About the city
The view of the Amaravathi Dam, a shimmering sapphire sheet of water is an unforgettable sight. Driving higher, banana trees give way to tall eucalyptus trees, and the whole countryside is dotted with wildflowers in jeweled colors, magenta and purple predominating. There is a marked nip in the air, as one reaches for one's cardigan, or shawl. At a bend in the road, the shimmer and roar of the Silver Cascade waterfall welcome the tourist.
Almost cheek by jowl with the Kodaikanal School is the Lutheran Church-a Gothic stone building Kurinchi Templewith stained glass windows and modern paintings and batiks portraying scenes from the life of Christ. Nearby is an even more famous church-Christ the King Church-again, a very Gothic and solemn granite structure with stained glass windows.
The names of the buildings in Kodaikanal are very evocative: 'Loch End' and 'Mansarovar'-these two houses by the lakeside bridge the time span from colonial times to the present; Hillbrook, Furzbank, Wood-cote, Whispering Pines, and Rock Cottage-all conjure up the beauty and spirit of their natural ambience.
Jacaranda trees burst out in purple profusion, as though singing hosannas to the skies. Magnolia trees guard their 'escaping' fragrance, while cherry trees sweep in graceful pink arcs.
On the east side of the lake is Bryant's Park, named after the forest officer who planned its layout around the turn of the century. Beautiful pine and eucalyptus trees grow here. There is one ancient eucalyptus tree dating back to 1846, which is 250 feet high and 10 feet wide. The well-laid out gardens contain many annuals and perennials like azaleas, watsonias, dahlias, stock, primulas, fusschias, asters, etc. Many exotic varieties of orchids are housed in the Orchid House.
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Places in and around
Dolphin's Nose,
Dolphin's Nose, located about eight km from the lake, is a flat projecting rock from where one can have a breathtaking view of the yawning chasm below.
Perumal Peak
The Perumal Peak, about 11 km from Kodaikanal, is a trekker's delight. Climbers begin their ascent from the Neutral Saddle.
Berijam Lake
Berijam Lake supplies drinking water to Periyakulam town, and is 21 km from Kodaikanal (beyond the Pillar Rocks). It is a popular picnic spot with a beautiful view.
Kukal Cave,
Kukal Cave, 40 km from Kodaikanal, is a favourite camping site for trekkers. Reportedly, descendants of the Paliyans still live here.
Coaker's Walk,
About a kilometer from the lake is Coaker's Walk, named after St. Coaker of the Royal Engineers, offering a fantastic view of the plains and the distant hills. There is a rugged pristine beauty about these vistas, and the mist rising in veils from the valley below, gives the place an unreal quality.
Palani Hills
Palani Hills Driving along the cool green darkness with the trees making a canopy overhead, one reaches Green Valley View. Gnarled cypress roots make a natural crazy path to the sheer drop of 1,000 feet that overlooks the Vaigai Dam. Clouds are banked like snow, and violet haze envelopes the distant hills. Here too, the mist rises from the valley, imparting a solemn, out-of-this-world beauty to the scene. The exclusive Kodai Golf Club is very near Green Valley View.
Past the Golf Club is the 114-acre Golf Links, another colonial legacy-an undulating green velvet carpet. Thick woods line the road leading to the Pillar Rocks. These are three vertical pillars standing shoulder to shoulder measuring 112 m. The ground drops sheer below them, creating a dramatic impact and affording a stupendous view of the valley below. Soon mists wrap up the pillars in mystery and one wonders whether they are real, or whether they were a figment of one's imagination. Then the sun melts the mists away and the rocks rise, solemn and majestic, dappled in sun and shadow: the effect is ethereal and awe-inspiring.
The abundance of pear orchards is a striking feature of the Kodaikanal landscape. Here and there, a solitary snowy blossom seems to peep out tentatively to reconnoiter the weather conditions, and one has a hint of the profusion of pear blossoms to follow, when the branches would be heavy with their own blooms, leaving scant room for leaves.
A sheer lacy curtain of water, so aptly named 'Fairy Falls,' is nearby. About five and a half km from the lake is the Shenbaganur Museum, maintained by the Sacred Heart College, a Theological Seminary founded in 1895. The stuffed-birds and the butterfly collection are remarkable. The archeological collection is meticulously documented. One can see the implements and the burial urns of the Paliyans here. One of the best orchidariums in the country, with more than 300 species of orchids, is also located on the premises of Sacred Heart College.
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