18.10.1991. Nagappatinam is a unique District with a its historica and cutura significance. Nagappattinam is one of the constituents of cho! mandaam" accaimed as the #ost prominent among the ancient Tami $ingdoms. %ts saient features more than anything ese have contributed to the gory of the choamandaam. &osta town Nagappattinam was the 'eadquarters of a region during the period This region has been named after $shathiriya sigamani. (ne of the tites of )aja )aja &hoan. Nagappattinam was aso *nown as +&hoa*ua ,aippatinam-. The 'eritage of the town is found in the .urmese historica te/t of 0rd century ..&. The same te/t gives evidences of a .udha ,ihar buit by the great !sho*a. The chineseTraveer 'iuen Tsang. !so mentioned the .udha vihar in his boo*. Nagappattinam is mentioned as 1adarithitha in ancient .uddhist iterature !ccording to schoars avurithida the name of the part of Nagappattinam might have been derived from the word +-1adarithitha2 is the name of the fruit tree 3.hirtree2 very common in this region. %n ancient times" 3NagaNadu2" 3Nagappattinam2 referred ony to 4ri 5anga. .uddhist mon*s in 4ri 5an*a had cose in*s with this town Nagappattinam. 3!nimangaam &opperpate2 of $uothungachoa notes that 3$asiba Thera2 6.uddhist #on*7 )enovated the .uddhist tempe in 8th century !D with the the hep of .uddhist mon*s of +Naganadu- This +nagar annam vihar- ater came to be *nown as +Nagananavihar-. 1aava $ing )ajasimha 68909:;8! D7 permitted a chinese *ing to buid .uddha vihar in Nagappattinam. 'ence there e/isted a chinese buit budha vihar inNagappattinam. !ccording to !naimangaam copper pate of $uothunga % " sri,ijayathunga ,arman of sri ,ijaya *ingdam buit )aja )aja 1erumpai in the name of )aja )aja &hoanand 6)ajendra &hoa 1erumpai7 in the name of )ajendra &hoa in1090 ! D. T his budha vihar aso caed 4udamani vihar-.</cavations were conducted by the !rchaeoogica department at ,eipaayam in Nagappattinam and more than 000. .udha statues were unearthed and *ept at the #useum in &hennai. This diapidated .udist tower was ra=ed down ;00years ago. Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, INDIA- The District's Official Site http://www.nagapattinam.tn.nic.in/histr!.html " f " #/$/%&"% "":'( )*