States › Tamil Nadu › Pudukkottai

Pudukkottai Travel Guide

While many may consider or regard Pudukkottai as one of Tamil Nadu's non-descript towns, the truth of the matter is, one is just a few metres away from stepping into antiquity and timelessness. The limited but unique places to visit in Pudukkottai will enthrall each and every traveller. While the origin of the town can be traced back to prehistoric times, it is only until recently Pudukkottai began to make its mark in the travel map of Tamil Nadu as well as other parts of south India. The places to visit in Pudukkottai might not be extensive or several in number, but the few that are there, are definitely worth a visit. The town is littered with strong evidences of ancient humans' settlement, rock-cut cave monuments and even megalithic tombs that can be easily included among the top sightseeing places in Pudukkottai. It goes without saying that exploring such a town is an adventure in itself, as you get to soak into the region's history and culture. Several dynasties in history such as the Thondaiman, Mutharaiyars, Irukkuvelirs, Nayaks, Vijayanagar, Hoysalas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas have ruled Pudukkottai and have successfully left behind their impressions in the form of magnificent architecture in the town. There are several buildings in Pudukkottai that uphold the unique architecture of each ruling dynasties. It is believed that Jainism and Buddhism also flourished in the region. Centuries down the line, the town has held onto its importance in several forms and of course has emerged as a favourable tourist destination in Tamil Nadu.

There are quite a few travel places in Pudukkottai that will leave travellers in awe. One of the most visited attractions happens to be Jain cave temple at Sittanavasal. The cave temple houses some of the best-known frescos of the region. Apart from Sittanavasal, another major tourist place in Pudukkotai happens to be the Thirumayaym Fort. An age-old fort, the citadel offers awesome views of the surrounding valleys around from the top. Pudukottai is a great destination for history lovers and culture vultures. Such travellers can have an amazing time exploring the main museum, which houses plenty of artefacts, sculptures, paintings and old musical instruments. While history lovers will probably have the best time at Pudukottai, travellers in groups or family vacationers can also enjoy the beauty of the historical places as they time travel through some of its age-old wonders.

In our precise Pudukkottai travel guide, you will get an insight into all the places to visit in the town as well as certain things to do that Pudukkottai has to offer. Find information on places to stay and the best time to plan a trip to this lesser-known tourist destination in Tamil Nadu.

Best Time to Visit Pudukkottai

The tropical humid climate characterises Pudukkottai where summers are typically hot and humid. During monsoons, Pudukkottai experiences moderate rainfall and the winter months are usually very pleasant. It can be said that, winters are the best time to visit Pudukkottai and experience the beauty of the town to its fullest.

  • Summer

    Summer

    Summer months in Pudukkottai spans from early March till early June. Owing to its location, the town experiences pretty hot and sunny days along with warmer evenings. Temperature in Pudukkottai during summers range from 25°C to 38°C. Sometimes it goes up to as high as 42°C as well. It is well understood that travellers will find it somewhat uncomfortable to explore around the city.

  • Monsoon

    Monsoon

    Monsoons in Pudukkottai range from mid-June to early September. The region experiences mainly moderate rainfall during these months. However, humidity levels go up and therefore, travellers usually find it a little difficult to go about exploring the town. Nonetheless, if you are adventurous enough, you may choose to visit Pudukkottai during monsoons, provided you are well-equipped with equipment to protect you from the rains.

  • Winter

    Winter

    Since tropical humid climate characterises the region, winters are possibly the best time to visit Pudukkottai. During this time, the humidity levels are reduced to almost zero and the temperature ranges between 18°C to a maximum of 28°C. Needless to say, that, travellers can have the best of their times, exploring the town during the winter months.

Places to Visit and Things to Do in & around Pudukkottai

This lesser-known gem in Tamil Nadu makes for an ideal getaway for travellers who looking to explore an offbeat destination in South India. Most importantly, history buffs can have an excellent time sightseeing the exquisite locales in the town.

  • Sittanavasal

    The Sittanavasal caves are one of the most popular places to visit in Pudukkottai. The monument is a rock-cut monastery which is believed to be created by the Jains way back in the 2nd century. It is a cave temple and contains remnants of notable frescos from that time. These murals have been painted with vegetable and mineral dyes using bold colours such as black, white, green, blue and yellow.

  • Brahadambal Temple

    The Brahadambal Temple is a prominent religious place in Pudukkottai. It might come as a surprise, that despite its amazing architecture, the temple somehow remains less-crowded round the year. The shrine is often considered as an architectural wonder owing to its excellent fusion of Jain and Dravidian architecture. The presiding deities in the temple happen to be Lord Gokarneshwarar and his consort Brahadambal.

  • Avudairyarkoil

    Located roughly 50 kilometres from the city centre, the Avudairyarkoil temple is a major tourist attraction in Pudukkottai. Built in the typical Dravidian style of architecture, the presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva. It is a somewhat different Shiva Temple in the sense that there is no statue of Nandi the Bull or even a flag at the temple. Also, the Sivalingam is worshipped as a soul and not in the form of a statue.

  • Thirumayam Fort

    The Thirumayam Fort is one of the most prominent sightseeing places in Pudukkottai. An ancient piece of architecture, the citadel is located a little away from the city centre. Climbing atop the fort might be a little arduous, but once there, the views are simply stunning. The fort also houses a huge Shivalingam that can be reached after climbing a somewhat scary-looking flight of stairs.

Where to Stay in Pudukkottai?

Travellers can find some decent accommodation options in Pudukkottai. While there might not be a plethora of hotels and guest houses in the place, nonetheless the few that are there are pretty good. Hotels in Pudukkottai include budget ones as well as a few high-end ones that can also be booked online.

How to Reach Pudukkottai?

Pudukkottai can be reached from all parts of the country. Major cities in Tamil Nadu and other parts of south India are connected to the place. One of the easiest ways to reach Pudukkottai is to arrive at the Trichy airport and then take a taxi or bus from there.

  • By Air

    The nearest airport to Pudukkottai happens to be Tiruchirapalli or Trichy, located at a distance of roughly 73 kilometres. Travellers can reach Trichy airport and then take a bus or taxi to Pudukkottai.

  • By Rail

    Pudukkottai has its own railway station which is accessible from other railway junctions in south India. Trains going to Kanyakumari and Rameswaram from Chennai, halt at Pudukkottai. Other than that, local and express trains can be availed from a host of railway junctions including Chennai, Madurai, Kanyakumari and even Bengaluru.

  • By Road

    A vast network of roads connect all major cities in south India, especially Tamil Nadu to Pudukkottai. National Highway (NH) number 55 connects Trichy to Pudukkottai while NH 36 connects the place to Chennai. Road conditions are pretty good, so driving down to Pudukkottai is usually a good experience.

Popular Tour Packages Tamil Nadu

View More

Tamil Nadu Tourism- Top Things to Do and See

Tamil Nadu Travel Information at a Glance

There's an abundance of culture, tradition, art, craft, nature, and wildlife experiences awaiting in Tamil Nadu. Choose from our wide array of Tamil Nadu travel packages and get that incredible holiday experience at this colour palette kind of a destination. We design the finest tour packages keeping your likes and dislikes in mind so that you are guaranteed a holistic travelling experience that too in a budget of your choice.

x
LET'S PLAN YOUR TRIPLet us Plan Your Trip