Cuddalore, also spelt as Kadalur (), is the city and headquarters of the
Cuddalore District in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n state of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. Situated south of
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, Cuddalore was an important port during the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
.
While the early history of Cuddalore remains unclear, the city first rose to prominence during
Pallavas
The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as f ...
and
Medieval Cholas' reign. After the fall of Cholas, the town was ruled by various dynasties like
Pandyas,
Vijayanagar Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and ...
,
Madurai Nayaks,
Thanjavur Nayaks
The Thanjavur Nayak kingdom or Thanjavur Nayak dynasty were the rulers of Thanjavur in the 15th and 17th centuries. The Nayaks of the Balija social group, were originally appointed as provincial governors by the Vijayanagara Emperor in the 15th ...
,
Thanjavur Marathas
The Thanjavur Maratha kingdom ruled by the Bhonsle dynasty was a principality of Tamil Nadu between the 17th and 19th centuries. Their native language was Marathi. Venkoji was the founder of the dynasty.
Maratha conquest of Thanjavur
Follow ...
,
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...
, French and the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
. Cuddalore was the scene of
the Seven Years' War and the
Battle of Cuddalore in 1758 between the French and British. It has been a part of independent India since 1947. During the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...
, and the subsequent tsunamis generated, Cuddalore was one of the affected towns, with 572 casualties.
Apart from fishing and port-related industries, Cuddalore houses chemical, pharmacological and energy industries in
SIPCOT
The State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) ( ta, தமிழ்நாடு அரசு தொழில் முன்னேற்றக் கழகம் (வரையறுக்கப்பட்டது) ...
, an industrial estate set up by the
state government
A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or ...
. The city is administered by municipal corporation covering 101.6 km
2 . It had a population of 308,781 in 2011. Cuddalore is a part of the
Cuddalore legislative assembly constituency, a part of the
Cuddalore Lok Sabha constituency
Cuddalore is a Lok Sabha (Parliament of India) constituency in Tamil Nadu. Its Tamil Nadu Parliamentary Constituency number is 26 of 39.
Assembly segments
After 2009, Cuddalore Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segmen ...
. There are 25 schools, two arts and science colleges and two engineering colleges in the city. There is one government hospital, six municipal maternity homes, and 42 other private hospitals that take care of the citizens' healthcare needs. Roadways are the primary means of transportation, while the town also has rail connectivity. The nearest airport is
Chennai International Airport
Chennai International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu and its metropolitan area. It is located in Tirusulam, southwest of the city centre. Chennai International Airport is the sixth busiest airpo ...
, located 200 km (120 mi) away from the city, and another local airport is located in the district at
Neyveli
Neyveli is a industrial town in the Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located inland from the Bay of Bengal, west of Pondicherry and south of Chennai. The town was developed in 1956 after the establishment of Ney ...
township is
Neyveli Airport
Neyveli Airport is located in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, India. The airport is owned by the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and is located at National Highway 45C, adjacent to the NLC township. The airport is spread over 220 acres and has a 3000 sq ...
. The nearest seaport is Cuddalore Port where it handles small cargo ships, and the construction of port entry is underway. The closest major seaport is
Karaikal port, located 100 km (62 mi) away from the town. Cuddalore is famous for educational institutions and medical establishments.
Etymology
Before English control, Cuddalore was called ''Koodalur'' meaning confluence in
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
. It is the place where the
Pennaiyar,
Kedilam, and
Uppanar
Paravanar
rivers join. The Cuddalore district historically consisted of Chola Nadu and Nadu Naadu. The name ''Nadu Naadu'' meaning middle country may originate from its location between Chola Nadu and ''
Tondaimandalam
Tondaimandalam, also known as Tondai Nadu, is a historical region located in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh and northernmost part of Tamil Nadu. The region comprises the districts which formed a part of the legendary kingdom of Athondai Ch ...
''; or between the Pallavas and the Cholas; or between central territories and the ocean.
History
![SiegeOfCuddalore1783](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/SiegeOfCuddalore1783.jpg)
From ancient times the old town has been a seaport. For two centuries, Cuddalore was subject to several
foreign powers including the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, and the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
. Until 1758 Cuddalore was the capital to the South Indian territories which were under British control. Britain ruled a more significant part of South India (entire Tamil Nadu, parts of present Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka) from this fort (St. David).
In the early 17th century, the Dutch obtained permission from the ruler of Cuddalore to build a fort there, but political pressure from their Portuguese rivals forced them to abandon it.
Later, the French and English came to Cuddalore for trade and business. The French established a settlement up the coast at
Pondicherry
Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...
in 1674, followed in 1690 by
Fort St. David's British colony at Cuddalore.
During the 18th century, various wars between the European powers spilt over to their colonial empires, and their allies, including those in the Indian subcontinent. During this period the French and British
fought several times in the area.
In 1746, during
First Carnatic War
The First Carnatic War (1740–1748) was the Indian theatre of the War of the Austrian Succession and the first of a series of Carnatic Wars that established early British dominance on the east coast of the Indian subcontinent. In this conflict ...
, part of the
Austrian Succession War
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's ...
, French forces
besieged the British at Fort St. David for several months before being driven off in 1747.
In 1758, during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
, the French took the fort, and there was an inconclusive naval action, the
Battle of Cuddalore, off the coast. The fort was later abandoned, in 1760, when the British attacked Pondicherry.
In 1782, during the
Second Anglo-Mysore War
The Second Anglo-Mysore War was a conflict between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company from 1780 to 1784. At the time, Mysore was a key French ally in India, and the conflict between Britain against the French and Dutch in ...
, the French again took Cuddalore at the time of the
American War of Independence
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
and were
besieged there in 1783 by the British. During the siege French and British naval forces again
clashed off the Cuddalore coast. The siege failed, but the fort was returned to the British in 1795. There were
five different naval actions off the coast during this period, all of which were indecisive.
Some Cuddalore streets retain their British names, such as Clive Street, Wellington Street, Sloper Street, Canning Street,
Rope Street (Rope Street, Wellington Street, Sloper Street and Canning Street jointly known as
Salangukara Village), Lawrence Road and Imperial Road. The
Cuddalore Central Prison, opened in 1865, is a historically significant landmark.
Subramania Bharati and other political leaders served prison terms there.
Tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...
waves that followed the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...
near
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
hit India's eastern coast on 26 December 2004 at 8:32 a.m. (IST), resulting in 572 casualties. Several fishing hamlets disappeared, while
Silver Beach and the historically significant
Cuddalore Port was devastated.
Fort St. David
Fort St David, now in ruins, was a British fort near the town of Cuddalore, a hundred miles south of Chennai on the Coromandel Coast of India. It is located near silver beach without any maintenance. It was named for the patron saint of Wales b ...
survived without damage. On 30 Dec 2011,
Cyclone Thane
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Thane was the strongest tropical cyclone of 2011 within the Bay of Bengal. Thane initially developed as a tropical disturbance within the monsoon trough to the west of Indonesia. Over the next couple of days the disturb ...
caused widespread damage to crops and buildings.
Geography
Cuddalore is located at 11°45′N 79°45′E / 11.75°N 79.75°E / 11.75; 79.75. It has an average elevation of 6 m (20 ft). The land is completely flat with large black and alluvial soil inland and coarse sand near the seashore. The sandstone deposits in the town are popular. The Pennayar River runs north of the town, while Gadilam River runs across it. Cuddalore is situated at 200 km (120 mi) from the state capital
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
and 18 km (11 mi) from
Puducherry Puducherry or Pondicherry may refer to:
* Puducherry (union territory), a union territory of India
** Pondicherry, capital of the union territory of Puducherry
** Puducherry district, a district of the union territory of Puducherry
** Puducherry t ...
, the neighbouring union territory.
Climate
Cuddalore experiences a
tropical wet and dry climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
under the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
. In Tamil Nadu Cuddalore witnessing heavy rainfall in every northeast monsoon. From November to February in Cuddalore, the period is pleasant, with a climate full of warm days and cool nights. The onset of summer is from March, with the mercury reaching its peak by the end of May and June. The average temperatures range from 37 °C (99 °F) in January to 22.5 °C (72.5 °F) in May and June. Summer rains are sparse and the first monsoon, the
South-West monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscill ...
, sets in June and continues till September.
North-East monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
sets in October and continues till January. The rainfall during the South-West monsoon period is much lower than that of North-East monsoon. The average rainfall is 1,400 mm (55 in), most of which is contributed by the North-East monsoon.
The highest 24-hour rainfall recorded in Cuddalore was 570 mm on 18 May 1943.
Demographics
According to
2011 census, Cuddalore had a population of 173,636 with a sex-ratio of 1,026 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.
A total of 17,403 were under the age of six, constituting 8,869 males and 8,534 females.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
accounted for 13.22% and 0.3% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 78.92%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.
The city had a total of 42,174 households. There were a total of 62,115 workers, comprising 561 cultivators, 1,856 main agricultural labourers, 1,464 in household industries, 48,337 other workers, 9,897 marginal workers, 139 marginal cultivators, 952 marginal agricultural labourers, 771 marginal workers in household industries and 8,035 other marginal workers.
As of 2007, a total of (11.5%) of the land was used for residential, (0.8%) for commercial, (2.7%) for industrial, (1.4%) for public and semi public purposes and (0.8%) for educational purposes. Out of the undeveloped land area, (21.3%) is under land and water, (50.5%) of the area is used for agricultural purposes, (5.4%) is vacant land in quarries and hillocks and (5.6%) for transport and communication.
[ Urban Infrastructure Report 2007, p. 12] As of 2008, there were 29 notified slums, with 59,075 comprising 37.23% of the total population residing in those.
As per the religious census of 2011, Cuddalore had 89.12%
Hindus
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
, 6.09%
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
, 3.98%
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, 0.02%
Sikhs
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
, 0.02%
Buddhists
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, 0.27%
Jains
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
, 0.48% following other religions and 0.01% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.
Transport
![CUPJ Entrance Arch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/CUPJ_Entrance_Arch.jpg)
Cuddalore has Three major railway stations, namely,
Cuddalore Port Junction and Tiruppadirippuliyur
Cuddalore Castle, Varakalpattu
Cuddalore Moffusil both on the Viluppuram–Mayiladuthurai–Tiruchirappalli Mainline Section. The Cuddalore Port Junction has a branch to
Virudhachalam Junction railway station
Vriddhachalam Junction railway station is located in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and serves Virudhachalam.
History
The South Indian Railway Company
The South Indian Railway Company operated a number of gauge line ...
via
Neyveli
Neyveli is a industrial town in the Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located inland from the Bay of Bengal, west of Pondicherry and south of Chennai. The town was developed in 1956 after the establishment of Ney ...
. Cuddalore Port Junction has four platforms and one stabling line used more for handling freight trains. Tiruppadirippuliyur
Cuddalore Castle, the other important railway station of Cuddalore has two platforms and is located close to the Cuddalore bus stand. There are express and passenger trains on either side, connecting various cities with Tamil Nadu. There are daily express trains to many cities.
There is 230 km (140 mi) of roads in the town, out of which the Highways department maintains 26 km (16 mi).
[ Urban Infrastructure Report 2007, p. 15] The Cuddalore City maintains a total of of roads: of concrete roads, of bituminous roads, of
water-bound macadam (WBM) roads and of earthen roads. The National Highways, NH-32
Viluppuram
Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram () is a Municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district.
Located south west of a Tiruvannamalai and north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major railway junction, ...
–
Pondicherry
Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...
–Cuddalore–
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a town and municipality in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Vellar River where it meets the Bay of Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Chidambaram taluk. The town is believed to be of si ...
–
Nagapattinam
Nagapattinam (''nākappaṭṭinam'', previously spelt Nagapatnam or Negapatam) is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam District. The town came to prominence during the period of Medieval ...
–
Thoothukudi
Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...
Highway passes through Cuddalore. Cuddalore is served by a town bus service, which provides connectivity within the town and the suburbs. There are privately operated mini-bus services that cater to local transport needs. The main bus stand is located in
Thirupapuliyur.
The nearest airport is in
Pondicherry
Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...
, approximately from Cuddalore, while the nearest international airport is
Chennai International Airport
Chennai International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu and its metropolitan area. It is located in Tirusulam, southwest of the city centre. Chennai International Airport is the sixth busiest airpo ...
, located from the town.
There is an airport finished its construction and waiting for the opening in
Neyveli
Neyveli is a industrial town in the Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located inland from the Bay of Bengal, west of Pondicherry and south of Chennai. The town was developed in 1956 after the establishment of Ney ...
, which is nearly from Cuddalore. Daily flights to
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
is going to be operated by
Air Odisha
Air Odisha was[ch-aviation.com – Air Odisha](_blank)
retrieved 14 April 2019 ...
.
The town is served by Cuddalore Port, a minor port. This port mainly handles cargo and is in close vicinity to
Cuddalore Port Junction.
Economy
![Indien Tamil Nadu Cuddalore Old Town Boats](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Indien_Tamil_Nadu_Cuddalore_Old_Town_Boats.jpg)
Being a coastal town, historically, Cuddalore's primary industry was
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
. Although Cuddalore was once a port town, the shipping trade has now moved to larger centres. Cuddalore also hosts the heavy chemical, pharmacological and energy industries in SIPCOT, an industrial estate set up by the state government. The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) planned to commence power plants around the town.
The industrial development in Cuddalore's recent past has resulted in extreme pollution.
SIPCOT
The State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) ( ta, தமிழ்நாடு அரசு தொழில் முன்னேற்றக் கழகம் (வரையறுக்கப்பட்டது) ...
, the central industrial area in the town is a "global toxic hotspot." Local communities have voiced concern about industrialization and pollution. The SIPCOT chemical industry estate in Cuddalore was investigated in November 2002 by a team from the
Indian People's Tribunal headed by
J. Kanakaraj
J. Kanagaraj (born 1936) is a former judge of the high court of Madras. He ceased to be state election commissioner of Andhra Pradesh pursuant to the judgement of AP High Court on 29 May 2020.
Career
Kanakaraj was born at Maravanmadam, near Th ...
. The group reported "a noticeable stench of chemicals in the air". The report published in July 2003 noted that "Villages like Kudikadu, Thaikal, Eachangadu and Sonnanchavadi lie in a virtual 'gas chamber' surrounded on three sides by chemical factories and bounded on the fourth by the river". There are reports of illegal dumping of toxic waste. On 22 March 2008, a report for the "Tamil Nadu Pollution Board" prepared by the Nagpur-based "National Environmental Engineering Research Institute" found that residents of the SIPCOT area of Cuddalore were at least 2000 times more likely than their counterparts to contract cancer in their lifetimes due to exposure to high levels of toxic gases from chemical industries in the region.
The Cuddalore Port operates at the confluence of the Gadilam River and the Paravanar River. The ships anchor in midstream at about from the shore, where cargo is loaded and discharged through lighters. There is a bar at the mouth of the combined river, which maintains a depth of at low water. During July to September, the depth over the bar is reduced to about . Other ports under construction in Cuddalore are Thiruchopuram port, Silambimangalam port, Parangipettai port (Porto Nova) and PY-03 Oil Field (operational).
Education and utility services
There are a total of more than ten schools, including both matriculation and CBSE in Cuddalore. The town has four arts and science colleges, namely Periyar Government Arts College, Immaculate college for women, St. Joseph Arts & Science College and C. Kandasamy Naidu College for Women (KNC). There are two engineering colleges in the town: Krishnasamy Memorial Engineering College and CK College of Engineering and Technology. Krishnasamy Memorial Polytechnic and Padaleeswarar Polytechnic are the two polytechnic colleges in the town. There are six Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in the town, two of which are operated by the government.
Electricity supply to Cuddalore is regulated and distributed by the
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (abbreviated as TNEB) is a power generation and distribution company owned by Government of Tamil Nadu, India. It was created as a regulated monopoly under section 131 of the Electricity Act (2003) as a successor o ...
(TNEB). The town and its suburbs form the Cuddalore Electricity Distribution Circle. A chief distribution engineer is stationed at the regional headquarters. Water supply is provided to the town by the Cuddalore municipality from three sources: Pennaiyar River, borewells from Caper Hills and Thirvanthipuram. The water from the sources is stored in ten overhead tanks located in various parts of the town. During the period 2000–01, 6.065 million litres of water was supplied every day to households in the town. About 103 tonnes of solid waste are collected from Cuddalore every day by door-to-door collection. Subsequently, the sanitary department of the Cuddalore municipality carries out the source segregation and dumping. The coverage of solid waste management had an efficiency of 100 per cent as of 2001. There is no underground drainage system in the town, and the sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks, open drains and public conveniences. The municipality maintains stormwater drains for , covering 32% of municipal roads.
There is one government hospital, six municipal maternity homes, and 37 other private hospitals that take care of the citizens' healthcare needs. There are 4,517 street lamps in the town: 275 sodium lamps, 201 mercury vapour lamps and 4,041 tube lights. The municipality operates five markets, namely, Aringar Anna Daily Market at Manjakuppam, Banbari Daily Market at Thirupapuliyur, Bakthavachalam Daily Market at Cuddalore OT, Pudupalayam Daily Market at Pudupalayam and Devanampattinam Daily Market at Devanampattinam, that cater to the needs of the town and the surrounding rural areas.
Administration and politics
The Cuddalore municipality was established in 1866 during British times as a revenue village. It was promoted to a selection-grade municipal municipality in 1991 and special grade in 2008.
The municipality has 45 wards, and there is an elected councillor for each of those wards.
The municipality's functions are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, city planning and Information Technology (IT). All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 45 members, one each from the 45 wards.
The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson.
Cuddalore comes under the
Cuddalore assembly constituency. It elects a member to the
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members of whom are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post voting, First-past-the-post system. The pres ...
once every five years. From the 1977 elections, the assembly seat was won by
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; DMK) is a political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu where it is currently the ruling party having a comfortable majority without coalition support and the union territory of Puducherry where it is curre ...
(DMK) five times during the 1980, 1989, 1996, 2001 and 2006 elections, the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
party two times during the 1984 and 1991 elections and the
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian regional political party with great influence in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former chief mini ...
(ADMK) twice during the 1997 and 2011 elections. The current MLA of the constituency is G.Iyappan from DMK.
During the 2009 general elections, Cuddalore was a part of
Cuddalore (Lok Sabha constituency)
Cuddalore is a Lok Sabha (Parliament of India) constituency in Tamil Nadu. Its Tamil Nadu Parliamentary Constituency number is 26 of 39.
Assembly segments
After 2009, Cuddalore Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segmen ...
with six assembly segments:
Tittakudi (SC),
Vridhachalam
Virudhachalam or Vriddhachalam is a Town and taluk headquarters in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The ancient name of this town is Thirumudhukundram. As per the 2011 census, the town had a population of 73,585 of which ...
,
Neyveli
Neyveli is a industrial town in the Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located inland from the Bay of Bengal, west of Pondicherry and south of Chennai. The town was developed in 1956 after the establishment of Ney ...
,
Cuddalore
Cuddalore, also spelt as Kadalur (), is the city and headquarters of the Cuddalore District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Situated south of Chennai, Cuddalore was an important port during the British Raj.
While the early history of Cudda ...
,
Panruti
Panruti is a developing city, municipality and taluk headquarters of Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Panruti is located between Cuddalore and Neyveli. Panruti is famous for jackfruits and cashew nuts. The jackfruit grown here is exporte ...
and
Kurinjipadi
Kurinjipadi (also spelt as Kurinjippadi) is a taluk in Cuddalore district in the India, state of Tamil Nadu.
Geography
Kurinjipadi is located at . It has an average elevation of .
Demography and politics
India census, Kurinjipadi had a popula ...
. Before 2009, Cuddalore Lok Sabha constituency composed of the following assembly segments:
Ulundurpet (SC),
Nellikkuppam,
Cuddalore
Cuddalore, also spelt as Kadalur (), is the city and headquarters of the Cuddalore District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Situated south of Chennai, Cuddalore was an important port during the British Raj.
While the early history of Cudda ...
,
Panruti
Panruti is a developing city, municipality and taluk headquarters of Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Panruti is located between Cuddalore and Neyveli. Panruti is famous for jackfruits and cashew nuts. The jackfruit grown here is exporte ...
,
Rishivandinam and
Sankarapuram
Sankarapuram is a Town Panchayat of Kallakurichi district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu
Theatres
NVN Theatre
Barkath Theatre.
Schools in sankarapuram
# Government Boys Higher secondary School
# Government Girls Higher Secondar ...
. The Lok Sabha seat has been held by the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
for eight terms during 1951–56,
1971–77,
1977–80.
1980–84, 1984–1989,
1989–91,
1991–96,
and 2009–present,
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; DMK) is a political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu where it is currently the ruling party having a comfortable majority without coalition support and the union territory of Puducherry where it is curre ...
for four times during 1962–1967,
1967–71,
1999–04,
and 2004–09,
Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam twice during 1998–99 and 2014,
Tamil Maanila Congress
The Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) (; TMC(M)) is an Indian regional political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is founded by the former Member of Parliament of the Republic of India G. K. Moopanar on 29 March 1996 as a breakaway fact ...
once during 1996–2001 and an independent during 1957–62,
The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is T. R. V. S. Ramesh from the DMK.
The town's law and order is maintained by the Cuddalore sub division of the
Tamil Nadu Police
Tamil Nadu Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is over 150 years old and is the fifth largest state police force in India. headed by a deputy superintendent (DSP).
There are four police stations in the town located in NT, Thirupapuliyur, Cuddalore OT and Cuddalore Port. There are select units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and a select branch that operate at the district level police division headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP).
On 24 August 2021, the state government announced the upgrading of the Cuddalore Greater Municipality to "Cuddalore City Municipal Corporation" with same authority area of 27.69 sq km
2.
Tourism
Pataleeswarar Temple, a Hindu temple, built during the 7th century and dated a millennium earlier, is the most prominent landmark in Cuddalore.
The name, Thirupathipuliyur, is associated with the legend behind the temple. The temple is revered in the verses of 7th-century Saiva saints
Appar
Appar, also referred to as ( ta, திருநாவுக்கரசர்) or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Śaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Śaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is ...
and
Tirugnanasambandar
Sambandar (Tamil: சம்பந்தர்), also referred to as Tirugnana Sambandar (lit. ''Holy Sage Sambandar''), Tirujnanasambanda, Campantar or Jñāṉacampantar, was a Shaiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived sometime in the 7th cen ...
in their works in ''
Tevaram
The ''Thevaram'' ( ta, தேவாரம், ), also spelled ''Tevaram'', denotes the first seven volumes of the twelve-volume collection ''Tirumurai'', a Śaiva narrative of epic and puranic heroes, as well as a hagiographic account of early ...
''.
The
Devanathaswami Temple, located in Thiruvanthipuram, is another Hindu pilgrimage site around Cuddalore.
Silver Beach is a long beach located in Cuddalore and is another prominent visitor attraction of the town.
Pichavaram, which is 57 km from Cuddalore, is a
mangrove forest
Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fr ...
.
Fort St David
Fort St David, now in ruins, was a British fort near the town of Cuddalore, a hundred miles south of Chennai on the Coromandel Coast of India. It is located near silver beach without any maintenance. It was named for the patron saint of Wales b ...
, situated on the River
Gadilam near Devanampattinam and acquired in 1653 CE by
Elihu Yale
Elihu Yale (5 April 1649 – 8 July 1721) was a British-American colonial administrator and philanthropist. Although born in Boston, Massachusetts, he only lived in America as a child, spending the rest of his life in England, Wales and India ...
, a Christian slave-trader and cruel slave master, is one of the most visited tourist attraction in Cuddalore. The wealth embezzled and extracted by him was infused into
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
. Only two decades later, in 1677, when
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adils ...
captured
Gingee
Gingee, also known as Senji or Jinji and originally called Singapuri, is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Gingee is located between three hills covering a perimeter of 3 km, and lies west of the Sa ...
, the fort fell into the Marathas' hands. In 1690, the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
purchased the fort and the adjacent villages (within "ye randome shott of a piece of ordnance".) A great gun was fired to different points of the compass. All the country within its range, including the town of Cuddalore, passed into English possession. The villages thus obtained are called "cannonball villages". The fortifications were strengthened in 1693, 1698, 1702, 1725, 1740 and 1745. In 1746 Fort St. David became the British headquarters for British India. The British ruled a more significant part of south India (Tamil Nadu, parts of the present- Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka) from Fort St. David. An attack by
Dupleix was successfully repulsed. In 1756,
Clive was appointed governor. The French captured the fort in 1758 but in 1760 relinquished it to Sir
Eyre Coote Eyre Coote may refer to:
*Eyre Coote (East India Company officer) (1726–1783), Irish soldier and Commander-in-chief of India
*Eyre Coote (British Army officer) (1762–1823), Irish-born general in the British Army
* Eyre Coote (MP) (1806–1834), ...
of the British East India Company. The French recaptured the fort in 1782 and held it in 1783 during the
Battle of Cuddalore. In 1785 the fort passed into British possession. By this time, however, the centre of British rule was Fort St George.
The Garden House was the official residence of the Cuddalore District Collector, Robert Clive. It is typical of later medieval architecture. The Garden House roof was built using only bricks and slaked lime with no steel and wood.
Satyagnana Sabha (சத்ய ஞான சபை, Temple of Wisdom is a temple constructed (25.01.1872) by the saint
Sri Raamalinga Swaamigal (Vallalaar) in the town of
Vadalur
Vadalur is a municipality in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. It is from Chennai, the state capital of Tamil Nadu.
History
Ramalinga Swamigal, often called Vallalar, established the Sathyagnana Sabhai. He built a temple which is open year-rou ...
in
Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is an octagonal structure; the ''sanctum sanctorum'' of this temple is concealed from the main hall by seven curtains which are parted only on the
Thai Poosam
Thaipusam or Thaipoosam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம், ''taippūcam'' ?), is a festival celebrated by the Hindu Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of ''Thai'' (January/February), usually coinciding with Pushya star, kno ...
day. All the four towers of the
Chidambaram Nataraajar temple are visible from the sabha.
Ramalinga Swamigal
Thiruvarutprakasa Vallalār Chidambaram Ramalingam (5 October 1823 – 30 January 1874), commonly known in India and across the world as Vallalār, Ramalinga Swamigal and Ramalinga Adigal, was one of the most famous Tamil Saints and also one of t ...
, often called Vallalar, established the
Sathyagnana Sabhai. He built a temple which is open year-round. Thousands of visitors attend festivals and monthly puja dates at this temple. Vadalur is well connected by rail and road, and it provides transport to major cities like Trichy, Chennai, Tanjore, Puducherry, and Kumbakonam.
Notes
References
More References
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External links
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Cuddalore district
Port cities in India