Nagercoil (, , lit. "Temple of the Nagas") is a town in the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu and a municipality and administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District. The city is situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, locked with the Western Ghats on all sides. It was a part of Kerala, the erstwhile Travancore state, till almost a decade after India's Independence from Britain in 1947. In 1956, it was merged with Tamil Nadu. In its earlier days, the town and its surroundings were known as Nanjilnadu. Nagercoil holds a number of educational institutions, hospitals, offices and industries. It is also the hub of industrial and commercial activity in the district, and a fertile agricultural area that produces paddy. The minerals ilmenite and monazite are mined there. The land is surrounded by hills and lush green paddy fields. It is also known for different varieties of bananas. Nagercoil is a land of great traditional and cultural significance.