Pudukkottai

Pudukkottai is the administrative headquarters of Pudukkottai District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Pudukottai Municipal Corporation is located on the banks of the Vellar River.[1] It has been ruled, at different times, by the mutharaiyar dynasty, Cholas, Early Pandyas, Thondaimans, and the British. It is situated about 395 kilometres (245 mi) southwest of the state capital Chennai and about 55 kilometres (34 mi) southeast of Tiruchirappalli. Tamil Nadu's first woman Asian Games competitor, Santhi Soundarajan, is from Pudukkottai.[2] Pudukkottai is called as city of cradle of archeology. Being the district headquarters, Pudukkottai has district administrative offices, besides government educational institutes, colleges, and schools. Pudukkottai is a part of the Pudukkottai constituency and elects its member to the legislative assembly every five years; and is a part of the Lok Sabha constituency comprising Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Tiruchirappalli and Karur. The city is administered by a selection-grade municipality established in 1912 as per the Municipal Corporation Act. Pudukkottai covers an area of 21.25 km2 and had a population of 117,745 in 2011. Roadways are the major mode of transport to the city, while it has also got rail connectivity. The nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli International Airport, located at a distance of 45 km from the city.