Sivaganga

Sivaganga is a town and headquarters of the Sivaganga district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is also the headquarters of the Sivaganga taluk. The town is located at a distance of 48 km from Madurai and 449 km  from the state capital Chennai.It is the important city in this district for official and commercial purpose.It is the third largest city in the district after Karaikudi and Devakottai. Sivaganga kingdom was founded by Sasivarna Periya Oodaya Thevar in 1730. The town was subsequently ruled by his successors and ultimately by Velu Nachiyar under the stewardship of Maruthu Pandiyar. They were against the British Empire, but ultimately lost to them in 1790. The Company appointed Gowry Vallaba Periya Oodaya Thevar as the Zamindar of Sivaganga in 1801, whose successors continued with chaos until India's independence in 1947. It was under Ramnad district until 1984 and subsequently a part of the newly formed Sivaganga district.

The best known of the Karaikudi Nagarathar tribe temple is Pillaiyarpatti Karpaga Vinayagar. About 12 km from Karaikudi on the road to Madurai, it attracts visitors in huge numbers from all parts of India and overseas. Karpaga Vinayagar is a enormous bas-relief in a cave hewn out of a hummock and is a splendid example of the South Indian sculpture. The Rajagopuram towers over the eastern entry and rises in five storeys. The temple is rich in stone and terracotta sculpture.