Sirumalai

Are you someone who loves those hairpin curves? Go on an 18-hairpin drive to explore the calm and silence of lush green forests at Sirumalai. The place with its dense forest along with its mythological relevance is a weekend getaway for the people in Dindigul and Madurai.

A banana variety known as Sirumalai Hill Banana is cultivated on the hilltop and is used in making panchamritam, (prasadam or consecrated food) at the Muruga temple in Palani.

An artificially created lake known as Sirumalai Lake was built in 2010, where there are boating facilities. The hill has a mythological significance too. It is known as Sanjeevani Hills, believed to have been carried by Lord Hanuman to cure Laxman. It is considered to be part of the Sirumalai Hills. You can get a panoramic view of Dindigul and Chinnamalai towns from the Selvi Koil point in the mountain range. The tallest hill in Sirumalai is the Silver Hill, believed to be made of silver. It is said that sage Agastya Siddhar turned the hill into a stone in Kali Yuga. A 500-year-old Sivalinga can be found on top of the hill. Khandige Estate in Sirumalai protects the biodiversity of the Western Ghats, and is surrounded by reserve forest that covers an area of 20,000 – 30,000 acres. During the rainy season (in October and December), the area receives an average rainfall of 120-132 cm.

The place is 90 kilometres from Madurai and 125 kilometres from Trichy.

Since it is a blanket forest area, travellers are advised to buy food from Dindigul town which is 25 kilometres away. Varieties of deer such as spotted deer, barking deer and mouse deer are found here. The place is also inhabited by other wild animals like wild boar, sloth bear, jackal, slender loris and leopard. A Siva temple is located on the hilltop, and you can go trekking there .