Dindigul District is situated in the western part of
Tamil Nadu. It is surrounded by
Tiruchirapalli,
Karur,
Erode,
Coimbatore,
Sivagangai,
Madurai and
Theni districts. It has 84,565 hectare of reserved forest area.
Dindigul was the border of the three great Kingdoms of South India - the
Pandyas, the
Cheras and the
Cholas. With a population of over 1.9 million, it is well known for iron locks, tobacco and handloom industry in
Chinnalapatti. Mother Theresa University at
Kodaikanal and Gandhigram Rural Deemed University are situated in Dindigul. Agriculture is the main profession. It has more than 200,000 hectare of cultivable area. Rice, pulses, sugarcane, groundnut, gingelly, cotton and millet are the main crops. Dindigul receives an annual rainfall of over 700 mm. The temperature varies from 26o C to 38o C.
Kodaikanal, a summer resort located in the
Western Ghats, is situated in Dindigul District. Kodaikanal is the second largest hill resort in Tamil Nadu. “Kurinji” flowers blooming once in 12 years are the notable feature of Kodaikanal.
Palani Temple (important pilgrim center in the state), Begambur Big Mosque, Sirumalai Hill resort, Parapalar Dam, Varathamanathi dam, Mariamman temple and Nadupatti Anjaneyar temple are the main tourist attractions.
Dindigul district is well connected by road and rail. Madurai is the nearest Airport, 45 km from Dindigul town.