Madurai district in the context of Districts of Tamil Nadu

Madurai is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai district, which is governed by the Madurai Municipal Corporation established on 1 November 1866. As of the 2011 census, it is the third largest metropolis in Tamil Nadu after Chennai and Coimbatore in terms of population and 27th largest urban agglomeration in India. Located on the banks of Vaigai River, Madurai has been a major settlement for two millennia and has a documented history of more than 2500 years. It is often referred to as "Thoongatha Nagaram", meaning "the city that never sleeps".

Madurai is one of the oldest cities in India and South Asia. The third Tamil Sangam, a major congregation of Tamil scholars, is said to have been held in the city. The recorded history of the city goes back to the 3rd century BCE, being mentioned by Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to the Mauryan Empire, and Kautilya, a minister of the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya. Signs of human settlements and Roman trade links dating back to 300 BCE are evident from excavations by Archeological Survey of India in Manalur. The city is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Pandyan Kingdom, Chola Empire, Madurai Sultanate, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Carnatic kingdom, and the British East India Company's British Raj. The city has a number of historical monuments, with the Koodal Azhagar temple, Meenakshi Temple and the Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal being the most prominent.

The Vaigai is a river in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India; it passes through the towns of Theni, Madurai, Manamadurai, Paramakudi and Ramanathapuram. It originates in Varusanadu Hills, the Periyar Plateau of the Western Ghats range, and flows northeast through the Kambam Valley, which lies between the Palani Hills to the north and the Varushanad Hills to the south. The Vattaparai Falls are located on this river. As it rounds the eastern corner of the Varushanad Hills, the river turns southeast, running through the region of Pandya Nadu. Madurai, the largest city in the Pandya Nadu region and its ancient capital, lies on the Vaigai. The river empties into the Palk Bay near Alagankulam, close to Pamban Bridge in Ramanathapuram District.

The Vaigai is 258 kilometres (160 mi) long, with a drainage basin 7,031 square kilometres (2,715 sq mi) large. This river flows through 5 districts namely Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram and serves as a lifeline for 6 districts namely Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangai, Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram as farmers of all these districts are greatly depends on this river water.

The Kingdom of Travancore (/ˈtrævəŋkɔːr/), also known as the Thiruvithamkoor Kingdom (Malayalam: [t̪iɾuʋid̪aːŋɡuːr]) and Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore royal family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At its zenith, the kingdom covered most of the south of modern-day Kerala (Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts, major portions of Ernakulam district, Puthenchira village of Thrissur district) and the southernmost part of modern-day Tamil Nadu (Kanyakumari district and some parts of Tenkasi district) with the Thachudaya Kaimal's enclave of Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple in the neighbouring kingdom of Cochin. However Tangasseri area of Kollam city and Anchuthengu near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram were parts of British India.

Malabar District of Madras Presidency was to the north, the Madurai and Tirunelveli districts of Pandya Nadu region in Madras Presidency to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south, and the Arabian Sea to the west.

Mangulam or Mankulam is a village in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Madurai. The inscriptions discovered in the region are the earliest Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions.

Sivaganga district is one of the 38 districts (an administrative district) in Tamil Nadu, the south Indian state. This district was formed on 15 March 1985 by trifurcation of Ramanathapuram district into Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar and Sivaganga districts. The city of Sivaganga is the district headquarters, while Karaikudi is the most populous city in the district, administered by the Karaikudi Municipal Corporation. It is bounded by Pudukkottai district on the northeast, Tiruchirappalli district on the north, Ramanathapuram district on southeast, Virudhunagar district on southwest and Madurai district on the west. The area's other larger towns include Sivaganga, Kalayar Kovil, Devakottai, Manamadurai, Ilaiyangudi, Thiruppuvanam, Singampunari and Tiruppattur. As of 2011, the district had a population of 1,339,101 with a sex ratio of 1,003 females for every 1,000 males.

Theni district is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in India. Surrounded by hills, the district is located to the west of Madurai district. The town of Theni is the district headquarters. The district is divided into two natural divisions by the hills and is further subdivided into five Taluks: Theni, Bodinayakanur, Periyakulam, Uthamapalayam and Andipatti. The area is rich in natural features, with thick vegetation and perennial streams from the hills on the western side, and Cumbum Valley, which lies in Uthamapalayam taluk. As of 2011, Theni district had a population of 1,245,899.

Dindigul district is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Dindigul District is the largest district in Tamil Nadu by area. The district was carved out of Madurai District in 1985. It has an area of 6266.64 km and comprises 3 revenue divisions, 10 taluks, and 14 panchayat unions. The district is located in Southwest of Tamil Nadu. The district is bound by Madurai district in the south,Tiruppur district in the northwest, Karur district in the north, Tiruchirappalli district in the northeast, Theni district in the Southwest and Idukki district of Kerala to the west. As of 2011, the district had a population of 2,159,775 with a sex-ratio of 998 females for every 1,000 males.