A dawn to dusk food trail in Dindigul, the land of seeraga samba biryani
Lamb trotters for breakfast
In Dindigul, several restaurants serve biryani from as early as 6am. I do not yield to the temptation so early in the day, and try something different. Bangaru Biryani, started in 1931 by Bangarusamy Naidu, has opened a new outlet on Round Road, serving biryani, idli and idiyappam with a range of mutton and chicken sides for breakfast.
The small eatery that can seat not more than 12 people, is being run by S Giridharan, great grandson of the founder Bangarusamy. Giridharan's father Subbrayalu Naidu trained under the founder in his younger years. A small framed photo of Subbrayalu hangs on the wall, opposite which the menu is displayed. K Angusamy, the master, lays out a feast on a leaf: idiyappam, idli, lamp trotters soup, mutton chukka, vellai kuruma, naattu kozhi kulambu, and mutton milagu kulambu. There is also a serving of mutton biryani and dalcha.
The mutton chukka alone, a dish of popcorn-sized boneless mutton slow-cooked with chilli powder and curry leaves, makes the journey worthwhile. The meat is tender, enveloped in a glistening layer of chilli-infused oil, punctuated by crisp curry leaves. It goes well with the idiyappam.
A mention must be made of the creamy mutton vellai kuruma, a Dindigul staple. Angusamy explains that it has ground coconut, cashew nuts and roasted chana dal. This curry is the next most popular dish is the town after biryani. It is mild with a hit of pepper, and can be had with idlis as well as idiyappams and dosas.
How much biryani is too much?
It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of places to eat biryani in town. With three branches, Siva is the new favourite in Dindigul, and I understand why. The oldest outlet, a hole-in-wall place at Begampur, is always packed. Venu, a few blocks away, serves decent biryani too. But there is something about Siva that makes it a tad better.
The biryani is light brown, with the rice cooked al dente. The spices are balanced — unlike some restaurants that go a little overboard with cinnamon — and the meat is tender. For people like me who grew up eating Venu, Thalappakatti, and Ponram biryani, Siva's is similar and different at the same time. A Mohan Raj, a relative of the founder K Ganesan, explains that the trick is to source the right ingredients. While the restaurant has been around from 1989, it really took off after the pandemic, with tourists from Chennai, Bengaluru, and Coimbatore visiting the town just for their biryani.
'In 2023, a Japanese restauranteur came to Dindigul for a week-long trip,' recalls Mohan. 'He ate our biryani for lunch every day, alternating it with kari dosai for dinner.' The 32-year-old does not remember his name nor did he understand the guest's language. 'But I do know that he went back happy,' he says.
Warm, gooey halwa and jilebis
It is common practice for tourists to stop at one of the sweet shops for its jilebis after their fix of biryani. Among the oldest such shops is Jilebi Seshaiyer on Sandhai Road. Established in the 1960s, the shop is the brainchild of SK Seshaiyer, who initially sold sweets on pushcarts at various spots in town. His jilebis gradually grew in popularity and today, are served fresh and mildly warm through the day.
A piece of the sweet makes the palate happy, and the owner R Bhuvaneshwari suggests we also try the godhumai halwa. The sticky, chocolate-brown dessert is warm and drips with ghee.
Coffee with a side of potato masala
A savouries shop in a small lane sells what is arguably the oldest snack in Dindigul. Known as 'Alwar kadai', the shop has been around for over 75 years, selling mixture, boondi, murukku, pakoda, among others. But I arrive there on the last leg of my journey for a taste of its potato pottalam, a dish of boiled, mashed potatoes cooked with onions, turmeric and green chillies.
The owner SS Sathyanarayanan who is seated at the counter, says gravely: 'It is not yet 3pm.' The snack is available only then, and gets sold out soon after. Once the masala arrives from the kitchen, it is packed as small dollops in banana leaves.
A little after 3.15pm, he offers a pottalam for me to try. It is triangular — the wrapping gives way to warm, thick, potato masala folded in a banana leaf. It is not too heavy flavour-wise, but can make for a nice snack to go with coffee or tea from the many tea shops in town.
As for dinner, I decide to make do with coconut water. But one can also do another round at Ponram, Venu, Thalappakatti, and Bangaru, not necessarily in that order.
How to get there
There are several trains from Chennai that stop at Dindigul, such as the Vaigai Express, Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express, and Pothigai Express. Madurai is the nearest city with an airport, with regular buses to and from Dindigul.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- The Hindu
A dawn to dusk food trail in Dindigul, the land of seeraga samba biryani
I have suitably skipped dinner the pervious night in preparation for my Dindigul trip. A crucial tip to those who plan to visit the town on a food tour: go on an empty stomach. If possible, fast for a week before you start dreaming of seeraga samba biryani, for, you might eat far more than you can handle. Dindigul, located a little less than 65 kilometres from Madurai, is the birthplace of Tamil Nadu's seeraga samba biryani that is now going places. But there is more to the town than just biryani. Here are our picks. Lamb trotters for breakfast In Dindigul, several restaurants serve biryani from as early as 6am. I do not yield to the temptation so early in the day, and try something different. Bangaru Biryani, started in 1931 by Bangarusamy Naidu, has opened a new outlet on Round Road, serving biryani, idli and idiyappam with a range of mutton and chicken sides for breakfast. The small eatery that can seat not more than 12 people, is being run by S Giridharan, great grandson of the founder Bangarusamy. Giridharan's father Subbrayalu Naidu trained under the founder in his younger years. A small framed photo of Subbrayalu hangs on the wall, opposite which the menu is displayed. K Angusamy, the master, lays out a feast on a leaf: idiyappam, idli, lamp trotters soup, mutton chukka, vellai kuruma, naattu kozhi kulambu, and mutton milagu kulambu. There is also a serving of mutton biryani and dalcha. The mutton chukka alone, a dish of popcorn-sized boneless mutton slow-cooked with chilli powder and curry leaves, makes the journey worthwhile. The meat is tender, enveloped in a glistening layer of chilli-infused oil, punctuated by crisp curry leaves. It goes well with the idiyappam. A mention must be made of the creamy mutton vellai kuruma, a Dindigul staple. Angusamy explains that it has ground coconut, cashew nuts and roasted chana dal. This curry is the next most popular dish is the town after biryani. It is mild with a hit of pepper, and can be had with idlis as well as idiyappams and dosas. How much biryani is too much? It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of places to eat biryani in town. With three branches, Siva is the new favourite in Dindigul, and I understand why. The oldest outlet, a hole-in-wall place at Begampur, is always packed. Venu, a few blocks away, serves decent biryani too. But there is something about Siva that makes it a tad better. The biryani is light brown, with the rice cooked al dente. The spices are balanced — unlike some restaurants that go a little overboard with cinnamon — and the meat is tender. For people like me who grew up eating Venu, Thalappakatti, and Ponram biryani, Siva's is similar and different at the same time. A Mohan Raj, a relative of the founder K Ganesan, explains that the trick is to source the right ingredients. While the restaurant has been around from 1989, it really took off after the pandemic, with tourists from Chennai, Bengaluru, and Coimbatore visiting the town just for their biryani. 'In 2023, a Japanese restauranteur came to Dindigul for a week-long trip,' recalls Mohan. 'He ate our biryani for lunch every day, alternating it with kari dosai for dinner.' The 32-year-old does not remember his name nor did he understand the guest's language. 'But I do know that he went back happy,' he says. Warm, gooey halwa and jilebis It is common practice for tourists to stop at one of the sweet shops for its jilebis after their fix of biryani. Among the oldest such shops is Jilebi Seshaiyer on Sandhai Road. Established in the 1960s, the shop is the brainchild of SK Seshaiyer, who initially sold sweets on pushcarts at various spots in town. His jilebis gradually grew in popularity and today, are served fresh and mildly warm through the day. A piece of the sweet makes the palate happy, and the owner R Bhuvaneshwari suggests we also try the godhumai halwa. The sticky, chocolate-brown dessert is warm and drips with ghee. Coffee with a side of potato masala A savouries shop in a small lane sells what is arguably the oldest snack in Dindigul. Known as 'Alwar kadai', the shop has been around for over 75 years, selling mixture, boondi, murukku, pakoda, among others. But I arrive there on the last leg of my journey for a taste of its potato pottalam, a dish of boiled, mashed potatoes cooked with onions, turmeric and green chillies. The owner SS Sathyanarayanan who is seated at the counter, says gravely: 'It is not yet 3pm.' The snack is available only then, and gets sold out soon after. Once the masala arrives from the kitchen, it is packed as small dollops in banana leaves. A little after 3.15pm, he offers a pottalam for me to try. It is triangular — the wrapping gives way to warm, thick, potato masala folded in a banana leaf. It is not too heavy flavour-wise, but can make for a nice snack to go with coffee or tea from the many tea shops in town. As for dinner, I decide to make do with coconut water. But one can also do another round at Ponram, Venu, Thalappakatti, and Bangaru, not necessarily in that order. How to get there There are several trains from Chennai that stop at Dindigul, such as the Vaigai Express, Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express, and Pothigai Express. Madurai is the nearest city with an airport, with regular buses to and from Dindigul.
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- The Hindu
Lufthansa flight diversion due to 'bomb threat' upsets travel plans of Hyderabad-bound passengers
A 20-hour layover at the Frankfurt airport has disrupted the onward travel plans of most passengers after their Hyderabad-bound Lufthansa flight was denied permission to land at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. The flight LH752 departed Frankfurt at around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday (June 15) and was originally expected to land in Hyderabad at 6:00 a.m. on Monday (June 16). However, the non-stop flight was diverted back to its origin airport due to a 'bomb threat'. 'After three hours of journey (on Saturday) the passengers were informed that the flight had no permission to land at Hyderabad Airport and hence the aircraft was going back to Frankfurt. All our onward journey plans were upset. I have to go see my parents who are very old,' Madhvi Latha, a passenger on the flight, told PTI videos. She said she had to go further to Guntakal in Andhra Pradesh. Another passenger, Venu, who was travelling from San Francisco, expressed shock over the turnaround and said his flight was airborne for nearly four hours before it returned. His onward journey resumed only around 10 a.m. the next day, significantly delaying his arrival in Hyderabad. 'They told us that the flight is going to return. We didn't understand. It was a shock for us that the flight was coming back. It was a shock when they told us that the flight was going to return. We did not understand what was happening,' Mr. Venu said, expressing relief that all passengers were safe. The disruption caused even longer delays for some passengers. Arogyam Chowdhury, who originally had flown from Canada, experienced the longest delay in the group with his layover in Frankfurt lasting nearly 72 hours. Another passenger Anay, a school boy, recalled watching inflight TV when the announcement was made that the plane was returning to Frankfurt. According to Hyderabad Airport sources, a bomb threat email targeting Lufthansa flight LH 752 was received at the Hyderabad airport at 18:01 hrs on June 15. They said a bomb threat assessment committee was formed and all procedures were followed as per standard operating procedure. In the interest of safety, the airline was advised to divert back to the origin or the nearest suitable airport. Flight LH 752 — operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft — departed from Frankfurt at 14.29 hours instead of its scheduled departure time of 13.05 hours, as per flight tracking website
Business Standard
21-05-2025
- Business Standard
The Platform That's Rewriting the Rules of Hospitality: How cheQIn.ai Quietly Became the Hotel Industry's Boldest Disruptor
Glegoo Innovations New Delhi [India], May 21: In a digital travel industry crowded with marketplaces that look--and charge--alike, one AI-powered startup is making the global hotel sector pause, rethink, and realign. Meet the hotel booking platform that doesn't just promise better prices--it delivers a new economic paradigm. Founded by serial tech entrepreneur Venu G Somineni, fuses advanced AI with a radically fair business model: no commissions for hoteliers, real-time price competition for guests, and full transparency for everyone involved. While incumbents scale through commissions and markups, has opted for something far more audacious--alignment. The Traveler's Dilemma--and the Real Cost of "Convenience" Every seasoned traveler knows the drill. You book a room for Rs3,000 (~$35), but what you don't see is that the hotel receives only Rs2,250. The difference? A 25% commission taken by the platform--unseen, unspoken, and almost always baked into your rate. This quiet extraction has become the standard. confronts it head-on. Instead of charging hotels a percentage of every transaction, it operates on a subscription model--giving hoteliers full pricing control while enabling travelers to access unbeatable real-time deals, brokered by an AI engine that never sleeps. "We're not just helping travelers save money," says Venu. "We're helping hotels keep what's rightfully theirs. That creates trust on both sides of the equation." How the AI Works: Instant Bidding. Real Savings. Zero Hassle. The experience begins with a traveler posting a stay request--location, dates, and preferences. Within moments, the platform's proprietary AI alerts all relevant hotels in that geography. The competition begins. Each hotel enters a real-time bidding loop, adjusting prices based on the live offers of its peers. Hotel A might respond with Rs3,000. Hotel B counters at Rs2,700. Hotel C, seeking to win, drops to Rs2,500. The AI then surfaces the top five lowest bids, tailored to the traveler's needs and budget. No need for coupons. No last-minute discounts. No guesswork. This is bargaining, automated--bringing efficiency to the chaos of traditional price discovery. The End of Commission Fatigue for Hotels In an industry long dominated by 20-25% commission norms, independent hotels and boutique properties have often felt squeezed by the platforms they rely on. While their occupancy grows, their profits shrink. Guest data is withheld. Direct relationships are discouraged. liberates hotels from that cycle. Properties list for free. They pay a predictable, flat monthly fee based on bookings and region. More importantly, they regain ownership of their pricing, their branding, and their guest relationships. "As a hotelier, commissions have always felt like a tax on growth," says the owner of a mid-size hotel group in Pune. "With I'm in control again--and our repeat guest rate is climbing." Global Reach, Local Impact Though it launched quietly, footprint is now anything but small. The platform already powers over 100,000 verified properties across India, Singapore, the UAE, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Germany, and France. Its reach spans continents--but its ethos remains grounded: empowerment over extraction, connection over control. Backed by EaseMyTrip, one of India's leading publicly listed travel companies, is scaling on the strength of its value proposition, not advertising muscle. Word-of-mouth, not manipulation. For business travelers, budget-conscious families, digital nomads, and even spontaneous isn't just a better platform. It's a smarter philosophy. Why the World Is Ready for a New Model Post-pandemic, travel is booming again--but the economics are shifting. Inflation is real. Loyalty is elusive. Guests want value. Hotels want freedom. And the traditional booking platforms? Many feel stuck in 2015. is arriving precisely at the moment when both travelers and hoteliers are willing to rethink their habits--and reward platforms that rethink the rules. "We're not aiming to be the biggest," says Venu. "We're here to be the most aligned--with the people who matter most. The ones who travel. And the ones who welcome them." A New Operating System for Hospitality Great companies don't just disrupt--they redefine. In what Uber did for transportation, and what Airbnb did for accommodation, is now doing for the hotel marketplace. Its model isn't built on arbitrage or ad revenue. It's built on trust, tech, and transparency. It's not just more efficient. It's more human. And that's why, even without fanfare, the platform is quickly becoming a global movement--reshaping how the world books, stays, and saves.
