Ever wanted to just break away from mundane city life? Then Denkanikottai in Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu in your destination. This small town is a traveller’s paradise. Being in the vicinity of Karnataka, a Bangalorean can easily spend a day and be back by night. The main tourist attraction of Denkanikottai is Bettaraya Swamy Temple, a 500-year old shrine. You can also visit the Yarab Dharga and Jammiah Masjid. The Panjapalli dam, 25 kms from the town, is a mart of joy during the monsoon. Monsoon is the best time to visit the town.
Until 1654 AD, Denkanikottai was ruled by Kanthirava Narasa Raja of Srirangapatna. The territory later moved into the hands of Hyder Ali, and then it was a part of the struggle between the British and Hyder.
The famous Hogenakkal Falls is just 66 km away from Denkanikotta; the way is through the thick forest region of Anchetty, part of the Cauvery Elephant Reserve.
The flora includes a variety of timber trees like rose wood, teak, sandal, hundreds of medicinal herbs, forest plants like nelli, kadukkai, cheekai and pungam. Since pungam trees grow abundantly in the forest, pungam oil is extracted from the seeds, creating a non-polluting bio-fuel.
The wild animals found here include elephants, sambar, spotted deer, gaur, wild boar and panther. The forest area of Denkanikottai Taluk forms the prime elephant habitat with a lot of bamboos. This area also constitutes the Cauvery Elephant Reserve. Birds like the paradise flycatcher can be spotted here.
Big lakes in Anchetti and Hosur also attract large number of migratory birds like painted storks and teals. In addition to these, a variety of butterflies and giant spiders are also found here. Kodakkarai shoal forest in Denkanikottai Taluk is known for its large scale migratory butterflies during a particular season. One can also observe thousands of migratory butterflies flying through this forest like a passing cloud.
Here, you can experience the pleasant environment and clean air that is rare to find in the city.