Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Sri Thirumeniazhagarswamy Temple is the most prominent landmark of Karaikal, one of the four regions of Pondicherry. Here Lord Shiva is known as Sundareswarar and his consort Goddess Parvati as Soundaryanayagi. The temple is noted for its 45 feet rajagopuram / shikhara. The temple complex also has shrines dedicated to Lord Ganesh, Surya, Goddess Durga, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Kartikeya, Chandikeswarar, Ayyanar and Punnaivananathar.
Karaikal is located 135 km from Pondicherry and 300 km from Chennai. It is surrounded by Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts of Tamil Nadu.