Nazareth is a town in the Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Geography Nazareth is situated near the southern tip of the country. It was named by early Christian missionaries in memory of the city of Nazareth Israel, where Jesus Christ spent his early days. There is a 100+ -year-old church (St. John's Cathedral) in the centre of the town. It has a tall tower with a flat top. This part of Southern Tamil Nadu has many Gothic-styled churches. Nazareth is in Thoothukudi district. It is about 50 km from Thoothukudi; and about 36 km from Tirunelveli. Several villages surrounding Nazareth are considered as part of Nazareth. Nazareth is connected to major cities in Tamil Nadu as well as to all the villages surrounding that area. Climate The climate of Nazareth town is usually dry. A short rainy season exists but the weather, for the most part, is hot and humid. Paddy rice is mainly cultivated in and around the places of Nazareth on a large scale, followed by cereals green and black grams. Banana is also cultivated here on a large scale. History Nazareth is a Christian majority town, created by missionaries from the United Kingdom, primarily through the work of Canon Arthur Margoschis. Canon Arthur Margoschis (1852-1908) is recognized as "Father of Nazareth". The town is surrounded by Hindu communities. The main Hindu temple was built in the late 1960s. The town was previously known as 'Saann Pathu' and also as 'Therku Mudalur' and was renamed by the residents. It is an educational centre with schools such as Margoschis Higher Secondary School for Boys and St. John's Girls' Higher Secondary School, Margoschis college of Arts and Science, Art Industrial School, TNDTA Kaspa Primary School, Dr Mathuram Middle school and a Vocational education institution. Thiruchendur Co-operative Spinning Mills Limited, Nazareth which was the only spinning mill and was the livelihood for many people in that area for close to a century, was closed a decade ago in 2002-03 period due to financial crunch and lack of modernization. Earlier Nazareth was part of the Tirunelveli CSI diocese and in 2003 Thoothukudi - Nazareth Diocese was formed after bifurcation from Tirunelveli Diocese. As the history of the church, a small village by name "Shanpathu" with 8 families became Christians in the year 1803 through Rev. Sathyanathan. Its revenue extent is 7 sq. miles. The first church a thatched