Kulasekarapattinam

Kulasekharapatnam is a town in the Thoothukudi district (formerly Tuticorin district) of Tamil Nadu, India.

Kulasekharapatnam was an ancient port dating to the 1st century AD and was contemporaneous to the existence of Kollam, Cheran, and Pandyan port. Kollam served the Pandyas on the west coast while Kulasekharapatnam served them on the east coast connecting them to Ceylon and the pearl fisheries in the Gulf of Mannar facing the Tirunelveli Coast. The other ports on the Coromandel Coast were Kaveripumpattinam (Poompuhar) and Arikamedu (near Pondicherry). On the west coast, the ancient ports were Kodungallur and Barugachha (Broach) in Gujarat. Kulasekharapatnam lost its significance once Tuticorin became a big port.

Kulasekharapatnam the name is derived from pandyan ruler Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I. Kulasekharapatnam is referred to in Marco Polo's travel diaries dating to 1250 AD.

Kulasekharapatnam has had Muslim settlements since ancient times.

The famous Mutharamman Temple, which is 300 years old, is located in this place. Also, at the north of this village, an ancient marvelous Temple of Dharmasamvardhini is situated. Kulasekharapatnam is world famous for the Dashra ( Dussehra ) Festival.

A sugar factory was running very successfully till the end of the British rule. Since the British rule, Kulasekharapatnam has a customs office. British Railway Line was established and it was called Kulasekharapatnam Light Railway and the stations were Kulasekharapatnam Central, Kulasekharapatnam Port, and KPM Sugar Factory in 1933.

ISRO has announced that a new space launch pad will be set up at Kulasekharapatnam.