Virudhunagar

Virudhunagar is a city and the administrative headquarter of the Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located southwest of the state capital Chennai and south of Madurai. Virudhunagar emerged as an important trade centre during the British rule. Located to the east of Kowsika River, Virudhunagar has an average elevation of above sea level and is largely flat with no major geological formations. The town has a humid climate and receives rainfall annually. It has been ruled at various times by Later Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Chanda Sahib, Carnatic kingdom and the British. It was formerly known as Virudhupatti. Virudhunagar is administered by a municipality covering an area of . In 2011, the city 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% of the total workforce. The remaining 7% 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 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. Virudhunagar Government Medical College is established in the year 2021. It is located on the NH-44 nearby Virudhunagar Collector Office. According to a local legend, a warrior who won a number of banners (called virudhu in Tamil) from his conquest of kingdoms, came to the town and challenged the residents. A resident accepted the challenge, killed the warrior, and then proceeded to seize the flags held by him. From then on, the town was known as Virudhukkalvetti. Virudhunagar was a part of Madurai region (the region comprising all of southern Tamil Nadu beyond Trichy in modern times) during the 16th century CE.