Parangipettai (/peɪɑːreɪaɪpiteɪaɪ/ ⓘ Pa-re-gi-Pe-Tie), historically called Porto Novo ("New Port" in Portuguese), is a coastal panchayat town in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

From the state capital city of Chennai, Parangipettai can be reached through the National Highway NH32 stretch between Cuddalore and Chidambaram.

The foundation stone was laid by Mahatma Gandhi himself in 1921, and a few years later, the school was officially opened under the name Seva Mandir at a place called Porto Novo, near Chidambaram, in Tamil Nadu, South India.

Parangipettai is mentioned in classical Tamil literature as Varunapuri, meaning the place where the rain god Varuna had worshipped Lord Shiva.

[2] Tamil Muslims (prominently Sunni) living in Parangipettai claimed to have a unique African Arabian ancestry.

It maintained trading links of silk and chintz fabrics with Aceh from August-September to April as late when weather was at its most fair.

[4] On December 25th, 1740, 500 Maratha horseman captured the Dutch fort of Portnovo and the Dutch Deputy Governor, his wife, and children[5] In 1801, Sir George Leith, who was then Lieutenant Governor of Prince of Wales Island (now within modern Penang of Malaysia) appointed a prominent Indian Muslim Boatman, Cauder Mohudeen, a Christian reconvert, as Captain of the South Indian "Keling" sect.

Portuguese armies and ships assaulted Ponnani between 1507 and 1524), In those days many traders crossed the sea and did business in eastern Countries like Indonesia, Malaya, Burma.

The town flourished as a seaport with connections to southeast Asia and as an industrial center during British rule, when iron made here was exported to England.

Among the Muslims are clans or family groups, but they necessarily affect social interactions like marriages and mutual living.

Maraicar the name faded claims to have derived from the old Tamil term 'Marakkalangalin aayargal' meaning 'Kings of Boats', a title said to be given by the Southern Tamil Hindu King Vijaya Raghunadha Sedhupathy Thondamaan (King Sethu) to the Arab traders from parts of Shia Yemen and Sunni Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, who and were the reigning members of coastal trade with those regions.

In 1998, when he moved back to this town, he explained the difficulties he faced in the creation of this book, from traveling with his friends on a bicycle to learning about the living conditions of Muslims in the nearby villages of Parangipettai.

[37] The production of a kind of extremely soft mat by Labbai's women, which is used for sleeping and as a hold-all for clothing and bedding, is the sole notable in Porto Novo.

Steamers of the British India Steam Navigation Company (BISN) anchor 2 miles offshore in 4 1/2 to 5 feet of water and sail to Singapore once a fortnight.

[39][40] The Cuddalore District Administration is very keen to develop tourism activities at Parangipettai, a coastal town situated remotely right on the seashore, northern bank of the Vellar estuary.

The Sub-Collector, Chidambaram, on his routine visit to Parangipettai, identified the Vellar estuary as a suitable place for the operation of Water sports activities.

Subsequently, Annamalai University entered into MoU with Parangipettai Town Panchayat to operate Water sports for the general public in Vellar backwaters, flowing right in front of the Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology campus, on revenue revenue-sharing basis.

As per the terms and conditions of the MoU, Parangipettai town Panchayat is responsible for extending basic infrastructure for 58.80 lakhs.