Karaikudi

Karaikudi is the largest city of Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the centre of the Karaikudi Metropolitan Area, the 21st largest urban Agglomeration of Tamil Nadu based on 2011 census data. It is part of the area commonly referred to as Chettinad and has been declared a City Municipal Corporation by the Government of Tamil Nadu, on account of the palatial houses built with limestone called Kaarai veedu. which undergoes major developments as part of Government Schemes.

Karaikudi comes under the Karaikudi Assembly constituency, which elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years, and it is a part of the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency, which elects its member of parliament (MP) once in five years. The city is administered by the greater Karaikudi Municipal corporation. This metropolitan city had a population of 303,291 in 2023. This metropolitan area consists of Karaikudi City Corporation which includes its neighbourhood towns of Kottaiyur, Koviloor, Kandanur, Puduvayal, and Sankarapuram (census town) and villages of Amaravathiputhur, Ariyakudi, Iluppakkudi, Managiri, Mathur, Peyampatti, Thiruvelangudi and Soorakudi.

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 presents the government of India of this Kandangi sarees. 

The Chettinad cuisine originated in the areas around Karaikudi.

It is one of the few towns and cities in Tamil Nadu selected for AMRUT Schemes from central government and the developmental activities are taken care by the government of Tamil Nadu.