Dindigul Rock Fort

The Rock Fort, locally called Malaikottai, sits on the bare granite hill that gives Dindigul its name. Madurai Nayak king Muthu Krishnappa Nayak built the hill fort in 1605. It passed to the Kingdom of Mysore in the 18th century, was strengthened under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, and came under the British East India Company in the 1790s. A path and rock cut steps lead past double walls, gateways, an ammunition store, cannon points and old barracks to an abandoned temple near the summit, where you get wide views over the town and the Sirumalai and Palani hills. The Archaeological Survey of India maintains the fort as a protected monument and charges a small entry fee.