Kodaikanal is a hill town in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It’s set in an area of granite cliffs, forested valleys, lakes, waterfalls and grassy hills. At 2,000 meters above sea level, the town centers around man-made, star-shaped Kodaikanal Lake, bordered by evergreen forest. Rowing boats can be hired, and hikers and cyclists follow the 5k Lake Road path around the shore.
| Languages spoken | Tamil, English and Bagada |
|---|---|
| Area (km2) | 21.45 |
| Country name | INDIA |
Kodaikanal the idyllic hill station is engulfed with natural rhapsodies with cascading waterfalls, lush green woods, misty mountains, placid lakes and rolling valleys.
Kodaikanal Lake, is an artificial, roughly star-shaped 45 ha (60 acres) lake built in 1863.
Bryant Park: Just east of the lake and 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the bus stand, is a wonderfully maintained 20.5 acres (8.3 ha) botanical garden. The park was planned and built in 1908 by a forest officer from Madurai, H.D.Bryant, and named after him. With 325 species of trees, shrubs and cacti, the park is a rainbow of stunning flowers during the peak season.
Coaker's Walk, 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the bus-stand, constructed by Lt.Coaker in 1872, is a 1-kilometre (3,300 ft) paved pedestrian path running along the edge of steep slopes on the southern side of Kodai. The walk, winding around Mount Nebo, starts in front of the Van Allen hospital, running parallel to the Van Allen Hospital Road and joins the main road beside St.Peter's Church, providing a stunning panoramic view of the plains.
Poombarai Village(Kudhanthai Velappar Temple), 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the bus-stand,In poombarai village there is a temple of Lord Muruga 10/12 centuries When Bogar returned from China after completed Palani andavar statue he built one more NavabasanamStatue at mid of Palani and Poombari Western gates now a days the place is called as Yanai Gejam.
Green Valley View, (formerly called Suicide Point) 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) from the bus-stand and near the golf course, has an excellent panoramic view of the plains and a sheer drop of 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) overlooking the Vaigai Dam to the south. The stairway leading up to it is highly commercialized and lined with rows of shops to tempt tourists.
Shembaganur Museum of Natural History, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the bus-stand, founded in 1895, is open to the public (except Tuesdays) for viewing their outstanding taxidermy collection of more than 500 species of animals, birds and insects and a living collection of over 300 exotic orchid species.
Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the bus-stand on Observatory Road, at 2,343 metres (7,687 ft) is the highest location near Kodai. The first observations were commenced here in 1901.
Pillar Rocks, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the bus-stand, is a set of three giant rock pillars which stand 122 metres (400 ft) high.
Guna caves, made popular by the Tamil movie Gunaa, previously called Devil's Kitchen, are deep bat-infested chambers between the three gigantic boulders that are the Pillar Rocks. The deep narrow ravines of the caves are now closed to public due to the tragic deaths of twelve youths there.
Silver Cascade, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Kodaikanal at a wide bend in the long and winding Laws Ghat Road, at altitude 1,800 metres (5,900 ft), is a 55-metre (180 ft) waterfall formed from the outflow of Kodaikanal Lake.
Dolphin's Nose, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the bus stand, is flat rock projecting over a breathtaking chasm 6,600 feet (2,000 m) deep. It is an undisturbed area 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) down a very steep rocky trail beginning soon after Pambar Bridge. Orange juice vendors along the trail offer a welcome rest stop. Beautiful views of steep rocky escarpments rising from the plains can be seen. The old village of Vellagavi can be reached through a rugged bridle path here. A short paved walkway leads from the road here to Pambar falls (which is also locally addressed as 'Liril Falls' after the famous Liril Soap Advertisement filming in 1985).
Kurinji Andavar Murugan temple, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the bus-stand, is famous for its Kurinji flower which blossoms in the area only once every 12 years. The deity here is called Sri Kurinji Easwaran, who is Lord Murugan. This temple was built in 1936 by a European lady, who on coming to Ceylon, converted to Hinduism.She changed her name to Leelavathi and married Mr.Ponnambalam Ramanathan. She is also known as Lady Ramanathan. This temple was handed over to Arulmighu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Thiru Kovil, Palani by Devi Prasad Bhaskaran (also known as Padmini, niece and adopted daughter of S Natesan Pillai, son in-law of Lady Ramanathan) and her husband R. Bhaskaran.
Berijam Lake is surrounded by nature at a distance of around 20 km from Kodaikanal. Boating is prohibited as the lake is a source of water for villages. Forest department permission is required and limited number of vehicles (up to 80) are allowed to enter the forest area where the lake is situated. Entry is restricted into the Berijam Lake area to between 9.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Bison, deer, panthers and snakes are often spotted in this area. The fire tower, Silent Valley, Medicine Forest, and Lake View are other attractions around the lake. Psilocybin mushrooms which produce hallucinogenic effects when consumed, and other poisonous mushrooms grow around Berijam. Medicine Forest has a certain species of trees whose fragrance is believed to be having hallucinogenic effects. To enter into the Berijam Lake permission must be obtained from the Forest Department. Usually they give permission around 8 a.m. every day except on Tuesdays. They give permission to about 80 to 100 vehicles per day and collect the entry fee of around Rs.150 depending upon the vehicle. There are some local food joints which offer the local south Indian food. There is also a Tibetan Restaurant which is manned by the Tibetans, offers the sumptuous Tibetan food.
Kodaikanal has a mixed culture of colonial traditions along with the tinge of pure south Indian customs and heritage. It is a place of awesome and exotic handicrafts, handloom, leather items and embroidery. Kodaikanal celebrates various festivals like Pongal, Tourist Fair, Jallikkattu, Miladi Sherif, Mother Salette Festival, Natyanjali Festival, Chithirai Festival, Dance Festival, Tea and Tourism Festival, Summer Festival, Deepavali, Christmas etc. with utmost pomp and grandeur. Boat races, competitions, trade fairs, flower exhibitions are held throughout the year.
The earliest possible references about Kodaikanal have been found in the Tamil Sangam Literature of the early common era. It is said that the early residents of the Kodaikanal region were the Palaiyar tribal people. The modern-day Kodaikanal was made by the British bureaucrats and American Christian monasteries. They used to seek refuge to this town to avoid the blistering heat of summer in the plains and the tropical diseases. In the 20th century, few Indians understood the value of his enchanting hill station and started residing there. Since then it grew up as one of the most revered tourist hotspots in India.
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