Karaikudi is a city and a municipality in Sivaganga District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the largest city in Sivaganga district, and is known as the capital of Chettinad region, which comprises Karaikudi and 74 other villages. Chettinad is the homeland of the Nattukottai Chettiars (Nagarathar), a prosperous banking and business community, many of whose members migrated to nearby Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Burma, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The people of Karaikudi (nattars) played a major role during the Indian freedom struggle against the Britishers rendering their wholehearted support to the Maruthu Brothers of the Pandian dynasty. Karaikudi got its name because of the famous plant called "Karai" which is widely spread over this area. Karaikudi had a population of 86,422. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%.