Karaikudi

Karaikudi is the largest city in Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Karaikudi Municipal Corporation 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" 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. For this reason, the place is sometimes called Kaarai Nagar locally. The main municipality is spread across 33.75 km² (13.03 sq mi) and the extended urban limit spreads about 115 km² (44 sq mi) 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 town is administered by the greater Karaikudi special grade municipality. This metropolitan Urban Agglomeration(UA) had a population of 181,851 of which 90,799 were males and 91,052 were females in 2011. This metropolitan area consists of Karaikudi greater municipality and its surrounding towns like Kottaiyur, Koviloor, Kandanur, Puduvayal, and Sankarapuram (census town) and villages like 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 List of AMRUT Smart cities in Tamil Nadu selected for AMRUT Schemes from central government and the developmental activities are taken care by the government of Tamil Nadu.