Vizhinjam is a region located in the city of
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
, the capital of the state of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. It is located 16 km south west from the city centre and 17 km south of Trivandrum International Airport along NH66.
Adani Ports (APSEZ), India’s
controversial
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...
biggest private port operator, is currently developing a transhipment port in this area.
[Manoj, P. (19 August 2019). Adani to buy 70% stake in Krishnapatnam Port for over ₹ 5,500 crore. ''The Hindu BusinessLine,'' Retrieved from www.thehindubusinessline.co]
/ref>
History
The history of Vizhinjam dates back to The Ay dynasty
Ay (short from of Ayar) was one of the Tamil dynasties which controlled the south-western tip of the peninsula, from the early historic period up to the medieval period.The clan traditionally held sway over the harbour of Vizhinjam, the fert ...
. Before the Cheras established themselves as a major force in Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
, it was ruled by the Ay dynasty
Ay (short from of Ayar) was one of the Tamil dynasties which controlled the south-western tip of the peninsula, from the early historic period up to the medieval period.The clan traditionally held sway over the harbour of Vizhinjam, the fert ...
sometime between 7th to 11th century AD with Vizhinjam as the capital. The Ay kingdom extended between 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 ...
and Thiruvalla
Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...
. During the second Sangam period
The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...
(circa 850–1400 AD),the region was the scene of many battles between the Kulashekhara and the Cholas
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...
and Vizhinjam, the capital, was sacked by the Cholas
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...
.
When the kings of the Ay dynasty
Ay (short from of Ayar) was one of the Tamil dynasties which controlled the south-western tip of the peninsula, from the early historic period up to the medieval period.The clan traditionally held sway over the harbour of Vizhinjam, the fert ...
shifted their capital to Vizhinjam, they built a fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
which is now considered to be the oldest fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
in Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
dating to the eighth or ninth century. A preliminary investigation by a team under Dr. Ajit has revealed the fort might have originally been 800 m² in area. The fort's wall can be found on the northern and western (seaside) parts and has been constructed using large boulders set in mud mortar. The wide base of the wall tapers on its way up. Even now this part of Vizhinjam is known as Kottapuram, 'Kotta' in Malayalam language
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...
and Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...
means Fort. According to Dr. Ajit, one important clue in dating the fort is that the walls have no battlements or `loop holes' (holes to place cannons in). This is typical of early forts, he says.
The team was also able to trace literary and epigraphical references - of 9 AD to 12 AD vintage - to a fort and port at Vizhinjam. Sangam literature
The Sangam literature (Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam'';) historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' (Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cāṉṟōr ceyyuḷ'') connotes ...
such as Pandikkovai, Iraiyanar Akapporul Kalingattuparani
Kalingattuparani ( ta, கலிங்கத்துப்பரணி) is a 12th-century Tamil poem and a war song by Jayamkondar, celebrating the victory of Kulottunga Chola I over the Kalinga king, Anantavarman Chodaganga in the Chola-Kal ...
of Jayamkondar
Jayamkondar was the poet laureate of Kulottunga Chola I. He is renowned for the poem '' Kalingattu parani'', in which he describes the Chola-Kalinga war and celebrates the victory of the Chola king.Studies in Tamil Literature and History by V. R. ...
, and Vikrama Chola
Vikrama Chola, known as Kō Parakēsari Varman, was a 12th-century ruler (''r. c''. 1118–1135 CE''The Cōḷas.'' 62-63.) of the Chola Empire in southern India. He succeeded his father Kulothunga I (''r. c.'' 1070–1120 CE) to the throne.''T ...
are said to have numerous references to the existence of a fort, port and a mansion at Vizhinjam.
Moreover, the Srivaramangalam copper plate's of Pandyan King Nedum Chadayan ( 8 AD) have clear reference to Vizhinjam and its fort. "Here, the fort is described as surrounded by waters of three seas, protected by a wide moat, high walls which the sun's rays do not touch and so on. Leaving aside the hyperbole typical of such inscriptions, the ground evidence at Vizhinjam that fits this description of the old fort. In fact the port at Vizhinjam has been mentioned in the work `The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
The ''Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' ( grc, Περίπλους τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς Θαλάσσης, ', modern Greek '), also known by its Latin name as the , is a Greco-Roman periplus written in Koine Greek that describes navigation and ...
', a work of the first century AD. Here Vizhinjam has been called as Balita," said Dr. Ajit.
The Portuguese and the Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
had commercial establishments here. The Portuguese have built a church in Vizhinjam near to the sea shore, which is still functional and is referred as the Old Vizhinjam Church (Old St. Mary's Church). It is located in the vizhinjam fishing harbour area.
As per historians, Vizhinjam, located at the extreme south-western tip of South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
, served as an important port throughout the history of the region. The location is economically and geopolitically significant as a key point connecting the shipping between Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
and the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
.
An international port at Vizhinjam was conceived as early as 1991. In August 2015, the Kerala government and Adani Vizhinjam Port (AVPL), representing the Adani Group
Adani Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Ahmedabad. It was founded by Gautam Adani in 1988 as a commodity trading business, with the flagship company Adani Enterprises. The Group's diverse businesses include po ...
, signed the agreement for the Adani Vizhinjam project. AVPL was the only bidder for the project.
As per the details of the agreement, Adani Group is free to operate the Vizhinjam port for 40 years (extendable by 20 more years). The Kerala state government will start getting a portion of the revenue from the port after 15 years. The project also includes 360 acres of land (of which around 36% are reclaimed from the sea) and a railway line (around 10 km long). The deadline for the commission of Phase I, Adani Vizhinjam Port was fixed on 4 December 2019 in the 2015 agreement.
The entire Vizhinjam project was valued at around Rs. 75.25 billion. The AVPL had requested a Rs 16.35 billion grant for the project from the Kerala state government.
The project commenced on 5 December 2015. AVPL had announced that the "first ship will berth at Vizhinjam" on 1 September 2018 (the 1,000 days target). The AVPL is currently seeking an extension of the Phase I commission deadline to October 2020 from the Kerala government.
As per a ''Reuters'' report, China had also wanted to partner with an un-named Indian company to build the port, but its overture was rejected by New Delhi on grounds of national security.[Verma, Nidhi and Das, Krishna N. (28 July 2016). With eye on China, India doubles down on container hub ports. ''Reuters,'' Retrieved from in.reuters.co]
/ref> It is speculated that the port will have berths for India's navy and coastguard.
Public Protests
There were large scale public protests against the controversial
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...
Adani Group, Adani controlled port and the abuse of their human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
in November 2022. Christian Priests
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'' (Χρισ ...
led the protestors, who primarily belong to the dispossessed fishermen
A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish.
Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreati ...
community. [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/at-least-36-police-personnel-hurt-in-clashes-with-adani-port-protesters/articleshow/95819012.cms]
Transport
Regular buses operate in Vizhinjam from the City Bus Stand at East Fort
The Kizhakke Kotta, commonly known as East Fort, is a busy commercial street located at the heart of the central business district of Thiruvananthapuram city the capital of Kerala. East Fort is known as the heart of the city as it is located i ...
, Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its List of renamed Indian cities and states, former name Trivandrum (), is the Capital city, capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as ...
and as well as from the Central Bus Stand
Central Bus Station, popularly known as Central Bus Stand, is one of the bus termini of Trichy, located near Cantonment, the other being the Chatram Bus Stand.
The terminus spread over an area of is managed by the Department of Transport (T ...
at Thampanoor, Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its List of renamed Indian cities and states, former name Trivandrum (), is the Capital city, capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as ...
. Cabs can be also hired at the bus stations.
See also
* Vizhinjam International Seaport
The Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport, also known as the Vizhinjam Port is an under-construction port on the Arabian Sea coast at city of Trivandrum . Developed in three phases, the first phase is expected to get completed ...
* Vizhinjam Rock Caves
Vizhinjam Cave Temple is an ancient Hindu temple at Vizhinjam, near Trivandrum in southern Kerala, India.Krairiksh, Piriya. "A NOTE ON THE ‘MAKARA’ BALUSTRADE AT MALACCA." ''Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society'', vol ...
References
External links
* https://www.vizhinjamport.in/home.html
{{Thiruvananthapuram district settlements
Tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram
History of Kerala
Villages in Thiruvananthapuram district
Populated coastal places in India
Suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram