Dindigul travel guide

Dindigul, India

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Dindigul

Introduction

Dindigul is a city in the southwest of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of its district. It is an ancient settlement that has been ruled at different times by the Cheras, Early Pandyas, Cholas, Pallavas, later Pandyas, the Madurai Sultanate, the Vijayanagara Empire, the Madurai Nayak Dynasty, the Kingdom of Mysore, Chanda Sahib and the British, and it sits within reach of larger centres such as Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and the state capital, Chennai.

Among its historical monuments, the Dindigul Fort is the most prominent. The city is also known for its locks and its biriyani, both of which give you a reason to look beyond the fort during your stay.

Before you go

Dindigul is a district ringed by mountains, and much of what you'll want to see lies in its villages rather than the city itself. If your plans take you into those villages, pick up a few essential sentences in Tamil before you arrive, since many people there do not speak English. Plan your village temple visits for the morning, as temples usually close later in the day. Roads in and around the villages can be narrow, so take care if you are driving.

Getting there

You can reach Dindigul by air, rail or road. The nearest airports are at Madurai, about 1½ hours away, and Trichy; the city lies roughly 60 km from Madurai. By train, Dindigul Junction sits on the main Chennai–Madurai–Kanyakumari route, approximately 440 km from Chennai, and Kodaikanal Road station is about 22 km from Dindigul Junction. By road, Dindigul is on the NH7 highway running from Chennai to Madurai, which makes it straightforward to reach by car or bus from either city.

Getting around

Dindigul is compact, and its central areas — around the fort, the lake, and the main commercial streets — are practical to explore on foot for short stretches. The topography mixes plain and hilly ground, and the climate shapes when you should walk: summers run hot, and the bulk of the rain falls during the northeast monsoon in October, November, and December. Walk in the cooler parts of the day, and for anything beyond a short stroll take an auto or a bus instead. There is no metro or tram here, so plan around road-based transport.

Where to stay

Dindigul has plenty of places to sleep, from simple lodges to resorts out in the countryside. Budget travellers will find lodges clustered around the bus stands and railway station: Kurunji Hotel near the bus stand, Rockfort Palace in Begampur on Madurai Road, and Venkateswar Lodge by the New Bus stand in Y M R Patty. Others sit closer to the centre, including Gomath Lodge on Pensioner Street, Pandiyan Lodge on Koil Street, The Lodge Liberty in New Agraharam, and Corner Lodge on Railway Station Road near the employment office. For something mid-range, Parsons Court on Mengles Road offers more comfort.

If you would rather base yourself outside the city, the surrounding district has rural resorts. Double Dutch in Athoor village, reached by turning off at Sembatti crossing, puts you among rice fields, peanut gardens, coffee estates, coconut and palm groves, with a waterfall, a cave temple and nearby temples to visit, plus bird watching, trekking and coracle rides on the lake. Lakeside, on Kamarajar Lake near Athoor, is a quieter spot for cycling, swimming, fishing and nature trails, and you can tour the village to watch potters, weavers and coir workers. Further out, Wild Rock Hill House in the Sirumalai Hills, on the road towards Natham, suits families and groups, with mountaineering, trekking, hiking and bird watching, plus the Vellimalai temple and the herb-rich Sanjeevi Hills nearby.

Food & drink

Dindigul is best known for its biryani, a style distinct from biryani elsewhere in the country. The recipe is believed to have been passed down by an Iranian national, though it has since become more localised. To try it, head to Venu's Briyani, the most popular restaurant serving the dish, or Thalappakatti, which is equally famous and has a longer history. Koli Nadar is a non-veg restaurant offering a wide variety, while Bismilla is a small hotel known for its taste.

Beyond biryani, you'll find plenty of budget restaurants serving South Indian dishes across the city, including AryaBhavan and SaravanaBhavan near the bus stand, AshokBhavan on the main road, and Kurinji. For drinks, Dolphin Bar is the cheapest bar, and Mr. Soda is popular among youngsters.

What to see and do

Start with the fort that gives the city its silhouette: the 280-foot Dindigul Fort, built in the early 17th century by Madurai kings and later a witness to wars involving Tipu Sultan and the English. From there, head for the hills. Sirumalai, about 25 km out on the Natham road, is a cool, green resort and picnic country reached by a short climb of 18 hairpin bends, with trekking and hiking, views over the Saathiyar river basin and Dindigul town, the Vellimalai Temple, and Sanjeevi Hills nearby; buses and private cabs run from the city. South of town, Gandhigram Rural Institute spreads across a rural campus in an enclave of the Sirumalai range, founded in 1956 by two Gandhians and run on Mahatma Gandhi's 'Nai Talim' system, with a pleasant climate year-round and mountains, including Kodaikanal, to the west.

For temples, you have plenty of choices. Thadikombu's Perumal Temple, 5 km toward Karur, honours Lord Alagar with a festival in the Tamil month of Chitrai. In Begambur, the Big Mosque is a couple of centuries old, while Sri Kottai Mariamman Kovil, also ancient, houses Mariamman, Vinayaka, Muruga, Madurai Veeran, Kali and Durga in a square-plan structure. Kasi Visalakshi-Vishwanathar Temple at Kunnuvarankottai or Kunnapatti, 8 km from Batlagundu, sits close to the road and near the confluence of the Vaigai, Manjalaru and Maruda rivers, a pilgrimage point for holy baths. Kamakshiamman Temple in Devadanapatti, the Nagal Nagar Perumal Temple near the railway station, Soundararaja Perumal Temple at Vadamadurai, and the churches of St Joseph and Mettupatti round out the circuit. Beyond town, Athoor's Kamarajar Lake in the Western Ghats has a cave temple for Lord Sadayandi, an ancient Kasi Viswanatha temple and a Catholic church, while Peranai reservoir is a picnic spot when the north-east monsoon fills it, and Siddharmalai's cavern holds the rock-cut Pancha Pandava Padukkai and an inscription on the origin of Madurai's name. Trek in the Sirumalai and Kodaikanal hills, and remember what Dindigul is known for: locks, biriyani and cigars.

Three days in Dindigul

Day one: Start in Dindigul itself, a city in Tamil Nadu whose story runs through the Cheras, the Early Pandyas, the Cholas, the Pallavas, the Pandyas, the Madurai Sultanate, the Vijayanagara Empire, the Madurai Nayak Dynasty, the Kingdom of Mysore, Chanda Sahib and the British. Begin with Dindigul Fort, the landmark that gives the city its shape. In the afternoon, walk the neighbourhoods around the fort and get a feel for everyday life. Tamil and English are both useful here. Plan your meals around the local food you find as you go.

Day two: Use Dindigul as your base for a longer run. Roads connect it to Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and Chennai, and Trichy is within reach. Dindigul Junction and Kodaikanal Road are the rail points to know. If you prefer a slower day, stay in the city and explore on foot. Auto and public transport will get you around without much trouble.

Day three: October, November and December are comfortable months to be out and about, so use the day for the places you missed. Walk through the neighbourhoods you have not yet seen, and let the city's layered past - from the early powers to the Nayaks and the British - set the pace. Keep the final hours unhurried, and leave time to eat before you move on.

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