RAMANATHAPURAM

town, Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu state, southeastern India. A former capital of the Maravan rajas, it produces textiles and jewelry and has two colleges affiliated with Madurai-Kamaraj University. Its name refers to the Hindu god Rama. Ramanathapuram district has an area of 4,856 sq mi (12,578 sq km) and occupies part of the flat southern coastal plain, including the island of Rameswaram (q.v.). Protected from the northeastern and southwestern monsoons by the Western Ghats to the west and the mountains of Sri Lanka to the southeast, it has an unusually dry climate, but irrigation tanks (embanked earth reservoirs) enable the district to produce chilies and cotton for export. Large-scale industry such as cotton and cement milling has been introduced into its towns, the largest of which include Rajapalaiyam, Virudunagar, and Karaikkudi. About 90 percent of India's fireworks are manufactured in Sivakasi. The district remained independent throughout much of its history, and the Maravan rajas frequently invaded Thanjavur in the 17th and 18th centuries. The British established a rail and ferry system to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) through Rameswaram. Roads radiate from Madurai town in Madurai district to the north. The administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district are located in Madurai. Pop. (1981) town, 45,719; district, 3,335,437.