Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) Tourism Places
If pearls and Tuticorin are synonymous to each other, it is the presence of a port here that gives the place a well known address. Open any general knowledge book, you will surely find a question pertaining to this Port or Pearl Town. Called by its Tamil name Thoothukudi or the anglicized name of the Dutch Tuticorin, the district remains famous for multiple things. About 550 km South West of Chennai and geographically located in the Gulf of Mannar, Thoothukudi was carved out from the erstwhile district of Tirunelveli in 1986. Forming part of the Pandyan kingdom between 7th and 9th Century AD, the town remained in the hands of the Cholas during the period between 9th and 12th century. The English Captured Thoothukudi from the Dutch in 1782 and the East India Company established their control over the region the same year.
Thoothukudi also turned into the citadel of the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, with leaders like Sundaralingam Kudumbanar, poet Subramanya Bharathi, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Vellaya Thevan and VO Chidambaram Pillai all emerging from here. In 1906, the freedom fighter VO Chidambaram Pillai, with the help of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, launched the first Swadeshi ship ‘S.S. Gaelia’ from this port town in British India. It was a minor port though, with trade partnerships with the neighbouring states and countries. Almost a quarter of a century of existence as an independent district has seen Thoothukudi emerge as a nerve centre of brisk economic activity in South Tamil Nadu. With enough attractions for the tourists, though relatively low compared to its neighbour districts, the district is worth a shot for a short visit.