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.