Nagercoil
Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, it lies on an undulating terrain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
Nagercoil | |
|---|---|
City | |
Clockwise from top:
Nagercoil Clock Tower, Nagaraja Temple, St. Xavier's Cathedral, Nagercoil Junction railway station | |
| Nicknames: Granary of South Travancore, Greenest City of Tamilnadu, City of Temple Jewels, Southernmost City of India. | |
Nagercoil Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu | |
| Coordinates: 8°10′30″N 77°25′50″E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Kanyakumari |
| Named for | "Temple of the Nāgas" |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Council |
| • Body | Nagercoil Municipal Corporation |
| • Member of Legislative Assembly | M. R. Gandhi |
| • Mayor | Mr. Magesh BA BL |
| • Deputy Mayor | Mrs. Mary princy MA |
| • Corporation Commissioner | Mr. Anand Mohan IAS |
| • Member of Parliament | Vijay Vasanth |
| Area | |
| • Total | 61.36 km2 (23.69 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 82 m (269 ft) |
| Population (It is an estimation due to 2021 census has been postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic) | |
| • Total | 522,759 |
| • Density | 8,813/km2 (22,830/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 629001,629002,629003,629004 |
| Telephone code | 91-4652 & 91-4651 |
| Vehicle registration | TN-74 |
| Literacy | 96.99% |
| Climate | Aw (Köppen) |
| Precipitation | 2,477.7 millimetres (97.55 in) |
The present city of Nagercoil grew around Kottar, a mercantile town that dates back to the Sangam period. Kottar is now a locality within the city limits. Nagercoil was a major town in the erstwhile Travancore kingdom till 1956. In 1956, Kanyakumari District, along with the town, was merged with Tamil Nadu.
Nagercoil is a centre for a range of economic activities in the small but densely-populated Kanyakumari District. Economic activities in and around the city include tourism, wind energy, IT services, marine fish production and exports, rubber and cloves plantations, agro-crops, floral production, manufacture of fishnets, rubber products among other activities.
'Nagercoil Cloves' is a distinct quality of dried cloves in the spices market, noted for its aroma and medicinal value. Cloves, pepper and other spices are grown in estates in the Western Ghats, outside the town.
Nagercoil is also the nearest city to the ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri and the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.
The city, along with the district of Kanyakumari, stands at the top in many Human Development Index parameters in Tamil Nadu state, including education, per capita income, health indices, etc.
The municipality of Nagercoil was upgraded as a Municipal corporation on the eve of its 100th year as a city on 14 February 2019.