PORTO NOVO

Porto Novo. An uncommon name for an isolated fishing hamlet in coastal Tamil Nadu. But that name is a reminder of many years of Portuguese, Dutch and the British presence in the region. Porto Novo is called Parangipettai in Tamil, which roughly means "foreigner village". This historically important place has nothing more than a flag mast and a plaque now. Many of the churches and buildings, built by the Europeans, have crumbled to the ground.

Porto Novo was an important trade centre under the Europeans, with industries like ship building and fishing. It also had an important harbour. During the British rule, iron made here was exported to England. It has the distinction of having the first iron foundry in Asia. Even now, some iron railings in Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore Railway stations have 'Made in Porto Novo' embossed on them. The historically important Second war of Mysore was also fought here between Hyder Ali and the British under Sir Eyre Coote in July 1781. He eventually lost the battle and sought exile at Chidambaram.

Now the town has lost its old glory and it is impossible to visualise its past with the images of the present in front of you. Today, the town is mainly a fishing village where the people eek out a living by fishing on the estuary. The town also has a rich side to it, thanks to money from the gulf.

The only tourists here are the pilgrims, as this an important pilgrimage centre for Muslims. A walk down the streets of this town will explain why: I came across mosques and dargahs in almost every street. This town also houses the famous Centre for Advanced Studies in Marine Biology, Annamalai University. This is not a destination for a casual tourist, but a dream for the history and archaeology enthusiast.

By road: 22 kms from Chidambaram.
Nearest Rail Hub: Parangipettai
Nearest Airport: Trichy (145 kms)
Accomodation: Nearest accommodation available at Chidambaram.
Local buses ply from Chidambaram.
Notes: Local buses are erratic, and places of interest are almost inaccesible. Suggest you trek it out.

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