Kanyakumari district
Kanyakumari district is one of the 39 districts of Tamil Nadu state and the southern most district in mainland India. It stands second in terms of population density among the districts of Tamil Nadu. It is also the richest district in Tamil Nadu in terms of per capita income, and also tops the state in Human Development Index (HDI), literacy, and education. The district's headquarters is Nagercoil.
Kanyakumari district | |
|---|---|
District of Tamil Nadu | |
Anti-Clockwise from top:
Thiruvalluvar Statue, Padmanabhapuram Palace, Nagaraja Temple, Udayagiri Fort | |
Location in Tamil Nadu | |
| Coordinates: 8.32°N 77.34°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Kanyakumari |
| Headquarters | Nagercoil |
| Taluks | Agastheeswaram, Kalkulam, Thovalai, Vilavancode, Killiyur, Thiruvattar |
| Government | |
| • District Collector | P. N. Sridhar, I.A.S |
| • Superintendent of Police | E. Sundaravathanam, IPS,, I.P.S |
| • District Forest Officer | M. Ilayaraja, I.F.S |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,672 km2 (646 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 1,870,374 |
| • Density | 1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| • Minority | Malayalam |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 629 xxx |
| Telephone code | 04652 for Nagercoil & 04651 for Marthandam |
| Vehicle registration | TN-74 for Nagercoil & TN-75 for Marthandam |
| Coastline | 72 kilometres (45 mi) |
| Sex ratio | M-1000/F-1014 ♂/♀ |
| Literacy | 97.6% |
| Legislature type | Elected |
| Current Member of Parliament | Vijay Vasanth |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Kanniyakumari |
| Legislative Assembly Constituencies (6) Current Members | N. Thalavai Sundaram (Kanniyakumari), M. R. Gandhi (Nagercoil), J. G. Prince (Colachel), T. Mano Thangaraj (Padmanabhapuram), S. Rajeshkumar (Killiyoor), (Vacant) (Vilavancode), District Panchayath Chairman S. Merliant Dhas |
| Precipitation | 2,382 millimetres (93.8 in) |
| Avg. summer temperature | 31 °C (88 °F) |
| Avg. winter temperature | 22 °C (72 °F) |
| Central location: | 8°03′N 77°15′E |
| Website | kanniyakumari |
Kanyakumari district has a varied topography with the sea on three sides and the mountains of the Western Ghats bordering the northern side. Except for a small stretch of land to the east of Kanniyakumari town, almost the entire district is sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea – the only district in Tamil Nadu state facing the Arabian Sea.
Historically, Nanjinad and Edai Nadu, which comprise the present-day Kanniyakumari district, were ruled by various Tamil and Malayalam dynasties: the Cheras, the Ay/Venad/Travancore dynasty, the Pandyans, the Chozhans and the Nayaks. A few artifacts have been unearthed by archeological excavations. It was part of the princely state of Travancore during the colonial times prior to India's independence; four of the eight tehsils of Thiruvananthapuram district were separated from the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom to form the new district of Kanniyakumari, and they were made the part of Madras Presidency under recommendations from the States Reorganisation Commission in 1956. The Presidency was later renamed Tamil Nadu and Kanniyakumari, today, is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state.
The district is the birthplace of Ayyavazhi. Many historical assumptions persist in the district and state, which associate sages such as Agastya, Vyasa, Tolkappiyar, Avvaiyar and Thiruvalluvar with the district.