Planned in the shape of a lotus, Madurai is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu with a history dating back well over 2000 years. The cultural prominence of Madurai in ancient times has earned it the title: 'Athens of South India'. Madurai has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era over 2,500 years ago and was an important cultural and commercial centre even as early as 550 AD.

The city extends over 51.85 square kilometers and has a population of 951,000 (1991 census). The estimated population in the year 1997 had already climbed to 1,115,000. This city finds itself on the national tourist maps as a commercial center, having no major industries within the Corporation boundary.

The first Municipal Council was constituted in Madurai in 1866 when it had a population of 41,601 and covered an area 2.60 square kilometers in size. The Municipality was upgraded to a Corporation in 1971.

Urban Management Efforts

Environmental Protection
In order to protect the environment, Madurai Corporation has allotted two acres of land to the Madurai Chapter of the Indian Society for Environmental Health to install incinerator plants for treating Hospital waste. And in addition, an electric crematorium has been installed by Madurai Corporation to dispose of dead bodies. Apart from this, Madurai Corporation maintains 23 parks and is encouraging roadside park development to be maintained by voluntary agencies.