Nagapattinam

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Nagapattinam (Tamil: நாகப்பட்டினம் Nākappaṭṭiṉam [ na ː ː ɡʌp aʈ inʌm ː ]; Also: Nagapatnam, obsolete: Negapatam ) is a city in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu with around 103,000 inhabitants ( 2011 census ). It is located in the delta of the Kaveri at the Coromandel Coast on the Bay of Bengal about 250 kilometers south of Chennai ( Madras). Nagapattinam is the administrative headquarters of the district of Nagapattinam.

The story Nagapattinams dates back to ancient times: The Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century the place is mentioned as Nigamos and in the 13th century by the Persian historian Rashid ad-Din as Malifattan. In the 16th century, the Portuguese established a base in Nagapattinam. 1660, the city fell to the Netherlands and was the most important Dutch possession in India, before it was conquered in 1781 by the British. After the Kingdom of Thanjavur in 1799 came under British rule, Nagapattinam was made the capital of the newly formed district Thanjavur and remained so until 1845. According to the Indian independence Nagapattinam in 1991 back to the district capital, when the old district Thanjavur was divided into the districts of Thanjavur and Nagapattinam. 2004 was one of the area Nagapattinam among the hardest hit by the tsunami coastal areas in India.

Administratively belongs to the town of Nagapattinam also about six kilometers north of town located Nagore, a major Muslim pilgrimage site. Here is a shrine ( Dargah ) at the grave of the Sufi saint Syed Shahul Hamid Qadir Vali ( Nagore Andavar ), who lived in the 16th century. Once a year, a 14- day festival in honor of the saint. Twelve kilometers south of Nagapattinam is Velankanni, the most important Christian pilgrimage destination of India.