Mayiladuthurai district

The district is bounded on the north by Cuddalore district near Kollidam, on the south by Tiruvarur district near Kollumangudi, on the west by Thanjavur district near aduthurai, on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the southeast near Porayar by Karaikal district of the union territory Puducherry the Mayiladuthurai have many geographical resources Kollidam, kavery rivers flow here, flora and fauna like endangered species are also in protective areas of Kollidam.

In 2020, when Mayiladuthurai District was carved out of Nagapattinam it had four taluks,

• Kuthalam taluk
• Mayiladuthurai taluk
• Sirkazhi taluk
• Tharangambadi taluk

The Collector is the administrative head of each district and is the principle representative of the government for the district. The Collector's main responsibilities include revenue administration, Executive Magistracy, maintaining law and order, licensing and regulatory functions, disaster management, civil supplies, public distribution, social welfare, excise, transport, mining, labour laws, elections, legal affairs, census, general administration, treasury management and co-ordination with various departments of the state and central governments. The Collector is also the head of various committees formed at the district level for the various central and state government schemes.

There are 38 districts in Tamil Nadu, each divided for revenue administration purposes into revenue divisions, which are further divided into Talukas. Each of these Talukas has a list of revenue villages and is headed by a Tahsildar. Developmental administration of the district is carried out by Panchayat Unions (or Town Panchayats) in rural areas. These panchayat unions have a set of panchayat villages under them. In urban areas, the governance is done by municipal corporations, municipalities or town panchayats based on the size of the town; each of these has a set of wards. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town Planning, and Information Technology (IT). The municipalities are administered by a Municipal Commissioner, who is the executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of elected members from each ward of the municipality. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson.

Mayiladuthurai District was formerly a part of Nagapattinam District. The district boundary is shared by Tiruvarur, Karaikal, Thanjavur and Cuddalore districts. Its population at the 2011 Census was nearly 1 million. The district has four taluks, five administrative blocks, four town panchayats, and two municipalities. Two of the talukas are coastal, two are non-coastal and all are named after their main towns, which are their administrative centres. From north to south, they are Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai (non-coastal), Kuthalam (non-coastal) and Tharangambadi. It is bordered on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the south by the Thiruvarur. On the east lies the small district of Karaikal, an enclave belonging administratively to the Puducherry Union Territory.

The district has one Lok Sabha constituency, namely Mayiladuthurai (Lok Sabha constituency). The Mayiladuthurai constituency was constituted during the third Lok Sabha as Mayuram until 1980 elections, when it was renamed to Mayiladuthurai. The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is S. Ramalingam from the DMK party. From 1962, the Mayiladuthurai parliament seat was held by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) two times during 1967–71, and 1971–77, Tamil Maanila Congress for two times during 1998–99 and 1999–2004, Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam two times during 2009-14, 2014–19, Indian National Congress for 8 times during 1962–67, 1977–80, 1980–84, 1984–89, 1989–91, 1991–96, 1999–2004 and 2004–09.

There are a total of three legislative assembly constituencies in the district, namely, Sirkazhi, Poompuhar and Mayiladuthurai. Out of these, Sirkazhi is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC).

Tourism plays a key economic role for the town even though Agriculture, fishing & sugar/rice factories is the major occupation.

Fort Dansborg, locally called Danish Fort, is a Danish fort located in the shores of Bay of Bengal in Tranquebar (Tharangambadi) in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Fort Dansborg was built in the land ceded by Thanjavur king Ragunatha Nayak in an agreement with Danish Admiral Ove Gjedde in 1620 and acted as the base for Danish settlement in the region during the early 17th century. The fort is the second largest Danish fort after Kronborg. The fort was sold to the British in 1845 and along with Tranquebar, the fort lost its significance as the town was not an active trading post for the British. After India's independence in 1947, the fort was used as an inspection bungalow by the state government till 1978 when the Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu took over the control of the fort. The fort is now used as a museum where the major artifacts of the fort and the Danish empire are displayed.

A view of the Dansborg Fort

Fort Dansborg in Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu

The fort was renovated twice in modern times, once by Tranquebar Association with the help of the Danish royal family and the State Archaeology Department in 2001 and secondly by a project named Destination Development of Tranquebar by the Department of Tourism of the Government of Tamil Nadu in 2011 in consultation with Intach, Pondicherry chapter. The fort is one of the prominent tourist destinations in the region.

Puhar (also known as Poompuhar) is a town in the Mayiladuthurai district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was once a flourishing ancient port city known as Kaveri poompattinam, which for a while served as the capital of the Early Chola kings in Tamilakam. Puhar is located near the end point of the Kaveri river, aside the sea coast. It is mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.

It has now been established by marine archaeological research (conducted by the National institute of marine archaeology, Goa) that much of the town was washed away by progressive erosion and floods. In the 1960s and 1970s, archaeological researches were conducted under the leadership of the noted archaeologist K. V. Soundararajan. Submerged wharves and several meter lengths of pier walls excavated in recent times have corroborated the literary references to Poompuhar. It was rebuilt several times after that. Ancient Pottery dating back to the 4th century BCE have been discovered off shore by marine archaeologists east of this town.

Poompuhar Beach, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu

Spiritual Tourism

Sri Amirthagateswarar Abhirami Temple (திருக்கடையூர் ஸ்ரீ அமிர்தகடேசுவரர் கோயில்) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in his manifestation as "Destroyer of Death" and his wife Parvati as Abhirami. It is located in Thirukkadaiyur (Thirukadavur), 21 km East of Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu in India. This temple is associated with the legend of Shiva saving his young devotee, Markendeya from death, and the tale of a saint, Abirami Pattar a devotee of the presiding goddess.

The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.

Sri Amirthagateswarar Abhirami Temple, Thirukadaiyur, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu

Udhvaganathar Temple, Thirumanancheri, Mayiladuthurai

Tirumanancheri Udhvaganathar Temple (திருமணஞ்சேரி உத்வாகநாதர் கோயில்) is a Hindu temple at Thirumanancheri in Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is Shiva. He is called Udhvaganathar. His consort is known as Kokhila. Sri Kalyanasundareswarar Swamy Temple is another name for this temple.

It is a shrine of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Tevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanars Tirugnanasambandar and Tirunavukkarasar.

Sattainathar temple, Sirkazhi (also called Brahmapureeswarar temple and Thoniappar temple) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Sirkali, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is incarnated by the hymns of Thevaram and is classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. It is an ancient temple complex with three different Shiva shrines in three stories.

Sattainathar temple, Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu

The Bhramapureeswarar shrine is housed in the lower level. The second level houses Periyanakar with Periyanayaki on a Thoni, hence the name Thoniappar. Sattainathar/Vatukanathar is also housed here. There are 22 water bodies associated with this shrine. Three different forms of Shiva are worshipped here, the Shivalingam (Bhrammapureeswarar), a colossal image of Uma Maheswarar (Toniappar) at the medium level, and Bhairavar (Sattanathar) at the upper level. The temple is associated with the legend of child Sambandar who is believed to have been fed by Parvathi on the banks of the temple tank. The child later went on to compose Tevaram, a Saiva canonic literature on Shiva and became one of the most revered Saiva poets in South India.

Vaitheeswaran Koil or Pullirukkuvelur is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva, located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Vaidyanathar or Vaitheeswaran meaning the "God of healing" and it is believed that prayers to Vaitheeswaran can cure diseases. Vaitheeswaran is a Tamil derivative from vaidya (Doctor) and Ishvara (God/Master). The presiding deity is Sri vaidyanathan, facing towards West whereas East side is the common one. He is the God of Healing. When pronouncing in Tamil, it sounds like "vaideeswaran". It is one of the nine Navagraha (nine planets) temples and is associated with the planet Mars (Angaraka).

Vaitheeswaran koil, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu

Mayuranathaswami temple is located in the southern part of Mayiladuthurai about a mile from the Kaveri River. The temple is on the Chidambaram–Thanjavur highway.

It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Tevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Tirugnanasambandar.

Mayuranathaswami temple, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu

Swetharanyeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Thiruvenkadu, a village in mayiladuthurai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshiped as Swetharanyeswarar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Brahmavidyambigai. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism as one of the temples associated with the nine planet elements, the Navagraha Stalas, and specifically Budha.

Swetharanyeswarar Temple, Thiruvenkadu, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu

Naganatha Swamy Temple or Kethu Sthalam is a Hindu temple in the village of Keezhaperumpallam, 2 kilometres from Poompuhar. The presiding deity is Ketu, a shadow planet. However, the main idol in the temple is that of "Naganatha Swamy" or Shiva.

Nagannathaswamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu

The following major national highway roads pass through Mayiladuthurai district:--

• NH - 32: (old number: NH 45A; Chennai to Thoothukudi; passes through Kollidam, Sirkazhi and Tharangambadi of Mayiladuthurai District)
• NH - 136B: (Secondary route of NH 36; Sirkazhi to Kumbakonam; passes through Vaitheeswaran Koil and Mayiladuthurai)

There are state highways passing through Mayiladuthurai district.

• SH 22: Grand Anaicut – Kaveripattinam
• SH 23: Mayiladuthurai – Thiruthuraipoondi
• SH 64: Kumbakonam - Mayiladuthurai – Sirkali
• SH 147: Kumbakonam – Karaikal
• SH 149: Sembanarkoil – Nalladai
• SH 150: Vaitheeswarankoil - Manalmedu – Lower Anaicut
• SH 210: Sirkali Bypass and Link

Also, several MDRs (Major District Roads) pass through Mayiladuthurai district. They are as follows:

• MD-7 Akkur Railway Beeder Road
• MD-211 Kuthalam - Komal Road
• MD-213 Kuthalam - Pandanallur Road
• MD-256 Mayiladuthurai - Muthupet Road
• MD-257 Mayiladuthurai - Pattavarthy Road
• MD-259 Mayiladuthurai - Pattavarthy Road (Town Limit)
• MD-425 Sirkali - Panakattangudy Road
• MD-426 Sirkali - Thirumullaivasal Road
• MD-453 Tharangambadi - Mayiladuthurai Road
• MD-670 Puthur - Pudupattinam - Palaiyar Road
• MD-680 Sattanathapuram - Thiruvenkadu - Malaiyur Road
• MD-708 Tharangambadi - Manganallur - Aduthurai Road
• MD-1105 Kumbakonam - Sirkali Road (Link Road)

Mayiladuthurai district is well connected by Bus & Railways.

Railways

Mayiladuthurai Junction (station code: MV) is the major junction serving Mayiladuthurai District in Tamil Nadu, India.

The station is a part of the Tiruchirappalli railway division of the Southern Railway Zone and connects the town to various parts of the state as well as the rest of the country. It is classified as an "A" category railway station in the Trichy railway division of the Southern Railway Zone. It is one of the busiest and top revenue generating stations of the Southern Railway zone after Tiruchirapalli TPJ, Thanjavur TJ in Tiruchirapalli division.

Mayiladuthurai Junction, Tamil Nadu

This district have few other major railway stations which are listed as below,

• Sirkazhi
• Vaitheeswaran koil
• Kuthalam
• Manganallur
• Nidur
• Anandandavapuram

• Mayiladuthurai District