Shenkottai is a town in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. Shenkottai meaning red fort got its name from a fort located at the entrance of the town. This town lies on the border of Tirunelveli and Travancore. Shenkottai is 61 km from Tirunelveli and 619 km from its capital city, Chennai. This locality is surrounded by Tenkasi, Punalur, Pudur, and Surandai.
Places to Stay
People visiting Shenkottai prefer staying in Tirunelveli as they are good affordable hotels. Some of the hotels are Hotel Laura Paradise Inn (Tariff – Rs.491), Sree Bharani Hotel (Tariff – Rs.747), and Ramanas Inn (Tariff – Rs.763).
Language
The official language spoken in Shenkottai is Tamil.
Events
The most celebrated festivals in Shenkottai are Pongal in January, Holi celebrated in March, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated during August- September, Janmashtami in August, and Karthigai Deepam held during November-December.
Places of Interest
There is a scenic waterfall at Courtallam (8 km), which is spectacular. Other places of attraction nearby include Tenkasi (8 km), and Palaruvi Waterfall (21 km) from Shenkottai.
How to Get There
Air:
Trivandrum International Airport, which is 105 km from Shenkottai, is the nearest and the most connected airport. Another option for tourists is the airport in Madurai (160 km) away from Shenkottai.
Rail:
There is a railway station in the region, which connects Shenkottai to other cities and towns.
Bus:
Shenkottai is well connected through various routes to parts of Tamil Nadu as well as Kerala. It is centrally located and there are many highway routes that pass through this region. There are private buses operators such as Kallada Travels and Sri Bhagyalakshmi Travels from Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu to Shenkottai. You can book bus online from various bus booking websites.