Kodaikanal is the second best summer retreat in TamilNadu next to Ooty. I am amused at why it is not listed under hillstation at Mouthshut but under pilgrimage!. Kodai is the pet name of this summer retreat. For a non-Tamil it would be very surprising if she or he comes to know that the name translates to “summer retreat” in English. Once landed here they would accept the genealogy of the name without the usual second thought!
Kodai has lots of sight seeing spots with an authenticity Ooty does not have in its heart. (Please read my review on Other side of Ooty most of the mountainscape & forest in heart of Ooty is changed into tea estates & man made vegetable gardens). The spots are the lake - boat, horse ride & cycle here, a botanical Garden, Coaker’s Walk -You can see vaigai dam from here , Pine forest - a lovely romantic place fit for lovers & newly weds. Devil’s kitchen – This place shot to fame after Kaml haasan shot his hit Tamil/Telugu Move “Guna” here. Long ago people were allowed in here for sight seeing; now not by forestry, as many people have slipped & fell into the gorge to leave their relatives and friends in agony for rest of their life. Pillar rocks is another set of vertical rocks that is as beautiful and as treacherous at the same time. Other few spots are called as green valley view, silver falls & lake view. The Kodai lake resembles Indian map from this view point. For the pious ones, there is a temple called Kurinji Aandavar Temple ( Lord Subramaniam). You can also see the shrub Kurinji that blossoms once in 12 years (2006 is due). The blossoms are pale violet or pale rose, my observation is not accurate as I have seen them only in press photographs . I was one hard luck person to be there this year, yet could not see the blossom! Miss it this year to see it again only by 2018! Previous spell was during 1994. Still I have the "The Hindu" clipping with me (See if I can scan & add it here too)
Get permission from Forestry to see the protected eco zone called Perijam lake 22 km from Kodai. En route there are several places for you to stop over & see in awe. They are Silent valley view, Fire tower& Thoppi thooki paarai (Hat lifting rock). This name tells something to you? yes its true! Under favorable conditions, wind swept clouds hit the mountain wall beneath our feet & rise up like white smoke from chimney. Now you throw your straw hats into the valley & they come back to the land. Pure magic done by wind draft! We lost 5 out of 6 hats. The silent valley view is phenomenal & breath taking. Fire tower was once an observatory to look at wild fire at the surrounding. That is a four storeyed tower where you cannot clamber beyond two floors without shaking legs. If you are lucky you can spot Bisons & chipmunks. Perijam Lake hosts a lake, swamp, a medicinal plant garden and a research establishment. IF you drift away from the crowd near the swamp please take care. There are leeches in all sorts of sizes approach you at lightening speed attracted by movement & body heat. If you allow them to sink their suckers into your skin then it will be too late. Any way, don’t get startled by this information. They are harmless if you take that extra precaution of watching out. After all they are a lot better than few of our fellow humans who suck the blood out of our souls.
Retreat from Perijam & Just suspend all your activities for a day or two to just enjoy the weather at Kodai. Do Nothing! (Evident from the photograph alongside with my wife Usha married for 7 years; My children Nitin(6) & Naren(4) were catching butterflies when we were snapped by one of our relatives)
Another thing I forgot to mention was that, there are fireflies in the night over shrubs which provide an excellent past time for kids. Fire flies look insignificant in the day; their size is as small as a paddy grain. They make glorious spectacle in the night. Even a lone fly could add the magic into your night. Imagine when you spot ten or twenty around a shrub!
Four days are over in Kodai and you are now recharged to take on the daily grind!
To get there:
Fly to Madurai take a taxi. Many airlines connect to Madurai (or)
Catch any train to/via Madurai from Chennai. Get down at Kodai road (Approx 20 Km after Dindigul). Kodai is about 100 km from Kodai road
Happy holidaying!