Karaikkudi
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Karaikudi is a Greater municipality in Sivagangai district in the Indian
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. It is the 21st largest urban agglomeration of Tamil Nadu based on 2011 census data. It is part of the area commonly referred to as "
Chettinad Chettinad (also known as Chettinadu) is a region located mainly in the Sivaganga district historically ruled by Ramnad kingdom of Pandya Nadu and has a small portion extending into the Pudukottai District in Tamil Nadu, India..Karaikudi and ...
" and has been declared a Municipality by the
Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...
, on account of the palatial houses built with
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
called ''karai veedu''. Karaikudi comes under the
Karaikudi Assembly constituency Karaikudi is a state assembly constituency in Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu. Most successful party: INC (5 times). It is one of the 234 State Legislative Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu in India. History Karaikudi is a part of the ...
, which elects a member to the
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members of whom are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post voting, First-past-the-post system. The pres ...
once every five years, and it is a part of the
Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency ( ta, சிவகங்கை மக்களவைத் தொகுதி) is one of the 39 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India. Its Tamil Nadu Parliamentary Con ...
, which elects its member of parliament (MP) once in five years. The town is administered by the Karaikudi municipality, which covers an area of . As of 2011, The town had a population of 181,851 of which 90,799 were males and 91,052 were females in 2011. The municipality consists of karaikudi,
Kanadukathan Kanadukathan is a Town Panchayat in the Karaikudi taluk of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Demographics In 2001, Kanadukathan had a population of 4,795 people. Of these, 10% were under 6 years of age. The town is evenly split between mal ...
,
Kandanur Kandanur is a panchayat town in Karaikudi taluk, Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The town is famous for Kandanur Sivan Kovil, which is a replica to the Madurai meenatchi amman temple built by Nagarathars community. Kandan ...
,
Kottaiyur Kottaiyur is a suburb of Karaikudi located in northern part of Karaikudi town in Sivaganga district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The village is famous for Kottaiyur Sivan Temple which is one of the master pieces in the Chettinadu region ...
,
Pallathur Pallathur is a village in Sivagangai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Demographics India census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given populatio ...
,
Puduvayal Puduvayal is a town in Karaikudi taluk, Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a town located in the Chettinad region of the Sivagangai district. On road, it is 12 km away from Karaikudi and 21 km away from Aranth ...
, and
Sankarapuram Sankarapuram is a Town Panchayat of Kallakurichi district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu Theatres NVN Theatre Barkath Theatre. Schools in sankarapuram # Government Boys Higher secondary School # Government Girls Higher Secondar ...
(census town) This city is famous for karaikudi kandangi sarees a special type of sarees which come from and are woven in this area.The
geographical indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
presents the government of India of this kandaangi sarees. 


History

The city derives its name from the thorny plant ''Karai,'' referred to in ancient literature as ''Karaikudi'', which in modern times has become ''Karaikudi''. The town was established in the 19th century, and the oldest known structure is the Koppudaiya Nayagi Amman Temple.
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
delivered two speeches in Karaikudi in 1927 and
Bharathiyar C. Subramania Bharathi Birth name: C. Subramaniyan, the person's given name: Subramaniyan, father's given name: Chinnaswami. (C. Subramaniyan by the prevalent patronymic initials as prefix naming system in Tamil Nadu and it is Subramaniyan C ...
visited Karaikudi in 1919 to participate in an event. After independence, the city saw significant growth in the industrial sector. Karaikudi and surrounding areas are generally referred as "Chettinad". Chettinad comprises a network of 73 villages and 2 towns forming clusters spread over a territory of 1,550 km2 in the Districts of Sivagangai and Pudukottai in the State of Tamil Nadu. Karaikudi is the largest town in Chettinad. Karaikudi and surrounding areas are very popular for their unique palaces, Chettinad Architecture. Kannadasan Manimandapam, Kamban Manimandapam and Thousand windows house are other visitor attractions in Karaikudi. The first Temple for Mother Tamil, Tamil Thai Kovil is located in Karaikudi and was established in 1993.


Demographics

According to 2011 census, Karaikkudi had a population of 181,125 with a sex-ratio of 1,000 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 19,619 children were under the age of six, constituting 10,405 males and 10,214 females. The average literacy rate of the town was 81.48%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had a total of 47504 households. There were a total of 60,069 workers, comprising 244 cultivators, 314 main agricultural labourers, 1,303 in household industries, 30,836 other workers, 17,372 marginal workers, 162 marginal cultivators, 2496 marginal agricultural labourers, 1345 marginal workers in household industries and 9,469 other marginal workers. In Karaikudi, Hinduism is the majority religion with 83.9% of the total population, followed by Islam, 11.39%, Christianity, 4.3%, Jainism, 0.05%, Sikism, 0.01% and Others, the rest.


Geography

Karaikudi is located in Sivagangai district of Tamil Nadu State. The
Trichy Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bein ...
Rameswaram Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilo ...
Highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...
passes through Karaikudi. The Thennar River flows through South Karaikudi. Karaikudi is located at . It has an average elevation of . The terrain of Karaikudi is predominantly flat. Rocky areas are found in the surrounding areas of Karaikudi town with more rocks towards the western side of the town. The soil is of the hard red lateritic type and is not suitable for cultivation. The
water table The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated. T ...
in the area is generally at depths of and rises to nearly below the ground level during rainy seasons. Since the 1970s, the water supply of the Karaikudi residents has depended on the deeper aquifers. The average maximum temperature is about , and average minimum temperature is about . The annual average rainfall in Karaikudi is about .


Administration and politics

Karaikudi was constituted as a municipality in 1928 and was upgraded to a Grade II
Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in 1973, to Selection Grade in 1988, to special grade in 2013, to municipal corporation in 2022. The area of the city is about 13.75 km2, comprising the revenue villages of Kalanivasal, Sekkalai kottai, Elappakudi Area, Ariyakudi Area and Senjai. The Karaikudi municipality has 36 wards and there is an elected councillor for each of those wards. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, city planning and Information Technology (IT). The legislative powers are vested in a body of 36 members, one each from the 36 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson. Karaikudi is a part of the
Karaikudi assembly constituency Karaikudi is a state assembly constituency in Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu. Most successful party: INC (5 times). It is one of the 234 State Legislative Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu in India. History Karaikudi is a part of the ...
and it elects a member to the
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members of whom are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post voting, First-past-the-post system. The pres ...
once every five years. The current member of the legislative assembly is S. Mangudi from INC party. Karaikudi is a part of the
Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency ( ta, சிவகங்கை மக்களவைத் தொகுதி) is one of the 39 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India. Its Tamil Nadu Parliamentary Con ...
. The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is Karti Chidambaram from the INC. Law and order in the city is maintained by the Sivaganga sub division of the
Tamil Nadu Police Tamil Nadu Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is over 150 years old and is the fifth largest state police force in India.
headed by a Deputy Superintendent. There are three police stations in the city as North police station, south police station, Azhagappapuram police station are mainly being an all-women police station and town police station. There are special units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at the district level police division headed by a Superintendent of Police.


Culture


Landmarks

Some prominent temples around the city are: *Karaikudi Nagara Sivan Kovil, located at the center city of Karaikudi, built by Nagarathars/Chettiars in according to Dravidian Temple architecture *Koppudaiya Amman Kovil, Kallukatti, Temple in Karaikudi *Ariyakudi Thiruvengamudayan Temple, one of the biggest Vishnu temples of the Chettinad region; located away * Pillayarpatti Karpagavinayagar temple located away *Thirumayam fort 20 km away from the city *Thousand window house, Kanadukathan palace, Athangudi palace, Kannadasan manimandapam, Kamban manimandapam, Azhagappar museum, Sankarapathi fort are other tourist attractions in the city *The very famous
Chettinad cuisine Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of a community called the Nattukotai Chettiars,or Nagarathars, from the Chettinad region in sivagangai district of Tamil Nadu state in India. Chettinad cuisine is perhaps the most renowned fare in the Tamil N ...
originated in the areas around Karaikudi.


Economy

*Karaikudi is a developing urban center in Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu.
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
has offered to set up a ''Chettinad Heritage Museum'' in Sivaganga district recognizing the unique style of architecture in the region. * Chettinad Kottan are palm leaf baskets woven by the women of the region. Chettinad Kottan has been noted for its unique style and colors and was granted a
Geographical Indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
tag in 2013. Chettinadu Kandangi sarees are a popular type of sarees produced in the region.* In these area around 250 rice mills and paper mills located in puduvayal and pallathur are the sub urban region of karaikudi is one of the trade and commercial economical growth area. It is also called as second rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. Athangudi tiles are basically cement tiles like mosaic used for building the palatial houses in the town and in modern times, is a source for handicraft industry.
Indian Overseas Bank Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) is an Indian public sector bank based in Chennai. It has about 3,214 domestic branches, about 4 foreign branches and representative office. Founded in February 1937 by M. Ct. M. Chidambaram Chettyar with twin object ...
was founded on 10 February 1937 in Karaikudi by
M. Ct. M. Chidambaram Chettyar Muttaiya Chidambaram Chettiar Muthiah Chidambaram Chettiar (2 August 1908 13 March 1954) was an Indian industrialist and banker who founded the Indian Overseas Bank. He was a member of the M. Ct. family. Early life and education Chidambaram ...
.


Transport


By Air

Nearby airports include
Tiruchirapalli International Airport Tiruchirappalli International Airport (IATA: TRZ, ICAO: VOTR) is an international airport serving Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The airport spread over an area of is located on National Highway 336, about south of the ci ...
() and
Madurai International Airport Madurai Airport is a customs airport serving Madurai and its adjoining districts in Tamil Nadu, India. It is the 36th busiest airport in India, both in terms of passengers handled and aircraft movement. The airport is located near State Highwa ...
(). Though this city is well connected by
roadways A carriageway (British English) or roadway (North American English) consists of a width of road on which a vehicle is not restricted by any physical barriers or separation to move lateral movement, laterally. A carriageway generally consists of ...
and
railways Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
. This town also has an unused airstrip called Chettinad airport also known as Karaikudi airport. This old British era airfield had been used during the
world war 2 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. The
government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
is planning to reopen this airfield under the UDAN scheme


By Rail

Karaikudi Junction railway station is a major rail head serves the city and Devakottai road Railway station,
kottaiyur Kottaiyur is a suburb of Karaikudi located in northern part of Karaikudi town in Sivaganga district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The village is famous for Kottaiyur Sivan Temple which is one of the master pieces in the Chettinadu region ...
Railway station,
Chettinad Chettinad (also known as Chettinadu) is a region located mainly in the Sivaganga district historically ruled by Ramnad kingdom of Pandya Nadu and has a small portion extending into the Pudukottai District in Tamil Nadu, India..Karaikudi and ...
Railway station,
Kandanur Kandanur is a panchayat town in Karaikudi taluk, Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The town is famous for Kandanur Sivan Kovil, which is a replica to the Madurai meenatchi amman temple built by Nagarathars community. Kandan ...
puduvayal Puduvayal is a town in Karaikudi taluk, Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a town located in the Chettinad region of the Sivagangai district. On road, it is 12 km away from Karaikudi and 21 km away from Aranth ...
Railway station are the stations around the city.


By Road

The town has two bus terminals namely "Rajaji Bus-stand" aka
Old Bus terminal Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
and
new bus terminal New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
. Buses that connect the Karaikudi city, nearby villages and smaller towns terminate at the Old bus-stand. The State Transport Corporation Buses To:Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy and near by cities run moffusil buses terminate at the New bus-stand Karaikudi Bus Terminal.


Education and utility services

As of 2011, there were government schools and many private schools in Karaikudi and Alagappa university colleges, many private colleges in the city.
Alagappa University Alagappa University is a public university located in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India. Originated from Alagappa Arts College, founded by Alagappa Chettiar in 1947, it was established in 1985 by an Act of the Tamil Nadu government. It was conve ...
is located in this town and
Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology Alagappa Chettiar Government College of Engineering and Technology (ACGCET-Karaikudi) is an autonomous (with effect from 2009) college of engineering in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1952, it is under the control of the government ...
is the oldest college here and was established in 1953. Alagappa Government Polytechnic College and
Annamalai Polytechnic Colleges Annamalai, or variants, may refer to: Film and television *''Annaamalai'', a 1992 Tamil-language film * ''Annamalai'' (2002 TV series), a Tamil-language TV soap opera * ''Annamalai'' (2014 TV series), a Tamil-language TV historical soap opera ** ...
are located in Karaikudi area. Electricity supply to Karaikudi is regulated and distributed by the
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (abbreviated as TNEB) is a power generation and distribution company owned by Government of Tamil Nadu, India. It was created as a regulated monopoly under section 131 of the Electricity Act (2003) as a successor o ...
(TNEB). The town along with its suburbs forms the Sivaganga Electricity Distribution Circle. Water supply is provided by the Karaikudi Municipality from seven borewells is located at Sambai Oothu (
Artesian aquifer An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer containing groundwater under positive pressure. An artesian aquifer has trapped water, surrounded by layers of impermeable rock or clay, which apply positive pressure to the water contained within th ...
). As per the municipal data for 2011, about 45 metric tonnes of solid waste were collected. The underground drainage system in the city is on board at process and the sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks, open drains and public conveniences. The municipality maintained a total of of storm water drains in 2011. As of 2011, there was one government hospital and 13 private hospitals in the town. The municipality operates one daily market namely the Anna Daily Market and there are three weekly markets (Uzhavar Santhai) that cater to the needs of the town and the rural areas around it.


References


External links

*
Sivaganga District Administration
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Sivaganga district