General Information

“Karai” means lime mix and “Kal” means ‘canal’, thereby the name may mean a canal built of lime mix. The imperial Gazetteer gives it the meaning ‘fish pass’. The town is also known as Karaigiri in Sanskrit. Karaikal was a maritime trading city in Chola Nadu till the 10th century. It was ruled successively by Vijayanagar, Maratha rulers, and became French in the late 18th century.

Karaikal is the birthplace of Karaikal Ammaiyar (born Punitavati), meaning “The Revered Mother of Karaikal,” who is one of the three women among the 63 Nayanmars and one of the greatest figures of early Tamil literature. Ammaiyar was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Extreme bhakti works in its own miraculous ways. Ammaiyar climbed Mt. Kailash with her hands and head and was fondly called “Amma” by Lord Shiva.

Religious / Heritage Tourism Hub & Beach Holiday Destination: Sri Dharbaranyeswara Swamy Temple, Thirunallar – 9th century; Sri Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple, Karaikal: 19th Century; Sri Parvatheeswarar Temple, Kovilpathu – 1000–2000 years old.

From times immemorial, Karaikal has been known for its rich religious heritage. One of the sixty-three Saivait Nayanmars, Punithavathiyar’s birthplace is Karaikal, which is mentioned in Periya Puranam. The Karaikal region has three major religious communities: Hindu, Muslim, and Christian.

The Union Territory of Puducherry has been formed by consolidating four erstwhile French establishments: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam. Karaikal District is one of the four regions of the Union Territory of Puducherry and is next to Puducherry in area and population. It is about 300 km south of Chennai and about 135 km from Pondicherry on the East Coast. It is surrounded by the Nagapattinam and Thiruvarur Districts of Tamil Nadu State.

It is an ideal place for those who seek solitude, leisure, and serenity on the shore. With rivers and beaches, it is untouched by tourists. The French flavor still persists in the peaceful land of Karaikal.

Pilgrim tourists visiting Tamil Nadu never fail to include this temple town in their itinerary.

The Karaikal region is fed by the river Cauvery and its tributaries, and the cultivated lands situated in and around Karaikal primarily depend on Cauvery waters. The region gets an average rainfall of about 126 cm, with a significant portion recorded between October and December.