# Tirunelveli

> city in Tamil Nadu, South India

**Wikidata**: [Q213248](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213248)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirunelveli)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tirunelveli

## Summary

Tirunelveli is a historic city in Tamil Nadu, South India, serving as the administrative headquarters of the Tirunelveli district. Located at coordinates 8.7288888888889°N, 77.708055555556°E with an elevation of 47 metres above sea level, the city covers an area of 189.9 square kilometres and had a population of 411,298 as of 2001. The city is governed by the Tirunelveli city Municipal Corporation and is known by multiple names including Nellai, Tinnevelly, and Thirunelveli, with official names in both English (Tirunelveli) and Tamil (திருநெல்வேலி).

## Key Facts

- **Classification**: City, large human settlement
- **Location**: Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, South India
- **Geographic Coordinates**: Latitude 8.7288888888889, Longitude 77.708055555556
- **Area**: 189.9 square kilometres
- **Elevation**: 47 metres above sea level
- **Population**: 411,298 (as of 2001)
- **Country**: India
- **Administrative Status**: Capital of Tirunelveli district
- **Local Government**: Tirunelveli city Municipal Corporation
- **Timezone**: UTC+05:30
- **Postal Code**: 627001
- **Local Dialing Code**: 462
- **Official Languages**: English (Tirunelveli), Tamil (திருநெல்வேலி)
- **Native Label**: Tirunelveli (English), திருநெல்வேலி (Tamil)
- **Website**: http://tirunelvelicorp.tn.gov.in/
- **Aliases**: Nellai, Tinnevelly, Tinnevelli, Tirunelvēli, Thirunelveli, تيرونيلفلي

**Identifiers**:
- WOEID: 2295370
- GND ID: 4119626-0
- VIAF ID: 132593272
- Freebase ID: /m/048hhs
- GeoNames ID: 1254361
- OpenStreetMap Node ID: 245581857
- Library of Congress Authority ID: n85207607
- Yale LUX ID: place/c01c534d-02f5-4b3e-ae0d-be1c4f3d2918
- GNS Unique Feature ID: -2113255

**Wikipedia Presence**: 52 sitelinks across 48 language versions including English, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and others

## FAQs

**What is Tirunelveli known for historically?**
Tirunelveli is a historic city in southern Tamil Nadu that has served as an important administrative and cultural centre in the region for centuries, functioning as the capital of the Tirunelveli district.

**What is the geography and climate of Tirunelveli?**
The city sits at an elevation of 47 metres above sea level at coordinates 8.73°N latitude and 77.71°E longitude, covering 189.9 km² in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

**What is the population and administration of Tirunelveli?**
With a population of 411,298 as recorded in 2001, Tirunelveli is governed by the Tirunelveli city Municipal Corporation and serves as the administrative headquarters of Tirunelveli district.

**How do I contact Tirunelveli?**
The city's postal code is 627001 and the local dialing code is 462. The official municipal corporation website is http://tirunelvelicorp.tn.gov.in/.

**What languages are spoken in Tirunelveli?**
While the primary language is Tamil (திருநெல்வேலி), the city has a significant presence across multiple language versions of Wikipedia, indicating diverse linguistic communities.

**What are the alternative names for Tirunelveli?**
The city is also known as Nellai, Tinnevelly, Tinnevelli, Tirunelvēli, Thirunelveli, and تيرونيلفلي (in Arabic script).

## Why It Matters

Tirunelveli serves as a vital administrative, economic, and cultural hub in southern Tamil Nadu, functioning as the district headquarters for a region that encompasses both urban and rural populations. The city's strategic location at coordinates 8.73°N, 77.71°E places it in the heart of the Tamiz Nadu region, making it a crucial centre for governance, commerce, and transportation in the southern part of the state. With a municipal corporation dedicated to civic administration and a population exceeding 400,000, the city plays a significant role in regional development planning and public service delivery.

The historical significance of Tirunelveli is evidenced by its extensive documentation across multiple encyclopedic sources, including mentions in The Nuttall Encyclopædia, Meyer's Konversations-Lexikon (4th edition, 1885–1890), the Small Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, and the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition). This historical record demonstrates the city's long-standing importance as a notable settlement in South India, with documented recognition dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

From an infrastructure perspective, the city's postal code system (627001), local dialing code (462), and timezone (UTC+05:30) integrate it into broader national and international networks. The presence of multiple identifier systems—from GeoNames to OpenStreetMap to library authority records—indicates that Tirunelveli is well-catalogued in global geographic and administrative databases, facilitating research, commerce, and digital connectivity.

## Notable For

- **District Capital**: Serves as the administrative headquarters of Tirunelveli district
- **Historical Documentation**: Featured in multiple historical encyclopedias including the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
- **Multilingual Presence**: Wikipedia articles in 48 different language versions
- **Geographic Significance**: Located at a strategic point in South India with coordinates precisely documented across multiple global mapping systems
- **Administrative Infrastructure**: Operates under a dedicated municipal corporation (Tirunelveli city Municipal Corporation)
- **Comprehensive Identifier Coverage**: Catalogued in numerous international databases including GeoNames, OpenStreetMap, VIAF, Freebase, GND, and Library of Congress systems

## Body

### Geography and Location

Tirunelveli is situated in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, specifically within the Tirunelveli district of which it serves as the administrative capital. The city occupies a geographic position at latitude 8.7288888888889° North and longitude 77.708055555556° East, placing it in the central-southern portion of the Indian subcontinent. The municipality covers an area of 187.4 square kilometres, with an elevation of 47 metres above sea level, characterized by relatively flat terrain typical of the region.

The city's position within Tamil Nadu places it in close proximity to other significant urban centres in the southern peninsula, though the specific distances to neighbouring cities would require additional source material. The regional geography features a mix of urban development and agricultural lands, typical of district headquarters cities in South India.

### Administration and Governance

The city operates under the administration of the Tirunelveli city Municipal Corporation, which handles civic infrastructure, public services, and local governance matters. As the district capital, Tirunelveli houses various district-level government offices, courts, and administrative institutions that serve the surrounding region.

The administrative structure includes the municipal corporation as the primary local self-government body, overseeing urban planning, water supply, sewage, road maintenance, and other municipal functions. The city's status as a district headquarters means it serves as the focal point for administrative services for the entire Tirunelveli district.

### Demographics and Population

According to the available data, Tirunelveli had a recorded population of 411,298 as of 2001. This figure represents a significant urban centre in southern Tamil Nadu, though more recent census data would be needed to understand current population dynamics. The population figure places Tirunelveli among the larger cities in the region, supporting the diverse commercial, educational, and administrative functions the city provides.

### Communication and Connectivity

For postal services, Tirunelveli uses the postal code 627001, which facilitates mail distribution throughout the city and its surrounding areas. Telecommunications connectivity is maintained through the local dialing code 462, which connects the city to the broader Indian telephone network. The city operates on Indian Standard Time (UTC+05:30), consistent with the national timezone.

The official website of the municipal corporation (http://tirunelvelicorp.tn.gov.in/) provides digital access to civic information and services, reflecting modern e-governance initiatives.

### Cultural and Historical Significance

Tirunelveli's historical importance is evidenced by its extensive documentation in encyclopedic literature. The city appears in The Nuttall Encyclopædia under the spelling "Tinnevelli," demonstrating its recognition in late 19th and early 20th century reference works. Similarly, Meyer's Konversations-Lexikon (4th edition, 1885–1890) and the Small Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary include entries about the city, indicating its significance during the colonial period.

The Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition) featured a comprehensive entry titled "Tinnevelly" in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, further cementing the city's historical prominence. This historical documentation spans multiple languages and reference traditions, from German encyclopedias to Russian encyclopedic dictionaries, demonstrating the city's recognition beyond regional boundaries.

### Naming and Aliases

Tirunelveli is known by multiple names and spellings across different languages and historical periods. The primary English name "Tirunelveli" derives from Tamil, with the Tamil script representation being "திருநெல்வேலி." Alternative English spellings include Tinnevelly, Tinnevelli, Tirunelvēli, and Thirunelveli. The city is also known by the shorter form "Nellai" in colloquial usage. In Arabic script, the name appears as "تيرونيلفلي," reflecting the presence of Urdu-speaking populations in the region.

These multiple names and spellings appear across various database entries and encyclopedic sources, with the native label and official name consistently recorded in both English and Tamil script in the source material.

### International Identification Systems

Tirunelveli is catalogued in numerous international identification systems, reflecting its integration into global geographic, administrative, and knowledge databases:

The Where On Earth Identifier (WOEID) 2295370 assigns the city a unique ID in Yahoo's geographic database. The GeoNames ID 1254361 provides identification in the GeoNames geographic database. The OpenStreetMap Node ID 245581857 places the city on the collaborative mapping platform. The Freebase ID /m/048hhs identifies it in Google's structured knowledge base. The VIAF ID 132593272 connects to the Virtual International Authority File for library cataloguing. The GND ID 4119626-0 (Gemeinsame Normdatei) provides German national library identification. The Library of Congress Authority ID n85207607 assigns U.S. library cataloguing identification. The Yale LUX ID place/c01c534d-02f5-4b3e-ae0d-be1c4f3d2918 identifies the city in Yale University's LUX semantic web project. The World Historical Gazetteer Place ID 12345879 provides historical geographic identification. The GNS Unique Feature ID -211205 assigns identification in the GEONAMES system. The Bibliothèque nationale de France ID 16128000h provides French national library identification. The National Library of Israel J9U ID 987007560054705171 provides Israeli library identification.

### Digital Presence

Tirunelveli maintains a significant presence across Wikipedia in multiple languages, with 52 sitelinks total covering 48 language versions. These include major world languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic) as well as Indian languages (Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Sanskrit). The Wikipedia title is consistently "Tirunelveli" across these language versions.

The city has a dedicated Wikimedia Commons gallery (Category:Tirunelveli) and a topic main category (Category:Tirunelveli), with the primary image file being Nellaiappar2.jpg. The sitelink count of 252 mentioned in the class description indicates substantial cross-wikipedia coverage.

The Encyclopædia Britannica online entry (place/Tirunelveli) provides modern encyclopedic coverage, while the Quora topic "Tirunelveli-Tamil-Nadu-India" indicates presence in contemporary social knowledge platforms.

### Related Entities and Administrative Context

As the capital of Tirunelveli district, the city maintains a direct relationship with its parent district administrative unit. The district encompasses both urban and rural areas, with Tirunelveli serving as the primary urban centre and administrative hub. This relationship places the city at the centre of district-level governance, economic activity, and social services.

The city exists within the broader administrative structure of India (country), specifically within the state of Tamil Nadu. This hierarchical relationship—city within district within state within nation—defines the administrative context in which the city operates.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. BnF authorities
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. Czech National Authority Database
5. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
6. GeoNames
7. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File