CHAPTER-II

AREA PROFILE
COLACHEL

Colachel is a coastal town in the far south of India, located within the administrative
jurisdiction of Kanyakumari District. It is a natural harbor on the Malabar Coast, located 20 km
north-west of Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), the southernmost tip of India. As of 2011 the
municipality had a population of 23,227 and a metropolitan population of 47,007.

2.1 HISTORY

Colachel is an ancient port town, that Vasco da Gama called ‘Colachi’. Before the State
re-organization in 1956, it was part of the Travancore State. After the defeat of the Dutch by
King Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma in 1741, a victory pillar had been erected near the
beach in commemoration of the victory. The town is bounded on the south by Arabian Sea. It has
Pampoori Vaikal in its Western side. Nagercoil the headquarters of Kanyakumari District is
20 km away from this town in the North East Direction.

2.2 BATTLE OF COLACHEL

Colachel was the location of the battle between the Travancore (Anglicised form
of Thiruvithaamkoor) King Marthanda Varma (1729–1758) forces led by Anantha Padmanaban
Nadar and the Dutch East India Company forces led by Admiral Eustachius De Lannoy on 10
August 1741. It was the first time in Indian history that an Asian country defeated a European
naval force. The Dutch marines landed in Colachel with artillery and captured the land up
to Padmanabhapuram, then the capital of Travancore. The arrival of Marthanda Varma from the
north forced the Dutch to take up defensive positions in Colachel, where they were attacked and
defeated by the Travancore forces. Twenty-eight high level Dutch officers, including Admiral
D'lennoy, were captured. The defeat of the Dutch in Colachael was the turning point of
the Travancore-Dutch War. D'lennoy went on to serve the Travancore kingdom for the next two
decades and was promoted to the post of the Valiya kappithan (Senior Admiral) of the
Travancore forces. He modernised the Travancore army, and built the Nedumkottai, a line of
fortifications in the north of the kingdom, which held up the army of Tipu Sultan in 1791, during
his ill-fated invasion of Travancore. D'lennoy is buried in the Udayagiri Fort, also known
as Dillanai kottai (D'lennoy's fort) which is located 7 kilometres north of Padmanabhapuram
(about 14 kilometres from Nagercoil).

2.3 COLACHEL PILLER

Colachel is currently in the Kanya Kumari District of the Tamil Nadu State of India, and is an
important port on the west coast of that state. The Travancore Army completely exterminated the
superior and better equipped Dutch Forces which landed at Colachal in July 1741 during the
reign of the Travancore King, Sree Padmanabhadasa Maharajah Sree Anizham Thirunal Veera
Bala Marthanda Varma Kulasekharaperumal. In the battle of Colachal, Capt. Eustace De
Lannoy, the Dutch Naval Forces Commander, was captured. In order to commemorate this
victory of the Travancore Army over the Dutch at Colachel, the Travancore Government
installed the Colachel Pillar at the very spot where the Dutch had capitulated to the King of
Travancore. The Colachel Pillar stands 17 feet high and has a radius of four feet. It has conch at
the top of the pillar and on its base the following words are inscribed "In memory of the fallen
brethren during the battle."

2.4. ROADS

The town is well connected to all parts of the state by road. Nagercoil, the district
headquarters of Kanyakumari is situated 22 km from Colachel in the north-east direction.
Frequent bus services from Colachel are available to the various places of the district.

2.5 RAILWAYS

The broad gauge rail link between Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari passes at a

distance of 8 km from Colachel town. The nearest railway station is at Eraniel.

2.6 AIRWAYS

The nearest Air Terminal to the town is Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala,
which is located 65 km away in the northwest direction.

2.7 GEOGRAPHY

The town is located on the western coastal side of Kanyakumari District and falls in the
coordinates of 8.15°N 77.14°E.[2] The average elevation of the town is 25 meters (82 ft) above
Mean Sea Level (MSL). Town is mostly characterized by a flat terrain with a few areas in the
northwest region having elevation difference with other parts of the town. Generally the town is
sloped gently from North to south direction and also sloping in a radial direction towards centre
portion of the town from east and west directions.

2.8 PLACE OF INTEREST

This small coastal town is near to the route from Thiruvananthapuram to Kanyakumari on

National Highway 47 in present-day state of Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district in India. It is
situated very close to Mahendragiri, where the Indian Space Research
Organisation's rocket testing facility is located. Efforts are being made by the port advisory
committee for the construction of a ship yard and for the development of a natural harbour at
Colachel. Colachel beach is a local tourist attraction. People often visit to see the Basilica of Our
Lady of Presentation and prayer hall at Colachel. In and around Colachel, there are many
Catholic churches such as St. Joseph's Church, Kalimar St. Antony's Church, bishop leon's nagar
our lady of perpetual help church and catholic chapels such as maramadi st.antony's chapel,
christ the king chapel are among them. The sea shore in colachel is visited by the nearby
residents frequently to experience the cold weather. Other places of attraction near Colachel
include Padmanabhapuram palace and Pechupparai dam. One of the most important Hindu
shrines is the Mandaikkadu Bhagwathi Temple at Mandaikkadu. An annual Pongala is held at
the Temple which attracts scores of devotees. There is a very ancient church, locally known
as Thomayar koil at Thiruvithamcode on the way to Azhakiyamandapam claiming its ancestry to
63 AD and believed to be consecrated by none other than St.Thomas, the apostle of Jesus. This
was recently declared as an International Pilgrim Centre (Arappally) of the Syrian Christians of
Kerala, the neighboring State. The lifelike image of Devi with a smiling face is a combination of
innocence, purity and beauty. Smeared with sandal paste, decked with different varieties of
valuable ornaments and decorated with beautiful garlands of flowers. She creates a sense of
devotion and "peace that pass the understanding" in the mind of every worshipper. There is one
version that Adi Sankara composed Soundaryalahari after seeing the sunrise, sunset and moon
rise on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Chithrai at Kanyakumari praising the virgin
Goddess.The beauty of Devi Kanyakumari reflects in the opening lines of his divine work. On
the golden sands of Kanyakumari stand the shrines of Adi Sankara with his disciples, Swami
Vivekananda in meditative mood and Gandhi Smarak Mandir in Oryan style. The reputed
Vivekananda Rock Memorial on the sea-girl rock is a "visible symbol of invisible strength,
invisible faith and burning devotion that Swami Vivekananda personified". Near Gandhi Smarak
Mandir stands a memorial to our beloved leader Karmaveerar Kamaraj. The off shore 133 feet
tall statue of Thiruvalluvar at Kanyakumari is a notable landmark of Tamil Nadu tourism places.

2.9. COLACHEL MUNICIPALITY

Colachel was formed as Grade III Municipality in the year 1920, is one of the oldest
municipalities formulated, under Travancore Kingdom. The Municipality consists, Colachel as
its only revenue village within its jurisdiction and in its LPA. The Municipality of Colachel
consists of 24 wards and the elected representatives from each ward constitute the council.
Colachel Municipality consists of five functional departments. Each department consists of Head
who reports to the Municipal Commissioner and functions as per the responsibilities prescribed
in the Act and as delegated by the Commissioner. Mr. Nasir is the elected chairman of Colachal
municipality. Names of some of the previous chairmen are Mr. Jasiah, Mr. M.A.James, Mr.
Ismail, Mr. Neelaraj etc. The chronological order of the activities in formulation of the urban
local body and its up gradation are listed below:

 Constituted as Grade III Municipality in 1920

 Colachel Local Planning Area was declared in G.O Ms. No. 654 RD & LA dated
16.03.1974 which contains Colachel Municipal limits only. Colachel Local Authority
was declared as Colachel Local Planning Authority (LPA) in G.O. Ms. No. 650 RDLA
dated 08.04.1975

 Colachel Town was declared as a ‘heritage town’ as per G.O. Ms. No. 191 MA&WS
department dated 18.07.1994.

 Upgraded as Second Grade Municipality with effect from 1998 vide the MAWS
Department Government Order No.85 dated 22-08-1998.

2.10 EDUCATION
 Most of the people are educated. There are two higher secondary schools (St.Mary's and
V.K.P. higher secondary schools), one high school (Govt. High School) Ellapavilai, a primary
school (St. Mary's Primary School in Colachel beach) and many primary, (Government Middle
School colachel) middle schools in this town. There are many matriculation schools also in
Colachel. From that Joseph's Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Sastankarai, St. Mary's
Matriculation school in Simon colony, St. Joseph's Matriculation school in Velliakulam, Orient
Matriculation school in Kamarajar salai and St. Anne's Matriculation School, which is run by the
St. Anne's Education and Charitable Trust. There is some nursery schools which were managed
and run by the state government of Tamil Nadu are situated in Maramdi Street. For higher
education few engineering, arts and science colleges are also available in its proximity. V.K.P
higher secondary school is one of the old and traditional educational institution founded by V.
Krishna Pillai located at the entrance of Colachel town in the state highway
of Nagercoil to Marthandam. Carmel Jyothi Matriculation School  is run by the C.M.C sisters of
Chavara Region, Thuckalay.