known for its Chettinad cuisine, which is very hot and spicy. In fact, Chettinad has one of the South Indian cuisines with large number of specialty restaurants. A typical meal will have meat, a large number of courses, and is served on a banana leaf. Also, the old Chettiar mansions are rich in heritage, art and architecture. The affluence of the chettiars are shown off in their palatial houses, including one example in Kanadukathan. Carved teak wood doors and frames, marble floors, granite pillars, Belgian mirrors and Italian tiles are the norms. Pandiyan temples There are also a few Pandiyan temples. For instance, the Kaleeswara Temple and Karpaka Vinayakar Temple and Sri Sowmiyanarayana Perumal Kovil in Thirukoshtiyur attract large number of pilgrims. Anjanamaar Panch peer dargah This is a shrine of the five soldiers in the troop of Badusha Sulthan Syed Ibrahim shaheed of Ervadi. The dargah is situated at Kannar Street in the Manamadurai – Ilaiyangudi state highway within the panchayat limits of Manamadurai. The annual urus festival marking the martyrdom day of the Panch shuhadas is commemorated on the 17th of the Islamic month of Jamadil Awwal every Hijri year. Other places of interest Sivaganga Palace Keezhadi Archeological excavation site, Keezhadi Sri Malaikoluntheeswarar Temple, Thirumalai Shri Thiruvengadamudaiyan Temple, Ariyakudi is popularly known as the Southern Tirupathi by local people, is a 400-year-old temple just from Karaikudi Vairava Swmay & Poomalachiyamman Temple, N.Vairavanpatti, Karaikudi – Thiruppathur Road, from Karaikudi Pillayarpatti Vinayagar Temple, Pillayarpatti, around from Karaikudi Koviloor Temple, Karaikudi Maranadu karuppanaswamy Temple, Maranadu Manamadurai sri veera Azhagar Temple Ilayangudi Rajendra Chola Eswara Temple Nattarasankottai Shri Kannathal Temple Sree Sornamoortheeshwarar Temple, Kandadevi Kollangudi Vettudaiyar Kaliamman Temple Kaleeswarar Temple (Pandia Mannan), Kalayarkovil Devakottai Nagarasivan Temple Kundrakudi Murugan Temple, kundrakudi Kollakalaiamman Temple Kallal Somasundaram Soundara Nayagi Temple and its Masimaham Festival mostly in the month of February every year. Panchabhutheswaram, known as Vedhiyanendal Vilakku, is from Manamadurai. It is on the way to Paramakudi via Elaiyankudi, the route in which Lord Rama went to Sri Lanka to confront Ravanan. This place is known for its hard cut-rock (granite) temple dedicated to Shri Maha Panchamukha Prathyangira Devi. It also houses the big deity of the god. Sri Arulmigu Pushpavaneswarar Soundaranayagi amman Temple, Thiruppuvanam −630 611 Madapuram Badrakali Amman temple Madapuram Thayamangalam Muthu Mariyamman temple Thirumalai Thirumal Kovil Thirukoshtiyur Sowmya Narayana Perumal temple Piranmalai Kodunkundreeswar Temple, Piranmalai Kilapungudi Shivan koil, Uttiradam Nakshatram temple Idaikattur