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The Palani Andavan temple stood majestic on the hill as we passed it on the way to Kodaikanal. The temple looked serene atop the hill despite the hustle and bustle of devotees and the hill seemed like a pedestal tailor-made made for the temple to stand on. The rope car, locally called as 'vinchu', was slowly chugging uphill carrying devotees

We were a gang of eleven, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins taking our usual family trip. We wanted to visit a hill station and the choice was between Ooty and Kodaikanal. Ooty had been visited many times, so Kodaikanal it was. We had started at the crack of dawn with bags loaded hurriedly in the nooks and corners of the Sumo van. Our breakfast bag wasn’t fitting anywhere and it was the heaviest of our luggage. We take eating seriously! The music was put on full blast and we kept pestering our driver to change songs all the time. He was a patient man but he must have cursed the day he agreed to take us.

' We came upon a number of fruit sellers selling their juicy goods, we bargained for a water melon that was way cheap already and got an earful in Tamil 'We ‘kids’ sat in the back with some of the largest bags of all. The four of us grumbled endlessly that we didn’t have enough space to cram our legs. The rest of the family were ‘mysteriously’ deaf during this time. Recently one of our family friends, Mr Menon went on a trip to Mt Abu from Cochin. The incredible thing is that he is ninety and he made the journey alone! I doubt if there are any other ninety year olds doing the same thing. It made me feel sheepish about the whining that we do when faced with small difficulties in travelling.

Our Sumo raced through the busy township and entered roads which were quite secluded. After some time we came upon a number of fruit sellers selling their juicy goods. We bargained for a water melon that was way cheap already and got an earful in Tamil. As we didn’t know the language very well we escaped the full brunt of the verbal attack.

After that funny episode our van started climbing the hairpin bends. They were wiry and long but we were too busy gazing at the staggering mountains and valleys. There were monkeys chattering on the concrete wall wondering whether they would be tossed scraps of food. We didn’t oblige them. Soon we felt the slight tingle of cool air and saw the fluffy mist slowly descending the high mountains. The sight was so mesmerising that everybody leaned to the windows to get a better look. The sounds of wows and an assortment of other exclamations filled the van.

The dark pine woods ahead indicated that we were getting close to the beautiful hill station. The pine trees and mist gave way to what is known as the Silver Cascade waterfalls. This is the first scenic sight that greets you before you actually reach Kodaikanal. The water from the Kodai Lake gushes out from a height of 180 feet. There were iron railings that kept people from getting too close to the waterfalls since the rocks underneath were quite slippery. We had to satisfy with light sprays of frothy water. The area was crowded with a number of little stalls selling plums. We bought some which were packed in a tiny net bag that looked like bad stockings with holes.

Despite obvious similarities to Ooty, Kodaikanal has a lot of different things to offer. The central attraction of Kodaikanal is undoubtedly the Kodai Lake which stretches to almost 25 hectares. Boating is the popular activity here with a number of boat clubs around the lake providing you with boats for a nominal amount. It was almost noon when we reached the lake but was soon put off by the long queue to get tickets for the boat ride. We waited there for a long time until our patience wore out. So we chose to watch the placid lake and enjoy the beautiful sight.

Later we bought a snack of boiled groundnuts and onions in a conical paper cup and sat in the van for a drive around the lake. The lake was dotted with colourful blue, red and white boats. They were quite a contrast to the lush surroundings. There was a spot called the lake view up the hill that would give a panoramic view of the lake. We went up there hurriedly and found to our utter dismay that the ‘lake view’ was nothing but the view from the lens of a telescope.

Some of us took tickets and went up the small building that housed the telescope. The person there gave some instructions to focus the telescope correctly and we had a close view of the lake. But it was not even comparable to the real thing.

Bryant’s Park is a popular tourist attraction near the lake. It is quite similar to the botanical garden in Ooty with a wide variety of beautiful and exotic flora. The plants and flower beds were arranged around trees and on sloping edges. A number of rare varieties of trees and flowers can also be found here. We walked quickly as it had started drizzling. The park looked like a dewy meadow in the light rain.

There was a dance programme going on there and people were crowded in front of the small stage despite the rain. A group was dancing to a hit Tamil film song and the crowd was cheering wildly. Somehow the loud music and dance seemed out of place with the serene landscape. It was late evening and decorative lights adorned branches of trees like glittering veins. It was beautiful and quirky at the same time.

Coakers Walk was the next on agenda. We thought that it might be some kind of a park but it turned out to be quite a surprise. Built in 1872, Coakers walk was a narrow paved walkway on the slope of the mountains and offered a fantastic view of the Kodaikanal valley. The nearness of the deep valleys and green mountains was awe inspiring. We walked the pathway drinking in the view and pointing out distant mountains and valleys to each other. A number of beautiful flowering trees added to the attraction of the place.

The next morning we headed to Dolphin Nose, notoriously known as the suicide point. There were concrete steps to take you to the top of the Dolphin Nose. A lot of tiny shops set up on either side of the steps sold everything from bags and shells to fake crystal showpieces. Once on top you are welcomed with an amazing view. A railing with tall iron bars is installed here. ‘Don’t even think about jumping off the cliff’ seemed to be the underlying message. Looking through it we could see the steep green valley below. There were a lot of monkeys eating half chewed corn on the other side of the railing. They probably had a better view of the valley than us.

The iron fence was fixed upon a concrete wall and we climbed up the narrow ledge of the wall to get a better view of the valley below. I clutched an iron bar with one hand and struggled to take a photo with the other. The view should have a place in memory forever.

A sign placed on the fence read ‘No eve teasing’. Other than the monkeys that were sneering at us, no Eves or Adams were being teased.

After that we took a long walk in the deep pine forest. The tall pine trees stood solemnly making us feel like dwarfs next to them. It was a little dark and misty under the trees and we could hear the slight rumble of thunder. The ground was uneven with pine corns scattered around. One of my cousins picked up one. “We could keep this as a souvenir”, he joked. I still have the pine corn in my house even though my mother has tried to throw it away many times.

Somebody mentioned that we were yet to see the Solar Physical Observatory, but we skipped it. The sights on earth were much better, I declared.

We encountered many tourists’ vehicles going in the same way as us and raced past them to reach before them. Soon we saw small plumes of smoke coming out of the engine. ' The caves crowded with bats were closed off years ago when some teenagers entered the caves and never came back. ' Everybody let out a cry of dismay as the van stopped. After about an hour of tinkering about the hood and help from several of the passers by we finally managed to get the van up and running. As expected we reached last at the Guna caves.

Centuries old Guna caves is a must see. At first we had trouble finding the caves which stood shrouded by thick shrubs and tall trees. The entrance to the cave is blocked by barbwire now and tourists can only watch the caves from a distance. We made up for it by climbing on a huge slippery rock up the side of the mountain to see the amazing view below. The caves crowded with bats were closed off years ago when some teenagers entered the caves and never came back. The area had an aura of mystery and a sense of solitude that couldn’t be shaken off.

A Tamil movie featuring veteran actor Kamal Hassan was shot here. The actor played a kidnapper who hid his victim in these caves. The movie was called Guna and hence the name. The actual name ‘Devil’s Kitchen’ is seldom used now.

On the road we saw a set of sharp rocks jutting out of the mountain. They are popularly known as pillar rocks. The area was misty but the huge boulders looked imposing. The light rain accompanied by the mist did their best to obstruct the imposing scene. Some other tourists stood dejected with their camera and complained about not getting good photos. After lots of insistent peering we could get small glimpses of the rocks before the mist covered it again. Later we reached a spot where a far off view of the distant Silent valley National Park was possible. It was incredible since the park is located miles away in Palakkad District of Kerala.

Our driver warned us that we have to clear the hairpin bends before it gets too dark. So we headed back to the hotel to pack up. Our only shopping in Kodai was for some scrumptiously flavoured home made chocolates. Those were soon polished off on the way back. A sweet ending to two days in paradise.

© travelbird