Agastheeswaram

Agastheeswaram அகஸ்தீஸ்வரம் അഗസ്തീസ്വര
Taluk
Nickname(s): Alathankarai
Agastheeswaram Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates:
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Kanniyakumari
Population (2001)
• Total	8,978
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	629 001

Agastheeswaram is a panchayat town in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

History

Agasteeswaram is named after Sage Agastya who had visited this place to teach Ramayana. Most of the people from this village are well educated when compared with other districts in Tamil Nadu. Vivekanandha college is located in Agasteeswaram.

• 

  Sage Agastya

Agasteeswaram Nadar

Below are the words extracted from the Travancore state manual about the Agastisvaram Nadan rich chieftain who enjoyed special benefits from the Trovancore Rajah, that family belonged to the sub-caste Nadan an endogamous group among the Nadars.

The Travancore state manual says "This is also the headquarters of the Shanar tribe, where their Nadan or chieftain resides, who was formerly allowed the privileges of having a fort, of riding in a palanquin and of retaining a hundred armed attendants."

Ref: The Travancore state manual, Volume 2 Page 57

Kottaram

Kottaram is one of the Panchayat town in the Agastheeswaram Taluk. It is situated 6 km from Kanyakumari. People of different religions like Hindus, Christians and Muslims live here. CSI, Catholic, AG, IPC and many other independent Christian churches can be found here. This town does not have a mosque, but it has many Hindu temples.

File:CSI District Church Kottaram.jpg

CSI District Church Kottaram

File:A idol of Agastya muni at Shri Datta Temple Near Vattakottai Fort,Kanyakumari.jpg

A idol of Agastya muni at Shri Datta Temple Near Vattakottai Fort, Kanyakumari District

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Agastheeswaram had a population of 8978. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Agastheeswaram has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 50% of the males and 50% of females literate. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Famous People from Agastheeswaram

• Dr. P.H. Daniel (also, Paul Harris Daniel) - Doctor who first started employee union in South Indian Tea Estates. Paradesi movie is based on his novel Red Tea (also translated into Tamil எரியும் பனிக்காடு).
• Dr. J. C. Daniel Nadar - Father of Malayalam Cinema, in his last days lived and died here in 1975.
• Kumari Ananthan, his brother H. Vasanthakumar, daughter Tamilisai Soundarrajan - Political and entrepreneurial dynasty with powerful position in all national parties.