Kodaikanal Main Town With Mist Covered

Kodaikanal () is a hill station which is located in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its name in the Tamil language means "The Gift of the Forest". Kodaikanal is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long history as a retreat and tourist destination.

Kodaikanal was established in 1845 as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases of the plains.Mitchell Nora, ''Indian Hill Station: Kodaikanal'', University of Chicago, Dept. of Geography
ch 2, Rational for Tropical Hill Sations, pp13-15
1972. Original from the University of California Digitized 28 January 2008 Much of the local economy is based on the hospitality industry serving tourism. As of 2011, the city had a population of 36,501.

Etymology

It is not known who first used this name or what they intended it to mean.

The word ''Kodaikanal'' is an amalgamation of two words: ''kodai'' and ''kanal''. The Tamil language has at least four possible interpretations of the name Kodaikanal. By pronouncing the first syllable of Kodaikanal with a long Tamil 'O', as in ''k''oe''-dei'' (கோடை), it means "summer", whilst the final two syllables ''kanal'' (காணல்) means "to see", rendering ''Kodaikanal'' as a "place to see in summer". Kodaikanal is a summer forest, and it is a place that the first missionaries used as a refuge to escape the overbearing and mosquito-ridden heat of the plains – a place that they would have counted on seeing in the summer.

''Kanal'', in Tamil, can mean dense or closed forest. In this case, ''Kodai'' can have at least four meanings. By pronouncing ''Kodai'' with the long Tamil 'o' and short 'e', Ko-dai means "the end". Kodaikanal could mean "the end of the forest" which makes poetic and geographical sense – Kodaikanal is at the crown of the Palani Hills and is effectively surrounded and protected by thick forests.

By pronouncing Kodai with the short Tamil 'o' (as in Kodi), it means "creepers" or vines. Kodaikanal could mean "forest of creepers" or the forest of vines. "The forest of creepers" is thought to be the English language meaning given in 1885 during the early western habitation of the place and is still accepted.

By pronouncing Kodai with a short Tamil 'o', and a long 'e', it might be interpreted to mean "gift", rendering "Kodaikanal" as "gift of the forest". Keeping the short Tamil 'o' but adding a long 'a', Kodai could be understood as the Tamil word for umbrella, where Kodaikanal is a forest fashioned like a protecting umbrella.

Another Tamil word for creeper or vine is valli, the honey collecting daughter of the chief of the Veddas mountain tribe. The chief and his wife prayed to the Mountain God for a girl and their prayers were answered when the chief found a newborn girl child during a hunting expedition. As she was found among creeper plants, they named her Valli and she grew up as princess of the tribe in Kurinji and became the consort of lord Murugan. The romantic traditions of Murugan in Sangam literature are thus associated with the name Kodaikanal.

History

The earliest residents of Kodaikanal were the Palaiyar tribal people. The earliest specific references to Kodaikanal and the Palani Hills are found in Tamil Sangam literature of the early Common era.Mitchell Nora, ''Indian Hill Station: Kodaikanal'', University of Chicago, Dept. of Geography
Kodaikanal Sangam, p97
1972 Original from the University of California Digitized 28 January 2008
Modern Kodaikanal was established by American Christian missionaries and British bureaucrats in 1845, as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases of the plains. In the 20th century a few elite Indians came to realise the value of this enchanting hill station and started relocating here.Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation and Department of Tourism,
CatId=C1&SubCat1Id=C1S1&SubCat2Id=C1S1S13 Kodaikanal Princess of Hill Stations
/ref>

Tourism has been impacted by industrial pollution issues including the closure of a mercury factory owned by Unilever's Indian subsidiary Hindustan Unilever after evidence of widespread mercury pollution. To date no proper clean-up operation has been mounted.

Train

The Kodaikanal-Gudalur Railway line was under the contemplation of the Government from 1889 when the Madras and Travancore Governments made an agreement regarding the waters of the Periyar river in 1895 a survey was made in 1897 after the completion of the Periyar dam, the Government granted permission to the then Wilson and Company, Madras to construct a light railway from Kodaikanal railway station, then Ammaayanaickanur railway station, which lies between Dindigul and Madhurai railway stations, to Gudalur within two years The company failed in floating the capital wanted within the period allotted and thus the permission granted automatically expired. Then the Government made several surveys till 1920 After the close of the First World War, the Government sanction, ed in 1920 this line under the postwar reconstruction scheme and directed the District Board, Madurai to intimate to the Government within two years whether it was willing to take UP this work, as the then South Indian Railway Company and the two planters of the Kannan Devan Hills were willing to undertake the work. In 1922 the district board of Madurai intiiP&ted the Government to cancel the sanction of the Kodaikanal road- Gudalur railway line and requested sanction for the construction of Madurai-Bodinayakanur line Accordingly.

Geography

The town of Kodaikanal sits on a plateau above the southern escarpment of the upper Palani Hills at , between the Parappar and Gundar Valleys. These hills form the eastward spur of the Western Ghats on the western side of South India. It has an irregular basin as its heartland, the centre of which is now Kodaikanal Lake a circumference manmade lake. A few kilometres away from Kodaikanal a small village named Vattakanal is located in the Dindigul District on the southern tip of the upper Palani hills in the state of Tamil Nadu, along the eastern coast of the Western Ghats.

Vattakanal is better known as 'Vatta', which means circle and by most or 'Little Israel' by the villagers that observe a large number of Israeli tourists who flock there from October onwards. One of the main attractions of Kodaikanal city, very near to the Upper Lake View, a beautiful waterfall, is Vattakanal Falls. A perfectly calm and quiet place to enjoy waterfalls and natural beauty.

Meadows and grasslands cover the hillsides. Gigantic eucalyptus trees and shola forests flourish in the valleys. Mighty rocks and cascading streams lie above the valleys. There are many high waterfalls and ubiquitous gardens and flower beds in bloom.

Kodaikanal is known for its rich flora. Of the big trees, cypress, eucalyptus and acacia are the dominant varieties. Pear trees are numerous and the fruits are of high quality. Competing with the fruit trees are the flowering ones, mainly rhododendron and magnolia. Large dahlias of different hues are the main attraction of Bryant Park, situated close to the Kodai lake. At a distance of 700 meters from Kodaikanal Bus Station, Bryant Park is a splendidly maintained backyard located in the direction of the South-East nook. Water lilies in the park's pond are another pleasing sight. The town abounds in yellow wild flowers.

North of the town, high hills that slope down into the villages of Pallangi and Vilpatti stand guard. On the east the hill slopes less abruptly into the lower Palnis. A precipitous escarpment facing the Cumbum Valley is on the south. On the west is a plateau leading to Manjampatti Valley, Indira Gandhi National Park, the Anamalai Hills and the main body of the Western Ghats of Kerala border.

Climate

Kodaikanal has a monsoon-influenced subtropical highland climate (''Cfb'', according to the Köppen climate classification, with a ''Cwb'' tendency). The temperatures are cool throughout the year due to the high elevation of the city.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Kodaikanal had a population of 36,501 with a sex-ratio of 1,004 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 3,893 were under the age of six, constituting 1,945 males and 1,948 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 19.86% and .28% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 79.78%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The city had a total of 9,442 households. There were a total of 14,103 workers, comprising 163 cultivators, 744 main agricultural labourers, 130 in household industries, 12,118 other workers, 948 marginal workers, 10 marginal cultivators, 51 marginal agricultural labourers, 34 marginal workers in household industries and 853 other marginal workers. As per the religious census of 2011, Kodaikanal had 48.84% Hindus, 12.0% Muslims, 38.69% Christians, 0.02% Sikhs, 0.22% Buddhists, 0.04% Jains, 0.15% following other religions and 0.04% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.

Economy

The economy of Kodaikanal predominantly depends on tourism. The number of tourists increased from two million in 1999 to 3.2 million in 2009.
The town's infrastructure changes every year in preparation for the peak tourist season. Major roads are converted into one-way lanes to regulate the constant inflow of traffic and special police are brought in for the safety of the tourists and protection of local businesses. Hotels are often fully booked during the high season, and remain virtually empty during the off-season. Due to the rapid development of nearby cities such as Madurai, Palani and Coimbatore the town is learning to deal with year-round tourism.

Plums, pears, chile peppers, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic, and onions are cultivated by terrace farmers in surrounding villages. Most are trucked to other parts of India and some are sold in the local market. C

Due to its relatively unpolluted image, various locations in Kodaikanal are used for movie shoots. Some examples are '' Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar'' though depicted as Dehradun, the Tamil movie '' Guna'', '' Manmadhan Ambu'', and '' Thenali''.

Health

The major medical facilities are KHMS Hospital, Van Allen Hospital, the Government Hospital, and the Prana Spa. These hospitals treat patients with common ailments and injuries and perform child delivery and care, but are not equipped with modern medical equipment for complicated diagnoses and surgery.

KHMS hospital was formed in 2009 to provide quality health care to residents and visitors.

In April 1915, Dr. Van Allen raised funds to construct the first unit of the hospital at the entrance of Coaker's walk. It was named after him. Its facilities have been updated and now it has an X-ray machine, well equipped pathological lab, and operation theatre with blood transfusion facilities. Van Allen Hospital established by a group of Christian missionaries to be a place where people could receive quality medical attention in a picturesque setting of comfort and caring atmosphere in Kodaikanal. Van Allen receives about 7500 as outpatients per year. The number increases during the summer due to the influx of the tourist.

The Government Hospital is situated on the hillside near Rock Cottage on Lower Shola Road. It was a small municipal hospital until 1927. Now it has X-ray, dental, and maternity wards and other facilities.

Kodaikanal mercury poisoning

Air and water-borne mercury emissions have contaminated large areas of Kodaikanal and the surrounding forests. A study conducted by the Department of Atomic Energy confirmed that Kodaikanal Lake has been contaminated by mercury emissions.

Mercury pollution was reported in Kodaikanal affecting lakes in the area. The causes, originating from a Hindustan Unilever thermometer factory nearby, were reported to be dispersal of elemental mercury into the atmosphere from improper storage and dispersal into the water from surface effluents from the factory. Apart from tests conducted on Kodaikanal lake, moss samples collected from trees surrounding the Berijam Lake, located from the factory, were also tested. These showed mercury levels in the range of 0.2 µg/kg, while in Kodaikanal lake the lichen

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