Neerody

Neerody
—  village  —
Coordinates
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District(s)	Kanyakumari
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Codes • Vehicle • TN-

Neerody is a village located at the southern-most coastal tip of the Tamil Nadu state of India. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea, and the A.V.M. Canal. A road cuts the village into two. The principal language spoken in Neerody is Malayalam.

Historical background

Historically, Neerody formed a part of the Travancore princely state. In 1956 the States Reorganisation Act of November 1, 1956 created the state of Kerala, incorporating Malabar District, Travancore-Cochin, and the taluk of Kasargod, South Kanara. The official language of Kerala is Malayalam. However, due to its geographic location, Neerody was incorporated into the Tamil speaking state of Tamil Nadu. Currently, nearly half of the young people still are educated in Malayalam.

Neerody is 100% Christian. Christianity in Neerody probably dates from the arrival of Portuguese missionaries in India, but may have been introduced earlier. Additionally, due to pioneer missionary St. Francis Xavier, Christianity spread far and wide in southern India so that by the close of the sixteenth century, Christian communities were well-established all along the Indian coast.

Now Neerody is part of Kollemcode panchayat

Economy

Approximately, 95% of the population of Neerody is involved in the fishing trade. The remaining 5% are of the educated or salaried class. However, the entire community depends on the sea.

Neerody fishermen are known for their migratory fishing patterns. These fishermen are experts of seasonal fishing and often travel hundreds of miles in search of fish stocks. During the Ani-Adi season (between June and August), they flock to the sea port of Vizhinjam. During other seasons, they travel to the post cities of Mangalapuram, Pallikara, Neendakara, Katpadi, Kaapu, and Ejamadi. Though the fishermen of Neerody are skillful, nearly all the families are of lower class income.

Education

Neerody has one secondary school and two nursery schools. However, 30% of the students never complete the equivalent of the eighth grade. From an early age, children are expected they assist the family in the fishing trade.

External links

• Neerody.com
• Neerudy.5u.com