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Thoothukudi Tuticorin
Pearl City
—  city  —
Thoothukudi Location of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu and India
Coordinates	8°49′N 78°08′E / 8.81°N 78.14°E / 8.81; 78.14Coordinates: 8°49′N 78°08′E / 8.81°N 78.14°E / 8.81; 78.14
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District(s)	Thoothukudi
Mayor	L. Sasikala Pushpa
Parliamentary constituency	Thoothukudi
Assembly constituency	Thoothukudi
Civic agency	Thoothukudi Corporation
Population • Density	436,094 (2,007)[1] (2001[update]) • 46.75 /km2 (121 /sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation • Coastline	353.07 square kilometres (136.32 sq mi) • 4 metres (13 ft) • 40 kilometres (25 mi)
Codes • Pincode • 628 0xx • Telephone • +91 (0) 461 • UN/LOCODE • INNTU • Vehicle • TN-69

Thoothukudi, 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".^[2] 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 190 kilometres (118 mi) northeast of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and 590 kilometres (367 mi) south of Chennai.

History[link]

Thoothukudi is part of the Pearl Fishery Coast, and is known for its pearl fishing and shipbuilding industries. Freedom fighter Vanchinathan killed the then Tirunelveli District Collector Ash during the freedom struggle in Maniyachi. To honour him, Maniyachi Railway station is called Vanchi Maniyachi Junction.^[3]

View of the Dutch port Tuticorin, in 1752

The major harbour of Thoothukudi is well known as a pearl diving and fishing centre. It is one of the oldest seaports in the world and was the seaport of the Pandyan kingdom after Korkai, near Palayakayal. It was later taken over by the Portuguese in 1548, captured by the Dutch in 1658, and ceded to the British in 1825.^[4] The lighthouse built in 1842 marked the beginning of the history of harbour development in the city. Thoothukudi was established as a Municipality in 1866 with Roche Victoria as its first chairman. It attained the status of Corporation on August 5, 2008 after 142 years of being a municipality.

Geography[link]

Thoothukudi is in South India, on the Gulf of Mannar, about 590 kilometres southwest of Chennai.

Administration[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Thoothukudi was a part of Tirunelveli Lok Sabha constituency till 2009. Thoothukudi was separated from Tirunelveli Lok Sabha constituency and became a new Lok Sabha constituency from 2009. The constituency comprises the whole of Thoothukudi District, which includes Ettaiyapuram, Vilathikulam, Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur, Sathankulam, Srivaikuntam, Ottapidaram and Kovilpatti.

Economy[link]

The economy of Thoothukudi revolves around shipping, fishing, salt pan, and agricultural industries. Thoothukudi has a host of other industries including power, chemicals and IT.

Thermal power plant[link]

There are number of power projects are under construction in and around Tuticorin.

The Thoothukudi Thermal Power Station has five 210 megawatt generators. The first generator was commissioned in July, 1979. This power station supplies about one-third of the total power demand of Tamil Nadu.^[5]

The thermal power plants under construction include the coal-based 1000 MW NLC TNEB Power Plant.^[6]

Shipping[link]

Thoothukudi has been a centre for maritime trade and pearl fishery for more than a century. Its natural harbour with a rich hinterland, facilitated development of the port. Thoothukudi was declared as a minor anchorage port in 1868.^[7] In 1906, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, with the help of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, launched the first swadeshi ship S.S. Gaelia and S.S.Lawoe in British India from Thoothukudi Port.^[8]

A fishing boat is anchored near the Vattakovil Saltpan in Thoothukudi

To cope with the increasing trade through Thoothukudi, the Government of India sanctioned the construction of an all-weather Port at Thoothukudi. On 11 July 1974, the newly-constructed Thoothukudi port was declared to be the tenth major port in India Second only to JN Port (Mumbai) in size. Thoothukudi is an artificial port.^[9] This is the third international port in Tamil Nadu and its second all-weather port.^[10] The port also helps to increase the tourism in the region.^{[citation needed]} A new ferry has been commenced between Thoothukudi and Colombo.^{[citation needed]}

Transport[link]

Thoothukudi has transport connections via road, rail, sea and air.

Roads[link]

Tuticorin City is well connected by road. The Major Highways are,

• Tuticorin – Madurai – Trichy – (NH 45-B)
• Tuticorin – Palayamkottai (NH 7-A)
• Tuticorin – Palayakayal – Tiruchendur (State Highway)
• Tuticorin – Ramanathapuram (ECR).

Currently projects,

• Tuticorin – Palayamkottai (NH 7-A) Expressway 4-way laning
• The expansion of ECR from Tuticorin to Kanyakumari via Tiruchendur and Koodankulam at a cost of 257 crores sanctioned and is in progress.^[11]

Railways[link]

Tuticorin City railway station is one of the oldest^[12] stations in India and South Indian Railway began a Madras – Tuticorin service connecting with the boat to Ceylon in 1899.^[13] The station was declared a Model Station in 2007^[14] and several infrastructure developments are in process.^{[clarification needed]} There is also another station, known as Tuticorin Melur.^[15]

Airport[link]

Tuticorin Airport is at Vagaikulam, 14 km from the heart of the city. It was for some years closed to commercial traffic but reopened in April 2006.^{[citation needed]} The State Government plans to extend the runway and modernize the airport to handle to more traffic and bigger aircraft.^[16] There was also a proposal in 2009 for a greenfield airport.^[17]

Kingfisher & Spicejet are operating flights daily.

Madurai Airport is the nearest international airport.

Port[link]

Tuticorin Port

Tuticorin Port is a natural deep-sea harbour. A luxury ferry liner, the Scotia Prince, is conducting a ferry service to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ferry services between the two countries have been revived after more than 20 years.^[18]

Culture[link]

Language[link]

Media and communication[link]

• Tuticorin has All India Radio Station which Carries AIR External Services for South Asia in English, Sinhala and Tamil (1053 kHz).^[19]
• FM Radio Stations in Tuticorin City include Suryan FM (93.5 MHz), Hello FM (106.4 MHz).
• Century Communication obtained the FM Radio License for Tuticorin under Phase II of FM Radio Licenses by Government of India.^{[citation needed]}
• Tuticorin City is the landing point for the first undersea cable of BSNL, Ltd. Connecting Tuticorin with Colombo.^[20] The optical fibre cable runs between Mt. Lavinia (Sri Lanka) and Tuticorin (325 km).

Education[link]

Thoothukudi has numerous schools, including those classed as Primary, Middle and Higher Secondary,^[21] as well as colleges.

Facilities[link]

Tharuvai stadium hosts most of the local matches^{[clarification needed]} and is maintained by Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.^{[citation needed]}

Tuticorin Gymkhana Club has two Synthetic Turf Tennis courts, Tuticorin is the only other place after Chennai in Tamil Nadu to have this modern facility.^[22]

Recreation[link]

Parks[link]

• Roche Park is situated on the southern corner of the city on the way to harbour.
• Harbour Beach park is situated near the harbor guest house.
• Nehruji Park is in the northern side of the city.
• Rajaji Park near Government Hospital which is full of trees.
• Teppakulam park around the Sundara Vinayagar Temple tank is in the heart of the city.

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Thoothukudi

External links[link]

• Thoothukudi
• Thoothukudi Corporation
• Tuticorin Port Trust
• V.O.Chidambaranar Port Trust
• Tuticorin: Pearl of the south
• Tuticorin Churches

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