Forgotten Porto Novo in Tamilnadu, now called Parangipettai

(Posted Saturday January 08, 2005)


was it Portuguese, as it sounds to be?>

I asked Mr. Google about Porto Novo and got several hits about Porto Novo, capital of Benin, old Dahomey. Tucked among them were the following links, which give you a lot of info about Porto Novo on the Coromandel Coast. As the second link tells us, it is now the coastal fishing village of Parangipettai. I can construe this name as follows: Hindi/Marathi (and perhaps other languages too) have 'Firangee' which is a derivation of 'Frank'. This word was used to describe not only the French but all Europeans. 'Parangi' in Parangipettai is the same as Hindi/Marathi'firangi'. It would also interest you to know that well-tempered swords in the 16th/17th centuries had started coming into India from Europe and therefore 'firang' became another synonym for 'sword'.
 
http://www.hms-yarmouth.com/porto_novo_1759.htm
http://www.chennaibest.com/discoverchennai/sightseeing/heritage03.asp


(Quote) 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).
Accommodation: Nearest accommodation available at Chidambaram.
Local buses ply from Chidambaram.
Notes: Local buses are erratic, and places of interest are almos tinaccesible. Suggest you trek it out.(Unquote)