Palani

Palani is a town in Tamil Nadu. The Palani Murugan Temple, dedicated to Lord Murugan, sits on a hill overlooking the town. The temple is visited by more than 7 million pilgrims each year. As of 2011, the town had a population of 70,000.

By plane
The nearest airport is in Coimbatore which has regular flights from Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kozhikode, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Sharjah, Colombo and Singapore. Air India, Alliance Air, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Scoot, Air Arabia and SriLankan Airways operate flights out of Coimbatore Airport.

Palani is approximately 100 km from Coimbatore. Taxis, buses and trains link Coimbatore to Palani.

By train
Broad-gauge trains connect Palani to Pollachi on one side (en route from Coimbatore or Kerala) and Madurai (to elsewhere in Tamil Nadu). Passenger trains now run and a daily express train links Chennai. The Murugan Temple is about 2 km from the railway station and can be reached by autorickshaw or bus.

By bus
The state transport corporation and many private bus operators ply from Palani to Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tuticorin, Palakkad and Kochin. KSRTC Bus runs to Cherthala, Changanassery and Kottarakkara.

Get around
Getting around Palani is easy. There are public transport buses, auto rickshaws and taxis available in plenty.

It is not advised to pick the auto rickshaws, as they are prone to overcharging the commuters, especially if they are from out of town. It is best to ask your hotel to arrange for transportation or inquire about the estimated fare between the destinations.

See
There are lot of places to see in and around Palani.



Do

 * Trekking to Kodaikannal, Kuthiraiyar Dam Falls, Thakkan thotam
 * Site seeing in Kodaikannal
 * Visit temples in and around Palani

Buy
ATMs from most nationalised nanks are available within the town.

You can buy panchamirtham, vibhuti, medals of Muruga, toys, handicrafts, pictures of the Lord, publications of the Devasthânam. You can bargain for the prices.

Industries: textile mills, manufacture of panchamirtham, production of vibhuti (sacred ash), making of steel furniture at Govt. pressed metal factory, manufacture of fruit juices and of stone grinders.

Learn
Schools: Palani has a number of Tamil and English Medium schools. Arulmigu Palaniandavar Matriculation School(APMS) is one of the oldest English medium schools in Palani.

Colleges: Palani has two arts colleges and one Engineering college in the town. The Arts colleges are run by the Devasthanam  (Palani Hill Temple Board).

Polytechnic: Devasthanam (Palani Hill Temple Board) also runs a polytechnic (Arulmigu Palaniandavar Polytechnic).

Eat
A lot of South Indian restaurants (Vegetarian and Non-Veg) are available in Palani town. Few restaurants serve Chinese and North Indian foods too.

Palani is famous for its Panchamirtam, which is a jam-like preserve made of five fruits. It’s one of the unique sweets which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Drink
All soft drinks are available in almost all small shops near Temple and in the town. Fresh fruit juices are also available in the fruit shops around the temple and near bus stand. Tender coconut is available in plenty as Palani/Pollachi areas have coconut plantations.

Sleep
The temple provides ample accommodation to its visitors so you can always book a place to sleep. It also provides air-conditioned rooms to non-air-conditioned beds.



Stay safe
Be skeptical about what the horse drivers tell you. They may defraud you.

Cope
Hospitals: - Palani has lot of hospitals which operate for 24 hours including the Government hospitals.

Important phone numbers:
 * Police Control Tower - 100
 * Fire Station - 101

Go next

 * Kodaikanal
 * Munnar to palani
 * Topslip
 * Ooty
 * Madurai