Why visit Sivakasi
Townapedia lists 1 park or trail, 5 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Weather in Sivakasi
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Sivakasi
Sivakasi (also pronounced Shivakaashi) is a city in Virudhunagar District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city is known for firecrackers and match factories that produce 70% of the country's output. The printing industries in Sivakasi produce 30% of the total diaries produced in India. The industries in Sivakasi employ over 25,000 people and the estimated turnover of the firecracker, match making and printing industries in the city is around ₹20 billion (US$210 million).
From the Wikipedia article Sivakasi (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Sivakasi on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do2
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes5
Where to stay1
Mani's Lodge
Motel and hotel · 0.7 km
Gandhi Road, Behind Bus stand, Sivakasi
History
Sivakasi was established during the early 15th century CE. Between 1428 and 1460, it was ruled by the Pandya king Harikesari Parakkirama Pandian as part of the southern Madurai region (constituting modern Sivakasi and its surroundings). Hindu legend relates that he wanted to construct a temple for the Hindu god Shiva at Tenkasi and went to Kasi to bring a lingam (an iconic representation of Shiva). While returning to his palace with the prized lingam, he rested under the grove of a vilva tree, the favourite tree of Shiva. When a cow carrying the lingam refused to move from the spot, the king realised that the wishes of Shiva were different from his own, and he placed the lingam in the place where the cow halted. The place where the "Shiva lingam brought from Kasi" was installed came to be known as Sivakasi.
Madurai became independent from the Vijayanagar Empire in 1559 under the Nayaks. Nayak rule ended in 1736 and Madurai was repeatedly captured several times by Chanda Sahib (1740–1754), Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan (1725–1764) during the mid-18th century. In 1801, Madurai came under the direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to the Madras Presidency.
From the History section of Sivakasi on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship4
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Healthcare19
Map of Sivakasi
34 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Madurai International Airport (IXM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 54 km away.
- Viswanatham 2 km south, about 2 min by car
- Sithurajapuram 3 km south, about 3 min by car
- Naranapuram 4 km east, about 4 min by car
- Tiruttangal 5 km northeast, about 5 min by car
- Anuppankulam 6 km southeast, about 6 min by car
- Vadi 9 km east, about 9 min by car
- Mettamalai 12 km southeast, about 12 min by car
- Amathur 14 km northeast, about 14 min by car
- Madurai 63 km northeast, about 1 h by car
- Tirunelveli 81 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Bhadrakali Amman, Sivakasi2, Ssriram mt, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sivakasi Bus Stand, Gowtham Sampath, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sivakasi Railway Station, Gowtham Sampath, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Brinjal Masala Fry, Kanchana Bose, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yellow Pumpkin Soup, Kanchana Bose, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kambu chooru, Kanchana Bose, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bike with cloud, Mpraj1996, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 2, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.