It’s been quite a time since I last blogged. The delay can be attributed to two reasons. Firstly, I shifted my location to the political capital of our country. As evident, I imbibed partial legacy of our politicians comprising of laziness and procrastination (as evident from CWG preparation). Secondly, I resumed my passion for travelling and leisure driving.
My first Blog under the section on travelling is on Kodaikanal, a hill station located in Southern India. Popularly known as “Kodai”, the hill station is situated at an altitude of about 2,133 meters on Palani hills. It is situated at a distance of approx 530 km from Chennai. The following route map will give an idea as to where the hill station is located.
A-Chennai; B-Kodaikanal
Kodai is unarguably the most serene hill station of Southern India. Due to its relatively large distance from major metros (Chennai and Bangalore), tourist inflow during off season is exceptionally less. This ensures that the region stays relatively clean and retains its natural beauty. Another important outcome is that it is not as commercialized as other popular hill stations.
Our car which has made 3 trips to Kodai
The diversion from Dindigul leads to Batlagundu, post which hilly area begins. The entire state highway is well laid and one rarely encounters traffic. The road to Kodai has multiple scenic spots where one can stop and enjoy natural beauty. One famous spot on way is the Silver Cascade (Water Falls). The water fall is generally crowded with lots of locals and tourist’s esp. scantily dressed men, seeing whom one gets an impression that they have never taken a bath in their entire life. During summer, the falls is nothing more than a Delhi water tap.
Siver Cascade Waterfalls in the background
Accommodation like any other hill station is not a problem. A number of budget hotels are present near the Kodai Lake. In all our previous 4 visits we stayed at MRF guest house, which according to me is no less than a 5 star resort.
Entrance to the Guest House, Cottage 1 visible in background
Cottage 2
Other nearby places of interest are Kodaikanal Lake, Bryant Park (adjacent to Lake), Coakers Walk, Green Valley View (Suicide Point), Pillar Rocks and Kurinji Temple. The temple is famous for the Kurinji flower which blossoms once every 12 years.The best of the lot undoubtedly is the Kodai Lake. The Lake is star shaped and roughly covers an area of 60 acres. The periphery of the lake is approx 5 km. Unlike other hill stations the lake is clean and not very crowded. The walk way around the lake is well built and ideal for cycling and walking.
Aerial view of Kodai Lake
Walkway around Kodai Lake
Pillar Rocks
On route to Chennai there is a deviation for a place called Palani. It is around 80 kms from Kodai. Palani is famous for Murugan Temple and sees more than 7 million devotees each year. There is rope way which leads to the top of the hill on which the temple is situated.
Ropeway to Palani Temple
Candidly speaking Kodai has nothing special to offer in terms of scenic beauty. The reason why I rate it highly is due to its serene ambience. Serenity in a tourist place in India is a luxury which one can only dream. Currently, Kodai is the only hill station in South India which has the right combination of scenic beauty and peacefulness. It is the perfect place for a traveler who wants a break from his monotonous city life.
Hi Ankit,
ReplyDeleteI visited the place this June myself and even though it was the start of the peak rainy season, I couldn't agree with you more. The place is absolutely fabulous, serene and calmness is what separates it from similar hill stations in other parts of the country. While on similar route, I would suggest visit Parambikulam National park as well(if you havent done that already). I discovered the real meaning of words calmness and beauty there only.
By the way it came of a surprise that you are so active in blogosphere...way to go man. I wish we meet again, it was never enough time to learn and unlearn with you.