landmark
Pondicherry (Puducherry)
A former French colony with pastel-colored colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards, and a serene seaside promenade along the Bay of Bengal.
50 km · about 60 min drive
AsiaIndiaTamil Nadu
Parangipettai
Tamil Nadu, India · Asia
About Parangipettai
Parangipettai sits on the route: 10 minutes from Killai, 50km from Pondicherry (Puducherry).
Parangipettai is in Tamil Nadu, India, with about 26,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Killai, about 5 km away.
Parangipettai ( Pa-re-gi-Pe-Tie, Tamil: [pɐɾɐŋɡipːeːʈɐi̯]), historically called Porto Novo ("New Port" in Portuguese), is a coastal panchayat town in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Parangipettai is located on the north bank of the mouth of the Vellar River at a distance of 30 km from Cuddalore.Read more
From the state capital city of Chennai, Parangipettai can be reached through the National Highway NH32 stretch between Cuddalore and Chidambaram.
Its strategic location on the Coromandel Coast has long made it a major trading center. In particular, it was an important trading destination for the Arabs, especially the Yemenis. During the colonial era, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Swedes and the English successively colonized the area.
There is also a Gandhian connection to Parangipettai. Anne Marie Petersen became in 1909 a missionary in the so-called Loventhal Mission. The foundation stone was laid by Mahatma Gandhi himself in 1921, and a few years later, the school was officially opened under the name Seva Mandir at a place called Porto Novo, near Chidambaram, in Tamil Nadu, South India.
Today, Parangipettai has evolved into a well-developed town with nearly all necessities such as healthcare, education and transport. It also hosts a marine biology station that is affiliated with the Annamalai University.
The town is an important pilgrimage center for Muslims and Hindus.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Parangipettai?
Within an hour or so of Parangipettai: Pondicherry (Puducherry) (50 km).
Where is Parangipettai?
Parangipettai is in Tamil Nadu, India, about 5 km from Killai.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 25,541
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- India
- Region
- Tamil Nadu
- Timezone
- Asia/Kolkata
- Coordinates
- 11.4912, 79.7605
Tags
Worth the detour from Parangipettai
1 notable place within an hour's drive.
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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