Karaikal (English: /kɑːɹaɪ̯kʌl/, Tamil: [kaːɾɐi̯kːaːl], French: Karikal /kaʁikal/) is a port city of the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry.

Located on the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal in South India, it is situated at the center of a coastal enclave surrounded by the state of Tamil Nadu and its Cauvery delta districts (Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam).

In 1749, additional territories consisting of 81 villages were ceded by Pratap Singh to the French during their siege of Thanjavur, a grant that was confirmed by treaty in 1754.

The French continued to hold control, despite occasional interruptions by the British Raj, until 1954, when it was de facto incorporated into the Republic of India.

Karaikal, along with the other French Indian colonies of Mahé, Yanaon, Chandernagor, and Pondichéry, was de jure integrated into India in 1962.

Although Arasalar and its branches spread through Karaikal, the waters of Kudamurutti and Virasolanar also meet the irrigation needs of the region.

The group of rocks known as Cuddalore formations is met with in the area contiguous to Karaikal region in Nagapattinam district.

[8] A sanctuary, the Karaikal Ammaiyar temple, is dedicated to her, and popular for its annual celebration of Mangani (the Mango Festival or Fête des Mangues in French), which takes place in summer.

A second religious celebration in the town concerns exclusively the Kailasanathar temple, which organizes the Karaikal Chariot festival.

Karaikal is also commonly associated with the temple devoted to the Lord Saneesvara at Thirunallar, one of the Navagraha Sthalam in the Kumbakonam region.

[12] The town witnessed the establishment of a Bukharan Muslim Sufi cleric christened Mastan Saheb in the early 19th century.

The other main source is the liquor business, the tax being less and the cost almost half when compared to the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.

Karaikal is one of the towns in South India with high cost of living due to French NRI's presence.

The company planned to expand the airport after five years, extending the runway to 2,600 metres (8,500 feet) and increasing terminal building capacity to 500 passengers per hour.

The Karaikal port is intended to primarily handle cement and coal to serve the hinterland in Ariyalur, Perambalur and Tiruchi districts.

Further, Karaikal is in the middle of the Tamil Nadu coast, midway between the two deepwater ports of Chennai and Tuticorin.

and Private buses available from Karaikal to Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram.

Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) was established in Karaikal in 2016 with an initial intake of 50 students.