As you leave behind the hot Tamil Nadu plains and approach the cool, pine-scented air of Kodaikanal, 2,133 metres up in the Palani hills, you’ll feel the same way as a bunch of early British and American missionaries. In the early 19th century, these foreigners who stumbled into Kodaikanal were so touched by its beauty and grateful for the escape from the heat that they set about building a town here. They built homes and churches, cut paths, paved roads, introduced new trees such as eucalyptus and pear, and, around 1863, built the Kodaikanal Lake, a defining motif of the town’s natural splendour today.
The Kodaikanal Lake is ensconced in the centre of a sublimely beautiful setting – wooded hill slopes, large rocks, winding roads, skipping waterfalls, and fruit orchards that constantly disappear and reappear in the mist. Beautiful churches are tucked in between British-style villas, and rare flowers like kurunji appear beside delectable plums and pears. Paths and soft-trodden trails appear out of nowhere in the hills.That explains why walking, hiking and trekking are major activities in ‘Kodai’. Day and half-day hikes are an excellent way of taking in the natural wonders of the place. Boating on the Kodaikanal Lake, cycling, and horse-riding are other ways to enjoy the beauty of this hill town.
Kodaikanal has one of the oldest observatories in the world – the Kodaikanal Observatory. As you look above the moonlit pines and watch the stars through a mighty telescope, the vast faraway skies seem fittingly close.
KODAIKANAL LAKE
The loosely star-shaped, 60-acre Kodaikanal Lake is the most popular attraction of the town and its most important geographical landmark. The 5-km path along the lake’s periphery is a favoured hangout for locals and tourists. People enjoy strolling, cycling, or horse-riding along this path as much as row boating on the lake’s waters.
BRYANT PARK
This 20-acre botanical garden was planned and built in 1908 by a forest officer from Madurai called H.D. Bryant. There are 740 varieties of roses and 325 species of trees (many flowering), shrubs, and cactuses here. You’ll also find here an eucalyptus tree dating back to 1857 and an ancient bodhi tree amidst rare flowers and hybrids.
CHETTIAR PARK
Chettiar Park, on the way to Kurinji Temple, is another beautiful park that’s quieter than the centrally-located Byrant Park.
COAKER’S WALK
Built by Lt. Coaker in 1872, Coaker’s Walk is a paved pedestrian path cut along the steep southern slopes of Kodai. The walk winds around Mount Nebo and provides a panoramic view of places such as Valley of the Pamba River, Dolphin’s Nose, Periyakulam, and even the city of Madurai. You can witness here a fascinating rare phenomenon called ‘Brocken Spectre’, where a person can see his shadow on the clouds with a rainbow halo. This occurs when the sun is behind the viewer and clouds and mist are in the front.
BEAR SHOLA FALLS
A gently rising footpath leads to the lovely Bear Shola waterfalls in a reserve forest area.
GREEN VALLEY VIEW
Formerly called Suicide Point, Green Valley View point has a sheer drop of 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) overlooking the Vaigai Dam to the south. The stairway leading to the point is lined with shops selling touristy kitsch.
PINE FORESTS
Mr. Bryant started pine plantations in Kodaikanal in 1906. These pine trees enveloped in mist are distinctly characteristic of Kodaikanal today.
SHEMBANANUR MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
The museum has an outstanding taxidermy collection of more than 500 species of animals, birds, and insects and a living collection of over 300 exotic orchid species. The museum also exhibits artifacts of the ancient Palaiyar tribes whose descendants still live in these hills.
KODAIKANAL OBSEVATORY
Founded in 1898, the Kodaikanal Observatory of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics is one of the oldest observatories in the world. The phenomenon of radial motion in sunspots was discovered here. The observatory offers public tours and night-time telescopic sky viewing for tourists.
DOLMEN CIRCLE
Dolmens and kistavens, dwelling and burial places from the Stone and Iron Ages, at Dolmen Circle date back as early as 5000 BC. This is an important archaeological site.
PILLAR ROCKS
Three giant rock pillars stand 400 ft high on yet another stupendous natural landscape.
SILVER CASCADE
At a bend in the long and winding Laws Ghat Road, 5,900 ft above sea level, Silver Cascade is a 180-foot waterfall formed from the outflow of Kodaikanal Lake.
DOLPHIN’S NOSE
Dolphin’s Nose is a flat rock projecting over a breathtaking chasm 6,600 metres (21,700 ft) deep. The spot offers beautiful views of steep rocky escarpments rising from the plains, and a short walkway from here leads to Pambar Falls (locally known as ‘Liril Falls’ after the filming of the famous Liril soap advertisement here in 1985).
KURINJI ANDAVAR TEMPLE
Dedicated to Sri Kurunji Easwaran, this temple was built by a European lady who came to India, converted to Hinduism, and settled here. This place is also famous for the Kurinji flower which blossoms only once every 12 years.
Trekking
There is a plethora of trekking routes you can opt for in Kodaikanal.
Horse riding
Horse riding to various nooks and heights of the hills is a favourite activity among tourists in Kodai. Horse riding routes and distances are usually fixed, but you can also hire a horse to take off on new soft riding tracks.
Boating
Boat Club of Kodaikanal offers row boats on hire, with or without a boatman. You get an entirely different perspective of the abundant beauty of the lake’s surrounding from the boat.
Cycling
Cool forest paths and tree-lined roads make cycling popular in Kodaikanal. You can hire cycles for a nominal rate and breeze through the 5-km road that circles the lake or make short but slightly uphill excursions to places like Pillar Rocks.
Any time of the year is a good time for Kodaikanal. You may want to consider:
April-May – Peak tourist season; pleasant weather but crowded; May is a great time to catch the various horticultural shows held at Byrant Park.
September-October – Excellent weather and less crowded
Altitude: 2,133 metres
Area: 2,068 sq km
State: Tamil Nadu
Distance from nearby towns/ cities: Madurai 120 Km, Coimbatore 170 km, Chennai 520 km, Bangalore 500 km
Take away: Kodai cheese (cheddars, gruyere, and processed cheese), homemade chocolates, local embroidery work items, objects from Cottage Crafts Shop and Art Gallery where you can buy small art works and other souvenirs
