Dindigul District
Situated in the western part, Dindigul district is an important district of the southern state of India, Tamil Nadu. It was carved out of the Madurai district in 1985. Dindigul district is surrounded by Tiruchirapalli district in the east, Karur and Erode district in the north, Coimbatore district in the west, Madurai in the south and Theni district on the southeast. It is well connected by road and rail and airways.
At a distance of 45 km. from Dindigul town is the Madurai Airport. The district receives an average rainfall of 700 mm and the average temperature is high varying from 26o C to 38o C. The main rivers of the district are Kodaganaru, Palar, Kuthiraiyar, Porandalar, Amravati, Manjalar, Varadhamanathi and Maruthanathi. Dindigul district has seven subdivisions or talukas. They are Dindigul, Palani, Kodaikanal, Oddanchatram, Nattam, Vedasandur and Nilakkottai.
Gandhigram Rural Deemed University at Gandhigram Once Dindigul used to fringe the three great realm of South India - The Pandyas, the Cheras and the Cholas. It was under the rule of the famous ruler, Tipu Sultan. The famous Naik King Muthukrishnappa Naicker constructed the historical Rock Fort of this district. According to the 2001 census report; Dindigul has a population of 1,923,014 inhabitants with a literacy rate of 69.83%.
Dindigul district has a flourishing economy well known for its iron locks, tobacco and handloom industry. The main occupation of the people living in the district is agriculture and the district has more than 200,000 hectare of cultivable area. Rice, pulses, sugarcane, groundnut, gingelly, cotton and millet are the main crops that are grown here. Educationally the district is well advanced. It has two major universities, Mother Theresa University for Women at Kodaikanal and Gandhigram Rural Deemed University at Gandhigram.
Lord Muruga Dhandayuthapani Temple Palani hills with the famous temple of Lord Muruga Dhandayuthapani Temple, Begampur Mosque, Sirumalai Hill resort, Parapalar Dam, Varathamanathi dam, Mariamman temple and Nadupatti Anjaneyar temple are places of tourist interest in the district. The famous Kodaikanal Hill Station located in the Western Ghats is situated in Dindigul district. An attraction of this hill station is the Kurinji flowers that bloom once in twelve years. The reserved forest area of the district consists of 84, 565 hectares, which is rich in flora and fauna like Seehakai, Nellikai, Bluegum and Pine and Gaur, Nilgiri langur, panther, barking deer respectively.
