There are grounds for cautious optimism that we may now be near the end of the search for the ultimate laws of nature. – Stephen Hawking
KODAI – A cool place to be
INTRODUCTION
Kodaikanal is a great place to be in to spend summer. It is one of the most popular hill station in India for its picturesque locales and serene beauty. The mammoth rocks, enthralling lake, wooded slopes and the shuddering and ornamental falls will spellbind any traveler. Being rich in flora and fauna, kodai offers a unique plant that makes the hillslopes “a blaze of purple” once every twelve years. This plant is the “kurinji”. Kurinji a.k.a Strobilanthus Kunthanus blossoms once every twelve years. This spot offers everything a hill station needs to offer and much more. If I were to say that Ooty was given a good run for its money by kodai, what would you think of this scenic spot?
Let us delve into some historical perspective of Kodaikanal.
HISTORY
Kodaikanal a.k.a “Gift of the forest” (kodai means gift and kanal means forest in colloquial Tamil), was a hill station developed well enough by the Weatherly persecuted British during their raj. The earliest settlers were the villagers of Palani who fled to the mountains to flee an invading Tippu Sultan. Later in the days a British surveyor named B.S Ward visited the place in 1821. Ward told about this place to the officials and the groundwork began on a grand scale to build a hill-station. After that a lot of flora and fauna were introduced, besides putting up the historical structures we are left to see nowadays. Lt.Coaker carved the path that is so well known, in 1872.
MY FLING WITH KODAI
My first trip to kodai was as a bustling teen-ager visiting with class-mates on semesterly trip. This trip was so memorable for the fun and joy we had. To be frank, the fun was severely enhanced by the sheer beauty of Kodai. We stayed in YHAI (Youth Hostels Association of India) hostel and it was OK to stay in a hostel like dorm for few days. I have been there few more times and every-time it is the same beautiful kodai. I’ve never seen the kurinji blossoms in kodai, even once.
ATTRACTIONS IN KODAI
BRYANT PARK – This is in the heart of the Kodai Town. This beautiful park was named after the original planner H.D Bryant in 1908. This beautiful park is well maintained and has various shades of Dahlia other flowers amongst a malodorous eucalyptus trees(healthy by the way!).
KODAI OBSERVARORY – This world famous place is located at the tallest spot of 7700 feet above see level. It is well equipped to do research. A director of this observatory named Evershed discovered the “evershed effect” which is about the radial motion of sunspots in the sun. Stargazing any one?
COAKER’S WALK – This narrow pedestrian path was constructed by Lt.Coaker in 1872. This is about a kilometer long and runs along the side of the southern slopes. Whilst walking along, you may see many breath-taking valley views and forest views. If you are lucky enough you may feel ’Brachem Spectre’ (One can see his/her shadow on the clouds with a rainbow halo, when sun is behind him/her and cloud and mist in front), albeit being very rare.
CHETTIAR PARK – this is on the way to the Kurinji temple. A rather well maintained one
PILLAR ROCKS – This place was dramatically picturized in the movie “Guna”. This wonder of nature is definitely a crowd favorite. This is nearer to the “Devil’s Kitchen” were the very famous ‘Kanmani Anbodu Kaathalan” song was picturized. This place has been renamed Guna spot since then.
DOLPHIN’S NOSE – This is another scenic spot to view the valley and the breath-taking views of the mountains and its serene surroundings. A tiring journey through a rough curve rounds the hillside, which leads you to a point where a flat-rock eclipses over an appalling chesm of 6600 feet deep gorge.
DOLMEN CIRCLE – This is an anthropological site maintained by ICAR.
WATER FALLS – This is the most famous feature of Kodai. There are so many to choose from especially,
· Thalaiyar falls a.k.a Rat’s Tail falls
· Bear Shola falls – a picnic spot
· Pambar falls – An enthralling site
· Silver Cascade – The most famous falls in Kodai
KUKKAL CAVES – This is a place near Poombarai and you have to walk through beautiful geranium plantations and pine trees to reach this place. These are over-hanging slabs of rocks. You are sure to see so many wild orchids along your trail.
VEMBADI PEAK VALLEYS – This is the second highest peak at an altitude of 2450 meters. You have Berinjam lake view, farms and mountain ranges that can be viewed from this spot.
KODAI LAKE – This is the main tourist attraction. You have a fairly large lake with trails surrounding it. Biking and Boating are the most famous activities by the tourists. The biking is an excellent opportunity to let you loosen yourself. Boating is equally good. You can also go for horse riding. This lake is spread well over 60 acres and surrounded by fine tarred road of 5 km length. This 5K cycle ride is something to cherish about. If you are up to the task, you can either jog or walk along this lake.
TREKKING – Believe it or not, kodai is a trekkers paradise, compared to Ooty. You can go on an 80 mile round for three days of trekking. If you hire good local tour guides, it can be cherishing, especially when you are with your friends.
ACCOMODATION
Kodai has some good hotels but none of the worldly famous ones. These hotels are rather good. You may want to avoid some shady ones especially if you are a honeymooner and all. You can get some information by calling TTDC hotline or visit https://kodai.com or https://kodaikanalonline.com.
TRAVEL TO KODAI
You can access kodaikanal via air from Madurai(120 Kms), Coimbatore (170 Kms) and Trichy(195 Kms). You can also access Kodai via road from Dindigul, Madurai, Palani etc. Kodai is good anytime of the year.
CONCLUSION
Kodaikanal is a very beautiful place. A good thing about this place is that it is neither too cold in winter nor too hot (in a hill station perspective) in extreme summer. This is a youthful place with a lot for youths than for any other category. It is a honeymooner’s paradise as well as a familial picnic spot. The euphony that emanates from all the bustling and ubiquitous activities surrounding this place will enthrall you all to admire the nature’s beauty, a thing that cannot be beaten by human’s sharpest thinking.
Your comments are welcome,
Kalil
Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization. -- Daniel Webster