Mesmerizing Munnar

Munnar is a typical hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.   The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.   Munnar is 1,600 m (5,400 ft) above sea level. It is pronounced “Moon-aar” short for “moonu aar” meaning 3 rivers. Three rivers – Madupetti, Nallathanni and Periavaru which flow through this town, but join some distance away from Munnar.   Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The “Kannan Devan” brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.   The strobilanthus (“neelakurinji” in Malayalam, the local language), a blue flower which blooms only every 12 years, is found in this region. It bloomed last in December 2006. Munnar also has the highest peak in South India, Anamudi, at 2,695 m.   Eravikulam national park is one of the main tourist attractions, where you can find the endagered species of Nilgiri Tahr (mountain goat called “varayadu” in Malayalam). A treck to Rajamala (“King of hills” in Malayalam), in the morning is sure to spot a few friendly mountain goats. You can also fond Gaur, Langur, Lion-tailed macaque, and Elephants depending on the season and time of travel. The altitude is 1,600-1.800 m above sea level. Temperature ranges from a minimum of 0⁰C to a maximum of 28⁰C. Warm clothes and rain gear is recommended. The tourist season is from Aug-Mar.  

Photos: -

 

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Tourist Spots to Visit: - 

Towards Mattuppetty  

1. Blossam Park, (1 km from Munnar). Rose Garden.
2. Photo Point, (2 km from Munnar). It is a small place filled with woods and a small stream. Good location to take photos.
3. Mattupetti Dam, (10 km from Munnar), this popular picnic spot activities like boating and horse riding and is a great place to spend the day e specially if visiting with children. You could take the speed boat ride which is fantastic. It costs Rs 300 if you have to hire a boat for you alone. The ride is for 15 min. The maximum capacity is 5 persons and you could save some money if you are a group of 4-5.
4. Echo Point, (15 km from Munnar), on the way to top station from Munnar is a small lake set amidst rolling hills. Every loud call made from a spot on the lake embankment is returned manifold by the echo from the surrounding hills. Young tourists throng to this place to listen to the echoes of their friendship calls.
5. Elephant Arrival Spot, (18 km from Munnar), Here you can board an elephant for a ride. It costs approximately Rs 350 per person.
6. Kundala Lake, (23 km from Munnar). This lake is very beautiful amidst lush jungles. Hiring a pedal boat and exploring the lake and its surroundings is an awesome experience. Except at the place you hired the boat, don’t expect to find humans around the lake as it is surrounded by scenic jungles and hills. Unless you know how to row a boat, prefer a pedal boat, each trip lasts around 30 min and will be closed at 4:30PM

 Towards Marayoor

1. Tata Tea Museum’, (Around 2 km on the Nallathany road, from Munnar). Tourists can see pieces of colonial era and old bits collection. Videography and photography is strictly prohibited here. This museum remains open from 10AM-4PM every day, closed on Mon. There is a Rs 50 ticket fee for adults and Rs 25 ticket for children.
2. Eravikulam (Rajamalai) National Park, [2] (45 min from Munnar). See Nilgiri Thar (Hemitragas hylocres) – an endangered species of mountain goats, rolling grasslands and sholas, spread over 97² km in the Rajamalai hills, rare flora and fauna, Atlas moth (largest in the world), lion-tailed macaque, leopards, tigers, The Kurichi or Neelakurinji Flowers turn the hills of Rajamalai blue every 12 years. The next bloom will be in 2018. One can actually debate if going to the high peak just to see some goats is worth all the effort or not. However, the walk along the park is very romantic and has some breath taking view.
3. Anamudi Peak inside Eravikulam National Park, The highest peak (2,695 m) south of the Himalayas, towers over the sanctuary in majestic pride. The slopes of the hills abound in all kinds of rare flora and fauna. The Atlas moth, the largest of its kind in the world, is a unique inhabitant of the park. Other rare species of fauna found here are the Nilgiri Langur, the lion-tailed macaque, leopards, tigers. An ideal place for trekking, facilities are provided here and tourists are allowed to go on foot up to Anamudi.

Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal

However the following explanation makes much sense. By pronunciation with long Tamil ‘O’ as KO….DAI means the “The Summer” and KANAL means “T0 see”, which means a place to see in summer. Kodaikanal is actually a summer forest.

History

The earliest residents of Kodaikanal were the Palaiyar tribal people. The earliest specific references to Kodaikanal and the Palani Hills are found in Tamil Sangam literature of the early Christian era. Modern Kodaikanal was established by American Christian missionaries and British bureaucrats in 1845, as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases of the plains. In the 20th century a few elite Indians came to realize the value of this enchanting hill station and started relocating here.

Tourism has been impacted by industrial pollution issues including the closure of a mercury factory owned by Unilever’s Indian subsidiary Hindustan Unilever after evidence of widespread mercury pollution. ^to date no proper clean-up operation has been mounted.

Places To Visit In Kodaikanal…..

Silver Cascade

8 kilometers (5.0 mi) from Kodaikanal at a wide bend in the long and winding Laws Ghat Road, at altitude 1,800 meters (5,900 ft), is a 55-meter (180 ft) waterfall formed from the outflow of Kodaikanal Lake. The water quality is reportedly poor and not good enough for bathing. This impressive waterfall is a popular stop for first-time visitors. There are a few souvenir and fruit vendors and many monkeys here. There is also a smaller but more serene waterfall below the bridge which crosses the stream here.

Few photos taken by me…

Silver Cascade

Silver Cascade

Kodaikanal Lake,

500 meters (1,600 ft) from the bus stand, is an artificial, roughly star-shaped 45 ha (60 acres) lake built in 1863. It is recognized as Kodaikanal’s most popular geographic landmark and tourist attraction. Rowboats and pedalos can be hired at the Kodaikanal Boat Club with its main entrance near the only five-star hotel in Kodaikanal, The Carlton. Horses and bicycles can be hired beside the lake for short periods. The 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) path that skirts the periphery of this lovely lake is a favorite walk for the locals and tourists alike.

Few Phots Of Kodaikanal Lake

Photos By Gupteswar Satapathy (Me)…

Lake View From View Point

Kodaikanal Lake

Lake

Kake View Point

Boating @ Kodaikanal Lake

Evening View Of Lake

Boating @ Lake

Boating

Sun Set View From middle of the Lake

A Nice House Near By Lake

Boating Club @ Lake

People Boating In Lake

Shikara In Kodai Lake

:) Who Is The Lucky Owner Of This House??

Pine Forest Photos…

Pine Forest In Kodai

A Perfect Wallpaper For Your PC.. Isn't It??

A monkey playing around....

:)

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 meters (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.

View From Suicide Point

Cant See Anything?? Not My Fault It was a cloudly day...

Pillar Rocks…

8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the bus-stand, is a set of three giant rock pillars which stand 122 meters (400 ft) high. Managed by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, The viewpoint can be crowded but is not commercialized. There is an excellent public garden adjacent to the viewpoint.

Photos..

Pillar Rock Kodaikanal

Piller Rock

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. On a clear day one can view as far as Dolphin’s Nose in the south, the valley of the Pambar River in the southeast, Periyakulam town and even the city of Madurai. A fascinating rare phenomenon called Brocken spectre can be witnessed, when 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 to the front. There is an observatory with a telescope halfway along the walk. Entrance fee to the walkway is nominal and it is open all year.

View From Coaker's Walk…

Cloudy Day In Kodai

Guna caves,

Made popular by the Tamil movie Guna, 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. These dangerous caves are highly protected now, and tourists can see sections of the cave system from afar.

Me @ Guna Caves

@ Guna Caves

Kurinji Andavar Murugan Temple

4 kilometers (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 in fact Lord Murugan. This temple was built in 1936 by a European lady, who on coming to India, converted to Hinduism. She changed her name to Leelavathi and married a Mr.Ramanathan. She is also known as Lady Ramanathan. This temple is under the management of Arulmighu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Thiru Kovil, Palani.

Few Photos In And Arround

Kurinji Andavar Murugan Temple

Kurinji Andavar Murugan Temple

Kodai City View

Kodai City View

Heven Homes

Near The Temple

Kodai City View

It was a nice trip. i enjoyed the whether more than anything else. It was awesome with full of cloud.

Gupteswar Satapathy (Bangalore)