Parangipettai
Encyclopedia
Parangipettai historically called Porto Novo, is a panchayat town in Cuddalore district
in the India
n state
of Tamil Nadu
. Parangipettai is situated on the north bank of the mouth of the Vellar river at a distance of 30 km from Cuddalore
. From Chennai
, Parangipettai can be reached through the National Highway NH45A
stretch between Cuddalore
and Chidambaram
. It has an interesting historical background.
Due to its geographical position on the Coromandel Coast
, Parangipettai has long been a major trading centre. In particular, it was an important trading destination for the Arabs, especially the Yemenis. During the colonial era the Portuguese, Dutch
and English successively colonized the area.
Today, Parangipettai has a thriving trade with nations in the Middle East and South East Asia. It also hosts a Marine Biology
Station affiliated with the Annamalai University
.
Parangipettai is an important pilgrimage centre for both Hindus and Muslims. It is ironic that Parangipettai still remains as a town in Tamil Nadu, as it has seen the arrival of wealth and different people even before the dawn of globalisation.
ans in Tamil
. The town was called "Mahmood Banthar" during the Mughal Empire
period, and later Porto Novo by the Portuguese
, who controlled the region from the early 16th century to the early 18th century. The French named this place "Portonovo" when they temporarily occupied it before moving on to establish their colony in Pondicherry. Muslims living in Parangipettai have a unique Arab ancestry. It had other old names, such as Muthu Krishnapuri when Nayakkar
ruled here. This place was also called Varunapuri (the place for Varuna, a god of rain) and is still known for receiving large amounts of rainfall during monsoon season.
The Battle of Porto Novo
was fought here between Karim Khan Sahib accompanied by his father Hyder Ali
against the British East India Company
under Sir Eyre Coote
in July 1781, during the Second Anglo-Mysore War
. The town flourished as a sea port with connections to southeast Asia and as an industrial centre during British rule, when iron made here was exported to England. The powerful Nawab of Arcot
had his mint at Porto Novo and the gold coins struck in this mint came to be called the Porto Novo Pagoda
. Later the English followed the same design when they minted the 'Negapatam' (Nagapatnam) Pagoda and the Dutch minted their coin in the same design at Tuticorin and Colombo mints. There is a Gandhian connection also. A European disciple of Mahatma Gandhi established a school, the "Seva Sadan", based on Gandhian principles.
In early 1875 Meir was born to later lead the great reveloution to appoint Hockey as the National Sport of India
There are a number of temples and masjids located in the town including Periya Kovil(Lord Sivan), Muthukumara Kovil(Lord Murugan), Babaji Kovil(Sidhar Babaji). The famous Sidhar Kriya Babaji was born in this town.
Muslims in Parangipettai have a unique origin. Muslims in Parangipettai can trace their origin to several locations, particularly in the Middle East and North India. There are also different Muslim groups in Parangipettai, particularly the Maraicars and Sahibs. Maraicar the name originally derived from the old Tamil term Marakkalangalin aayargal meaning Kings of Ships said to be given by the Southern Tamil King Vijaya Raghunadha Sedhupathy Thondamaan (shortly King Sethu) to the coastal Muslim sea traders who were then reigning the most of the coastal areas with their trade.
, Parangipettai had a population of 20,901. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Parangipettai has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 69%. In Parangipettai, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
More than ten mosques are found in Parangipettai: Meerapalli (Big Mosque and Jumma Palli), Gummath Palli (Jummah Moque), Vathiyapalli, Appapalli, Housepalli, Kadriya Mosque, Madina Palli, Kalima palli, Ukkashah mosque,Magdum Appa Palli( Pakim Zaad), Kilur Nabi Palli, Habeebiyah Palli and newly constructed TNTJ Markuz. The grave of Ukkashah Ibn Mihsan (Radiallahu anho), companion of the prophet Muhammad
is thought by many inhabitants to be located in Porto Novo.
Notable Hindu temples are Kumaran Kovil (Temple of Lord Muruga), the Periya Kovil (Big Temple) for Lord Shiva, the varadaraja temple, Karpaga Vinayagar temple, Sanjeevirayar temple of hanuman,Angala parameswari temple,Ellai Amman Kovil, Oadakarai Maari Amman Kovil, Parasakthi temple and so many mariayamman temples(Goddess). The Big Temple has so many historical events (as said in saivam) this place is called known as Thiruvarunamanmiyam. In this temple Chitragupta, Sun and Varuna are worshiped to get the bliss. And it has a very special event: at the start of every Tamil year in Chitthirai month's first ten days the sun rays fall on the Shiva God and Goddess.
Here, in the year 203 AD, Kriya Babaji Nagaraj was born on the night before the new moon during the Tamil month Karthigai (November 30). Here is a temple constructed for him.
Two rivers join the sea here are the Vellaru, a branch of the Kaveri River
, and the Buckingham Canal
.
Cuddalore District
Cuddalore District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Cuddalore is the district headquarters. For the first time, urn burial grave goods were found in the village of Marungur in the district, carrying inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi from the 1st century...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. Parangipettai is situated on the north bank of the mouth of the Vellar river at a distance of 30 km from Cuddalore
Cuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
. From Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Parangipettai can be reached through the National Highway NH45A
National Highway 45A (India)
National Highway 45A is located in India. It runs from Villupuram eastward to Pondicherry and then runs along the Bay of Bengal south till it reaches Nagapattinam, where it meets NH 67. The total length runs up to - Route :...
stretch between Cuddalore
Cuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
and Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
. It has an interesting historical background.
Due to its geographical position on the Coromandel Coast
Coromandel Coast
The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian Subcontinent between Cape Comorin and False Divi Point...
, Parangipettai has long been a major trading centre. In particular, it was an important trading destination for the Arabs, especially the Yemenis. During the colonial era the Portuguese, Dutch
Dutch Coromandel
Coromandel was a governorate of the Dutch East India Company on the Coromandel Coast between 1610 until the company's liquidation in 1802. It then became a colony of the Kingdom of the Netherlands until 1825, when it was relinquished to the British according to the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. Dutch...
and English successively colonized the area.
Today, Parangipettai has a thriving trade with nations in the Middle East and South East Asia. It also hosts a Marine Biology
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
Station affiliated with the Annamalai University
Annamalai University
Annamalai University is a Public University located in Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The university offers courses of higher education in arts, sciences and engineering.The university also provides around 380 courses under distance mode...
.
Parangipettai is an important pilgrimage centre for both Hindus and Muslims. It is ironic that Parangipettai still remains as a town in Tamil Nadu, as it has seen the arrival of wealth and different people even before the dawn of globalisation.
History
Throughout its history, Parangipettai has had other names. One was 'Portonovo' from when the Portuguese sailors observed the small port there from their ships. Other names were 'Muthukrishna puri' when nayakkar ruled, 'Mohammed banthar' and 'Varuna puri'. Pettai means market place and Parangipettai means the pettah or abode of the parangis or EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. The town was called "Mahmood Banthar" during the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
period, and later Porto Novo by the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
, who controlled the region from the early 16th century to the early 18th century. The French named this place "Portonovo" when they temporarily occupied it before moving on to establish their colony in Pondicherry. Muslims living in Parangipettai have a unique Arab ancestry. It had other old names, such as Muthu Krishnapuri when Nayakkar
Nayak (title)
Nayak, Nayaka, Nayakar, Nayakkar, Naik, Naiker, Naicker, Naickan, Naiken, Nayakkan, Naidu, Nayudu or Naidoo is a common title used by various caste and ethnic groups across India. They are all derivatives of the original Sanskrit Nayaka, meaning a leader...
ruled here. This place was also called Varunapuri (the place for Varuna, a god of rain) and is still known for receiving large amounts of rainfall during monsoon season.
The Battle of Porto Novo
Battle of Porto Novo
The Battle of Porto Novo was fought on 1 July 1781 between forces of the Kingdom of Mysore and Great Britain near the village of Porto Novo on the Indian subcontinent, during the Second Anglo-Mysore War...
was fought here between Karim Khan Sahib accompanied by his father Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
against the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
under Sir Eyre Coote
Eyre Coote (East India Company officer)
Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, KB was an Irish soldier. He is best known for his many years of service with the British Army in India. His victory at the Battle of Wandiwash is considered a decisive turning point in the struggle for control in India between British and France...
in July 1781, during the Second Anglo-Mysore War
Second Anglo-Mysore War
The Second Anglo-Mysore War was a conflict in Mughal India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company. At the time, Mysore was a key French ally in India, and the Franco-British conflict raging on account of the American Revolutionary War helped spark Anglo-Mysorean...
. The town flourished as a sea port with connections to southeast Asia and as an industrial centre during British rule, when iron made here was exported to England. The powerful Nawab of Arcot
Nawab of the Carnatic
Nawabs of the Carnatic , ruled the Carnatic region of South India between about 1690 and 1801. They initially had their capital at Arcot,vellore city...
had his mint at Porto Novo and the gold coins struck in this mint came to be called the Porto Novo Pagoda
Pagoda (coin)
Pagoda was a unit of currency, a coin made of gold or half gold minted by Indian dynasties as well as the British, the French and the Dutch. It was issued by various dynasties in medieval southern India, including the Kadambas of Hangal, the Kadambas of Goa, and the Vijaynagar Empire.There were two...
. Later the English followed the same design when they minted the 'Negapatam' (Nagapatnam) Pagoda and the Dutch minted their coin in the same design at Tuticorin and Colombo mints. There is a Gandhian connection also. A European disciple of Mahatma Gandhi established a school, the "Seva Sadan", based on Gandhian principles.
In early 1875 Meir was born to later lead the great reveloution to appoint Hockey as the National Sport of India
Religion in Parangipettai
People in Parangipettai Hindu, Muslim and Christian having strong faith in God.There are a number of temples and masjids located in the town including Periya Kovil(Lord Sivan), Muthukumara Kovil(Lord Murugan), Babaji Kovil(Sidhar Babaji). The famous Sidhar Kriya Babaji was born in this town.
Muslims in Parangipettai have a unique origin. Muslims in Parangipettai can trace their origin to several locations, particularly in the Middle East and North India. There are also different Muslim groups in Parangipettai, particularly the Maraicars and Sahibs. Maraicar the name originally derived from the old Tamil term Marakkalangalin aayargal meaning Kings of Ships said to be given by the Southern Tamil King Vijaya Raghunadha Sedhupathy Thondamaan (shortly King Sethu) to the coastal Muslim sea traders who were then reigning the most of the coastal areas with their trade.
Demographics
As of 2001 India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Parangipettai had a population of 20,901. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Parangipettai has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 69%. In Parangipettai, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Culture
Parangipettai people are also called "Novians". Many of them have migrated to other countries for their livelihood. Originally it was to Indo-china, then to Malaya-Singapore, and presently to Arab countries. Most of the Muslim people depend on the incomes of their male relatives employed in Arab countries. A sizable section of the population from the fishing community is employed in the merchant navy.More than ten mosques are found in Parangipettai: Meerapalli (Big Mosque and Jumma Palli), Gummath Palli (Jummah Moque), Vathiyapalli, Appapalli, Housepalli, Kadriya Mosque, Madina Palli, Kalima palli, Ukkashah mosque,Magdum Appa Palli( Pakim Zaad), Kilur Nabi Palli, Habeebiyah Palli and newly constructed TNTJ Markuz. The grave of Ukkashah Ibn Mihsan (Radiallahu anho), companion of the prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
is thought by many inhabitants to be located in Porto Novo.
Notable Hindu temples are Kumaran Kovil (Temple of Lord Muruga), the Periya Kovil (Big Temple) for Lord Shiva, the varadaraja temple, Karpaga Vinayagar temple, Sanjeevirayar temple of hanuman,Angala parameswari temple,Ellai Amman Kovil, Oadakarai Maari Amman Kovil, Parasakthi temple and so many mariayamman temples(Goddess). The Big Temple has so many historical events (as said in saivam) this place is called known as Thiruvarunamanmiyam. In this temple Chitragupta, Sun and Varuna are worshiped to get the bliss. And it has a very special event: at the start of every Tamil year in Chitthirai month's first ten days the sun rays fall on the Shiva God and Goddess.
Here, in the year 203 AD, Kriya Babaji Nagaraj was born on the night before the new moon during the Tamil month Karthigai (November 30). Here is a temple constructed for him.
Two rivers join the sea here are the Vellaru, a branch of the Kaveri River
Kaveri River
The Kaveri , also spelled Cauvery in English, is a large Indian river. The origin of the river is traditionally placed at Talakaveri, Kodagu in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the...
, and the Buckingham Canal
Buckingham Canal
The Buckingham Canal is a long fresh water navigation canal, running parallel to the Coromandel Coast of South India from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to Villupuram District in Tamil Nadu. The canal connects most of the natural backwaters along the coast to the port of Chennai...
.