Mayiladuthurai (formerly known as Mayavaram or Mayuram) is a Special Grade Municipality and the district headquarters of Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu, India. The town is located from the state capital, Chennai.
In medieval times, Mayiladuthurai was ruled by the Chola Dynasty. It was subsequently part of the Pallavas, Pandiyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Thanjavur Nayak kingdom, Thanjavur Maratha kingdom, and eventually the British Empire. Mayiladuthurai was a part of the erstwhile Tanjore district until India's independence in 1947, Thanjavur district until 1991, and subsequently a part of the newly formed Nagapattinam district until 2020. Mayiladuthurai was carved out of Nagapattinam district and inaugurated as the 38th district of Tamil Nadu on 28 December 2020.
Mayiladuthurai is administered by a town panchayat established in 1866. In 1949, it was upgraded to a selection-grade municipality, and in 2023 it was upgraded to special-grade municipality status. As of 2025, the municipality covered an area of . Mayiladuthurai is within the Mayiladuthurai constituency of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and elects its member once every five years. It is part of the Mayiladuthurai constituency of the national assembly and elects its Member of Parliament (MP) also once every five years.
Mayiladuthurai serves as an important junction of the main line connecting Chennai with Trichy. Roadways and railways are the major mode of transportation to the town. The nearest airport, Pondicherry Airport, is located away. The town is known for agriculture and weaving. As Mayiladuthurai district is situated on the east coast, fishing plays a vital role in generating its revenue. In 2023, the district was declared a protected agricultural zone.
Etymology The name Mayiladuthurai is derived from a story in which the goddess Parvathi manifested herself as a peacock (mayil) to attract the attention of Lord Shiva through a miraculous dance. Mayuranathaswami Temple is one of the most important Hindu temples in the town. There is a statue depicting goddess Amman in a peahen form worshipping lingam, an iconic symbol of Shiva.Ayyar 1920, p 57The Imperial Gazetteer Of India Vol.17
History
Mayiladuthurai is known to have been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC. Ancient pottery shards have been found at Akkur, to the east of Mayiladuthurai.Archaeological Survey of India 1969, p. 23 In 2006, artifacts with Indus Valley signs dated between 2000 and 1500 BC were found at the nearby village of Sembiyankandiyur. There were references to Mayiladuthurai in the works of the 7th century Saivite saint Sambandar.Swami 1939, p. 317
The region's oldest extant temples date to the time of the Cholas. Epigraphic records indicate that during the Chola period, the Mayavaram region formed parts of two administrative divisions: Rajadhiraja-valanadu, named after Rajendra Cholan I and Uyyakkondar-valanadu, an administrative divisions in Kaveri delta region. During the reign of Kulottunga I and his successors, the division was also referred to by names such as Rajanarayana-valanadu, Rajasundara-valanadu, and Jayangonda-Chola-valanadu.South Indian epigraphy, pg. 80, 87
An inscription discovered at Akkur in the Mayavaram records the activities of Pallava ruler Kopperunchinga I during the 13th century AD. The record states that he subdued the forces of the Hoysala Empire and exacted tribute from the Pandya dynasty before returning to the Chola dynasty country. Travelling eastward along the southern bank of the Kaveri River, he visited several sacred sites, ordered repairs to temples, and granted tax-free status to lands belonging to them.
In the later 13th century AD, inscriptions of the Pandyas in the Mayavaram record the activities of rulers such as Jatavarman Sundara Pandya I and Maravarman Sundara Pandyan I. These inscriptions, found at Akkur temple, document temple endowments and other administrative actions.
The Thanjavur Nayak king Raghunatha Nayak constructed mandapams in Mayiladuthurai.Aiyangar 1919, p. 324 During the 17th and 18th centuries AD, Mayiladuthurai was ruled by the Thanjavur Marathas.Trivedi 1971, p. 53
In 1799, Mayiladuthurai was ceded to the British East India Company, along with the rest of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom, by the Thanjavur Maratha ruler Serfoji II.S. S. 1996, p. 125 Mayiladuthurai prospered under British rule, emerging as an important town in the Tanjore district. When the Tanjore district was trifurcated in 1991, Mayiladuthurai was transferred to the newly formed Nagapattinam district. Mayiladuthurai District, with the town as its headquarters, was inaugurated as the 38th district of Tamil Nadu on 28 December 2020. The district was carved out of the existing Nagapattinam district.
Geography and climate
Mayliladuthurai is located from Chennai and from Tiruchirappalli.Chockalingam 1974 Situated at a distance of from the Bay of Bengal coast, the town is situated at an altitude of barely above mean sea level. The Kaveri River runs through the town, bisecting it into Uttara Mayuram and Mayuram proper. Most of the town lies to the south of the river, and the Mayuranathaswami Temple lies a mile to its south. The Parimala Ranganatha Perumal temple is situated at Tiruindalur, which lies north of the Kaveri River; there is a bathing ghat on the river.
The climate of Mayiladuthurai is tropical, featuring hot temperatures throughout the year, with the exception of monsoon seasons. The average maximum temperature is 39.4 degrees Celsius, while the average minimum temperature is 32.8 degrees Celsius. The average annual rainfall is .
Demographics According to the 2011 census, Mayiladuthurai had a population of 85,632 with a sex-ratio of 1,045 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 7,720 were under the age of six, constituting 3,883 males and 3,837 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 5.87% and .57% of the population respectively. The average literacy rate of the town was 83.55%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had a total of 21,929 households. There were a total of 29,855 workers, comprising 321 cultivators, 707 main agricultural labourers, 734 in household industries, 23,004 other workers, 5,089 marginal workers, 74 marginal cultivators, 485 marginal agricultural labourers, 246 marginal workers in household industries, and 4,284 other marginal workers. As of 2001, there were 26 slums in Mayiladuthurai, with a total population of 32,381.
The density of population is higher in the core areas, along the banks of river Cauvery, compared to the peripheral areas. As of 1996, a total (44.27%) of the land was used for residential, (6.11%) for commercial, (0.56%) for industrial, (1.98%) for educational, (2.16%) for public and semi-public purposes; and (44.92%) was devoted to agriculture.Conversion of City Corporate Plan to Business Plan for Mayiladuthurai municipality Report 2007, p. 5 As of 2008, there were a total of 26 notified slums, with 16,434, comprising 13% of the total population, residing there.Conversion of City Corporate Plan to Business Plan for Mayiladuthurai municipality Report 2007, p. v The municipal data pointed to an increase in population in slum areas.Conversion of City Corporate Plan to Business Plan for Mayiladuthurai municipality Report 2007, p. 3
Hinduism is the major religion followed in Mayiladuthurai, and Tamil is the major language spoken. The vast majority of the populace are engaged in agriculture. About 15 percent of the total working population are engaged in trade while 25 percent are engaged in other commercial activities. As per the religious census of 2011, Mayiladuthurai had 88.69% Hindus, 6.38% Muslims, 4.19% Christians, 0.04% Sikhs, 0.03% Buddhists, 0.32% Jains, and 0.35% following other religions.
As of 2026, the estimated population of Mayiladuthurai municipality is approximately 126,000. The 2021 census of India was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. The next censes expected to conduct in 2027, is anticipated to have preliminary result released by late 2027, with the final report expected by late 2028.
Administration and politics District AdministrationDistrict CollectorH.S.Srikanth.,IASSuperintendent of PoliceG.StalinDistrict Revenue OfficerR.PoongudiMunicipality OfficialsCommissionerA. Veera MuthukumarChairmanN.SelvarajVice ChairmanS.SivakkumarElected MembersMember of Legislative AssemblyJamal Mohamed YounoosMember of ParliamentSudha Ramakrishnan
Mayiladuthurai is the headquarters of the Mayiladuthurai district. The town of Mayiladuthurai is administered by a municipal council which was created in 1866, as per the Town Improvements Act 1865. The council initially had eleven members. This was increased to 18 in 1883.Hemingway, p. 213 As of 2025, the municipality covers an area of and its council, in which legislative powers are vested, has a total of 36 members, one from each of the town's 36 wards. The council is headed by an elected chairperson assisted by a deputy chairperson. The functions of the municipality are divided into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town Planning, and the Computer Wing. All these departments are under the control of a municipal commissioner who is the supreme executive head. There are a total of four revenue villages with Mayiladuthurai - Thiruvilandur, Dharmapuram, Nanchilnadu and Kornad. In 2023, Mayiladuthurai's selection grade municipality status was upgraded to special grade municipality.
Mayiladuthurai is represented in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by the Mayiladuthurai state assembly constituency seat. The current Member of Legislative Assembly is S. Rajakumar of the Indian National Congress party alliance with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Mayiladuthurai is a part of the Mayiladuthurai (Lok Sabha constituency). The current Member of Parliament is Sudha Ramakrishnan of the Indian National Congress party alliance with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam by the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.
Utility services Potable water is provided by the municipality. Mayiladuthurai's main source of water is the Kollidam River. A total of 7.50 million liters per day (MLD) are pumped out every day from five water tanks located in various parts of the town. About 104 metric tonnes of solid waste is generated every day, while 85 metric tonnes are collected from the town every day by door-to-door collection. Subsequent source segregation and dumping is carried out by the sanitary department of the municipality.
There is limited underground drainage in the town and the major sewer system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks, open drains, and public conveniences.Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, pp. 8-9 The municipality maintains a total of of surfaced storm water drains and kutcha (mud or brick) drains in Mayiladuthurai.
The Mayiladuthurai municipality, under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme, has launched an ₹83 crore project to improve the city's underground drainage system. The initiative involves replacing 6 km of the existing backbone sewer, setting up a 36 km sewage collection network with over 6,000 household connections, and constructing two sewage treatment plants (STPs) with capacities of 9.05 MLD and 0.44 MLD. The project is scheduled to go live by early 2027.