Kulasekarapattinam

Kulasekharapattinam, also spelt Kulasekharapatnam is a town in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, India. Historically, it was an important port on the Coromandel Coast, alongside Kaveripumpattinam (Poompuhar) and Arikamedu (near Pondicherry).

From at least the 1st century CE, Kulasekharapatnam functioned as a trading hub for Pandya Dynasty. While Kollam served as a major port on the west coast, Kulasekharapatnam connected the Pandyas to Ceylon and the pearl fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar. It was part of a network of ancient coastal settlements that included Kodungallur in Kerala and Barugachha (Broach) in Gujarat.

During the Colonial Era, as Tuticorin emerged as a dominant port, the prominence of Kulasekharapatnam declined.

The town's name is derived from the Pandyan ruler Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I.

Kulasekharapatnam is home to the 300-year-old Mutharamman Temple and the Dharmasamvardhini Temple, which lies north of the village. The town is particularly known for its grand Dussehra celebrations.

During British rule, a sugar factory operated profitably in the town. The British also introduced the Kulasekharapatnam Light Railway, which, as of 1933, had stations including Kulasekharapatnam Central, Kulasekharapatnam Port, and KPM Sugar Factory.

In recent years, ISRO announced plans to establish a space launch pad at Kulasekharapatnam, positioning it as a key location for India's space missions.