Princess of Hill Stations:- Kodaikanal (Kodai)

Its name in Tamil language means “The Gift of the Forest”. Kodaikanal is referred as the “Princess of Hill stations” and has a long history as a retreat and popular tourist destination. The place Kodaikanal was established in 1845 as a refuge from the high temperature is secludedly situated around 2100 meters above sea level.

Kodaikanal is the place where you will find lots of mountain hills, lakes, waterfalls, beautiful gardens etc. With wooded slopes, mighty rocks, and many other destinations are this place are charming spots of this hill. The covered area of this place is about 22 kilo meters.

Once you are in Kodaikanal, the list of places to visit is endless. You must try to visit as many of them as possible. 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.

One of the main attractions for the tourists of Kodaikanal is the Kodai lake which is at a distance of 3kms from the bus stand. In 1863, Vera Levinge, a former District Collector of Madurai settled in Kodaikanal after his retirement. He was the man of resource and creative ideas for this lake. By spending his own money he converted the marshy land with several streams of lake by constructing a strong bund and brought boats from Tuticorin. It is reported that the foreign resident’s even used to swim in the lake.

Trip to Kodaikanal The simple direct way to reach Kodaikanal is by road. Kodaikanal is well linked by road with Chennai (520-km), Ooty (264-km), Trichy (197-km), Coimbatore (175-km), Kumili (160-km), and Madurai (120-km). Special means of transportation ply through the season. Taxis and vans remain the local mode of transportation. There are no auto-rickshaws in Kodaikanal, and taxi fares are set by local authority. Planes fly to Madurai and Coimbatore. Then a two hour taxi journey. The nearest railway stations are the Kodai Road Railway Station (80-km) and the Palani Railway Station (64-km).

Kodaikanal Weather

From March to May in summer season, the temperature varies between 11C to 20C. Winters are cool and the temperature ranges between 17C to 8C. In January, have a panoramic view of ice formations in night. Kodaikanal receives average rain in monsoons (June to September).

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