Karaikudi

Karaikudi is the largest town in Chettinad region of Sivagangai district in the Indian state of Tamilnadu. The name Karaikudi originated from the plant's name karai that abounds in the area, and kudi meaning settlement. It belongs to the collection of 80 towns and villages in the Chettinad belt that stretched from Ramnad district to Pudukottai state of then British India. The Chettinad or Chettinadu literally means Chettiars' state. The Nagarathars, a Chettiar community, are the predominant people of the region flourishing in trade and commerce from many centuries. They are institutional in establishing innumerous educational institutions, financial services, temples, festivals, traditional ceremonies, and social welfares. 

Somewhere around 1700, Karaikudi, which was not known by this name, was an area scattered with settlements. Having the present-day Karaikudi as reference, there were four prominent settlements; in northeast was "Jayamkondan puram" [the present-day Sekkalai], in northwest "Muthupattianam", in southwest "Kallukatti", and in southeast a hamlet known as "Naganatha Pudur" (N.Pudur). These settlements were in-between a woody area; and there were no proper interlinking road facilities. People were hesitant to travel through these woody areas in the fear of robbers and thieves hiding in these woods. 

Around 1900, the woody areas along with the settlements were developing and in due course merged to form a notable village, which was soon brought under Panchayat board management. Later on, major infrastructure developments were undertaken, starting with its administration that was changed to Municipality in 1928, the Railway Junction was created in 1930, a Government hospital [the present-day Gandhi Maligai] was established in 1940, and other facilities like road, drinking-water, electricity, communication were laid out. All these improvements transformed this village into a well-known town. And when, Vallal Alagappa Chettiar established educational institutions in 1947, and in 1948 brought C.E.C.R.I. to Karaikudi; consequently changed Karaikudi into a major township. 

The people of Chettinad region took a praiseworthy active part in Indian freedom movement.