Cuddalore

State

Renowned for its picturesque beaches and pilgrimage spots, Cuddalore literally means Sea Town in Tamil. It is a large industrial city and headquarters of the Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu.

Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarters of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population. However, one industrial pocket -SIPCOT - has also secured it a place in the dubious club of global toxic hotspots owing to the area's high levels of pollution.[1] Cuddalore is known for its picturesque beaches, particularly Silver Beach, and, until the problems associated with its industrial development became known, had some ambitions of becoming an emerging tourism hub.

Cuddalore is the place of confluence of three rivers namely Pennaiyar River, Kedilam and Paravanar.

Earlier the name Cuddalore spelt as Koodalur (means: confluence in Tamil). It is the place of Confluence of three rivers namely Pennaiyar River, Kedilam and Paravanar. Since the British regime, it has been called Cuddalore (like Tiruvallikeni in Chennai being called Triplicane).

Cuddalore is a fast growing and large industrial city, located south of the union territory of Pondicherry (Puducherry) on Bay of Bengal. The word Cuddalore means "Sea Town". Cuddalore is known for its picturesque beaches, particularly Silver Beach, and is an emerging tourism hub.
Many famous people like popular writers of Tamil literature Jayakanthan and Pudhumaipithan, were born in Cuddalore. Jothi Ramalinga Swamigal, also familiarly known as Vallalar was born in a village near Cuddalore. There are many other famous people from Cuddalore district namely Krish Srikanth (Indian Captain and Cricket Commentator), V.Vaithilingam (born in Cuddalore), was a Chief Minister of Pondicherry, Shri Kannayan Ramalingam, Chairman of Airport Authority of India (AAI) etc.
The famous Nataraja temple at Chidambaram is in Cuddalore district. The district is known for its beautiful beaches and it is therefore an emerging tourist destination. Fort St. David is another important tourist attraction in Cuddalore.
India’s energy bridge to the 21-century, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, is in Cuddalore district. The Mangrove Forest 'Pitchavaram', is another tourist spot which attracts tourists.

History

The ruins of Fort St David stand witness to the history of Cuddalore. As a small fort built by a Hindu merchant, it occupied by the Marathas after the capture of Gingi by Shivaji in 1677. The British purchased it from them in 1690, which also included the adjacent towns and villages that would fall within the range of a random shot of a piece of ordnance. A great gun was fired to different points of the compass and all places within its range, including Cuddalore, came under the possession of the British. The villages thus obtained are still termed as Cannon Ball Villages.

Accessibility

Air: The nearest airport is at Chennai.

Rail: The closest railhead is the Chennai Railway Station.

Road: Cuddalore is well-connected by National Highway 45A (Villupuram-Pondicherry-Cuddalore-Chidambaram-Nagapattinam Highway).

Accommodation

Enjoy a comfortable stay while on a Tour to Cuddalore at the hotels in Cuddalore, offering a remarkable blend of tradition and modernity.

Some of the major hotels in Cuddalore are Arcot Woodlands hotel, Hotel Durai, Hotel Saravanaa, Hotel Suriyapriya, etc.

District
Cuddalore
STD Code
04142
Termperature
Summer 23-40°C, Winter 13-30°C
Best time to visit
October to March
Famous For
known for its picturesque beaches