumari District)) is a district of Tamil Nadu state, India and is the southernmost land area of mainland India.
The district is the second most urbanised district in Tamilnadu, next only to Chennai and ahead of Coimbatore.[2] It also has the highest literacy and education levels in the state.
Kanyakumari District is the second smallest of the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu state. The district takes its name from the tourist town of Kanyakumari, which is at the tip of the Indian Peninsula and faces the Indian Ocean. The administrative capital of the district is Nagercoil, which is 20 km from Kanyakumari town. The district is also known as "The District of Ponds" or "The Lands End"
It was part of the princely state of Travancore until India's independence and later formed a part of Travancore Cochin Presidency before the state of Kerala was formed. The Four taluks, out of eight taluks from Thiruvananthapuram district was segregated and the new district called Kanyakumari was formed, and merged with Madras Presidency under recommendations from the States' Reorganisation Commission in 1956, before the presidency was renamed as Tamil Nadu state.
The district has a varied topography with sea on three sides and lush green mountains of the Western Ghats bordering the northern side.[3]
Kanyakumari District is located at the southern tip of peninsular India and bordered by Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala state to the west and Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu to the north and east. It is also sometimes referred to as "Land's End".[4]
The district lies between 77° 15' and 77° 36' of the eastern longitudes and 8° 03' and 8° 35' of the northern Latitudes. The south-eastern boundary (coastal) is the Gulf of Mannar (Bay of Bengal), while on the South and the South West, the boundaries are the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.
Kanyakumari district takes its name from the town of Kanyakumari, at the southern tip of India. ( In Samskrtham, Kanya means a virgin woman, Kumaari means a girl, In Tamzhi the Samskrtham word Kanya is changed to 'kanni' ). Kanyakumari District is also sometimes called Kumari District in short. Kanyakumari town is named after the goddess Kanyakumari Amman, a popular deity of the area. Legend has it that the goddess Parvati in one of her incarnations as Devi Kanniya did penance on one of the rocks of this 'land's end' to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva.
The town of Kanyakumari is geographically a cape, and it was called Cape Comorin by the British. Since ancient times, Kanyakumari District has consisted of two geographical areas, known locally as Nanjilnadu and Idainadu. The etymologists interpret the word Nanjilnadu as the country ("nadu") where there were (and still has) several agriculture plantations and fields. Nanjilnadu is mentioned in old Tamil literature as a rich agrarian area, where the town of Kottar, (today, a locality in Nagercoil) as a major commercial centre. Ancient temples and inscriptions reveal a major Jain influence in ancient times. The district is home to many practitioners of various branches of ancient India's health tradition, including siddha, ayurvedha, and varma kalai.
Nanjilnadu, which was formed by the present Agasteeswaram and Thovalai Taluks (administrative sub-divisions) of the district, was alternately under the rule of the Pandyas and the Cheras until the beginning of the thirteenth century. Idainadu, including Kalkulam and Vilavancode Taluks, was under the rule of Cheras. When the power of Cheras declined due to the rise of Hoysalas and western Chalukyas, the Venad (Travancore) chieftains (one of the only two part or full blood-descendants of the Cheras and the Pandyas - the other being the Mushikas) gradually established their hold on many areas of Nanjilnadu. The annexation commenced by Veera Kerala Varma was to a large extent continued by his successors and completed by 1100 A.D.
Four centuries later, the Vijayanagar kings proceeded against Venad, and in 1609, Kanyakumari fell into the hands of Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai, while the remaining parts of Nanjilnadu was under Venad. Padmanabhapuram near Nagarcoil was the capital of Venad. .
In 1729, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the Venad king expanded his kingdom further, after putting down the insurgency of the Ettuveettil Pillamar. The expanded kingdom came to be known as Travancore (Thiruvithamkur). Marthanda Varma defeated the forces of the Dutch East India Company under Eustachius De Lannoy in 1741 at the Battle of Colachel. In the later part of the 18th century, Chanda Sahib, a rebel commandant related to the Nawab of Arcot attacked Nagercoil and other areas. Travancore had to contend with such attacks and monetary demands from the Carnatic Nawabs or from their rebellious governors until the English fully supported the state of Travancore. In spite of the troubles encountered in the southern border of Venad, Marthanda Varma expanded the kingdom northwards up to Aluva. As a result, the present day Kanyakumari District came to be known as Southern Travancore. In 1745, the capital was shifted from Padmanabhapuram (in present day Kanyakumari District) to Thiruvananthapuram.
In the princely states of Travancore and Cochin there was a sizable Tamil population. Mostly concentrated in Nagercoil, Devikulam, Peerumedu and Chittur, they constituted a lingustic minority in a Malayalee-dominated area. A popular movement to merge Kanyakumari District with Tamilnadu (then Madras State) resulted in the District being merged with Tamilnadu, in accordance with the recommendations of the States' Reorganisation Commission. The new district included the four Taluks of Vilavancode, Kalkulam, Thovalai and Agasteeswaram from South Travancore, with a total area of 1684 square kilometers.
| Kerala | Tirunelveli | Tirunelveli | ||
| Kerala | Tirunelveli | |||
| Kanyakumari | ||||
| Arabian sea | Indian ocean | Bay of bengal |
The soil pH is between 4.5 to 8.0. The minerals in soil - nitrogen: low to medium, phosphorus: medium, potassium: high
48.9% of land in the district is under cultivation and 30.5% is covered by forests.
According to the 2011 census Kanyakumari district has a population of 1,863,174.[5] This gives it a ranking of 253rd in India (out of a total of 640).[5] The district has a population density of 233 inhabitants per square kilometre (600 /sq mi) .[5] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 22.81 %.[5] West Nimar has a sex ratio of 963 females for every 1000 males,[5] and a literacy rate of 63.98 %.[5]
As of 2011 census, the district had a population of 1,863,174 and 82.47% of the district is urbanised. It has the second highest population density in Tamil Nadu of 1106 persons per km2, only behind Chennai. It is the highest literate region in Tamil nadu with a total literacy rate of 90.25. The district also has a high female sex ratio of 1010 females born to every 1000 males.[6]
The Mondaikad festival is celebrated by the locals as well as Keralites. Traditionally, participants would walk chanting "ammae saranam, bhagavathiye saranam", and all the way people would provide butter, milk, water, jaggery, and coffee. The festival is celebrated for ten days and later became a social function, especially on Sunday. In 1982 there were police shootings to quell a disturbance by anti-social religious radicals. Today, Mondaikad is more of a departmental festival. Kanyakumari District has important religious sites for all three major religions in the district, viz., Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. The Ayyavazhi festival, Ayya vaikunda Avataram, is widely celebrated throughout the district.[10][11] The Kodiyettru Thirunal is celebrated in the religious headquarters of Swamithope pathi and attracts large crowds[12] from Tamil Nadu and across India.[13][14][15]
The Kodai festival in the month of March at the Mandaicadu temple also attracts large crowds, both from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Thirukalya Utsavam in Kumaracoil temple, near Thuckalay, is celebrated in the month of March - April, and attracts large numbers from Kerala. In the St. Xavier's Church at Kottar, the annual festival on 3 December, is celebrated with grandeur, and attracts Catholic people (and some Hindus too) from all over South India.
New Year is celebrated with Vana Vediakkai (fireworks) and local games such as Valukku Panai (slippery palm), a game in which a person has to climb a bamboo stick which is flooded with oil.
Rice is the staple food of the people, although for some people in the hilly areas, tapioca is the main food. Though there are some vegetarians among the populace, a majority of the people use agro, meat and fish products. Fish caught in the seas around the district during the night or early morning hours reach the markets in the interior towns and villages in the early morning. The food (for example, Chakkoli) is spicy, and the people in the district tend to use more grated coconut in their curries and food-preparations, like neighbouring Kerala.
There are two major National Highways (NH) roads emanating from Kanyakumari town. One is the NH 7 that starts from the town and runs through Madurai and the other is the NH 47 that runs to Salem through Kerala, touching some important cities like Trivandrum, Kochi and Coimbatore.
The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation is the major operator of bus services in the district, though licences are issued for specific routes to private operators.
Today, there are 3495.80 km of surfaced roads in the district.
The Airport Authority of India have proposed for an Airport in Nagercoil to tap the tourism potential of the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.[16] The nearest airports are Trivandrum International Airport which is 70 km and Tuticorin Domestic Airport which is 110 km away from Nagercoil, the capital of Kanyakumari District.
Nagercoil is a major railway junction, connecting the eastern and western rail lines and connecting all the major cities in India. The western line runs through the West coast (through Kerala) and the eastern line runs through the East into Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, towards Chennai. The rail link to Kanyakumari was established only in 1978, mainly because establishing a rail line through the district posed some challenges for the rail department and took a lot of efforts, especially the western line. The western line that runs to Trivandrum today runs through some huge artificial ground elevations and number of hill tunnels.
Railway routes are under the jurisdiction of Southern Railway’s Thiruvananthapuram Division. Most of the train services are through Kerala. Nagercoil Junction Railway station is -A- category station with an annual passenger revenue of over 20 crore. There are plans for setting up a suburban railway station in Nagercoil at Parvathipuram[17]
Kanyakumari District is connected through direct train services with all the metropolitan cities in India, like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. These Express trains originate either from Kanyakumari or Nagercoil.
Passenger (local) train services and other express trains run between Trivandrum Central and either Nagercoil or Kanyakumari. The journey by train from Trivandrum Central to Nagercoil usually takes two hours.
India's longest-running train, both in time and distance, The Vivek Express runs between Kanyakumari town and Dibrugarh in Assam. The train covers 4,286 km between Kanyakumari and Assam, in 82 hours and 30 minutes.
There are two hydroelectric power stations at Kodayar, generating a combined 100 MW of power. Aralvoimozhy in Kanyakumari District is a major centre for generation of windmill power and the largest in the world, led by major corporations like Suzlon Energy and Micon.
Colachel Port is a small natural harbour in the western side of the district near the town of Colachel.[18] The Indian government has plans to turn it into a major port and container trans-shipment terminal and is now in the process of making a feasibility study. Colachel Port would have certain advantages over other neighbouring ports in India when developed, in that, it would be closer to international shipping lanes - shipping traffic between Europe, West Asia and the Far East passes not far from the port. Also, the port is naturally deep. Being situated close to the tip of the Indian Peninsula and with major ports like Colombo and Singapore in the vicinity, the port is becoming a big port and the Singapore government has sent its team to study the port.
The Protestant missionaries who arrived in the 19th century were the first to introduce English education in the district. The founder of the English School in the erstwhile Travancore State was Reverend William Tobias RingleTaube, a native of Prussia, who came to the state in 1806.
Several European missionaries who came to the district (then South Travancore) after Ringeltaube, also contributed immensely to the cause of regular education. Today, a number of old educational institutions in the district carry the names of these missionaries. For example, Carmel Higher Secondary School, Nagercoil is run by the Jesuits of Madurai Province.
Kanyakumari District has a literacy rate of 87.6%.[19] A variety of colleges of higher education are found throughout the district, mainly art, science and engineering colleges. The Scott Christian College, founded by RingleTaube in Nagercoil, is more than 100 years old.
The state runs the Kanyakumari Government Medical College at Asaripallam, a Government Engineering College and a Government Polytechnic at Konam, near Nagercoil. Many private Engineering Colleges including a private University are also started-functioning in the recent past. Not less than 30 Engineering Colleges are functioning in the district which are currently affiliated to the Anna University of Technology, Tirunelveli. Arts and Science colleges are affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli. The Manonmaniam Sundaranar University runs a research unit by name "Centre for Marine Sciences and Technology" at Rajakamangalam, Kanyakumari District. Noorul Islam University is the only private university functioning at Thuckaulay.
Kanyakumari District accounts for more than 95% of the production of natural rubber in the state of Tamil Nadu. Rubber is cultivated mainly in the hilly areas (on the western ghats) in the interior, while paddy fields and other crops are mainly found on the plains, near the coast.
Cultivation includes crops such as rice, coconut, tapioca, banana, pulses, cashew, mango, palmyrah, tamarind, arecanut, jack fruit, and clove.
The major river in the district is Tambaraparani River locally known as Kuzhithuraiar. This river has two major tributaries with the Pechiparai Dam and Perunchani Dam respectively built across them, Kodayar and Paralayar. There are many tributaries for the Kodayar River of which Chittar River I and Chittar II, with their dams, are the major ones. The origin of Tambaraparani River is in the Western Ghats and the river confluences with Arabian sea near Thengapattanam, about 56 km. west of Kanyakumari town.
Valliar, another small river and its tributary Thoovalar, originate from the Velimalai Hills, collect the drainage from P.P. Channel and its branches, ayacuts (irrigated area under a tank) and confluence with the Arabian Sea in Kadiapattinam.
The Pazhayar River, another small river, starts at Shorlacode, a place about 18 km north-west of Nagercoil. This is mainly a drainage river, mostly collecting the drainage of Thovalai, Ananthanar and N.P. Channels.
The Pahrali River also flows through the district. The Mathur Hanging Trough, the highest and longest aqueduct in Asia, was built over it near Mathur.
The forests in Kanyakumari District are about 75 million years old. Of the total district area of 1671.3 km², government forests occupy an area of 504.86 km² which comes to about 30.2% the total geographical area of the district. The forests of the district are administered through the Kanyakumari Forest Division, with headquarters at Nagercoil, the capital of Kanyakumari District.
There are 14 types of forests from luxuriant tropical wet evergreen to tropical thorn forests. This variety occurs in the district because of diverse locality factors.[20] Rainfall varies from 103 cm to 310 cm elevation from sea level to 1829 m. The forest area is 30.2% of the total district geographical area which is next to Nilgiris district with 59% and Dharmapuri District with 38% in Tamil Nadu State. 52% of the district's forests are classified as dense forests, which is second only to Dharmapuri District with 58%.
The forests contain species such as Mesua ferrea, Bischofia Javanica, Vitex altissima to smaller trees of Dillini a species festooning climber, shrubs, valuable herbs, variety of orchids, two types of canes, many indigenous palms and cycas. The important timbers are teak, rosewood, vengai and aini. Various types of forest products like bamboos, reeds, canes, soft wood, tamarind, lemon grass, rubber, coconut, arecanut, terminalia chebula, cinnamon bark nelli, cardamom, mango and many medicinal plants are harvested in this district. The Maruthuvalmalai, a hill located among green paddy fields and coconut palms, is famous for valuable medicinal plants. This is the only district in Tamil Nadu where rubber and clove plantations have been raised in reserve forests in an area of 47.857 km² and 1.1 km² respectively. The district is rich in wildlife with at least 25 types of mammals, about 60 species of birds including 14 species of migratory birds and many species of fishes, reptiles and amphibians listed.
The following are the reserve forests in Kanyakumari Forest Division:
The flora and fauna of Kanyakumari District are vast and diverse.
Animals on the hills of the district include Bengal Tiger, Elephant, Sambar Deer, Porcupines, Hedgehogs and wild boar, while pied kingfisher, Painted Stork and cranes are commonly found in the water bodies and wetlands. Reptiles include Monitor Lizards, Pythons,Blood Viper and other snakes.
In Mahendragiri hills (about 4,000 ft (1,200 m) above sea level), one can find Elephant, Tiger, Leopards and deer. Leopard cubs often stray onto the highway near the hills and are sometimes run over by motorists.
The Keeriparai and Maramalai hills are habitats for wild Elephants and Indian Bison. The Kodayar hills are the breeding centers for the Indian rock pythons and Indian Bison. In the Theroor wetlands, one can see several varieties of storks and migratory birds during specific seasons. Trout and other varieties of freshwater fish are found in the Pechiparai reservoir.
The district also has a wildlife sanctuary and a bird sanctuary[21]
Kanyakumari district is noted for its medicinal plants and herbs. The district also has a huge forest cover, accommodating a wide variety of plants, trees, and shrubs.
Commercial varieties include various kinds of Plantain (like Nenthiram, Palayamkotan, Thuluvam, Matti), jackfruit (like Varikila and Koolan), mango (varieties like Alphonsa, Bangalora, Neelam and Ottu) and coconut. In addition to fruits, a variety of flowers like roses and jasmine are also produced. Common garden varieties in the district include crotons, lillies, and dahlias.
Areas like Keeriparai are home to varieties of ferns, bamboos and other tropical plants. Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperma), a tree with reddish and orange leaves and flowers, is found in the Pechiparai Reservoir. Rubber estates are found in the hilly areas surrounding Arumanai, Kaliyal, and Kadayal.
The hills and mountains of the area contain herbs of medicinal value and minerals. Marunthuvazhmalai or Maruthuvamalai, a hill in the district located near Kanyakumari, literally means medicinal hill, and is referred to by Therapeutics (Buddhist monks) who belonged to the period of Emperor Ashoka, as having medical and spiritual heritage. According to traditional beliefs, the hill was a piece of the mountain Gandha Madhana which dropped, while the mountain was being carried by Hanuman to Lanka during the epic war between Rama and Ravana. Today, rare medicinal herbs are available here in abundance.
The sage Agasthiya was also the foremost of the Siddhars (the practitioners of herbal medicines). This sage is believed to have lived in "the land’s end" and there is also a village by the name of Agasteeswaram near Maruthuvamalai which owes its name to the dwarf sage. Besides medicine and grammar, Agasthiya was also adept in Varma Sastra. General palm leaf records like Varmani and Varma Sastra were written by Agasthiya.
More than 200 species of marine fishes have been recorded in the coastal region of Kanyakumari district, which includes skates, rays, sharks, sardine, mackerel, etc. Apart from fishes different species of prawns, lobsters, crabs, bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods and turtles are seen in the catch.
Wadge bank is a fertile fishing found where rich marine biological diversity occurs. Wadge bank may also be defined as a place of marine environment, where there is a rich availability of fish food organisms. The water depth of this region is low. The physical features of the water like under-water current, tides and waves will have less impact on the fishes and animals of this region. Fishes select this region for feeding and breeding purposes. Throughout the maritime countries of the world there are about twenty such wadge banks. Of these one is situated near Kanyakumari on the coastline of Kanyakumari District on the eastward as well as on the westward region for about 30 km. Here representatives of fish species of the three seas occur.
Beaches in specific areas of the district are rich in mineral content (and the sands look partly black). Sands in all colors are available in small pouches for tourists. The state-owned Indian Rare Earths Limited (under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India) has a plant at Manavalakurichi which mines the beach-sands for Zircon, ilmenite, Monazite, Thorium and other Zirconium-based minerals. Thorium is used in India's nuclear programme and nuclear power reactors.
This district is known for its traditional skills in handicrafts items. Making 'Monkey-doll' from the un-husked coconut and other handicrafts items from coconut shell or wood are two major activities in the cluster. Coconut shell handicrafts include the making of spoons, ladles, forks, ice-cream cups, soup bowls, table lamps, pen-stands, and jewellery. Handicrafts made of seashells are available at Kanyakumari.
Kanyakumari District is noted for two important agro-products: honey and cashewnuts. The honey produced near Martandam town in the district is marketed in India as "Martandam Honey" in pure AGMARK quality by YMCA & others, while cashewnut production is an important activity in the whole district,particularly around Martandam town.
The district attracts tourists all year round.
Kanyakumari district was one of the worst affected districts in India in the tsunami that ravaged the coasts of various countries in South and South East Asia, on 26 December 2004. There were nearly 900 deaths and several hundreds missing and injured. Social organizations from several countries and the Government have since been working on rehabilitating the affected people and property.
Manakudy, Kottilpadu and Colachel were the worst affected areas in the district. Being a holiday (Sunday) and the peak of the tourist season, several people were washed away from the shores of Kanyakumari town also. A concrete road bridge across the Manakudy estuary was carried away by the waves for several metres into the estuary. Several people on the beaches near Nagercoil were also taken unawares.
Notable people from the district include:
| Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala | Tirunelveli district | |||
| Kanyakumari district | ||||
| Lakshadweep Sea | Indian Ocean | Gulf of Mannar |
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