Etymology
The Huge Hill at Dindigul resembles a pillow. Thus, the city is known as Dindigul, a portmanteau from the Indian 'Thindu' for pillow, and 'kal' for rock. Also commonly known as the "City of Locks and Tannery", it is a fast growing tier-3 city. This City is also called as Queen City and Thindi Maanagar (திண்டி மாநகர்)
Geography
Dindigul town is surrounded by hills on all sides.
Demographics
As of 2004[update] India census, Dindigul had a population of 196,619. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Dindigul has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 64.8%: male literacy is 84% and, female literacy is 74%. In Dindigul, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Industries
Dindigul is known for its leather tanning Industry. Besides tanning, the city is home to a major textile spinning industry, which ranks highest spindlage capacity within Tamil Nadu. During his period or rule, MGR, the them chief minister of Tamil Nadu gave away grants to start and run spinning industries in Dindigul to promote the industrial development of the district. Now vedasandur, a suburb of Dindigul has so many spinning mills.
Dindigul is primarily an agro-based town of Tamil Nadu. About 70% of the total population earns their livelihood directly or indirectly through Agriculture. There are about 165 Rice mills in and around Dindigul. Famous flour mill Naga which is largest in South India, Vishalakshi are located there. Anil Semia, Savorit Semia, Nandhini Saamburani industries are located in Dindigul.
Dindigul city is an important wholesale market for Cotton, onions and groundnuts (peanuts). Panneer Grapes which is a speciality type of black grapes which is specific to Dindigul.
Another famous manufacturing item from Dindigul is Hand loom sarees. Particularly in Nagal nagar area hundreds of Sourashtra community people are doing hand loom sarees manufacturing. The hand loom sarees looks very rich like silk sarees. But the cost is very low. Keeping these sarees like the silk sarees, it can be used for more years.
Dindigul locks
Iron-lock steel safes made in Dindugul are known for good quality and durability. The lock manufacturing in Dindugul is operated as a co-operative sector. Dindugal locks are sold to local, national and international markets.
Tobacco
Dindigul has been a centre of tobacco trade and a manufacturer of cigars from the time of British rule. A favorite cigar of Winston Churchill called Churut, the 'Light of Asia', was produced in Dindigul. The tobacco industry is one of the main sources of employment for the inhabitants of Dindigul.The central government has a research center for tobacco in vedasandur. This is one of the two centers in India, the other one is Rajmundri
Y.M.R Patty
This is the center part of Dindigul. Busstand, Schools, Court and other Govt offices are very nearby to this place.
Chinnalapatti, which is located 11 kilometres from Dindigul, is known for its flourishing hand loom industry. Silk art, known as Sarees, and sungudi produced in Chinnalapatti are famous throughout India. More than 1000 families are engaged in this industry.
Tourism
Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal is the famous tourist place which was located (Dindigul District) 100 km from dindigul and 135 km from madurai. This was good place to visit in summer. see also Kodaikanal
Palani
Palani is famous Temple in India. It was located in palani Hills. This temple was build at top of the mountain. It is the holy place for Hindu. Here Lord Murugan was standing. It was 60 km from Dindigul. See also Palani
vedasandur
vedasandur is one of the taluka in dindigul , vedasandur is a small town , many villages are here ,usilampatti,alagapuri , vanikarai,kovilur,eriyod,vadamadurai & many small villages are here notably Kasipalayam-Dindigul is in vedasandur ,
Vadamadurai
vadamadurai is a panchayat under vedasandur taluk, located 18 km from dindigul in the way to trichy (dindugul- trichy NH 45).It gains fame due to the spinning mills, and sri sounderraja perumal temple .
Sirumalai
Sirumalai hill is very famous hill near to Dindigul city located just 24 km from Dindigul. Travel Direction: Start your journey towards Natham from Dindigul. Sirumalai hill is very famous for its bananas(known as siru'malai' vaalaipalam). Sirumalai hill's bananas is exported to Foreign countries from past. Another important thing to be noted is many rare herbs are available in Sirumali hill. Hence, Sirumalai hill is very popular among the Sidha medical practitioners.
As a tourist spot the developments for the artificial lake is on construction and soon will be opened for boating expected, by mid of 2011. The students from schools & colleges go for treking and for other fun activities. The Hill has totally 20 hair-pin bends and on the middle of the travel you can able to find a church and a view point from where you can watch the beauty of Dindigul city also the "Dindigul Rock Fort" and few lakes. The climate here is enjoyable and it is too cool once you reach top of the hill town.
Falls
Ayyanar Falls
Falls is located at 18th km from Dindigul driving towards Thirumalaikeni which is at 25 km away from Dindigul town - Siluvattur Road. The falls is located 2.3 km inside from main road. The falls can be reached two wheelers till 1.2 km and other one km people need to walk to enjoy the chillness and cool bath in the falls.
Other falls surrounding the Dindigul city are Vadipatti falls, Kumbakarai falls.
Dindigul briyani
Dindigul is very famous for briyani. Briyani prepared in Dindigul uses a small rice called seeraga samba and with special ingredients.
Famous Hospitals
* City Hospital (Trichy Road)
* Raja Rajeswari Nursing Home (Near Dindigul Bus Stand)
* St. Joseph Hospital (Trichy Road)
* Government Hospital (Trichy Road)
* Bharathi Nursing Home (Near NVGB Theatre)
* Arul Durai Arasu (Bone Specialist)
* Anbu Hospital (Near Bus Stand)
* Dr.Mohanraj Child specialist(RM colony)
Computer Academy
There are different Computer Institutes in Dindigul which provide IT and IT related training for the students with much care about their career. The different institutes include
* CSC
* CADD center
* CADD CAE
* Appollo
* SIS - Sai Innovative Solutions(SIS) prime goals is to groom IT professionals and see them hold key positions in top organisations in India and abroad. All Sai Innovative Solutions courses are therefore, so designed that they would enable students to handle career opportunities with confidence and enthusiasm. *A Wish! A Hope! A Dream!=SIS
Entertainment
The sole entertainment mean for the residence of Dindigul is the theaters which are present in the city.other than that bazaar is a superb place that you can enjoy in th eve times. There were few parks like kumaran park which has reached near fatality due to its ill maintenance.most of the time there will be some expo's in the heart of the city. varatharaj complex located at the heart of the city is growing like a spencer plaza where you can do your whole shopping.
The theatres in Dindigul are:
* Rajendra - Uma Complex Official Site
* Reliance BIG cinemas ( Formerly Naga - Lakshmi)
* Aarthi - Siva Complex
* Ganesh
* Vijay
* Solaihall
* NVGB
* Central (Baji Mahal)
* Sakthi Talkies
* Abirami
Sports
Football is a popular sport in Dindigul, and many professional players have come from Dindigul district. The Dindigul Football Association (DFA) works closely with the Tamil Nadu Football Association to conduct tournaments for both junior and senior levels. Kitti Kambu also is a famous sport.and also St.Mary's Hr.Sec.School has a sports hostel.one children's park is there near by the rock fort.
Hockey also another popular sports in Dindigul.Mr.GURU,WAHID,VICTOR,PON ANBARASU,ZAKRIYA,JAMES-Spectacular players both District and State Level.
Pilgrim centre
There are many temples in and around the city. There is a samadhi, for Siddha Purusha called Odha Samiyar. The number and significance of the temples in the area mean that Dindigul is a major destination for many pilgrims.
In the middle of the city a famous temple for Lord Padmagreeshwarar i.e. Lord Shiva. But, this temple is commonly called as "Abirami Amman Kovil" It has come to know that this temple is situated with in the fort of Dindigul Rockfort and because of war, the temple is shifted to the present place. Another famous temple is Arulmigu Srinivasa perumal kovil which is situated very near to Rockfort. This is also a very old temple. In full moon days, the devotees gather in Abirami amman temple and go "Giri valam" around the Rock fort.Temples for Sri Hanuman and Sri Shaneeshwar stand adjacent to the fort to which devotees flock to offer worship on Saturdays.
Another famous temple situated at the bottom of the Rockfort is Sri Kottai Mariamman temple. In Mariamman temple Lordess Mariamman is giving blessings and by which the devotees get solvation for their problems. During the Months of January to February(Tamil Month Masi), famous Mariamman festival(Masi Perunthiruvizha) is celebrated in this temple. Lakh and lakh of people come and participate in this function from various parts of Tamil Nadu. Hence, the people come to Dindigul may plan to visit such holy temples also. There is another famous temple in the outskirts of Dindigul named as Arulmigu Sounderaja Perumal Temple located at Thadikombu 5 Minutes drive from Dindigul. This place was once Border of Vijayanagara empire. Away from Dindigul town, there is a temple for sree chakkarathalwar and one temple for Sree venugopalaswamy in a small mount on the way to vedasandur. Dindigul town has a very huge church located in the heart of the town. Apart from that, there are many other small churches and prayer halls located all around the town. The "[Big Mosque]http://thedindigulonline.com/devotional-places-dindigul.html" in Begambur can be considered as the biggest mosque in the town as the name insists. Apart from that there are few other mosques and darkas in round road and other places of town. On December-2009, a temple for Sai Baba is also opened in the town.
Travel & connections
Dindigul town is well connected by both rail and road.Its connected to all important towns of the state by road and easily accessible. Dindigul is en-route NH-7 which is considered to be the important NH in India.Also it was connected with NH-45 and NH-209. Dindigul bus stand is called as Kamarajar Bus stand. It was named so to honour Tamil Nadu's then CM kamarajar. There are direct buses plying to Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, Theni, Karur, Palani, Pollachi, Coimabtore, Erode, Bangalore,Villupuram,Karaikudi,Tirunelveli,Tuticorin,Selam,Tiruppur,Kadalur.
Dindigul railway station is a major Junction located in Southern Railway's Madurai Division. Dindigul Junctionn has connections to Madurai Junction in south, Karur Junction in North, Trichy Junction in East. Connection to Pollachi Junction in west is under renovation as gauge replacement work is going on.
The nearest airport is Madurai airport and the nearest international airport is in Chennai and in Trichy (for few).
Politics
Dindigul assembly constituency is part of Dindigul (Lok Sabha constituency). [3]
Unviersity
* Gandhigram Rural University(GRU) Gandhigram Official Site
School
* St.Mary's Boys higher Secondary School (State Board Syllabus)
* Govt.Hr.sec.School(GandhiSchool)
* Shri Gurumuki vidhyasshram(CBSE SCHOOL)
* Soundara Raja Vidyalaya (SRV), Natham Road, Dindigul.(CBSE Syllabus)
* Seventh Day Matric Higher Secondary School (SDAMHSS), Natham Road, Dindigul. (Matric Syllabus)
* SMBM School (Matric Syllabus)
* MSP Solai Nadar Boys Higher Secondary School (State Board Syllabus)
* St.Joshep's Girls Higher Secondary School (State Board Syllabus)
* St. Patrick Matriculation School
* Arul Jothi Vallalar Boys School, Natham Road, Dindigul.
* IIPE Higher Secondary School
* Akshaya Vidyala School (CBSE Syllabus)
* Maharishi Vidya Mandir Higher Secondary School, Bala Mandir School, Seelapadi.
To View All School Details Briefly Click Here
Govt kallar highr sec.school,chennamanayakkan patti.
Colleges
* PSNA College of Engineering & Technology (Palani Road) Official Site
* RVS College of Engineering & Technology (Karur Road)
* NPR College of Engineering & Technology (Natham)
* GTN Arts and Science College (Karur Road)
* MVM Arts and Science College (Vedasandur Road)
* Parvathy Arts College (Madurai Road)
* Ramprabha Arts college (Natham Road)
* Pannaikadu Veerammal Paramasivam Arts and Science College
* Pannaikadu Veerammal Paramasivam College of Engineering and Technology for Women (PVP), Banthalagundu
* Christian Engineering & Polytechnic College (Oddanchatram)
* Surabi Nursing, Fashion Designing & Catering College (Dindigul)
* Amman College of Education (Dindigul)
* Sri Hayagreeva Arts And Science College (SHAASCO), (Madurai Road) Official Site
* JVP School of Nursing, Begambur
B.ed & Teacher Training Colleges
* Amman College of Education
* K. Nanjappa Gownder College of Education
* Cauvery Ammal Campus
* Angingu Teacher Training Institute, Dindigul
* KR Teacher Training Institute for Women, Dindigul
* JK Teacher Training Institute, Dindigul
* Sancta Fatima Teacher Training Institute, Dindigul
* Our lady Dolours Teacher Training Institute, Dindigul
* KVK College of Education, Chettynaickanpatty
* Lakshmi College of Education
* Meenakshi B.Ed. College Mangaraipirivu
* Natham PR College of Education
* Peace College of Education, Sukkampatty
* Pennial Rural College of Education Vemparali
* R.V.S.College of EducationSakthi Institute for Teacher Education and Research
* Sri Raghavendra College of Education, K. Singarakottai
* Vel College of Education Palani
* Mother Teresa College of Education New Ayakudi, Palani
Hotels & Restaurant
* Parsons Hotel, Near Bus Stand.(3 Stared)
* Hotel Swagath (With Swimming Pool), Near Bus Stand.
* Hotel Anand, Near Bus Stand
* Hotel Suganya, Near Bus Stand
* Hotel Maha Jothi, Near Bus Stand
* Prakash Lodge, Near Bus Stand
* Venkateshwara Lodge, Near Bus Stand
* Dolphin Lodge, Palani Road
