Parangipettai

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Parangipettai Porto Novo
Town
Parangipettai
Coordinates: 11°29′N 79°46′E / 11.49°N 79.76°E / 11.49; 79.76Coordinates: 11°29′N 79°46′E / 11.49°N 79.76°E / 11.49; 79.76
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Cuddalore
Taluk	Chidambaram
Population  (2017)[1]
• Total	27,652
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	608502
Telephone code	04144

Parangipettai, historically called Porto Novo ("New Port" in Portuguese) is a 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 NH45A stretch between Cuddalore and Chidambaram.

Due to its strategic location on the Coromandel Coast, Parangipettai has long been a major trading centre. In particular, it was an important trading destination for the Arabs, especially the Yemenis. During the colonial era the Portuguese, Dutch and then 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 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 basic necessities such as healthcare, education and transport. It also hosts a Marine Biology Station affiliated with the Annamalai University.

Parangipettai is an important pilgrimage centre for both Muslims and Hindu.

Etymology[]

Porto Novo Iron Works, 1848

Memorial for the Battle of Porto Novo, 1781 at Porto Novo

Throughout history, Parangipettai has taken many different names. Parangipettai finds mention in classical Tamil literature as "Varunapuri", meaning the place where the rain god Varuna had worshipped Lord Shiva. In today's time too Porto Novo is known for its frequent rainfall. During Nayyakar rule, it was renamed Muthukrishna Puri and then 'Mahmood Banthar' during the era of the Mughal Empire. The Portuguese, during their colonial occupation, named this place "Porto Novo" which means "New Port" in Portuguese. This was because they set up a port here and made it their trading stronghold.

the town is known as Parangipettai. In Tamil, the word parangiar refers to Europeans, while pettai means place. Thus, Parangipettai translates to the "abode of the parangiars or "Europeans" in Tamil.

History[]

Muslims living in Parangipettai have a unique ancestry. Tamil is their mother tongue but it has been heavily influenced by Urdu and Arabic. Previously, especially during the Tamil Chola rule of Tamil Nadu, Arab traders used to heavily trade around the Coromandel coast in which Parangipettai is located. Some traders, throughout time decided to settle down here. And hence, Muslims of Parangipettai tend to resemble Arab features.

In 1733, the Swedish East India Company established a factory in Porto Novo though after a month it was destroyed by the British and the French.^[2]

In 1801, Sir George Leith, who was then Lieutenant Governor of Penang, Malaysia, appointed a prominent Indian Muslim leader, Cauder Mohudeen, as Captain of the South Indian "Keling" community. He granted a piece of land to build a mosque on the south side of Malabar Street (Chulia Street) in Penang, Malaysia. The mosque is now known as Yusof Kapittan Mosque. Cauder Mohudeen (born c. 1759) was a ship mandoor or foreman from Parangipettai.

The Battle of Porto Novo was fought here in 1781 during the Second Anglo-Mysore War. The conflict pitted the forces of the Kingdom of Mysore under Karim Khan Sahib, accompanied by his father Hyder Ali, against forces belonging to the British East India Company under Sir Eyre Coote. Though they were outnumbered 5 to 1, the British prevailed.

The town flourished as a sea port with connections to southeast Asia and as an industrial centre during British rule, when iron made here was exported to England. The powerful Nawab of Arcot had his mint at Porto Novo and the gold coins struck in this mint came to be called the Porto Novo Pagoda. Later the English followed the same design when they minted the 'Negapatam' (Nagapatnam) Pagoda; the Dutch minted their coin in the same design at Tuticorin and Colombo mints.

Weather in Parangipettai[]

Religion in Parangipettai[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (March 2017)

In Parangipettai of various faiths live together in relative peace. Muslims and Hindus reside in the town in near equal numbers. Christians also live here. Among the Muslims there are clans or family groups which don't necessarily affect social interactions like marriages and mutual living. Some of Muslim clans include Maraicars, Sahibs, Ravuthtars, Pattans. The most common being Maraicar. Maraicar the name said to have derived from the old Tamil term 'Marakkalangalin aayargal' meaning 'Kings of Ships', a title said to be given by the Southern Tamil King Vijaya Raghunadha Sedhupathy Thondamaan (King Sethu) to the Arab traders from parts of Yemen and Arabia, now Saudi Arabia who were the reigning members of coastal trade with these regions.^[5]

The only book written about the Muslims of Parangipettai was written in Tamil and published by Jenifah Academy on December 2017. It was titled "Mahmoodbandar Muslimgal Oru Paarvaiyum Pathivum". This book is the only known record about the Muslims of Parangipettai, their history, culture and lifestyle.

Demographics[]

As of 2001 India census,^[6] Parangipettai had a population of 20,901. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Parangipettai has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 69%. In Parangipettai, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Culture[]

The people of Parangipettai are also called "Novians". Many of them have migrated to other countries for livelihood. Originally, it was to Indo-china, then to Malaya-Singapore, and presently to Arab countries. The eastern part of Parangipettai has the coastal people who do seafaring work and the western part has people involved in agriculture work. Most Muslim families depend on the incomes of their male relatives who are often employed in Arab countries. A sizable section from fishing community gets employed in the Indian Merchant Navy.

More than ten mosques are found in Parangipettai: Meerapalli (Big Masjid and Jumma Palli), Gummath Palli (Jummah Masjid), Vathiyapalli (Jummah Masjid), Appapalli (Jummah Masjid), Housepalli, Kadriya Masjid, Madina Palli, Kalima palli, Kalima Palii, Ukkashah Mosque, Magdum Appa Palli (Pakim Zaad), Kilur Nabi Palli, Habeebiyah Palli, HMH Palli, TNTJ Markuz and newly constructed Kathija Masjid. The grave of Ukkashah, companion of the Muhammad is thought by many inhabitants to be located in Porto Novo.

Two rivers joins the sea here are the Vellaru, a branch of the Kaveri River, and the Buckingham Canal.

Holidays[]

Local holidays were given for the schools for The Chidambaram Nadarajar Temple's major festivals "Aani Thirumanjanam" and "Margazhi Thirumanjanam". There are two main holidays for Muslims: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan, and Muslims usually give zakat (charity) on the occasion. Eid al-Adha is celebrated at the end of Hajj (the annual pilgrimage to Mecca), which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and Muslims usually sacrifice an animal and distribute its meat among family, friends and the poor.

Business[]

Historically, Parangipettai was a trading port. It now contributes around 3.5% of the total fish catch in the state, which is distributed to various districts and states in the country. Seafood is also exported to other countries overseas. Among the major sea foods merchants from the place are SeaFoods Ltd., with a well-connected marketing network around the world.^[7]

References[]

External links[]

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Porto Novo".

• Encyclopedia of Parangipettai
• Parangipettai.tripod.com
• Latest Updates on Porto Novo
• Parangipettai Memes
• Novians Google Group