South India · Tamil Nadu
Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
The Nagore dargah's Kandoori festival draws pilgrims of all faiths; sits between Velankanni and the Chola temple belt.
About Nagapattinam
- Coastal
Where it is
Nagapattinam is a port town on the Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu, headquarters of Nagapattinam district, on the coast of the Kaveri delta some 300 km south of Chennai.
History
Nagapattinam was a major port of the Chola kings, and in the 11th century a king of Srivijaya built the Chudamani Vihara, a Buddhist monastery, here with Chola patronage. The Portuguese traded here from the 16th century, the Dutch made it the capital of their Coromandel settlements in 1690, and the British took it in 1781; the 2004 tsunami struck the district harder than anywhere else in Tamil Nadu.
People
Nagapattinam speaks Tamil, and fishing and farming in the Kaveri delta are its mainstays. The Nagore dargah draws Muslims, Hindus and Christians alike, especially for the Kandoori festival, when a sandal procession winds through Nagore.
Known for
- The Nagore Dargah of Shahul Hamid
- The Kandoori festival
- Kayarohanaswami and Soundararaja Perumal temples
- Velankanni nearby
- A busy fishing harbour
Did you know?
The tallest of the Nagore dargah's five minarets was built in the 18th century by Pratap Singh, the Maratha ruler of Thanjavur.
Shrines and sites
- Nagore Dargah
- Kayarohanaswami Temple
- Soundararaja Perumal Temple
- Velankanni
Traditions
- Muslim
- Hindu
- Christian
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.