INFRASTUCTURE

There are at least 50 hotels of all classes and over 30 South and North Indian, Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian, Continental, Western and Chinese restaurants, not counting many bazaar shops and tea stalls. There are six banks: Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Kodaikanal Urban Bank, State Bank of India and Union Bank of India. The two medical facilities are The Van Allen and Government Hospitals. Places of worship for Hindus, Moslems and Christians include the Kurinji Andavar, Mariamman, Vinayagar and Murugan Temples; Ellis Villa and Munjikal Mosques; and the Sacred Heart, Munjikal, St. Francis Xavier, Gorapur, St. Mary's, La Salette, St. Joseph's, Luthern Mission and Lake End Churches.

Established social clubs in Kodaikanal are the Kodaikanal Lions Club Established 1985 under the jurisdiction of Lions Clubs International Dt. 324B., Kodaikanal Boat Club Established 1890 has nearly 650 permanent members. Kodaikanal golf Club (1895) has 18 holes, spread over 143 acres and The Indian Club (1915) on Poet Thyagarajar road.

There is an excellent bazaar where one can buy woollen clothing, flowers, vegetables, fruit, meats, handicrafts, hot snacks, children toys, medicinal herbs and oils. The cosmopolitan nature of Kodai is evident at the market place where it is not uncommon to see Scandinavian backpackers, retired French tourists and people from other parts of India enjoying fresh pastries served by Tibetan refugees.

An artificial star shaped 45 ha. (60 acres) lake built in 1863 is located close to the centre of town. Next to the lake is Bryant Park, a botanic garden. Rowing boats and pedalos and riding horses can be hired. A five-kilometer path that skirts this lovely lake is a favourite walk. Kodaikanal is renowned for the Kodaikanal International School. The other schools are: Brindavan Public School, Bhavan's Gandhi Vidyashram, Kodaikanal Public School, St. Joseph's Public School, St. Xavier's High School. The two colleges are Kodaikanal Christian College and Sacred Heart College. Mother Theresa University is distinctive as India's only university devoted to exclusively women's issues.

The Shenbaganur Museum, founded in 1895, is open for the public to view their outstanding collection of more than 300 exotic orchid species and artifacts of the ancient Paliyans tribes people whose descendants still live in these hills.^[8] There are several popular hiking and trekking trails in the Palani Hills that originate in Kodaikanal.

Kodaikanal is near the center of the proposed 736.87 km² Palani Hills National Park. The Physical Observatory is at the highest location near Kodai. A former director John Evershed, discovered the phenomenon of radial motion in sunspots, now known as the Evershed effect.

The nearest airports are Madurai (135 km), Trichy (200km) and Coimbatore (170 km). The nearest Railway stations are Palani Railway Station (64 KMs) north, Kodai Road Station (80 km) south east and Dindigul Railway Junction (100 km) east. The 2 - 3 hours drive to Kodai by bus or taxi via the Ghat roads is a fantastic experience. Travelers may stop at turnouts on the road and enjoy the scenic beauty of the Palani hills. Bicycle rentals, taxis, vans and limited city buses are available. Rickshaws are not available.

There is a 28 kms shortcut from periyakulam to kodaikanal via kumbakarai.This route is under construction. The kodaikanal Terrestial Telescope can view the complete surroundings of the hills which covers sothupparai dam,vaigai dam,periyakulam varaha river etc.,The Suicide point and pillar rock are the two popular places where all the touristers used to visit quite often .Silvers falls ,Kodai Television tower, guna cave are the remarkable places to visit.The kurunchi andavar temple is famous for its kurunchi flower which blossoms once for every 12 years.The blums ,Berikke,Kodai milagaay, Red carrot are the most common natural edibles available. Califlower,Cabbage,chillies,onion are cultivated on the outskirts of kanal.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Kodaikanal had a population of 32,931 on 21.45 km². Kodaikanal has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 69.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 73%. In Kodaikanal, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. The languages spoken in Kodai are Tamil and English

GEOGRAPHY AND MAP

Kodaikanal stands in a 2,195 m (7,202 ft) high basin at the southern edge of the central part of the Palani Hills in the Western Ghats. Kodaikanal is at the top of a steep 2,000 m escarpment which is dramatically visible from Pillar Rocks^[1] It is located between latitude 10°7' N - 10°20' N and longitude 77°16' E - 77°45' E. It has a beautiful lake and numerous scenic mountain views of the plains below. There are several waterfalls in the area, which are popular attractions. To the north east is Perumal Malai (Mount Perumal), a hill which resembles an extinct volcano.

Due to its high altitude, Kodaikanal has a temperate subtropical climate. Surface temperature varies from moderate to quite cool. During the summer average temperature is 20 - 11°C and during the winter it is 17 - 8°C. In January, night temperatures sometimes drop to freezing, and thin ice is seen on the lake edges.

The average rainfall is 1650 mm, mostly during the North East retreating monsoon from June to September. The best times for traveling there are from April to June and from September to October.

KODAIKANAL

Kodaikanal (also known as Kodai) is a city and a Taluk division of Dindigul district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, South India.

Kodaikanal is sometimes referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and is a popular tourist destination. Much of the local economy is Hospitality industry based on national and international tourism. Kodaikanal was established by American missionaries around 1845, as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases of the plains.