University in Chennai. Travel The nearest airports are Madurai Airport and Tiruchirappalli International Airport while the largest towns in the area are Karaikudi and Devakottai. Trains that run from Chennai to Rameshwaram stop at Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, Kanadukaathan (Chettinad Station), Devakottai and Kallal. Karaikudi Junction railway station is the major station. Karaikkudi and Aranthangi railway station. There are also frequent town buses connects Chettinad to Karaikudi, Ponnamaravathy, Devakottai Pudukkottai and Aranthangi. Notable people Alagappa Chettiar - founder of the various educational institutions in Karaikudi and its surroundings. Alagappa University, Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology, and Alagappa Government Arts College are a few institutes named in his honour. Annamalai Chettiar - founder of Indian Bank and the Annamalai University bears his name. Muthiah Chettiar S. Rm. Muthiah Chettiar M. A. M. Muthiah M. A. M. Ramaswamy M. A. Chidambaram P. Chidambaram - former Finance Minister of India. Kaviarasar Kannadasan - Tamil poet. Justice A. R. Lakshmanan (b. 1942) - former judge of the Supreme Court of India and current chairman of the Law Commission of India. Lena Chettiar A. V. Meiyappan - founder of AVM Productions, the oldest and largest film production studio in Kollywood, the Tamil language film industry of India. Hari Sevugan Rama Narayanan, film director and producer Sp Muthuraman, film director and producer Vasanth, director Soma Valliappan References External links Sivaganga district