Nagercoil is the southernmost city in South India, situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The town is also the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari district. It was a part of Kerala, the erstwhile Travancore state, till almost a decade after India's Independence from Britain in 1947. In 1956, it was merged with Tamil Nadu. In its earlier days, the town and its surroundings were known as Nanjilnadu.

Nagercoil derived its name from a famous old Jain temple called Naga Raja Temple (temple of the serpent king) which still exists in the central part of the town. Originally a Jain temple, it is now an important temple for the local Hindus and is also a tourist attraction.

The images of the Jain Theerthangaras, Mahavira and Parsavanathar are found on the pillars of the temple.  The entrance to this temple is reminiscent of the chinese architecture of a Buddhist Vihar. Nagercoil is 19 Kms  from Kanyakumari on the way to Padmanabhapuram.