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…
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)…
Boating @ Kodaikanal Lake
Pine Forest Photos…
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.
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..
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.
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.
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
It was a nice trip. i enjoyed the whether more than anything else. It was awesome with full of cloud.
Gupteswar Satapathy (Bangalore)









































Nice Photography…
BDW the name itself is a big talent.Credit goes to d name…………
Comment by Gupteswar Misra — August 22, 2011 @ 3:30 PM |
Hi,
I liked your idea of putting in images/ pictures of places you have visited on your blog. The pictures are all good and give an overall idea of Kodainkanal. After seeing the pictures, I have decided to go there sometime. An absolutely commendable job done. Perhaps you could add brief details of places to visit. Of course, there are umpteen websites to give this information, but there is nothing like hearing a traveller’s perspective( that is you).
Comment by Mohamed Ameen — July 25, 2011 @ 12:55 AM |
mindblowing place….i heard abt dis place but only saw in d movie Gupt i thnk dat place is Coaker’s Walk…must say.. very keen observer u are………….
Comment by PADMINI BAL — August 30, 2010 @ 1:50 PM |
Kodaikanal is a vitual heaven on the earth. I had been during the peak season April-June. It was breathtaking. The blog, content, the snaps were too good. The mangoes during the peak season, the bicycles on hire to go around the lake is good enough. The walk down to the Dolphin nose is amazing (May be it missed your attention). The food available is good enough. I would like to explore Kodai during the off season (Sep to Dec). It will be chill, misty place.
Comment by Srikanth Manjunath — August 12, 2010 @ 5:32 PM |
Nice Photography and good review of each place.
Just a suggestion, you need to mention the behavior of the people so that others will be prepared for that.
Comment by Praveen — August 11, 2010 @ 10:37 AM |
View From Coaker’s Walk… is awesome,..just no words to express,its very hard to get those snaps…
Comment by Joby — August 11, 2010 @ 5:01 AM |
Wonderfull!!!!! have never seen a place like this…hmmm need to go
Comment by Joby — August 11, 2010 @ 4:57 AM |
Awesome place to go and spend holidays there. Everyone must go there at least once. The main thing about the place i like is the weather which gets changed within a min from sunny to cloudy.
Comment by Deepak — August 11, 2010 @ 4:51 AM |
aswomne photography……….the place is also like haven.
Comment by Sandeep Kumar Pradhan — August 11, 2010 @ 4:30 AM |