Thoothukudi
Discover Thoothukudi
Thoothukudi, formerly Tuticorin, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thoothukudi is the headquarters of Thoothukudi District which is located at the southeastern part of Tamil Nadu. It is almost 580 km away from Chennai, about 261 km away from Tiruchirappalli and about 133 km away from Madurai. Tuticorin (in English) or Thoothukudi (in Tamil) used to be called Thirumandhira Nagar. There are three theories as to the origin of the name Thoothukudi. First, thoorthu is Tamil for "dig", and kudi means "drink": The town had no rivers and the only source of drinking water was from wells. Second, thoortha means "land reclaimed from the sea" while kudi also stands for "settlement" or "colony". Finally, the Tuticorin name was used by Dutch people who got there before the English, so some people have suggested they named the city.
What to Experience in Thoothukudi
Taste of Thoothukudi...
There are many restaurants in Tuticorin. Most of them are of South-Indian cuisine. Some are vegetarian and some are non-vegetarian. Enquire with your hotel receptionist or Auto-Rickshaw driver or Taxi Driver or any local friends or relatives for restaurants. Besides hotels and restaurants, there are a lot of tea and coffee bars, snacks stalls, fruit juice corners, bakeries, and sweet stalls which can be found at any main area. Tuticorin is famous for a wide variety of sweets, snacks, and the famous "Parotta Salna Set". Tuticorin has its own version of the "macaroon", this version differs from the French version since its made with egg whites, cashew, sugar, and yeast. Alagu Vilas, Lala Mithai Kadai, Namachivaya are all famous sweet meat shops that sell delicious traditional sweets and savories. Thoothukudi macaroon: Thoothukudi is known for its bakery items especially Macaroon. Macaroon is cake or cookie of European origin. It is a light, baked confection including ingredients like almonds, coconuts and nuts. Thoothukudi macaroon is slightly different from European macaroons since it contains cashew as a main ingredient. Ganesh Bakery on VOC Road sells the famous macaroon and while you are stocking up on their macaroons, you could also pick up their delicious cakes and cookies. Another sweet worthy of mention is thenkuzhal made of molasses, a sinful combination of flour and molasses in a unique floral-ring shape. You can find this in Alagu Vilas.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Thoothukudi into what it is today.
Thoothukudi has been known for its pearl diving (thus the nickname Pearl City (Muthu Nagaram in Tamil) and for shipbuilding. Thoothukudi became the centre of the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, with such leaders as the poet Subramanya Bharathy, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Venni Kalady, Vellaya Thevan, and V.O. Chidambaram Pillai. In 1906, the freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, with the help of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, launched the first Swadeshi ship S.S. Gaelia from this port town in British India. The major harbour of Thoothukudi is one of the oldest sea ports in the world, was the seaport of the Pandyan Kingdom after Korkai and later was taken over by the Portuguese in 1548, captured by the Dutch in 1658, and ceded to the British in 1825. The lighthouse built in 1842 marked the beginning of the history of Thoothukudi harbour's development. Thoothukudi was established as a municipality in 1866 with Roche Victoria as its first chairman. During World War II, when India was still under British dominance, the economic and strategic importance of V. O. Chidambaranar Port Trust made the town vulnerable to enemy bombings. Sirens and bomb shelters were installed in the town. After independence, the Port of Thoothukudi witnessed a flourishing trade and handled a variety of cargo meant for neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and the Maldives, as well as various coastal regions of India....
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsA popular way of getting here is by train, most useful is the daily Pearl City Express service from Chennai which departs 7:35PM every evening, arriving the next morning at 7:30AM. Bangalore and Mysore have night trains bound for Thoothukudi, with a departure time from Mysore at 6PM and from Bangalore 9:20PM, arriving 10:45AM the next day. Regional destinations with direct trains include Coimbatore and Tirunelveli. Thoothukudi City is well connected by road with rest of the country. The major highways are, V. O. Chidambaranar Port is the gateway to India when it comes to shipping with cargo ships arriving daily, some of these accept paying passengers. It's also the only port in the country with a weekly direct cargo service from USA, taking 22 days. Europe, China and several ports along the Red Sea have direct routes too. Thoothukudi has two main bus stations, namely the New Bus Stand and Arignar Anna Bus stand. Town buses connect both of them with other parts of the town....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Thoothukudi has two main bus stations, namely the New Bus Stand and Arignar Anna Bus stand. Town buses connect both of them with other parts of the town. A network of mini-buses makes getting around Thoothukudi easier. Auto-rickshaws are also preferable. If you want to travel by the auto, consult local friends or relatives beforehand to find out reasonable prices for the distance you intend to go and negotiate a rate with the driver before the journey. Palayamkottai Road (stretching westward from Arignar Anna Bus Stand), areas surrounding the Lord Bhagam Priyal temple, Lord Shiva and Lord Perumal temples, WGC (West Great Cotton) Road, its parallel V.E. (Victoria Extension) Road and the streets adjacent to WGC Road form the main area of Thoothukudi. One should be careful and aware of the one-way traffic along the WGC Road. Tuticorin is famous for Our Lady of Snows Shrine Basilica festival which takes place during August every year.
Where to Stay
Lodges exist in areas around the Old Bus Stand and along V.E road. Medical stores and pharmacies can be found along the main roads and main streets, but if you regularly take a medicine, it is best to bring that along with you.
Money & Budget
There are many restaurants in Tuticorin. Most of them are of South-Indian cuisine. Some are vegetarian and some are non-vegetarian. Enquire with your hotel receptionist or Auto-Rickshaw driver or Taxi Driver or any local friends or relatives for restaurants. Besides hotels and restaurants, there are a lot of tea and coffee bars, snacks stalls, fruit juice corners, bakeries, and sweet stalls which can be found at any main area. Tuticorin is famous for a wide variety of sweets, snacks, and the famous "Parotta Salna Set". Tuticorin has its own version of the "macaroon", this version differs from the French version since its made with egg whites, cashew, sugar, and yeast.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Medical stores and pharmacies can be found along the main roads and main streets, but if you regularly take a medicine, it is best to bring that along with you.
Glimpses of Thoothukudi
Kadarkarai 🏖️
a boy playing in the sand
The sun is shining through the clouds over the ocean
Be a light to the world
Tea makes everything better. This photo is from a trip to Tamilnadu during November 2017. The cup's always used to fascinate me, as an object which keeps the liquid and help us consume it.
Clear blue sky with distant brown and white shapes.
twilight willow leaves
A black and white photo of a person on a skateboard
dried up pond
black leather textile on white surface
Kadarkarai 🏖️
a boy playing in the sand
The sun is shining through the clouds over the ocean