Virudhunagar is a town in Virudhunagar district of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Virudhunagar district. The town came to prominence during the British times when it was an important trading town. The town is the birthplace of K. Kamaraj, a freedom fighter, Ex-Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and Bharat Ratna. Located to east of river Kowsika, Virudhunagar has an average elevation of 102 m (335 ft), has a plain topography with no major geological formation. The town experiences a humid climate and receives 780 mm (31 in) rainfall annually.
Virudhunagar is administered by a special grade municipality covering an area of 6.39 km (2.47 sq mi). As of the census of India 2001, Virudhunagar had a population of 72,081. Being the administrative headquarters of the district, the town has a lot of teritiary sector activities and majority of the work force is employed in agriculture, mining, quarrying, live stocks, manufacturing, construction, trade, commerce and services. Roadways are the major means of transportation with a total of 78.923 km (49.040 mi) of district roads including a national highway passing through the town. The town has rail connectivity and is located in the rail head connecting Madurai and Kanyakumari. The nearest airport is Madurai, located 45 km (28 mi) away from the town. There are 14 schools, two arts & science college, one polytechnic college and three university study centres
