Parangipettai
Town Panchayath in Tamil Nadu, India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Parangipettai?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Parangipettai (/peɪɑːreɪaɪpiteɪaɪ/ ⓘ Pa-re-gi-Pe-Tie), historically called Porto Novo ("New Port" in Portuguese), is a coastal panchayat town in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Parangipettai is located on the north bank of the mouth of the Vellar River at a distance of 30 km from Cuddalore. From the state capital city of Chennai, Parangipettai can be reached through the National Highway NH32 stretch between Cuddalore and Chidambaram.
Parangipettai
Porto Novo | |
---|---|
Town Panchayath | |
Nickname(s): Mahmood Bundar, Muthukrishna Puri, Varunapuri | |
Coordinates: 11.49°N 79.76°E / 11.49; 79.76 | |
Country | India |
State | Tamil Nadu |
District | Cuddalore |
Taluk | Bhuvanagiri |
Constituency | Chidambaram |
Government | |
• Type | Rural/Town |
• Body | Union Town Panchayath |
• Leader | Mrs. Thenmozhli Shankar (DMK) |
• MLA | Mr. K. A. Pandian (AIADMK) |
• MP | Mr. Thol. Thirumavalavan (VCK) |
• District Collector | Mr. A. Arun Thamburaj, I.A.S |
Area | |
• Total | 11.81 km2 (4.56 sq mi) |
Elevation | 12 m (39 ft) |
Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 25,541 |
• Density | 2,200/km2 (5,600/sq mi) |
Demonym(s) | Parangiars, Novians |
languages | |
• Official | Tamil, English |
• Local | Tamil, English, Urudu |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
PIN | 608502 |
Telephone code | 04144 |
Website | https://parangipettai.com |
Its strategic location on the Coromandel Coast has long made it a major trading center. In particular, it was an important trading destination for the Arabs, especially the Yemenis. During the colonial era, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English successively colonized the area.
There is also a Gandhian connection to Parangipettai. Anne Marie Petersen became in 1909 a missionary in the so-called Loventhal Mission. The foundation stone was laid by Mahatma Gandhi himself in 1921, and a few years later, the school was officially opened under the name Seva Mandir at a place called Porto Novo, near Chidambaram, in Tamil Nadu, South India.
Today, Parangipettai has evolved into a well-developed town with nearly all necessities such as healthcare, education and transport. It also hosts a marine biology station that is affiliated with the Annamalai University.
The town is an important pilgrimage center for Muslims and Hindus.