Kulasekarapattinam

Kulasekarapattinam (also spelled Kulasekharapatnam and Kulasekarapatnam) is a town in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, India. Historically, it was an important port on the Coromandel Coast, alongside Kaveripumpattinam (Poompuhar) and Arikamedu (near Pondicherry). It houses the currently under-construction SSLV Launch Complex, one of the two satellite launch centres in India (the other being Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota). After the construction work is completed, ISRO and private aerospace companies will launch satellites using multistage rockets such as the SSLV from Kulasekarapattinam.

From at least the 1st century CE, Kulasekarapatnam functioned as a trading hub for Pandya Dynasty. While Kollam served as a major port on the west coast, Kulasekarapatnam connected the Pandyas to Ceylon and the pearl fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar. It was part of a network of ancient coastal settlements that included Kodungallur in Kerala and Barugachha (Broach) in Gujarat.

During the colonial era, as Tuticorin emerged as a dominant port, the prominence of Kulasekarapatnam declined.

The town's name is derived from the Pandyan ruler Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I.

Kulasekarapatnam is home to the 300-year-old Mutharamman Temple and the Dharmasamvardhini Temple, which lies north of the village. The town is particularly known for its Dussehra celebrations.

During British rule, a sugar factory operated in the town. The British also introduced the Kulasekarapatnam Light Railway, which, as of 1933, had stations including Kulasekarapatnam Central, Kulasekarapatnam Port, and KPM Sugar Factory.

ISRO is developing a spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam, positioning it as a key location for India's space missions.