DISTRICT BRIEF -NAGAPATTINAM

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Nagapattinam was the headquarters of a region during the chola period and was a pride of the cholamandalam coast. The other name of this place is cholakula vallipattinam. The Burmese historical text of 3^rd century B.C. mentions this place and gives evidence of a Buddha vihar built here by the emperor Ashoka the Great. The chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang also mentions it in his travel accounts. The ancient Buddhist literature names it as ‘padarithitha’ . Avurithidal, the name of a part of nagapattinam might have been derived from padarithitha, the name of a fruit tree common in this region.

 

Buddhist monks of srilanka had close connection with this place. Anaimangalam copper plates of kulothunga chola mentions that ‘kasiba-thera’, a buddist monk renovated this buddhist temple in 6^th century A.D. pallava king Rajasimha (695-722A.D.) permitted a chinese king to be buried in a Buddha vihar in Nagapattinam. The Anaimangalam copper plate also reveals that vijayathunga varman of sri vijaya kingdom built two Buddha vihars in the names of Rajaraja and rajendra named respectively Rajarajaperumpalli and Rajendraperumpalli. The later was also called soodamani vihar.

 

Excavations by the Archaeologist department at velipalayam in Nagapattinam unearthed more than 300 Buddha statues. They are kept in government museum at chennai. Kaayaroganam shiva temple here existed in the 6^th century and was sanctified by the hymns of three nayanmars. The Vishnu temple here has been sung by thirumangai alwar of 9^th century. This town was a famous trading centre during the vijayanagar period. The portugese settled here in 1554 during the thanjavur nayaka rule . Then christianity began to take root and the famous velankanni church came in to existence. In 1658, the dutch supremacy prevailed and ten christian churches and a hospital were built by them. They also released coins with the name ‘nagapattinam’ engraved on them. The british were the last owneres of this place after a prolonged struggle in 1781. Gold coins bearing the name of East India Company were issued from here. They were called ‘Nagapattinam sornam’ and were in circulation during the Thanjavur maratha rule. Nagapattinam has thus a vast history of over 2000 years. Today, it is the headquarters of Nagapattinam district.

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