Virudhunagar

Virudhunagar, formerly known as Virudhupatti, is a town and the administrative headquarters of the Virudhunagar district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 506km southwest of the state capital Chennai and 53km south of Madurai. Virudhunagar emerged as an important trade centre during the British rule. The town is the birthplace of freedom fighter K. Kamaraj, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, and Bharat Ratna recipient. Located to the east of Kowsika River, Virudhunagar has an average elevation of 102m above sea level and is largely flat with no major geological formations. The town has a humid climate and receives 780 mm rainfall annually. Virudhunagar was a part of Madurai and has been ruled at various times by Later Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Chanda Sahib, Carnatic kingdom and the British.Virudhunagar is administered by a municipality covering an area of 6.39sqkm. In 2011, the town had a population of 72,296. As the administrative headquarters of the district, the town's economy is based on the service sector, which employs 93 per cent of the total workforce. The remaining 7 per cent is employed in agriculture, mining, quarrying, raising livestock, manufacturing, construction, trade and commerce. Roadways are the main means of transportation, while the town also has rail connectivity. The nearest airport is Madurai Airport, located 45km north-east of the town. There are 14 secondary schools, two colleges of arts and sciences (one for men and one for women), one polytechnic college, Three Engineering Colleges (Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology, Sri Vidya, AAA) and three university study centres.