VOYAGOSCOPE

The Kaleidoscope Of My Journeys

Kodaikanal lake of Chennai, India and its surrounding forests and settlements from a vantage point

Kodaikanal – The Princess of the Hills of Southern India

The hill stations in South India could never impress me as much as those I have been to in the Himalayas in the North. That personal view changed when I travelled to Kodaikanal in December 2006. My experience of Ooty the previous year was a disappointment – crowded, commercialized and ‘not-at-all-cold’. Presumption proved to be dangerous when I boarded a Volvo from Chennai to Kodaikanal, carrying a single sweater and low expectations.
The next morning, as the bus gained altitude towards Kodaikanal, I was surprised to find myself shivering. By the time I was dropped off at the hill town, I was frozen to the bone. The first thing I asked for at the hotel was a room heater and extra blankets.
Kodaikanal – when I went out to explore it – turned out to be an exquisite hill town, sprawled around a manmade lake.
La Saleth Church
My first stop was La Saleth Church, a 150 years old church that had an ‘Our Lady of La Salette’ shrine. Across the backyard of the church, there was a deep valley, and from within its chasm came the sounds of a waterfall. But the foggy morning refused to reveal the source of that sound.

Pambar Falls – The Liril Falls
Pambar Falls, known as the ‘Great Cascade’ or the ‘Liril Falls’, brought back childhood memories of the famous Liril Soap Advertisement. The crystal clear water cascaded over step-like rock formations and then formed a basin at the bottom.
But Pambar Falls had more to offer. A well-marked trail inside the jungle allows you to follow the course of the falls. It was a narrow, occasionally steep, and slippery jungle path. Following the stream, I came over two small cascading falls on the way, and at one point, had to trudge across the third waterfall. The rocks were precarious and slippery. After crossing a supposed ‘tiger’s cave’, the route became harder as it was strewn with huge and steep boulders that would have been difficult to climb back up. Thus, I turned around. This secluded 3 km trekking route was a nature lover’s delight. The only thing missing was a Liril soap.
 

Dolphin’s Nose and Echo Rock
At Dolphin’s Nose, a flat rock projection over a 6,600 meters deep chasm, I had my first brush with acrophobia. Sometimes you love the journey more than the destination. Dolphin’s nose is connected to the road-head through a downhill kilometre-long rocky trail strewn with tree roots. Along the way, there were beautiful cottages and gardens with multicoloured hybrid roses. Nearby there was another rock formation called the ‘Echo Rock’. It was a misty morning and a hike of contentment. But I wouldn’t say the same for the strenuous uphill climb which was made difficult by the natural step-like formations of giant tree roots. For a short person like me, it was like climbing unevenly steep steps.

The evening was spent boating on the Kodaikanal Lake and shopping for homemade chocolates, a speciality of Kodaikanal, from the markets. On my walk back to the hotel, I walked past the stadium and the Kodaikanal International School, which had few notable Bollywood alumni.
Coaker’s Walk
The next day started with a stroll through the Coaker’s Walk after breakfast. Coaker’s Walk is a paved path running along the edge of the steep slopes of Kodaikanal.  Despite the light fog, the views from the walk were breathtaking.
On the day’s agenda were the Pillar rocks and the Green Valley view. On my way, I made a brief stop at the Upper Lake Viewpoint. The view, as one can see in the picture below, is quite stunning.

Pillar Rock, Devil’s Kitchen, and green valley viewpoint
The Pillar Rock, viewed from an opposite viewpoint, is a set of three giant rock pillars standing next to each other. A deep chamber between the Pillar Rocks is called Devil’s Kitchen. One can only get a glimpse of this bat-infested place from the other side of a thick wired fence, set up for the safety of tourists. As per a local guide, the caves were shut after the tragic death of 12 medical students a few years back.

Close by, across a pine forest, is the Green Valley Viewpoint, formerly known as the Suicide Point, because of a drop of more than 5000 feet. The view of the plains from the point was panoramic, and I was glad its name was changed to prevent people from taking an extreme step there.
 

Kurinji Andavar temple
My penultimate stop was the Kurinji Andavar temple, where I was lucky to see a single Kurinji flower still in bloom. Neelakurinji blooms once every 12 years, and the next bloom would be in 2018. The temple also provides a spectacular view of the Palani Hills. On the way back from the temple, I visited the Shembaganur Museum of Natural History. The museum is affiliated with my alma mater, the Loyola College of Chennai, and has an extraordinary taxidermy collection of animals, birds and insects.
And with that ended a magnificent trip to Kodaikanal. This “Princess of hill stations” is undoubtedly the best hill station in South India and rather deserves the title of a Queen.

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One response to “Kodaikanal – The Princess of the Hills of Southern India”

  1. Anonymous avatar
    Anonymous

    Amazing travelogue. Your words have done justice to the beauty of Kodaikanal.