Pandyan Dynasty
Kavalkinaru is a village panchayat in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. It is located 24 km (15 Miles) from Nagercoil, 69 km (43 Miles) from Tirunelveli, and 99 km from Trivandrum International Airport. The nearest port, Tuticorin Port Trust, (also known as V.O.Chidambaram Port), is 111 km from Kavalkinaru. The history of the town can be traced back to the early 17th century (around 1698 A.D), when the region was predominantly ruled by the Pandyan Dynasty. The town, once dependent on agriculture, livestock, stone mining, flower cultivation and the processing of Borassus (Palmyra Tree – பனை மரம்), is now embracing new technologies and professions. The high tunneling-effect of the Western Ghats has enabled this region to be a major Wind Power generation area for India, with thousands of windmills. There are also the test facilities for ISRO Propulsion Complex, a part of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on the lower slopes of the Mahendragiri mountain near Kavalkinaru.