Agastheeswaram is a panchayat town in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Along with the talukas of Thovalay, Kalculam, Eraneel and Velavancode, Agasteeswaram was a part of the southern division (aka Padmanabhapuram division) of the erstwhile Kingdom of Travancore[1] until its union with Cochin in 1949 and continued to be a part of the state of Travancore- Cochin until November 1, 1956.

The Travancore state manual says "This is also the headquarters of the Shanar tribe, where their Nadan or chieftain resides, who was formerly allowed the privileges of having a fort, of riding in a palanquin and of retaining a hundred armed attendants."

Ref: The Travancore state manual, Volume 2 Page 57 One of the principal devil temples in Travancore is that represented in the annexed engraving situated at Agastispuram, near cape comorin ; which is also the headquarters of the Shanar tribe where their Nadan, or Chieftain, resides, who was formerly allowed the privileges of having a fort, riding in a palankeen, and retaining 100 armed attendants, which he is too reduced to support now .

Ref: 1871 Samuel mateer-The Land of Charity- page 219 Kottaram is one of the Panchayat town in the Agastheeswaram Taluk.