Karaikal(also Karikal or Karaikkal) is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The imperial Gazetteer gives it the meaning 'fish pass'. According to Julien vinson the town is said to have known as Karaigiri in Sanskrit. However, the name Karaikal is no doubt a combination of two words 'Karai' and 'Kal'. Both the words 'Karai and 'Kal' have several meanings, of which the more acceptable ones are 'lime mix' and 'canal' respectively. Hence it has been suggested that the name may mean a canal built of lime mix.However, no trace of such a canal is evident now.
Attractions:
Beaches:Calm beaches are the prime tourist attraction of Karaikal.
Velankanni Basilica: The church can be traced to the mid-16th century and its founding is attributed to three miracles: the apparition of Mary and Jesus to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the survival of Portuguese sailors assaulted by a violent sea storm. Although all three events resulted in the erection of a shrine, it was the promise of the Portuguese sailors that caused a permanent edifice to be built at Velankanni. The chapel was dedicated on the feast of the Nativity of Mary (8 September), the day of their safe landing. More than 500 years later, the festival and celebration is still observed and draws nearly 2 million pilgrims each year. The Shrine of Our Lady of Velankanni, also known as the "Lourdes of the East",[2] is one of the most frequented religious sites in India. The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health was built in the late 16th century with modifications by Portuguese and further expansions later on due to influx of pilgrimages.
Nagore Darga: This Dargah is built over the tomb of the Sufi a saint Hazrath Nagore Shahul Hamid (1490–1579 CE).[1] It is located in Nagore, a coastal town in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shahul Hamid is believed to have performed many miracles in Nagore, and cured the physical affliction of king Achutappa Nayak, a 16th-century Hindu ruler of Thanjavur. He is locally referred as Nagore Andavar, meaning the "god of Nagore". Nagore dargah as it stands now, is believed to be built by ardent devotees of Shahul Hamid, with major contribution from Hindus. There are five minarets in the dargah, with the Hindu Maratha ruler of Thanjavur Pratap Singh (1739–1763 CE), building the tallest minaret.
Point Calimere Wildlife & Bird Sanctuary: It is a 21.47-square-kilometre (8.29 sq mi) protected area in Tamil Nadu, South India along the Palk Straight where it meets the Bay of Bengal at Point Calimere at the southeastern tip of Nagapattinam District. The sanctuary was created in 1967 for conservation of the near threatened Blackbuck Antelope, an endemic mammal species of India. It is famous for large congregations of waterbirds, especially Greater Flamingos.International name: Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, IBA Code: IN275, Criteria: A1, A4i, A4iii. The 7-square-kilometre (2.7 sq mi) core area of this sanctuary has been proposed as a National Park.
