Dindigul (District)

Dindigul District ; திண்டுக்கல் மாவட்டம்
State	Tamil Nadu
Administrative headquarters :	Dindigul
Area :	6,036 km²
Residents :	2,159,775 (2011)
Population density :	358 inhabitants / km²
Website :	dindigul.tn.nic.in

The district of Dindigul ( Tamil : திண்டுக்கல் மாவட்டம் ) is a district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . The administrative center is the eponymous city of Dindigul . The Dindigul District has an area of 6,036 square kilometers and around 2.2 million inhabitants (2011 census).

geography

The district of Dindigul is in the interior of Tamil Nadu. Neighboring districts are Tiruppur in the northwest, Karur in the north, Tiruchirappalli in the northeast, Madurai in the south, Theni in the southwest and Idukki in the west. The latter already belongs to the neighboring state of Kerala .

In the Palani Mountains

With an area of 6,036 square kilometers, the Dindigul district is one of the largest districts in Tamil Nadu. While the greater part of the district area is flat, in the west the Palani Mountains ( Palni Hills ), foothills of the Western Ghats , which reach heights of up to 2,506 meters , protrude deep into the surrounding plain. The Sirumalai Mountains , a smaller, isolated mountain range, rise further to the east . In the south, the Vaigai River flows through the Dindigul district. The rivers in the north of the district are tributaries of the Kaveri .

In most of the Dindigul district there is an alternately humid tropical climate . The annual mean temperature in Dindigul is 27.8 ° C, the annual mean precipitation is 717 mm. Due to the location in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats, the climate here is drier than in other parts of Tamil Nadu. Most of the rainfall occurs during the northeast monsoon in October and November. In the Palani Mountains, on the other hand, the altitude ensures a moderate maritime climate . In Kodaikanal the annual mean temperature is only 16.3 ° C, the annual mean precipitation is 1,738 mm. The mountains also experience rainfall during the southwest monsoon between April and September.

history

Historical view of the fortress in Dindigul

In ancient times, the area of Dindigul was under the influence of the Pandya kings residing in Madurai . Later, the area came under the rule of the Vijayanagar Empire in the 14th century and then under the rule of the Nayaks of Madurai in the 16th century . In 1605 the Nayak ruler Muthu Krishna Naicker had a fortress built on the rock at the foot of which the city of Dindigul is to secure the northern border. During the turmoil of the 17th and 18th centuries, the fortress was the scene of numerous battles between Madurai, Mysore and the Marathas before it was captured by Hyder Ali in 1755 . During the Mysore Wars , the fortress was captured by the British three times in 1767, 1783 and again in 1790 . With the end of the Third Mysore War , Dindigul finally became part of British India in 1792 .

The British incorporated the area into the province of Madras and initially installed a district administrator ( collector ) in Dindigul . After the Madurai area had also fallen to British India in 1801, the administration was transferred there and Dindigul became part of the Madurai district . After Indian independence in 1947, the area came to the state of Madras, which was reorganized in 1956 according to the language borders of Tamil and renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969. In 1985, the Dindigul district split off as an independent district from the Madurai district.

population

Flower seller in Palani

According to the 2011 Indian census, the Dindigul district has 2,159,775 inhabitants. The population density of 358 inhabitants per square kilometer is below the Tamil Nadu average (555 inhabitants per square kilometer). 37 percent of the district's residents live in cities. The degree of urbanization is thus lower than the mean value for the state (48 percent). 21 percent of the district's residents are scheduled castes . At 76 percent, the literacy rate is below the Tamil Nadu average, which is 80 percent.

According to the 2011 census, Hindus make up a large majority of 87 percent of the residents of the Dindigul district . There are also minorities of Christians (8 percent) and Muslims (5 percent). As in all of Tamil Nadu, the main language is Tamil . According to the 2001 census, 91 percent of the district's residents speak it as their first language. There are also minorities of speakers of Telugu (6.5 percent) and Kannada (2 percent).

Attractions

Murugan Temple in Palani

The district capital Dindigul has no outstanding sights except for the fortress located on the rock above the city. The Palani Mountains, on the other hand, enjoy great popularity, especially among domestic tourists, because of their natural beauty and pleasant climate. The village located in the mountains at nearly 2,200 meters above sea level on the banks of a lake Kodaikanal is next to the Nilgiri mountains nearby Udagamandalam the popular mountain resort of Tamil Nadu. Kodaikanal attracts 7.9 million tourists annually (as of 2011), most of them during the hot season between April and June.

At the foot of the mountains lies Palani , one of six pilgrimage sites ( Arupadaividu ) of the Hindu god Murugan, who is particularly popular in Tamil Nadu . The Murugan Temple of Palani is on the top of a hill, on which Murugan is said to have insulted, according to myth, after he was defeated by his brother Ganesha in a competition. Today, Palani is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Tamil Nadu with 5.8 million visitors per year (2011). During the Thaipusam festival in January / February alone , over 500,000 believers visit Palani.

Administrative division

The Dindigul district is divided into eight taluks :

Taluk	main place	Population (2011)
Attur	Attur	159,846
Dindigul	Dindigul	639.910
Kodaikanal	Kodaikanal	115,250
Natham	Natham	158,687
Nilakkottai	Nilakkottai	286,641
Oddankhatram	Oddankhatram	182,600
Palani	Palani	292,301
Vedasandur	Vedasandur	324,540

Cities

In the district of Dindigul, there are three cities with its own city government ( Municipalities ), 24 after the Panchayat managed system townships ( Town Panchayats ) and seven census towns ( census town ). The number of inhabitants is given according to the 2011 census.