Thoothukudi

Thoothukudi <!-- The following text is in Standard Unicode. If it renders incorrectly on your computer, you may need to upgrade your browser and/or OS -->(), also known as Tuticorin, is a port city and a Municipal Corporation in Thoothukudi district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thoothukudi is the headquarters of Thoothukudi District.

Thoothukudi is also known as "Pearl City". It is a commercial seaport which serves the inland cities of Southern India and is one of the sea gateways of Tamil Nadu. It is also one of the major seaports in India with a history dating back to the 6th century AD. It is located about northeast of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and south of Chennai.

History

Thoothukudi is part of the Pearl Fishery Coast, and is known for its pearl fishing and shipbuilding industries. Thoothukudi became the centre of the Indian Independence Movement in the early 20th century, with leaders such as Tyagi Mohanavalli Vadivu and Thalapathy Vennikalady, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, P.Kandasamy Pillai (popularly known as 'Pena Kana'), Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathy, Vanchinathan and Maveeran Sundaralinga Kudumbanar. In 1906, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai with the help of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, launched the first Swadeshi ship S.S. Gaelia from this port town against the British. Freedom fighter Vanchinathan killed the then Tirunelveli District Collector Ash during the freedom struggle in Maniyachi.

The...
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