Nagercoil, city in southeastern India, in Tamil Nadu state. Nagercoil occupies a picturesque location between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It is close to Cape Comorin on the southern tip of India, where the Arabian Sea meets the southern portion of the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Nagercoil is the industrial and commercial center of a fertile agricultural area that produces cotton and rice. It is the seat of university colleges affiliated with Madurai-Kamaraj University (founded in 1966). There are many temples and churches of various religions in Nagercoil. The city's Kottar district is home to a Saiva temple dedicated to a serpent god. This temple gave Nagercoil its name, which means “snake temple.” Population (1991) 190,084.
