# Southwestern Tamil Nadu

Southwestern Tamil Nadu is in Tamil Nadu, India. It consists of Dindigul, Madurai, Sivaganga, Theni and Virudhunagar districts.

## Cities

* 10.3577.951 Dindigul — surrounded by mountains, it has a fort built in 1605
* 10.2377.482 Kodaikanal — a popular hill resort
* 9.91966178.1193943 Madurai — the Athens of the East, a place of great historical and cultural importance, and the oldest city in Tamil Nadu
* 10.45036977.5104284 Palani — famous dhandayudhapaani (Murugan) hill temple
* 10.1277.555 Periyakulam — known as Mango City for its fresh fruit
* 9.4577.556 Rajapalayam — near the Ayyanar Falls
* 9.3777.937 Sattur — famous for cucumber
* 9.4577.88 Sivakasi — cracker city of India
* 9.516177.639 Srivilliputhur — a beautiful town with historical background and rich greeneries
* 1077.48333310 Theni — near the Kumbakarrai Falls
* 10.07977.781511 Viruveedu — famous for oil mills; including the town of Batlagundu

## See

* Anjaneyar Temple in Anapatti, 35 km from Dindigul, is said to be 300-year-old temple built by Queen of Madurai Rani Mangamma. The idol will be half buried when the water is in full flow here.
* Bodinayakkanur — on the foothills of the West Ghats, west of Theni, is popular for cardamom mango and coffee market.
* Chinna suruli falls — 54 km from Theni near Kombaithozhu Village. These falls originate in the Megamalai. It is popularly known as Chinna Suruli.
* Devadanapatti — The main shrine in Devadanapatti is Kamatchi Amman Temple. It is situated on the banks of the Manjal river. This temple is 3 km from Devadanapatti in Theni District. In this temple, the doors to the sanctum sanctorum are never opened, and all the pujas are offered only to the portals.
* Tirumangalam — A town southwest of Madurai on the banks of river Gundar, a tributary of river Vaigai.
* Kodlambatti falls or Aruvi — This falls is is 36 km from Madurai city. The height of the falls is approximately 87 feet. During the rainy season, travellers in this area throng to see and bathe in the gushing water. There is a 500-year-old Nachiamman temple here.
* Kunnuvarankottai Kasi Visalakshi Viswanathar temple — This 300-year-old temple near Viruveedu is an important pilgrimage point where devotees take holy bath in the rivers during auspicious days.
* Lord Siva and Draupadi temple — There is a famous Lord Siva and Draupadi amman temple in Melur taluk, approximately 30 km from Madurai city. There is a famous event related to an event in Mahabharata - Biman - Keesakan fight enacted here annually.
* Manjalar Dam — This is a reservoir that stores water from Manjalar river on the foothills of Kodiakanal hillstation. This is roughly 8-10 km away from Batlagundu bus stand. This is a place to visit during monsoons from October to March if the monsoon sets properly.
* Mavoothu — The main attraction in Mavoothu is the Vellappar Temple. This holy shrine is in the Varushanad hill ranges, southwest of Madurai. Nestling among the hills, the temple is atop a peak, surrounded by natural vegetation.
* Pandi Koil — This temple is famous for outings from Madurai city to this scenic spot.
* Peranai — It is a reservoir and a fine picnic spot. Peranai is a unique confluence of waters from several dams — the Vaigai Dam, the Marudanadi Dam in Dindigul, the Manjalar, and Varahanadi Dams in Theni. It is approximately 35 km from Dindigul city.
* Sendraya Perumal Temple — This is an ancient temple of Sri Sendraya Perumal on a hill near old Batlagundu.
* Siddharmalai — A hillock north of Dindigul city. There is a large natural cavern on the southern side of the hillock called the Pancha Pandava Padukkai (Bed of the Five Pandavas'). There are two rows of beds with raised pillows chiselled out of the rock inside. There is an inscription on the rock face that traces the origin of the name of Madurai city — `Mathirai' (City of Walls).
* Sindhupatti Thiru Venkatachalapthy Koil, near Madurai, is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara. There are festivals all the year for Lord Venkateswara.
* Pazhamudircholai Murugan Temple (Solai amman temple), north of Madurai, is one of the six of the holiest of Murugan shrines referred to as the Aarupadai Veedugal. It is a holy shrine venerated by the Skanda Puranam and by Nakkeerar's Thirumurugatrupadai of the Sangam period.
* Thiruadavur Koil — This temple near Madurai is dedicated to Lord Siva and Parvathy. It is the birthplace of the great Shaivite saint Manickavasagar.
* Thirumangalam Meenakshi amman temple — near Madurai city, is an ancient temple devoted for Chokkanathar and Meenakshi Goddess.
* Thirumogur Koil — near Madurai City, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Senbagavalli. This is a famous Vaishnavite temple in this district.
* Thiruvedagam — This is a famous historical place northwest of Madurai where the palm-leaf manuscript of Saivite Saint Thirunavakkarasar is believed to have washed ashore floating against the currents of vaigai river (upstream).
* Vadipatti - Kulasekaran Kottai — an ancient village near Madurai built by Pandya King (many centuries ago). Kutlampatti Falls is near this village.
* Yanamalai — A scenic beautiful mountain northeast of Madurai. It resembles the shape of an elephant from a distance. There is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Narasimha in this place.

## Do

* Jallikattu festival - The most popular sport in Tamil Nadu is part of the pongal celebrations. This game of valour is held in the villages like Alanganallur in Madurai district with great enthusiasm. People from the neighbouring villages throng the open grounds to watch man and beast pitting their strength against each other. This is held in January every year. This is like the Spanish bull fights.