23 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Karaikal

At a distance of 1.5 km from Karaikal Railway Station, 23 km from Nagapattinam, 67 km from Chidambaram, 100 km from Thanjavur and 133 km from Pondicherry, Karaikal Beach is one of the best natural beaches in the South Tamil Nadu. It is one of the famous tourist attractions in Karikal located on the banks of Arasalar River. It is popular among the tourists as a place of entertainment and it is also the perfect place for those seeking leisure, tranquility, solitude and piousness.

The beach has been given easy accessibility by widening the 2 km road along the Arasalar River and by illumination of the road, now known as Beach Road. The Karaikal beach offers a lot to adventure lovers and family tourists with water sports like boating, canoeing, kayaking etc. and beach games like Volleyball. In addition to natural sandy beach, a boat jetty in the Arasalar, Children's Park, Restaurants, Tennis Court are also attracting large crowd of local people and tourists.

The boat club offers .....

...read more

At a distance of 1.5 km from Karaikal Railway Station, Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple is a Hindu temple situated in Barathiar Street in the center of Karaikal Town.

The temple was constructed by Malaiperumal Pillai in 1929. The main goddess is Punithavathi, also known as Karaikal Ammaiyar, the only woman out of the sixty three Nayanmars. This temple is known for the huge idol of the lady saint and there is also a sanctum for Vinayaka inside this temple.

According to history, a lady named Punithavathi lived in Karaikal in 5th century AD. She married a merchant named Paramadatta and performed spiritual Pujas to Lord Siva. One day Lord Shiva sent two mangoes to Paramadatta through a devotee and he sent it home. Lord Siva disguised himself as a Saint and appeared before her for taking food in the house of Punithavathi. She offered food along with mangoes kept for her husband to the Saint. When the food was supplied to her husband he demanded the mangoes that he had given to her. She .....

...read more

At a distance of 6 km from Karaikal Railway Station, 96 km from Thanjavur and 135 km Pondicherry, Sri Saneeswarar Temple, also known as Dharbaranyeswara Swamy Temple is one of the most popular Shani Temples in India and is located in Thirunallar near Karaikal. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Dharbaranyeswara Temple houses a rare Marakata Linga.

According to history, the great King Nala was relieved from the trouble of Lord Saneeswaran after worshipping the Lord consecrated in this temple. It is believed that by bathing in Nala theertham here will wash off all kinds of misfortunes and miseries caused by one's past karmas. Whenever (planet) Saturn transits from one zodiac sign to another once in every 2.5 years, millions throng this shrine to offer prayers. Believed to have been built in the 7th century, the temple also has small shrines dedicated to other gods including Lord Ganesha.

Marakata Linga (Emerald Linga) is located inside .....

...read more

At a distance of 1 km from Tirumalarajan Pattinam Bus Stop and 8 km from Karaikal, Aayiram Kaliamman Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Kali is renowned for housing a wooden statue of the goddess.

According to legend, a devotee of Senguntha Mudaliar community had a dream to collect a Goddess Amman idol in silver box floating in sea. The next day he visited the sea shore and found the box with the idol of Goddess Amman with inscription in palm leaf indicating that this deity has to be worshipped with 1000 items daily.

Since performing puja with 1000 items could not be conducted daily, the people of the locality decided to have the puja conducted once in 5 years. Accordingly, even today during the Tamil month of Vaikasi, the festival is conducted for 3 days during the months of May and June. After the festival, the idol is kept back in the box to be opened during the next festival after 5 years. The temple will be kept open throughout the year but the original idol .....

...read more

At a distance of 1.5 km from Karaikal Railway Station, Sri Nithya Kalyana Perumal Temple is situated on the Bharathiar Road and close to the Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple.

This temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu has an idol of Vishnu carved using a single stone in the lying posture (known as Ananthasayanam). The temple premises also have shrines of Alamelu Thaayar and Aandal.

Rama Navami, Vaikunta Ekadasi, Hanuman Jayanti and the entire month of Margazhi are the festive days at this temple and large number of pilgrims visits the temple on these occasions.

Timings: 6 AM - 8 PM

...read more

At a distance of 2.5 km from Karaikal Railway Station, Sri Parvatheeswara Swami Temple is situated on Thirunallar road near Pondicherry University.

This temple is dedicated to Lord Parvatheeswara, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. This is a west facing temple and represents Chola architectural style. It is believed to be built around the 8th century, during the reign of Pallavas but the temple was thought to be reconstructed during the period of the Cholas. The site is one of the four places in Karaikal region visited by Thirugnanasambandar, a saint who sang Pathigam in honour of Sri Parvatheeswara Swami. The temple celebrates Vijayadasami, Kadaimuzhukku, Thiruvadhirai and Surasamharam festivals.

Timings: 6 AM - 8 PM

...read more

At a distance of 1.2 km from Karaikal Railway Station, Mastan Syed Dawood Dargah is a famous tomb that houses the relics of Syed Dawood, a Muslim saint born at Bukhara, a city in Uzbekistan. The saint arrived in India for taking spiritual guidance from Halareth Syed Ahmed Kalkhel Diwan Oliulla of Trichy. Staying in the region during his entire lifetime, the saint died in February 1829 at the age of around 120 years.

Kandoori Festival is one of the most popular Muslim festivals in the region which is held at Mastan Syed Dawood Dargah in Karaikal. This festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm by local people in honor of Syed Dawood. The dargah is adorned with flowers and other decorative materials during the annual Kandoori festival, which is marked by processions, music, dance and display of fireworks.

...read more

At a distance of 9.5 km from Karaikal, Sri Tantondreeswara Temple is an ancient shrine situated in Nedungadu and is believed to have been constructed during the Chola period. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is also known as Tantondrinathar Temple.

Sri Tantondreeswara Temple is named after the local deity Nedunthuyar Theertha Nayaki, meaning one who redressed the longstanding grievances of the people, the consort of Tantondrinathar or Swayambhu Eswara. The temple was declared as a protected monument in 1971. The temple features many inscriptions on the outer walls of the sanctum. It is also believed that the temple was renovated by the Nayak Rulers of Thanjavur. Tourists throng to the temple especially during the celebrations of Thiruvadhirai festival and the annual festival at Sri Mariamman Temple.

Several architectural excavations were conducted near the temple site in 1948, 14 Bronze idols belonging to the 14th century were unearthed in the vicinity of this temple. The .....

...read more

At a distance of 15 km from Karaikal, 10 km from Thirunallar, Bhadrakali Temple is located in the Ambagarathur village of the Karaikal district. The ancient temple is dedicated to Goddess Parasakthi, an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi.

The temple facing north has an attractive Rajagopura, large wide corridors and mandapa surrounding the temple. The temple houses an image of the goddess with 4 arms made using terracotta. The idol of the goddess is always draped in a white cloth with measures around 20 m in length.

According to legend, two demons called Ambaran and Amban were very cruel and started troubling the world. When Indra, Brahma and Vishnu went and complained about them to Lord Shiva, he sent Bhadrakali to kill them. At that time Ambaran took the form of a buffalo and fought with the Goddess. She cut off his head using her sword. The devas requested Goddess Kali to live in that place and protect the people and she stood there facing the north (Vatabhadra Kali). The .....

...read more

At a distance of 6 km from Karaikal, Melakasakudy is one of the popular villages of Karaikal district located on the Karaikal - Nedungadu Road. It is famous for the Varadaraja Perumal Temple which was constructed in the 12th century.

This temple is protected by the state authorities as an ancient monument. The interiors and exteriors of this temple have beautiful stone carvings that enhance the beauty of the monument. Tourists and pilgrims visit this temple mainly during the celebrations of Vaikunta Ekadasi, Thiruvathirai, Chithirai Pournami and Masi Magam festivals. Tourists can also visit Sri Naganatha Swami Temple which is located in the vicinity of the village.

...read more

At a distance of 40 km from Chidambaram, 40 km from Karaikal, 90 km from Thanjavur & 257 km from Chennai, Poompugar is a coastal town in the Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the major places to visit as part of Chidambaram trip.

Poompuhar was once a flourishing ancient port city known as Kaveri Poompattinam and was at its peak of glory under the earlier Chola kings. The River Kaveri is merging with the sea here. It was known as Puhar due to the exquisite beauty of the port town, and it later came to be called Poompuhar. Silappathikaram and Manimekalai, the Tamil epics, bring out the greatness of the city in some of the poems in Sangam literature.

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. As per archaeological evidence found during excavation, this .....

Distance (From Karaikal): 40 Kms
Trip Duration (From Karaikal - Including Travel): 3-4 Hours
.....

...read more

At a distance of 2 km from Thiruvarur Junction, 40 km from Kumbakonam, 39 km from Karaikal and 62 km from Thanjavur, Thiruvarur is a famous temple town known for Sri Thyagaraja Temple is a Hindu temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. This is the fore most form of the Saptha Vidanga Sthalams.

Thyagaraja Swamy temple was first constructed by Aditya Chola I in 9th century. The temple was upgraded and rebuilt with stone by Rajendra Chola I in 11th century. The later expansions are attributed to Vijayanagar rulers. This temple is one of the biggest in the country and has the biggest temple chariot in Tamil Nadu.

Sri Vanmikanathar (Lord Shiva) is the presiding deity of the temple. According to the legend, Vishnu worshipped Shiva in the form of Somaskanda, associated with Ajapa dance. Shiva is said to have appeared in an anthill to Vishnu. So, no abishekam is performed for Vanmikanathar. Daily poojas are offered to a small idol referred .....

Distance (From Karaikal): 39 Kms
Trip Duration (From Karaikal - Including Travel): 2-3 Hours
.....

...read more

At a distance of 20 Kms from Chidambaram, 45 kms from Karaikal and 110 Kms from Thanjavur (located in Nagapattinam district), the Bhramapureeswarar temple in Sirkazhi is build by the Chola kings of Vikrama Chola, Kulottunga II and III in 10th Century.

The Bhramapureeswarar is a vast temple complex with 3 different Shiva Shrines known as Bhramapureeswarar shrine, Thoniappar Shrine and Sattainathar/Vatukanathar Shrine. The Bhramapureeswarar shrine is housed in the lower level. The second level houses Periyanakar with Periyanayaki on a 'Thoni'(boat), hence the name Thoniappar (The boat symbolizes that Thoniappar helps people cross their sea of birth). The Thoniappar shrine on a mound west of the central shrine, and the Sattainathar shrine in the second floor reached from the southern prakaram of the Thoniappar shrine by a flight of steps.

The famous Thirumulaippal Utsav is held every year during Chithirai month.

Open from 6 AM - 9 PM.

Distance (From Karaikal): 45 Kms
Trip Duration (From Vaitheeswaran Koil (5 km) - Including Travel): 1 Hour
.....

...read more

At a distance of 17 km from Mayiladuthurai, 27 km from Chidambaram, 45 kms from Karaikal, 54 km from Kumbakonam and 94 km from Thanjavur, Vaitheeswaran Koil is town in Nagapattinam district which is famous for the Vaidyanatha Swamy Temple. The temple is also known as Pullirukkuvelur.

Vaidyanatha Swamy and Thaiyalnayaki are the presiding deities of this temple. The Selva Muthukumara Swamy shrine here is also considered to be of important. There are Shiva lingas said to have been worshipped by Rama, Jatayu, Skanda, Surya and Angaraka. It is believed that Rama and his brother Lakshmana cremated the vulture king Jatayu who was killed by Ravana when he tried to prevent the abduction of Sita at this place. There is a pond at this temple called Jatayu kundam.

It is one of the Navagraha temples associated with the planet Mars (Angaraka). According to legend, Planet Mars was once afflicted with leprosy and was cured by Vaidyanatha .....

Distance (From Karaikal): 45 Kms
Trip Duration (From Karaikal - Including Travel): 3 Hours
.....

...read more

At a distance of 23 km from Karaikal, 23 km from Mayiladuthurai, 44 km from Chidambaram and 57 km from Kumbakonam, Thirukkadaiyur is a popular temple town located on the east coast of Tamil Nadu in the Nagapattinam district. The Amritaghateswarar - Abirami Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva is the most famous temple in Thirukkadaiyur.

The presiding deity of this temple is Sri Amirthalingeswara and his consort is Sri Abirami. Thirukkadaiyur is one of the 8 Veera Sthalas, where Yama was clashed with Lord Shiva. It is believed that this is the place where Lord Shiva protected Markandeya, son of Mrikandu, from Yama. The scar caused by the Yama's rope is visible on the Linga during abisheka times.

The temple was built by Chola kings in 11th century in the traditional Chola architectural style. Spread over 11 acres, the temple has great architecture and has five enclosures, huge towers and spacious mandapas. Based on the inscriptions .....

Distance (From Karaikal): 23 Kms
Trip Duration (From Karaikal - Including Travel): 2-3 Hours
.....

...read more

At a distance of 43 km Cuddalore, 43 km Mayiladuthurai, 66 km from Pondicherry, 85 km from Nagapattinam, 189 km from Kanchipuram, 217 km from Chennai, 303 km from Madurai and 173 km from Trichy, Chidambaram is a pilgrimage town in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. Well known for Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram is one of the most celebrated shrines in South India and among the most popular places of pilgrimage in Tamilnadu.

Also known as Thillai, Chidambaram is one of the famous places to visit near Trichy. Chidambaram Temple has great religious as well as historic and cultural significance. This is one of the Panchabhoota Stalas signifying the five elements of wind (Kalahasti), water (Tiruvanaikka), fire (Tiruvannamalai), earth (Kanchipuram) and space (Chidambaram). It is one of the must visit places as part of Chidambaram tour packages.

The .....

Distance (From Karaikal): 37 Kms
Trip Duration (From Karaikal - Including Travel): 2-3 Hours
.....

...read more

At a distance of 14 km from Karaikal, 85 Kms from Thanjavur, 9 Kms from Nagapattinam & 291 Kms from Chennai, Nagore is famous for a Muslim dargah dedicated to the 16th century saint Meeran Sahib.

The Nagore Dargah shrines are situated at three locations, Nagore, Vanjur and Silladi. The main campus is at Nagore, spread over an area of about five acres, which is enclosed by compound wall, with four impressive entrances, one each on the north, south, east and west. In front of the western gate, just outside the compound, is a large tower, 131 feet tall, called 'Periya Minara'. Nagore Dargah literature discloses that Tanjore King Pratap Singh built -Periya Minara- around 1760 AD, about 200 years after the death of Meeran Sahib. He is said to have built it in appreciation of having received the grace of Meeran Sahib.

Although this is a Muslim religious place, the dargah's rituals and architecture are influenced by Hinduism. Kandhuri .....

Distance (From Karaikal): 14 Kms
Trip Duration (From Karaikal - Including Travel): 2 Hours
.....

...read more

At a distance of 1 km from Velankanni Railway Station, 31 km from Karaikal, 93 km from Thanjavur, 11 km from Nagapattinam, 161 km from Pondicherry, and 313 km from Chennai, the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is located in Velankanni town of Tamil Nadu. Situated on the coast of Bay of Bengal, this is one of the most popular Christian pilgrimage in South India, and among the famous places to visit as part of Thanjavur trip.

The Roman Catholic Latin Rite Basilica of Velankannin is devoted to Our Lady of Good Health. The Shrine of Our Lady of Velankanni is one of the most frequented religious sites in Tamilnadu. It can be traced back to the mid-16th century and is attributed to three miracles at different sites around where the Basilica currently stands. The appearance of Mary and Christ Child to a shepherd boy, the curing of .....

Distance (From Karaikal): 31 Kms
Trip Duration (From Karaikal - Including Travel): 2-3 Hours
.....

...read more

At a distance of 20 km from Karaikal, 85 Kms from Thanjavur & 298 Kms from Chennai, Nagapattinam is a coastal town on Bay of Bengal and is a district headquarters.

This place is also famous for its temples. There are few famous temples in Nagapattinam - The Shri Kayahorana Swami Neelayathatchi Amman Temple, Sowriraja Perumal Temple, and Nellukkadai Mariamman Temple.

The long and clear beaches of Nagapattinam attract large crowds on evenings.

This favourite town of Chola Kings was also celebrated later by Vijayanagara Kings. The Portuguese had a commercial contact with this town during the rule of the Thanjavur Nayak Sevvappa Nayakkar and Acchuthappa Nayakkar.

There are several historical and pilgrimage places around Nagapattinam.

Distance (From Karaikal): 20 Kms
Trip Duration (From Karaikal - Including Travel): 4 Hours/Half Day
.....

...read more

At a distance of 14 km from Karaikal, Tranquebar, also known as Tharangambadi, is a small coastal town in the district of Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. Situated along the Coromandel Coast, it was the first trading post of the Danish in India, and among the top places of heritage in Tamil Nadu.

Tranquebar is a town that exudes grandeur and history and is steeped in colonial architecture, stunning beaches, and rich cultural heritage. The Danish history of Tranquebar dates back to 1620, making it the oldest Danish settlement in India, predating Serampore near Kolkata by about 135 years. A contract between Danish East India Company envoy Admiral Ove Gjedde and Ragunath Nayak of Thanjavur transformed the tiny fishing village into a flourishing trading port centered around a small fort. Soon, mansions and churches were built and Tranquebar became a small, coastal colonial town. The Danes left in 1845, but the town still has remnants from the time, making it a charming coastal getaway, especially .....

...read more

At a distance of 22.5 km from Karaikal, 80 Kms from Thanjavur and 5 Kms from Nagapattinam (which is 85 Kms from Thanjavur), this temple is situated on Nagapattinam-Tiruvarur main road. The ancient history says here Lord Murugan got the 'Sakthi Vel' from Parvathi (refered as Velnedunkanni amman in this temple ) and killed Suran. This temple is one of the few temples in Tamilnadu which has both Siva and Vishnu in the same campus. The 'Vel vankuthal' festival in the Tamil month of Iyappasi is very famous here.

...read more

At a distance of 20 km from Karaikal, 80 Kms from Thanjavur and 5 Kms from Nagapattinam, this temple is situated at about 1 Km north of Ramarmadam Busstop in Nagapattinam - Tiruvarur Main Road.

The ancient history says Kamadhenu, the devalogha cow prayed to Lord shiva in this shrine to get rid of its sabam. One more speciality about this temple, on evenings, Nataraja is worshipped first prior to all other gods. This is also referred as Dhakshina Chidambaram (chidambaram is where famous temple of lord Nataraja located). This village is also called as Vyagrapuri named after the lord.

...read more

At a distance of 35 km from Mayiladuthurai, 43 km from Thanjavur, 54 km from Karaikal, 65 km from Nagapattinam, 72 km from Chidambaram, 105 km from Trichy, 129 km from Pondicherry, 235 km from Madurai, and 282 km from Chennai, Kumbakonam is one of the ancient temple town located amidst the two rivers Cauvery and Arasalar in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. Kumbakonam is one of the top places to visit in Tamilnadu, and among the popular places to visit near Chennai.

Kumbakonam is known for its temples and mutts (monasteries) which are the main highlights of Kumbakonam tour packages. The name Kumbakonam in English means the Pot's Corner. In the olden days, it was called Thirukudamookku and it is also popularly called Kudanthai now. According to history, Kumbakonam dates back to the Sangam period and was ruled by the .....

Distance (From Karaikal): 54 Kms
Trip Duration (From Karaikal - Including Travel): Full Day
.....

...read more