Karaikal district

Karaikal (also Karikal or Karaikkal) is one of the four s of the of  in.

area_total = 160 km2

Geography
Karaikal is a small coastal enclave of territory which was formerly part of. Together with the other former French enclaves of (formerly known as Pondicherry),, and , Karaikal forms the Union Territory of Puducherry. Karaikal is bounded on the North and South by of  state, on the west by  (also belonging to Tamil Nadu), and on the East by the. The enclave is located 132 south of the city of Puducherry, and is known for its rich cultural heritage.

2004 Tsunami: On the 26th of December 2004, Karaikal faced its worst tragedy in recent memory. waves hit this coastal town and more than 500 people, mostly fishermen and their families, were washed away by the killer waves.

Places of interest
Its calm beaches are the prime tourist attraction of Karaikal. Several tourist destinations that lie in neighbouring are within easy distance of Karaikal. These include the temples of Sani; the temple of Shiva at Tirunallar; the Christian shrine and at ; and the Muslim dargah at. Other local sights include the church of Our Lady of Angels; Karikal Ammaiyar Temple; The dargah of Mastan Syed Dawood; the Bhadrakaliamman Temple at Ambagarattur; the Lord Darbharanyeshwar Temple at Tirunallar; and the Ayiramkaliyamman Temple at Tirumalrayanpattinam. Ten kilometres to the North of Karikal is the former colony of Tranquebar (Tharangambadi).