Dindigul, Tamil Nādu, India

🇮🇳 Dindigul is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Dindigul district. Dindigul is located 420 km south-west from the state capital, Chennai, 100 km away from Tiruchirappalli, 66 km away from Madurai and 72 km away from the Tex City of Karur. The city is known for its locks and biriyani. Parts of Dindigul Districts like Palani, Oddanchatram, Vedasandur, Nilakottai, Kodaikanal, Natham, Athoor.

Dindigul is believed to be an ancient settlement region and has been ruled at different times by the Cheras, Early Pandyas, Cholas, Pallava dynasty, the later Pandyas, the Madurai Sultanate, the Dindigul Sultanates, the Vijayanagara Empire, Madurai Nayak Dynasty, Chanda Sahib, the Carnatic kingdom and the British. Dindigul has a number of historical monuments, the Dindigul Fort being the most prominent.

Industries in Dindigul include safety lock makers, leather tanneries, textile spinning, administrative services, agricultural trading, banking, agricultural machinery and educational services. Dindigul is upgraded to a municipal corporation. Dindigul is well-connected by road and rail with the rest of Tamil Nadu. It is the 12th-largest urban agglomeration in the state. Dindigul has 200,000 hectares of cultivation land, and agriculture continues to be the main occupation of its inhabitants. Located between the Palani and Sirumalai Hills, Dindigul has a reserved forest area of 85 hectares.

Economy According to Indian Census of 2001, Dindigul town's urban workforce participation rate is 35.24 percent. Dindigul, being the headquarters of the district, has registered growth in the secondary and tertiary sectors, with a corresponding decrease in the primary Sector. Major employment in the city is provided by industrial estates, hand loom, trading and commerce activities. Approximately 90 percent of the workforce is employed in the tertiary sector. The district at large has only two industrial estates, with one of them located in the city. Oddanchatram is one of the important town in Dindigul district. Oddanchatram Vegetable market (also known as Gandhi market) is the largest vegetable market in Tamil Nadu. As of 2001, there were approximately 60 tanneries, 165 lock manufacturing units and large number of cotton spinning mills.

Locks and steel safes are manufactured in Dindigul and operated as a co-operative sector. Locks manufactured in Dindigul are sold in national and international markets and is well known all over India for its quality. Dindigul locks received geographical indication on 30 August 2019. A decline in lock industry is observed in modern times and other industries like leather, handloom, and aggro opportunities have gained significance. Silk, muslin and blanket manufacturing is common in Dindigul and after Coimbatore, the city has the second largest textile spindling capacity in the State. Chinnalapatti silk, a brand of silk saree is produced out of Chinnalapatti located 11 km (6.8 mi) from the city. The climate condition of the region is conducive for horticulture and agriculture. The district at large produce non-food crops like coffee, flowers, tobacco, and eucalyptus. Dindigul is the centre for wholesale trading of fruits like orange, pineapple, sapota and guava, and vegetables like onion.

Dindigul was an important centre of trade in tobacco and manufacture of cigars during the British times. 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 centre for tobacco in Vedasandur. This is one of the two centres in India, the other one is Rajamundri. In modern times, it has the largest trading centre in the state for chewing tobacco and scented betel nuts. Well-known brands of scented chewing tobacco like Angu Vilas, Roja Supari etc. operate out of the city and sent to various places in the state and outside. Dindigul is also one of the leading leather producers and suppliers in the state.