Madurai District is situated on the banks of the river Vaigai. It is bordered by
Dindigul District in the north,
Sivagangai District in the east,
Theni District in the west and
Virudhunagar District in the south. With an area of 3,741 sq km, Madurai District has a population of over 2.6 million. The official language is
Tamil. Other languages spoken are English,
Telugu,
Hindi and
Sourashtra. Madurai, the second largest city in
Tamil Nadu, is the headquarters.
Madurai District receives most of its rainfall during the north-west monsoon season (September to November). The main occupation is agriculture. The major crops are paddy, millet, pulses, cotton, oilseed and sugarcane. Textile industry, dairy farms and engineering industry are the major industries.
Madurai District is famous for the
Meenakshi Temple with its towering gopurams and rare sculptures. Thirumalai Naicker Mahal, Alagarkoil, Thirupparankundram, Vaigai dam and Thiruvathavoor are the main tourist attractions. Puthu Mandabam and Town hall road are the main places for shopping.
Pongal (Harvest festival), Jallikattu (Taming the Bull), Festival of the Cradle, Avanimoolam and
Navratri are the major festivals.
