 During India 's independence struggle , Gandhi launched the Dandi March along India 's west coast to protest against the sales tax levied on salt extraction . His close associate C. Rajagopalachari , who would later become independent India 's first Governor @-@ General , carried out a salt march in parallel , on the east coast starting from Trichonopoly ( modern day Tiruchirappalli ) in Vedaranyam . His group , having people like Sardar Vedaratnam , started from Tiruchirappalli , in Madras Presidency ( now part of Tamil Nadu ) , to the coast of the town . After making illegal salt there on 30 April 1930 , the group was arrested by the British . After India 's independence , Vedaranyam continued to be a part of Thanjavur district until 1991 , and later became part of the newly created Nagapattinam district . 
