Kovalam - From VeeraChozhappattinam to a Fishing village

The history of Kovalam is a microcosm of the history of this region. Having faced repeated invasions and human interventions, physical evidences of its ancient past remain veiled as of now.

Information from Inscriptions

Interestingly, we find early information about Kovalam at Thiruvidanthai!

On the South wall of the central shrine of Thiruvidanthai Varaha Perumal Temple, is an inscription belonging to the era of VeeraRajendra Chola (1063 – 1070 CE).

It mentions that the standard measure adopted in paddy calculations of this temple, was the one used at Komalam as Kovalam was then called.  

In the time of VeeraRajendra Chola I, Kovalam acquired the name - VeeraCholaPattinam. 

Incidentally, the name Veerapattinam in ancient times, indicated a trading port protected by the armed forces.  

Kailasathanar Temple Inscriptions from the Chola Era

The Kailasathanar Temple and it's குளம்.

1.    Sanctum – There is an inscription at the base of the moolavar Shivalingam - ஶ்ரீசாத்தெருமான் மூர்த்திப்பேர், in the scripts of the 8^th – 9^th centuries. சாத்து  was known to be the name of a Trade body in the Chola Era

2.   Kailasathanar Temple wall ARIE No 10 / 1934-35

It registers the grant of a portion of the cess due on arecanuts, tamarind and other commodities by Pattanasvami Karpulukku Nalla Settiyar son of Nallunaar Pattanasvami Nachchamma Settiyar for worship and offerings in the temple of Kailasanathar at Kovalam Pattanam, which was under the jurisdiction of Obaachchi Amman. It is dated to the 16^th century.

Incidentally, the title Pattanasvami refers to the title given to the leader of the trade body.

3.   Kailasathanar Temple Wall -ARIE No 11 / 1934-35

A fragment on the South wall of the platform at the entrance of the temple. States that the image of Dakshinamurthy was installed in the temple by Marundan Thiruvagattissuramu… a merchant of Thirunaavalur.

Some scholars seem to think there was a port called Saptasamudram at Kovalam . But there seems no unanimous agreement over it.

The Great Chengalpattu Survey 1767 -1774

When this region came under the British rule, they instituted a detailed survey of the territory. Data was compiled in detail from the Palm leaf manuscripts during the years 1767 - 1774 from the towns, ports and every village.  These records give us quite a glimpse of the past as it then was.

The schedule of goods that entered and left the port of Kovalam in the 1700s on which customs duties etc were levied includes -

 Textiles, Palm Jaggery, Coconuts, Butter, Ghee, Onions, Tamarind, Salted Fish, Betel Leaves, Toddy and so on. 

From the records available from 1762 -1766, it is estimated that 400 tonnes of Paddy was traded per year.  This gives a fair idea of the scale of agricultural production and commerce that was done here.

There were 45 acres of Salt Pans in Kovalam and another 45 acres at Semmencheri. 

There were 194 households of which 59 were traders, and 14 were goldsmiths and shroffs who probably provided money- changing and other financial services. There were 36 households of Fishermen who also ran boats between the shore and the ships anchored.

The traders, goldsmiths and others had to leave Kovalam in later decades, but the Goddesses they continued to worship have kept the memories alive.

Kovalam Salt with a larger grain was said to be the best in the region. Proximity of the salt pans to the port saved on the transportation costs.

All the salt from Kovalam seemed to have been exported to Bengal.

The logistics of arranging food for the troops from a region that the British were trying to overpower into submission was also a factor. Therefore, ships full of salt from Kovalam were sent to Bengal from where food grains were brought back to feed the British garrison in this region.

“ Many a time, instructions were issued to the salt manager at Kovalam to load only those ships with salt, that showed proof of having brought grains to Madras.”

A large part of India, without access to the sea, had very little natural salt. A high levy on salt was a source of profits for the British East India Company.

Therefore, the British administration seemed to find the business of running a monopoly on the manufacture and selling of salt to be very lucrative than from revenues from other activities at Kovalam.

Salt for export was stored on a platform on the beach at Covelong and a depot for inland sales at the opposite side of the canal.

The manufacture of salt became a monopoly of the East India Company under Regulation I of 1805.

Incidentally, Indians started smuggling salt from the coastal regions to avoid the high taxes.

A series of customs houses came to be established in Bengal in 1803 to prevent the smuggling. These customs houses continued to be established when more territories were brought under the British control. From Punjab to Orissa, thick hedges up to 12 feet were grown.

Customs officers and other men patrolled the line and they had more than 14000 staff in 1872. The line and hedge were abandoned in 1879, when the British conquered Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan and applied tax at the point of manufacture.

Meanwhile, salt became the only commodity handled at the ports of Kovalam and Sadras, the other important port of the region in that era. The Collector of Chengalpattu in his report of 1835, had reported that apart the export of salt to Bengal, there were no other exports or imports by sea from these ports in his district.

With a general decline in other trade and activities, most traders, artisans, and other service professionals left the town. In time, the export of salt came down and the great trading centre and port that Kovalam once was, transformed into what it is today.

Conversation with residents interestingly reveal,  decades ago when this area was thinly populated and  roads weren't fine, many people preferred taking a boat at Kovalam to reach Thirupporur and other places along the coast. 

That could be a great option to ease the traffic congestion even today!

Robert Clive and Kovalam

Capture of Kovalam and Chengalpattu firmly established Clive as a leader and military strategist.

The East India Company had multiple dealings with the local powers of the time,and were under pressure to mount an attack on ‘ Covelong’ as it was then called by them.

With Trained troops having been deployed elsewhere, according to British sources, about 200 European recruits just landed in Madras, who are represented as ones from  jails of London, and 500 newly raised sepoys headed to Kovalam on 15th September 1752.

Clive, though in a state of impaired health volunteered to accept this command and marched to  Kovalam, which had a square Fort with the French, had no moat / ditch but mounted 30 pieces of cannon and was defended by 50 Europeans and 300 sepoys.

The fire of the enemy  had disconcerted ill- trained  British army when a shot killed and wounded 14 and they did not dare to venture forward and some were found concealed in the bottom of a well.

Clive, leading by the front, exposing himself to the hottest of the enemy’s fire won their confidence which ended with the surrender of the fort.  It cemented Clive's reputation after his exploits at Arcot.

A private establishment is said to be functioning at the site of this action. 

Quaint temples of Kovalam have now seen transformation. A city need not be caught in a time warp. But it should preserve something that once made it vibrant and colourful.

References 

ASI Reports

The Chengalpattu Survey – Centre for Policy Studies

The Life of Lord Clive – by Sir George Forrest.