Madurai district is one of the 38 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India. The city of Madurai serves as the district headquarters. It houses the famous Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple and is situated on the banks of the river Vaigai. Thiruparankundram is one of the major tourist place in the district. As of 2011, the district had a population of 3,038,252 with a sex-ratio of 990 females for every 1,000 males. Aside from the city of Madurai, the larger towns are Melur, Vadipatti, Peraiyur, and Usilampatti. It is an important hub for various film shootings. Alanganallur is a popular spot in the district for Jallikattu, as are Palamedu and Avaniyapuram.