Mayiladuthurai district is a district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was carved out of the erstwhile Nagapattinam district and formally inaugurated on 28 March 2021, becoming the 38th district of Tamil Nadu. Its headquarters is the town of Mayiladuthurai, located on the banks of the Kaveri river.
| State | Tamil Nadu |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Mayiladuthurai |
| Formed | 28 March 2021 |
| Carved from | Nagapattinam district |
| Region | Cauvery delta |
| Major river | Kaveri |
| Languages | Tamil |
The Mayiladuthurai region lies in the fertile Cauvery delta, historically one of the rice-growing heartlands of southern India. The area has long been associated with Saiva and Vaishnava religious traditions, and several towns within the district feature in the Tevaram hymns of the Nayanars and the Divya Prabandham of the Alvars.
Before the 2021 reorganisation, the taluks now forming Mayiladuthurai district were administered as part of Nagapattinam district. Demands for a separate district had been raised over many years on grounds of administrative convenience, the geographic separation of the Mayiladuthurai region from coastal Nagapattinam, and the distinct delta agrarian economy of the area.
The Government of Tamil Nadu announced the bifurcation of Nagapattinam district in 2020, and the new Mayiladuthurai district was inaugurated on 28 March 2021. The taluks transferred to the new district include Mayiladuthurai, Sirkazhi, Tharangambadi, Kuthalam and Sembanarkoil.
The district is bounded by Cuddalore district to the north, Thanjavur district and Thiruvarur district to the west and south, the residual Nagapattinam district to the south-east, and the Bay of Bengal to the east. The terrain is largely flat alluvial plain, traversed by distributaries of the Kaveri including the Kollidam.
Agriculture, particularly paddy cultivation, dominates the rural economy, supported by canal irrigation from the Cauvery system. Allied activities such as fisheries along the coast, sugarcane and pulses cultivation, and small-scale agro-processing are also significant. The towns of Mayiladuthurai and Sirkazhi serve as commercial and educational centres for the surrounding rural belt.
Mayiladuthurai district concentrates a dense cluster of temple towns and historical sites within the Cauvery delta, including locations central to Tamil Saiva and Vaishnava devotional traditions and to early Tamil maritime history. The creation of a separate district was intended to bring administrative services closer to these communities and to streamline delta-region planning.