Karaikal

The Karaikal Municipality has population of 86,838 (2011)
The Union Territory of Pondicherry constituted out of the four erstwhile French establishments of Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Karaikal region is embedded in the Nagappattinam and Tiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu State.

Karaikal is located at the centre with the communes of Kottucherry on the north, Nedungadu on the northwest, Tirunallar on the west, Neravy and Tirumalairayanpattinam on the south.

Karaikal town about 16 km. north of Nagappattinam and 9 km.south of Tarangambadi is the regional headquarters.

This Karaikal area formed an integral part of the Pallava kingdom in the eighth century(C 731-796). Poet Sekkizhar (992-1042) describes the town as "vanga malik kadar karaikal", the 'Karaikal of many vessels on the coast' in his Peria puranam. In that the poet relates the life story of one Punithavathiar who abandoned the pleasures of material life and devoted herself entirely to a life of prayer and penance to signify her devotion to Lord Siva. He called her 'Karaikal Ammayar', conveniently after the town which must have been famous already.