Tirunelveli

Tirunelveli Nellai (shortened) Tinnevely (colonial)
Metropolis
Clockwise from Top Left : Swami Nellaiappar Temple, Tirunelveli Junction Railway Station, Thiruvalluvar Bridge – Aerial view, Town Arch, Speaker Chellapandian Flyover near Vannarapettai at night, Tirunelveli City Skyline, Older side of Sulochana Mudaliar Bridge at night across river Thamirabharani connecting Downtown Tirunelveli and Kokkirakulam, NH 44 cutting through the Reddiyarpatti Hillock, Thamirabarani River passing between Downtown Tirunelveli and Kokkirakulam, Tirunelveli City Municipal Corporation Building
Tirunelveli Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu Show map of Tamil Nadu Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 8°42′49″N 77°45′24″E / 8.71361°N 77.75667°E / 8.71361; 77.75667
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
Region	Pandya Nadu
District	Tirunelveli
Boroughs	Tirunelveli Town Palayamkottai Melapalayam Pettai Thachanallur
Government
• Type	Municipal Corporation
• Body	Tirunelveli City Municipal Corporation
Area
• Metropolis	189.9 km2 (73.3 sq mi)
• Rank	3
Elevation	73 m (240 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Metropolis	473,637
• Rank	8th in Tamil Nadu
• Density	2,500/km2 (6,500/sq mi)
• Metro	968,874
Demonym(s)	Tirunelvelian, Nellaikaran (Male) and Nellaikari (Female)
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Pin Codes	627001 627002 627003 627004 627005 627006 627007 627008 627009 627010 627011 627012 627051 627353 627357 627358
Telephone code	91 (0)462, (0)4633
Vehicle registration	TN 72
Website	https://tirunelveli.nic.in/

Tirunelveli (Tamil: [tiɾɯnelʋeːli] ^ⓘ), also known as Nellai and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirunelveli District. It is the fourth-largest municipal corporation in the state after Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai. Tirunelveli is located 624 km (388 mi) southwest of the state capital Chennai, 58 km (36 mi) away from Thoothukudi, and 73 km (45 mi) from Kanyakumari. The downtown is located on the west bank of the Thamirabarani River; its twin Palayamkottai is on the east bank. Tirunelveli and its neighbourhood, Palayamkottai, have been called the Oxford of South India for their colleges.^[2][3] It has several important government offices.

Tirunelveli is an ancient city, recorded to be more than two millennia old. It has been ruled at different times by the Early Pandyas, the Cheras, the Medieval Cholas and Later Cholas, the later Pandyas, the Vijayanagara Empire and the British. The Polygar War, involving Palaiyakkarars led by Veerapandiya Kattabomman and forces of the British East India Company, was waged on the city's outskirts from 1797 to 1801.

Tirunelveli is administered by the Municipal Corporation, established on 1 June 1994 by the Municipal Corporation Act. The city covers an area of 189.9 km² (73.3 sq mi), and holds a population of 473,637 in 2011. The total population after the inclusion of other municipalities is 968,984. Tirunelveli is well-connected by road and rail with the rest of Tamil Nadu and India. The nearest domestic airport is Thoothukudi Airport. The nearest international airports are Madurai International Airport and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The nearest seaport is Thoothukudi Port.

Industries in Tirunelveli include administrative services, agricultural trading, tourism, banking, agricultural machinery, information technology and educational services. The city is an educational hub of southern India, with institutions such as Anna University Regional Campus – Tirunelveli, Tirunelveli Medical College, The Tirunelveli Veterinary College and Research Institution, Tirunelveli Law College, the Government College of Engineering, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and much more.

Tirunelveli has a number of historical monuments, with the Nellaiappar Temple being the most prominent. The city is also renowned throughout the state for a sweet called 'Irutu kadai halwa'.