Kottar is a locality and a bazaar area of Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu state, in the southernmost part of Peninsular India ; though a part of Nagercoil today, it is the original town around which the city of Nagercoil grew. It was an ancient trade centre of both Pandyans and Cheras at various times. The ancient mercantile centre of Kottar was established on the banks of the Pahrali River (Pazhayar).
Robert Caldwell describes the extent of Malayalam in the mid 19th century as extending from the vicinity of Mangalore in the north where it supersedes with Tulu and Kannada to Kottar beyond Pahrali River near Kanyakumari in the south where it begins to supersede with the Tamil and from Malabar Coast in the west to Western Ghats in the east besides the inhabited islands of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea.
In the modern day, Kottar is the main commodities market area of Kanyakumari District. The main railway station of Nagercoil, the Nagercoil Junction is at Kottar. The only Government Ayurveda Medical College in Tamilnadu state is also at Kottar.
History
The history of Kottar stretches way back to the sangam period, Thirugnyana sambandhar, who lived in the 7th century A.D portrays about the natural beauty, business resources and the specialized art of Kottar in his ‘Thirukkottaaru Padhigam’, a part of ‘Dhevaaram’. He starts it with ‘Suchindrum Thalapuraanam’, which also mentions the Kottar name reason. In the literature "Pandi Kovai" of the 8th Century, it is mentioned that, Ninraseer Nedumaaran, a Pandian king who lived during the period of Thirugnyana Sambandhar invaded Kottar and conquered it. Thus he was called as ‘Kotaaru Azhitha Kon’.
Foreign Sources
The Roman naturalist and writer, Pliny the Elder (who lived in between 23 – 79 A.D.) mentions Kottar as a commercial metropolis, having trade links with his contemporaneous Roman merchants.
Doctor Galdwell, one of the most authoritative Indologists of modern time's mentions, that Ptolemy, a Greek mathematician, astronomer and geographer who lived in Alexandria about 130 A.D., referred Kottar as Kottora Metropolis. Thus, Kottar which is now a part of Nagercoil, was in its own right, a trading emporium even prior to the first century A.D.
Temple Inscriptions
An inscription with information on Kottar was first found in Kommandaiyamman temple located at Vadasery (also now a locality in Nagercoil). This inscription was carved during the 18th ruling year of Rajaraja chozhan, which was in the year of 1003 A.D. 15 of the 19 inscriptions found in Sozhapuram Sozharaja temple call this city's name as ‘Thiru Kotaaru’ and ‘Kottar’. These inscriptions were of the period of Rajendra chozhan, Kulothunga chozhan, Venaattu mannan, Veerakerala varman and Paraakirama pandiyan.
The inscription from Puravaseri Perumal temple of the 12th century A.D and from Pudhukkiramam Azhagiya Manavaala Perumal temple of the 14th century A.D also calls this city as Kottar. The 12th century inscription found from Thalapathysamuthiram Naaganaadha Swami temple located in the highways of Tirunelveli – Trivandrum highways remarks this highway as "Kotaaru peruvazhi". 4 of 7 inscriptions found in Vadiveeswaram Azhagamman temple also call this city as Kottar. From the inscriptions carved during the 15-16th century in this temple, we come to know that the place where this temple is built was called as Vadiveeswaram. The 14th century inscription found in Pudhukkiraamam Manavaala Perumal temple tells about Kottar and the Palace found there. The 16th century incarnations found in Parakkai and kariyamaanikka puram temples mentions this city as "Kotaaraana mummudi chozhapuram". In the 15th century the palm-leaf manuscript of Azhagiyapaandipuram mudhaliyaar points out this city as "Kotaaraana chozha keralapuram". A total of 12 incarnations were found in Nagaraja temple by the archeologists of Tamilnadu. In which one of the incarnations of 17th century mentions this city as Kottar.
Church Inscriptions & Christian Manuscripts
St. Francis Xavier, the great Roman Catholic missionary came to Kottar in 1544 A.D and started missionary work in the region keeping Kottar as his base. St. Francis Xavier built a small church at Kottar, which is today part of the St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar, Nagercoil. The church comes under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kottar, Nagercoil.
Roman Catholic martyr and Saint, Devasahayam Pillai, is interred at the St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar.