Introduction to city Kodaikanal - In Tamil Nadu
The name Kodaikanal means the gift of the forest. Situated in the state
of Tamil Nadu, among the Palani Hills, Kodaikanal is one of the unexplored
destinations of southern India. With its intoxicating air, breathtaking
scenery and serenity that you can hardly find in any other hill station,
Kodaikanal is an ideal summer resort for the travel buffs of the southern
plains.
The hill station was officially founded by American missionaries in 1845.
The local museums here will give you a good idea about the place/’s past
and its relevance in the present. The relics and artefacts of the Paliyans
who lived in these Palani hills are carefully preserved in these museums.
The abundant pear orchards in their blooming season leave scant room for
leaves on the trees, making it a wonderful site to see.
Sightseeing
: Places to visit in destination - Kodaikanal
Once you are in Kodaikanal, the list of places to visit is endless. You
must try to visit as many of them as possible. The places to visit in
Kodaikanal take care of your likes and tastes. Starting from picturesque
natural sites like the Kodaikanal Star Shaped lake, the Coaker walk
and Priest’s walk to scientific and astrological wonder
the Solar observatory, the storehouse of botanical species Orchidorium,
breathtaking Perumal Peak and Fairy Falls, the list goes on and on.
Once you are through with your sightseeing schedule, you can also browse
through the local market in the town to get a glimpse of the locally
produced goods and knick-knacks to buy.
STAR SHAPED LAKE - Kodaikanal
|
|
The star-shaped lake of Kodaikanal is one of the major
attractions of this quaint little hill station. Situated at the
heart of the main town area, it is also a favourite evening spot for
the locals as well. It is the legacy of former Collector, Sir Vere
Levinge, who formed it by damming the valley where three streams
flowed. The entire lake area is spread over an area of about 60
acres. Here you can also try out some boating courtesy the Boat Club
that is located here. Moreover, small horse rides can also make a
good pastime in the early evenings.
|
SOLAR OBSERVATORY - Kodaikanal
|
|
Situated at a distance of just 3.2 kilometres from the Kodaikanal
lake, it is one of the only three solar observatories in the world
that is more than 75 years old. Built at an elevation of 2343
meters, the Solar Observatory was built at the highest point of the
town. You can have a look into the solar system by booking your
tickets for the scheduled shows.
|
VIEW POINT - Kodaikanal
|
|
Kodaikanal has some of the best view points from where you can
have a thrilling view of the entire Kodai valley. The hill
station/’s best view points are Pillar Rocks, Green Valley View
point and the Dolphin/’s Nose. You must not miss a visit to these
places as they are known for their natural marvel and beauty. You
could also find some of the locally made products here to take along
as the memorabilia of your visit.
|
ORCHIDORIUM - Kodaikanal
|
|
Kodaikanal has a wonderful Orchidorium having 300 species of
trees and flowers. You can also visit the herbarium that houses
around 2500 plants and a mass garden. The Orchidorium is a living
storehouse of a number of trees that are of great scientific
importance. The Orchidorium is open for visitors from 10 am to 12
noon and 3 pm to 5 pm on weekdays.
|
COAKER WALK AND PRIEST’S WALK -
Kodaikanal
|
|
Kodaikanal is ideal for lazy walks and to add up to your
satisfaction it has some of the picturesque walks too. The Coaker
Walk and Priest/’s Walk are the two of them. Situated at a
distance of about 1 km from the Kodai lake is the Coaker Walk. It
has been named after St. Coaker of the Royal Engineers. The walk
offers you a fantastic view of the plains and the distant hills.
|
PERUMAL PEAK - Kodaikanal
|
|
The Perumal Peak is another important tourist point in Kodaikanal.
Situated at an altitude of 2,440 metres it lies at a distance of
about 11.3 kilometres from the Kodaikanal town area. The peak also
offers excellent opportunity for trekking for the adventurous
tourists.
|
FAIRY FALLS - Kodaikanal
|
|
It seems as if mother Nature has bestowed all her treasures into
this gifted forest area. Besides the lakes, the wonderful walks and
the picturesque peaks, Kodaikanal also has two falls namely the
Fairy Falls and Glen Falls that make a thrilling site. The Fairy
Falls is just 4.8 kilometres from the Kodaikanal main town.
Picnickers crowd this place during weekends.
|
Excursions
: Places nearby city - Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal has a number of excursion spots to visit. Abundance of
natural beauty and variety of flora and fauna makes them more attractive
and worth visiting. Madurai, Ooty are some of the distant excursion
spots to visit from Kodaikanal. But Palani is a must visit site for
it satisfies your religious cord as well as the nature lover inside you.
Easily accessible from Kodaikanal, it is an important pilgrimage centre
especially for the Hindus as it houses one of the six abodes of Lord
Subramanya in the temple here.
Palani
|
|
While visiting Kodaikanal you must not miss an excursion to
Palani. Situated at a distance of about 64 kilometres from
Kodaikanal, Palani is a famous religious as well as natural tourist
spot. Palani houses one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya making
it a place of pilgrimage for the Hindus. The temple is built at a
height of 140 m on the top of the hill. It is easily accessible by
taking a walk or by taking the electrically operated winch. A large
number of religious tourists gather here during festival times.
|
|
