During the month of December 2021, I visited the hill station Kodaikanal located in the Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. In Tamil, Kodaikanal means the “gift of the forest.” It is situated at an elevation of 7000 feet above sea level along the apex of the Palani Hills. In the mid-19th century, British missionaries used Kodaikanal as their summer capital. We reached there in the early morning.
Firstly, we started with the visit to Kurinji Andavar temple. The temple is nearly 4-5 km from the bus stand and is around 3 km from the Kodai lake. There is this interesting fact associated with the name of the temple that we got to know from the locals. Kurinji is a flower that blossoms once in 12 years, and its tree is there in the temple premise and hence famed with this name. This temple devoted to Lord Murugan was built by a European lady who got to the Hindu religion and started practicing it.
Next, we went to the Moir point, named after engineer Thomas Moir who led the foundation to Goschen road/Forty-mile road which connects Kodaikanal- Berijam lake there. When we reached, it was pretty crowded. The place is filled with fog and provides a splendid view of peaks and valleys. There is a watchtower that offers a fantastic view of the surroundings. Next, a pillar is there, which was built as a memory for the opening of the Goschen road. There is this small park that has a decent place for sitting and enjoying nature’s view and few shops at this location.
Next, we went to the pine forest located southwest of Kodaikanal. It provides an amazing surrounding for long walks and photography. With dried pine cones scattered on the ground and the pine trees seeming to touch the sky, this place is indeed a dream escape.
After that, we went to the pillar rocks viewpoint known for its picturesque beauty. The pillar rocks consist of three giant rocks of around 400 feet in height with a scenic view of fog-clad greenery. The viewpoint has a mini garden with beautiful flowers and a mini-market providing local delicacies outside.
On the next day, we started with the visit to the green valleys. The place, also known as the suicide point, offers an enchanting view of plains and valleys. Several monkeys could be seen jumping around the site. At the entrance, there are a few shops for chocolate, dried fruits, ornaments, and ayurvedic products.
Next, we visited Coaker’s walk, a pedestrian path of around one km providing views of valleys and the city from it. It was constructed by Lt. Coaker in 1872 and hence named after him. It is an excellent place for photography enthusiasts. There are vendors selling ice creams and other food delicacies, jewelry, and woolen garments on the pathways.
