KODAIKANAL

Beside the waterfalls, cascades and green slopes there are more about Kodaikanal that promises to make your holiday a memorable one in kodaikanal. Kodaikanal is a mesmerizing hill station located amidst the Palani Hills of South India. It is one of the refreshing summer retreats in this part of the country. Set at an altitude of 2100 meters above sea level, Kodaikanal soothes the visitor with the cool

climes. The surrounding forests provide great  trekking opportunities and some awesome scenic views. There is also the beautiful Kodai Lake famous forits natural beauty. The not so adventurous can enjoy strolling around this place and spend a quite and relaxing  vacation. A boat ride in this lake can also be a very good idea. Kodaikanal is also famous for the large number of reputed residential  schools. This hill resort was established by the American missionaries in the year of 1845. Today there are some of the best residential schools located in this place. Among them, the Kodaikanal International School is a

very famed one. The best time to visit Kodaikanal is during the time between the months of April and June. During this season the weather is cool and pleasant. Temperature varies between a comfortable

20 degrees and 10 degrees. you can also plan a trip to Kodaikanal during August and September when the surroundings are green and lively. The time between October and March are extremely chilly. The

beauty of Kodaikanal is completely  different during this time of the year. For further information about

Kodaikanal, the following links can be browsed.

KODAIKANAL LOCATION

Kodaikanal is located in the Didingul district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on the southern crest of the Palani hills about 120 kilometers away from Madurai. The most attrac-tive fact about Kodaikanal location is its position at an elevation of 2100 meters above sea level. The town is surrounded by rocky hills, waterfalls and wooded slopes on all sides. The location of Kodaikanal is very strategic  attracting many tourists to this place. It is located about 120 kilometers away from Madurai, towards the North West. Its distance from Chennai is about 510 kilometers. The distance between Kodaikanal and

Coimbatore is about 262 kilometers.  Bangalore is about 615 kilometers away from Kodaikanal.

The latitudinal position of Kodai-kanal is between 10 degrees and  7 minutes and 10 degrees and 20

minutes north. The longitudinal location is 77 degrees and 16 minutes and 77 degrees and 77 degrees and 45 minutes east. The nearest airport to Kodaikanal in South India is the one located in Madurai. This airport is well con-nected to other important cities of India. The place has a railway station of its own. To reach the hill station by train one needs to get down at the Kodai railway station, which is about 80 kilometers away from the town. The beautiful hill resort is well con-nected to the nearby towns and cities by regular bus service. The extremely strategic Kodaikanal location has made the hill station very

popular among the leisure travelers. Thus it’s now considered to be the princess of all hill stations in India.

CLIMATE OF KODAIKANAL

The climate of Kodaikanal is very pleasant and cool all round the year. Due to the high altitude the hill sta-tion enjoys a temperate subtropical climate. For the visitors who want to know about Kodaikanal, here is a briefing of what climate one might expect in the hill station. The temperature in Kodaikanal var-ies between moderate to very cold.  During the summer, the temperature varies between 11 and 20 degree cen-tigrade. It is very soothing to be there during the summer months. During the winter season, Kodaikanal is very cold. The surface temperature during these months vary between 8 degrees and 17 degrees. During these months the temperature sometimes fall to the freezing point and beyond.

Kodaikanal experiences rain between the months of June and September. Rainfall in Kodaikanal is mainly due to the north retreating monsoon in this hill station. The average rainfall is about 1650 mm, annually. The best seasons to visit Kodaikanal are the times between April and June and from September to October,  when the Climate of Kodaikanal is at its very best. The surrounding is very

colorful during these months.

THE MAIN FAIRS AND FESTI-VALS IN KODAIKANAL ARE:

•  Natyanjali Festival – it is organized in the month of February or March. It is four day long festival that starts from the day of Mahashivaratri, the day when Lord Shiva is worshipped. Nataraja is one form of Lord Shiva and is believed to be the God of dances. On this auspicious day, danc-ers from every corner of India gather to perform in the Natyanjali Festival and to pay their tribute to Nataraja. •  Chithirai Festival – it is celebrated in the month of April and is named after the Tamil month, Chithirai. The

festival continues for a long period of ten days. The main part of the festival is the procession of Lord Kallazhagar or Lord Vishnu. There is festivity all around.

•  Pongal – like the rest of Tamil Nadu, Pongal in Tamil Nadu is cel-ebrated with great fervor and festivity. It is actually the harvest festival of the state. The city witnesses the maximum visits of tourists during the festival.

Among the other festivals that are celebrated with much pomp and grandeur in and around Kodaikanal,

the most important and popular ones are as follows:

•  Tourist Fair

•  Summer Festival

•  Dance Festival

•  Tea and Tourism Festival