51 villages around Ilayangudi which falls under Ilayangudi town panchayat Governance The local governance of Ilaiyangudi is conducted under the Panchayati system. The town is divided into 18 wards. Elections for representatives of the wards are held every five years. The Ilaiyangudi panchayat provides water and sewerage amenities to nearly 6,000 residences and builds roads within the town limits. The services are funded by taxes paid to the panchayat. Ilaiyyangudi is a center of governance (tehsil) for the town itself, an area of 16.4 km2, and for many surrounding villages. The Ilaiyangudi assembly constituency is part of the Sivaganga Lok Sabha. In 1965, under a Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, during the election of the 4th Lok Sabha, Ilaiyangudi became the 197th constituency of the Tamil Nadu state legislative assembly. In 2008, under a Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituency Order, the Ilaiyangudi assembly constituency was merged with Manamadurai. Government Services Cuisine Ilayangudi is very famous for Parotta, a Subcontinental layered flatbread made from Maida or Atta. Apart from Parotta, the town also has Biriyani, Fastfood centers and shawarma, Idly shops, bakeries, Tea shops. Literature People from Ilaiyangudi have contributed to Tamil literature. However, few works of Ilaiyangudi authors have been preserved as printed works. Katchi Pillaiyammal was the first published poet of Ilaiyangudi. Her father was Lukman Rawther, a philosopher. Pillaiyammal's main theme was wisdom. Seeniaabil Rawther wrote Singara Vazhi Lavani about Ilaiyangudi. It was published in 1918 by Sivagangai Sri Kala Press. Mathura Kavi Thenmalaikhan Mathura Kavi Batcha Pulavar (1860 CE 1930 CE) lived in Ilaiyangudi and was honoured with a parcel of land (a pattayam) by the Zamindar of Sivaganga. He was a descendant of the Noordeen family. A building in Ilaiyangudi, built by Mathura Kavi's grandson, and a street in Ilaiyangudi are named after Mathura Kavi. In 1892 CE, Mathura Kavi wrote a collection of poems in praise of Nagoor Meeran Shahib. The first edition was published by Mohamed Samadani Press (Ibrahim Rawther) in Karaikal. The second edition was published in 1963 CE by Quraniya Press (Abdul Jabbar) in Madurai. Also in 1892 CE, the Madurai Pandiyan Press published his Pillai Thzamil Collection. In them, he narrates the childhood events of Nagore Shahul Hamid (1490 CE 1579 CE), an Islamic mystic saint and preacher in Tamil Nadu. A second edition was published in 1963 CE by Quraniya Press, Madurai. The collection includes four short