Karaikudi is a city and municipal corporation in Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the largest city in the district, and the centre of the Karaikudi Metropolitan Area, that forms part of the Chettinad region.
Karaikudi is administered by the Karaikudi Municipal Corporation, which was established in 2024. It forms part of the Karaikudi Assembly constituency, which elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, and is a part of the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency, which elects its member to the Lok Sabha. It is one of the cities selected for development under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation project of the Government of India in 2015.
History
The name Karaikudi might have been derived from the thorny plant karai or the type of houses in the area built with limestone called 'karai'. The town was established in the early 19th century, and the oldest known structure is the Koppudaiya Nayagi Amman temple. In the 20th century, the town became a trading center, which led to further development of housing and industries in the region. During the Indian Independence movement, Bharathiyar visited Karaikudi in 1919 to participate in an event, and Mahatma Gandhi visited the town in 1927. After Indian independence, the town saw significant growth in the industrial sector. The Thennar River flows through the southern part of the town. Hinduism is the majority religion with 83.9% of the population adhering to it, followed by Islam (11.4)%, and Christianity (4.3%).
Administration and politics
{| class="toccolours" style="clear:right; float:right; background:#ffffff; margin: 0 0 0.5em 1em; width:220"
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!style="background:#A8BDEC" align="center" colspan="2"|Elected members
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|align="center"|Mayor||S. Muthudurai (DMK)
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|align="center"|Member of Parliament||Karti Chidambaram (INC)
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Karaikudi was constituted as a municipality on 9 May 1928, and was upgraded to Second Grade in 1973, to Selection Grade on 14 December 1988, and to special grade on 28 May 2013. The city covers an area of . It is headed by a mayor, who is elected by the councilors. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, engineering, revenue, public health, city planning and information technology. It is one of the cities selected for development under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation project of the Government of India in 2015.
Karaikudi is a part of the Karaikudi assembly constituency, which elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and forms part of the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency that elects it member to the Lok Sabha. Law and order is maintained by the Sivaganga sub division of the Tamil Nadu Police, which operates three police stations, and is headed by a deputy superintendent.
Culture
thumb|A palatial mansion in [[Chettinad region]]
Karaikudi and the surrounding villages are the center of the Chettinad culture. The region consists of buildings and palatial mansions built in the unique Chettinad architecture from the 1850's to 1940s. The 'thousand window' house and the place of the Raja of Chettinad are notable examples of this architecture. The Chettinad cuisine belongs to the region. There are mandapas dedicated to poets Kamban and Kannadasan. Prominent temples in the region include Koppudaiya Amman temple, Pillayarpatti Karpagavinayagar temple,
Economy
thumb|[[TIDEL Park at Karaikudi]]
Karaikudi is the economic center of the Chettinad region. Heritage tourism has been developed in the 21st century. Indian Overseas Bank was founded by M. Ct. M. Chidambaram Chettiar in 1937, and opened one of its first three branches in Karaikudi. Major industries in the region include chemicals, engineering, leather, and powerloom. Kandangi is a type of cotton sari woven in the Chettinad region, and is a recognised Geographical Indication (GI).
Chettinad Kottan are palm leaf baskets woven by the women of the region, and are noted for its unique style and colors. It was granted a GI tag in 2013. Aavin operates a dairy and milk processing facility in Karaikudi, with a capacity of 50,000 liters per day. In February 2026, TIDEL Park, an Information Technology Special Economic Zone was established in Kalanivasal near Karaikudi.
Infrastructure
Water supply is provided by the municipal corporation with water drawn from several borewells. In 2011, about 45 metric tonnes of solid waste was collected by the local body. There was about of storm water drains in 2011. The roads and street lights are maintained by the local body. Electricity supply to Karaikudi is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. The local administration operates a daily market and three farmer markets. There is a government hospital and 13 private hospitals in the town.
Transport
thumb|[[Karaikudi Junction railway station|Karaikudi Junction]]
Karaikudi is served by the Karaikudi Junction of the Indian Railways. It is located on the broad gauge line connecting Chennai Egmore and Rameswaram. The nearest airports are Madurai Airport at Madurai, located about from the town, and Tiruchirapalli International Airport at Tiruchirapalli, located about away.
There are three engineering colleges, six arts and science colleges, four teacher training colleges, three polytechnics, and a law college.