Chokkanatha Nayak

Chokkanatha Nayak (1646–1682) was the Nayak of Madurai from 1662 until his death in 1682. He succeeded his father Muttu Alkadri Nayak, as the ruler of the Madurai Nayak dynasty, when he was sixteen years old. In 1660, he successfully warded off Bijapuri and Tanjore's armies in the siege of Trichinopoly. Later in 1663, he lost the same siege of Trichinopoly, and had to pay tributes to Bijapuri and Tanjore, in exchange of keeping his monarchy and also to ensure the safety of Madurai.

He has built a palace called Rani Mangammal Mahal or Kolu Mandapam, which used to be a durbar hall of Madurai Nayaks during the period when Tiruchi was the capital. Later in 2023, the repairs work started.