Colachel
All you want to know about Colachel
| ?Kolachal Tamil Nadu • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| District(s) | Kanniyakumari |
| Population | 23,535 (2001[update]) |
Coordinates: Kolachal (Colachal) (Tamil:குளச்சல்) is a city and a municipality in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a port on the Malabar coast, 20 km north-west of Kanya Kumari (Cape Comorin), the southernmost tip of peninsular India.
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History
Before the Indian union came into being, Kaniyakumari was part of the princely state of Travancore, which currently is a component of the Indian state of Kerala (the other two components being Kochi (Cochin) and Malabar). A Travancore fort still exists in Kolachal.
Battle of Kolachal
This place was the scene of the battle between the Travancore (Anglicised form of Thiruvithaamkoor) forces led by King Marthanda Varma (1729–1758) and the Dutch East India Company forces led by Admiral Eustatius De Lennoy on August 10, 1741. It was the first time in Indian history that an Indian kingdom defeated a European naval force.[1]
The Dutch marines landed in Colachael with artillery and captured the land up to Padmanabhapuram, the then capital of Travancore. The arrival of Marthanda Varma's Nairs (the warriors) from the north forced the Dutch to take up defensive positions in Colachel, where they were attacked and defeated by the Travancore forces. Twenty-eight high level Dutch officers, including Admiral D'lennoy, were captured. The defeat of the Dutch in Colachael was the turning point of the Travancore-Dutch War. D'lennoy went on to serve Marthanda Varma for the next two decades and was promoted to the post of the Valiya kappithan (Senior Admiral) of the Travancore forces same status like a Nair lord. He modernised the Travancore army, and built the Nedumkotta, a line of fortifications in the north of the kingdom, which held up the army of Tipu Sultan in 1791, during his ill-fated invasion of Travancore. D'lennoy is buried in the Udayagiri Fort, also known as Dillanai kotta (D'lennoy's fort) which is located 7 kilometres north of Padmanabhapuram (about 14 kilometres from Nagercoil).
The Indian government has built a pillar of victory in Colachel to commemorate the event. Colachel is currently in the Kanya Kumari District of the Tamil Nadu State of India, and is an important port on the west coast of that state.
Geography
Colachel is located at .[2]
Demographics
As of 2001 India census[3], Kolachal had a population of 23,535. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Kolachal has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 75%. In Kolachal, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Majority of the population belong to the Roman Catholic Mukkuvar community. Other major communities are Muslims, Christian Nadars, Hindu Nadars, Nairs, Chettys, etc.
Places of Interest
This small coastal town is near to the route from Thiruvananthapuram to Kanyakumari on National Highway 47 in present day state of Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district in India. It is situated very close to Mahendragiri, where the Indian Space Research Organisation's rocket testing facility is located. Efforts are being made by the port advisory committee for the construction of a ship yard and for the development of a natural harbor at Colachel. Colachel beach is a local tourist attraction. People often visit to see the St.Mary's Church at Colachel. Other places of attraction near colachel include Padmanabhapuram palace and Pechupparai dam.
Colachel Municipality
The Municipality of Colachel consists of 24 wards. In the recently held local body elections,the independent candidate Mr.Jessiah was elected as Chairman. He was working as Chairman previously also. Names of some of the previous chairmans are Mr.M.A.James, Mr.Ismail, Mr.Nasir, etc.[4]
Local Economy
The people of Colachel do a variety of jobs based on their backgrounds. This includes fishing with catamarans, deep see fishing with mechanized boats, exporting fish, coconut fibre production, fibre works, coir making, palm fibre works, selling general merchandise, agriculture, etc. There used to be a factory for manufacturing fibre based products (Thumbaabees) but is closed now. Also there is a nearby natural mineral extraction factory called Indian Rare Earths Limited(IRE). But the local people say that they do not get much employment with this company though the company used to mine for minerals in their localities.[5]
Education
Most of the people are educated. There are two higher secondary schools (St.Mary's and V.K.P. higher secondary schools), one high school (Govt. High School) and many primary and middle schools in this town. For higher education few colleges are also available in the nearby towns.
2004 Tsunami
The December 2004 Tsunami of the Indian Ocean caused huge devastation and damages. In Colachel it caused the death of around 500 people. As the land near the coastline is flat and at sea level with no seawall, water travelled inland carving out new streams and estuaries. The waves were reported to be around 5m high and a runup height of 2.6m. Maximum number of casualties happened near the A.V.M. Canal as well as around the open trenches being used by the local coconut fibre industry. [6]
The government and several non-governmental agencies have been providing relief works for those affected by the tsunami.
Folk Arts
Though the natives of Colachel do not earn a living by performing folk arts, several folk arts are being practiced in temples and churches during the annual festivals. Villupattu, Kaniankoothu, Thiruvathirai Kali, Kalial and Ottam Thullal are some of the names of the folk arts performed during temple festivals. Most usually, rural artists and natives perform Kadhaprasangam, Natagam (drama), rural dances, etc during the annual festivals of churches.
References
- ^ The Hindu — A different battle at Colachal
- ^ TIDCO — Tamilnadu Infrastructure
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ Colachel Municipality
- ^ Indian Rare Earths Mining Areas
- ^ Effect of 2004 Tsunami pages S446-S447
External links
- Global Security.org — Madras Regiment
- Tribune India — A historic battle
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