Tangasseri

Tangasseri or Thangassery is a heavily populated beach area on the shores of the Arabian Sea in Kollam city, Kerala, India.
Location.
Tangasseri is located about from the city centre and from Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. Archaeologists recently discovered Chinese coins and other artefacts along the coast, which reveal the historic background of the location. Kollam Port makes Tangasseri an important place on the world maritime map.
History.
In 1502, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a trading centre in Tangasseri and the area soon became a major centre for the pepper trade. Tangasseri's St Thomas Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1517, was destroyed in the subsequent wars with the Dutch.
In 1661, the Dutch took possession of the city. The remains of both the Dutch and Portuguese forts can still be seen in Tangasseri. In the 18th century, the kingdom of Travancore first conquered Kollam, followed by the British in 1795. Tangasseri remains an Anglo-Indian settlement in character, though there are few Anglo-Indians in the population. Tangassery was a part of Malabar District during British Raj. The Infant Jesus Cathedral in Tangasseri an old Portuguese-built church, remains as a memento of Portuguese rule. The old cathedral was demolished and replaced by a new cathedral at a cost of around ; it was consecrated and blessed on 3December 2005. The metallic cross on the top is one of the largest crosses in India.
Importance.
Tangasseri is a picturesque seaside village with a three kilometre long beach on which stands a 144 feet tall lighthouse—a silent sentinel warning seamen since 1902 of the treacherous reefs. There are also ruins of Portuguese and Dutch forts and 18th century churches. The fishery harbour at Tangasseri is a basin for traditional fishermen, achieved by the construction of two breakwaters. The length of the main breakwater is 2100 m and of the leeward breakwater 550 m. This provides sufficient beach length for landing facilities for all operational craft. Tangasseri is home to Kerala's oldest schools, Mount Carmel Convent Anglo-Indian Girls High School and Infant Jesus School Kollam.